More than would be...page 2

No. 3 Wing - RNAS - page 2

Earlier Butterworth had been having engine trouble and was joined by F/S/L Raymond Collishaw and gunlayer R.S. Portsmouth in fighter 9407.

Left Luxeuil at 1.53 p.m. with Sopwith B. Red Flight. With formation to enemy lines. Then dropped somewhat behind to close alongside Butterworth, whose engine seemed to be slowing down, After a few miles Butterworth's engine picked up again and we began to close on the rest of B. Flight, until about five miles beyond the Rhine on the line of prepared course, when Fleming was attacked by a small machine which appeared to attack from above on the left of the formation. This machine then sheered off to the left again and Flight Lieut. Dalison was then observed to be engaged with a two-seater enemy machine which carried on below. The small machine which had engaged Fleming's machine again closed in on attack on Butterworth who was abeam my portside. I immediately dived to intercept him with my engine full on and firing my machine gun. This enemy machine appeared to resemble a Bristol Bullet, painted dark brown without any distinguishing marks, so far as I could see. During the dive my engine cut out and I turned around, diving towards the Rhine. Butterworth seemed to be still going ahead rather slowly. After losing 2000 feet my engine picked up to 900 revs and I crossed the lines at 6000 feet at which height I was able to keep afloat at 50 knots. [F/S/L R. Collishaw, fighter 9407]

Opposite Freiburg Flight was attacked by Hun machine. FSL Butterworth turned about and seemed to lose height but machine was under control and not seen again. [F/S/L G. G. MacLennan, bomber 9741]

The raid on Oberndorf marked the only time that No.3 Wing used the Breguet V bomber on operations. The Breguet had been a stopgap adopted to fill the space left vacant when it was found that the Short bomber would not be adequate for their needs. Unfortunately the Breguet was already obsolescent, and was so unlike the Sopwith that there was no real hope of them operating together. Areas in which the Breguet was deemed to be at a disadvantage compared to the Sopwith included: slower speed, less radius of action, less bomb carrying capacity, slower climb, possibly unmanageable in poor weather and was tiring to fly. However it did have an excellent field of fire for the gunner and it was hoped that it would be able to fend for itself in the manner of the FE2 when provided with Sopwith fighter escort. Oberndorf was to prove them wrong.

Two Breguets were missing, 9176 and 9181, piloted by F/S/Ls Newman and Rockey with gunlayers Vitty and Sturdee respectively. Eventually all but Vitty were reported as POWs. In addition 9175, crewed by F/S/L Parker and gunlayer Allen, crashed while attempting to land in a field near the Alsatian village of Buc.

I left the aerodrome at 1.50 p.m. and climbed to 9000 feet. Before crossing the lines I counted the six machines in our squadron, after which I never saw more than four. I reached the objective at 4 p.m., and dropped my bombs aiming at a large red shed. On the way back a Monoplane machine attacked me from the rear. I banked my machine well over, and my gunlayer fired several shots at him. After this the shells started bursting so he descended. After this engagement my engine started missing and finally stopped. I landed near the village of Buc in Alsace. It was too dark to pick out level ground but I saw an open space and landed all right but my machine ran down a hill and one wing hit a tree. I found one bomb near the machine which had not been released. [F/S/L L.H. Parker, Breguet V 9175]

Although seven Breguets were still listed as available for service at the end of November 1916, they don't make another appearance among the monthly returns of machines available for service in No.3 Wing. Besides the two RNAS Breguet losses, the French lost an additional four Breguet IVs plus one Breguet V borrowed from the British and two Farmans. A French report after the raid recommended that the Breguet and Farman units could be better utilized if they were transformed into Sopwith users.

In return for their losses, No.3 Wing claimed two enemy aircraft. One by Sub.Lt Downes in a Sopwith fighter piloted by Flt/Cdr Jones and another last seen in a steep dive.

Whether from the effect of our fire. Or intentional. I cannot say. [F/S/L L. E. Smith] by Gunlayer Jones in a fighter piloted by F/S/L L. E. Smith.

Around this time the French requested that No.3 Wing operate against German industry in the Saar region north of Nancy. The aerodrome at Ochey was offered by the French for their use, and Elder agreed to its selection, while Luxeuil would remain as the headquarters and maintenance base for the wing.

