AFC History

AFC Organization

AFC Flying Schools

AFC Squadrons

AFC Servicemen

Aces of the AFC

Aircraft of the AFC

Aircraft Profiles

Articles

Feature

AFC Gallery

Roll of Honour

Official Documents

References

AFC in Scale

AFC Mainpage

Links




    The Air War over Palestine 1918
    ____________________


    The Air Battle over Palestine as told in the Kriegs-Chronik der Leipziger Neuesten Nachrichten

    January 1918 - December 1918
    ____________________



    Sonnabend, den 5.Januar 1918.(1) Palästina-Front: Aus einem feindlichen Flugzeuggeschwader von 12 bis 14 Flugzeugen, das einen unserer Flughafen angriff, wurden durch Luft- und Erdabwehr zwei feindliche Flieger zum Absturz gebracht; drei Insassen tot, einer schwer verletzt; auf dem angegriffenen Flugplatz kein Schaden. Unsere Flieger bewarfen feindliche Anlagen mit 40 Bomben. Mehrere Treffer im Ziel wurden beobachtet. Trotz heftiger Gegenwehr kehrten alle Flugzeuge zurück.

    ____________

    Saturday, the 5th of January 1918. Palestine front: A hostile airplane squadron of 12 to 14 airplanes attacked one of our aerodromes, two hostile airplanes were brought down by air and ground fire; with three passengers dead, one seriously hurt; the attacked aerodrome suffered no damage. Our fliers dropped 40 bombs. Several hits in the target were observed. Despite violent resistance all airplanes returned.

    In December 1917 the German and Turkish air increased to one Jasta, five Flieger-Abteilungs and an Ottoman Squadron to counter the greater number of entente aircraft in the theatre. !4 Sqn Royal Flying Corps and 1 Sqn Australian Flying Corps had been reinforced by the additions of new squadrons including 111 Sqn RFC, 113 Sqn RFC and 142 Sqn RFC.

    The 5th of January was to mark a period of rainy and showery weather on the Palestinian Front. 1 Sqn AFC was hit by a bad storm on the 8th of January in which tents were destroyed.



    Mittwoch, 20.März 1918. Mehrer feindliche Flieger griffen Katrane mit Bomben an. Zwei von ihnen sind bei der Rückkehr durch Feuer von der Erde aus zum Landen gezwungen worden. Zwei Piloten und ein Beobachter sind gefangengenommen worden, nachdem sie die Flugzeuge verbrannt hatten.

    ____________

    Wednesday, 20th March 1918. Mehrer hostile fliers attacked Katrane [El Kutrani – CR] with two aircraft being forced by return fire to land. Two pilots and an observer were taken prisoner, after they had burned the airplanes.

    This is possibly Lieutenant Austin and Lieutenant Oliver M. Lee which were lost in a Bristol Fighter and Captain Alfred J. Evans of 142 Squadron Royal Flying Corps in a Martinsyde when he had engine trouble near Kerak. A force of four Martinsydes, three from 1 AFC and one from 142 sqn RFC, and an escorting Bristol Fighter bombed the station at El Kutrani. Cutlack places Austin and Lee as landing to pick Evans up but breaking a wheel on landing and being left with no alternative but to burn the Bristol Fighter and Martinsyde. Both Lee and Evans were taken prisoner. Evans was repatriated in November of 1918 after being taken prisoner.

    On the 20th of March, 1 Sqn AFC raided the bridges which spanned the Jordan with 112 lb and 230 lb bombs. The permanent bridge had been knocked out but the squadron was targeting temporary structures which had been put up.



    Freitag, 12.April 1918. Palästinafront: Ein feindliches Flugzeug wurde im Luftkampf hinter unserer Front abgeschossen.

    ____________

    Friday, 12th April 1918.Palestine Front: A hostile airplane was shot down in an aerial combat behind our front.





    Sonnabend, 27.April 1918. Palästinafront: Stelleweise Patrouillengefechte. Ein feindliches Flugzeug wurde bei Nablus abgeschossen. Der Beobachter ist tot, der Führer verwundet gefangen genommen.

    ____________

    Saturday, 27th April 1918. Palestine front: There were several patrol engagements. A hostile airplane was shot down near Nablus. The observer is dead, the pilot wounded and imprisoned.





    Donnerstag, 2.Mai 1918. Bei Amman brachte eines unserer Flugzeuge zwei feindliche Flugzeuge zum Absturz. Die Insassen, vier englische Offiziere, wurden gefangen.

    ____________

    Thursday, 2nd May 1918. Near Amman one of our airplanes brought two hostile airplanes to crash. The passengers, four English officers, were imprisoned.

    On the 2nd of May, near Amman, Captain Rutherford had both his petrol tanks perforated by ground fire during a dawn reconnaisance. Rutherford and his observer Lieutenant R.T Challinor were forced to land and burn their machine. The Bristol Fighter of Lieutenant F.W. Haig and Observer Lieutenant R.T.Challinor landed beside the stricken machine and attempted to take off with the extra two passengers. Unfortunately the weight was too mauch on the uneven ground and the undercarraige broke. The four set fire to the second Bristol Fighter and were taken prisoner by the Circassian Cavalry. A German aircraft later appeared over 1 Sqn AFC's aerodrome dropping a note explaining what happened to the four Australian Airmen.

    Also on this day 1 Sqn AFC made five claims for actions with enemy aircraft, including an Out of Control, three Forced to Land's and one FTL and Strafed. During this period the entente position had become tenuous near Damieh with the Australian Light Horse coming close to being cut off by Turkish Cavalry as they advanced to Es Salt.



    Montag, 6.Mai 1918. Palästinafront: Ein feindliches Flugzeug wurde nach Luftkampf brennend zum Absturz gebracht.

    ____________

    Monday, 6th May 1918. Palestine front: A hostile airplane was engaged in aerial combat and shot down in flames.





    Englische Flugzeugverluste. Der "Berner Bund" berichtet: Reuter meldet aus London, daß an der Westfront in dem Zeitraum vom 1.Juli 1917 bis 3.Juli 1918 1186 englische Flugzeuge verloren gingen. In Italien wurden 13, bei Saloniki 4, in Palästina 10 englische Flugzeuge in dem genannten Zeitraum zerstört.

    ____________

    English airplane losses. The Union of Bern: Reuter announces from London that on the Western Front in the period 1st July 1917 to 3rd July 1918, 1186 English airplanes were lost. In Italy 13 were lost, in Saloniki 4 were lost. In Palestine 10 airplanes in the period were destroyed.





    Sonnabend, 10.August 1918. Palästinafront: Ein feindlicher Einsitzer wurde nach Luftkampf bei Anoß zur Landung gezwungen.

    ____________

    Saturday, 10. August 1918. Palestine front: A hostile single-seater was forced down to a landing after aerial combat near Anoss.




    1. Excerpts of reports of the Turkish Headquarter from the Source: "Kriegs-Chronik der Leipziger Neuesten Nachrichten", Band III (Januar 1918), Band IV (1918) [ " War Chronicle of the Latest News of Leipzig ", tape III (January 1918), tape IV (1918) ] courtesy of Hannes Täger.