As raids can be carried out from Ochey without crossing the high mountain ranges as is necessary at Luxeuil Aerodrome, I consider that for the winter months at any rate Ochey is far better situated for carrying out raids than Luxeuil, as there are many objectives within range of this aerodrome, and I propose that the majority of the day raids should be carried out from it until more suitable weather can be expected. [Capt. W. L. Elder, OC No.3 Wing RNAS]

Prior to the move taking place W.Cdr. R.B. Davies had sent "two flights of bombers and all available fighters" to the Malzeville aerodrome at Nancy along with necessary stores and armament on 22 October 1916. Upon arrival, Davies was told that the French intended to make an attack on the iron works at Hagendingen on the night of the 22/23 and requested the British do the same the following morning. Accordingly, ten bombers, less the aircraft of F/S/L Burden which had crashed on take off, reached and bombed the target.

Although enemy aircraft were seen at various times throughout the flight, none were involved in combat. On the return journey F/S/L L. E. Smith dove his fighter at a German kite balloon, while AM Clegg fired a drum of ammunition into it with no noticeable result. Upon returning to the aerodrome at Malzeville, three more aircraft were damaged landing, no doubt due to...

the rough state of the aerodrome and the fact that it was a strange aerodrome prevented the pilots from selecting the best ground. [W.Cdr. R. B. Davies]

The weather over the next two weeks was even worse than previously and the Wing spent its time moving to the new base at Ochey. On 25 October 1916 Collishaw was ferrying Sopwith fighter 9407 to Ochey. As he was only going a short distance behind the lines he didn't bother with a rear gunner.

I was detailed to ferry one of the Sopwith fighters from Luxeuil to the new field. As it was a routine flight behind our own lines I saw no reason to take a rear gunner. For some reason I strayed further east than I intended and was jumped by six enemy scouts intent on my destruction. A stream of bullets from one of their number smashed my goggles, filling my eyes with powdered glass. I was hardly able to see and could do little more than fling my machine around in a vain attempt to throw them off. Gradually my sight began to return and I realised that my largely uncontrolled manoeuvering had brought me close to the ground. One of the German machines attempted to come down on me steeply from above, but miscalculated his dive and crashed into a tree. With each attack I waited until the enemy was about to open fire then turned inside him. In this way one finally flew across my nose and I sent several bursts into its engine and cockpit. He flipped over and went down almost vertically, whether he made it down safely or not I don't know. Diving into German territory, I shook off my pursuers momentarily, but they caught up with me and I flew deeper into Germany in an effort to shake them off. Finally I did so, and after flying back towards French territory prepared to land at an aerodrome I saw below. I put down and taxied in among the aircraft parked on the ground, and then it dawned on me that they bore the German Iron Cross marking ! I jammed the throttle forward and managed to take off, although I clipped off the tops of two trees close to the field. [F/S/L R. Collishaw, fighter 9407]

The weather cleared on 9 November 1916, allowing operations to resume. Over the next three days the wing would attack the iron works and blast furnaces at Volklingen on the 10th and 11th, and at St.Ingbert on the 12th. On the 10 November 1916 raid 18 aircraft started out, consisting of ten bombers and eight fighters. fighter 9407 was flown by Flt/Cdr. Draper along with gunlayer Sub.Lt Pearkes. They were to claim two enemy aircraft downed. Draper's report states...

a Fokker approached from behind and the passenger fired half a tray. I turned immediately and opened fire... dive and turn, then climb, brought the enemy turning across my bows. I opened fire following him round until he suddenly dived and and was observed to be spinning to earth. [Flt/Cdr. C. Draper, fighter 9407]

The second was downed by Pearkes, again described by Draper.

Sighted two enemy aircraft two enemy biplanes. These two machines were engaged by turning quickly and meeting them end on. After manuevering and fighting continuosly (sic) for about ten minutes one was driven off and the other hung on to our tail. It is probable his gun had jammed as he approached close in without firing. Sub.Lt Pearkes fired a whole tray at him and he was seen to nose dive to earth. [Flt/Cdr. C. Draper, fighter 9407]

F/L Newberry and P.O. Rees were returning home in fighter 9722 when Newberry saw another Sopwith in trouble.

I saw Sopwith bomber 5088, pilot FSL Shearer engaged with a German two seater. I dived and fired ten shots, but was masked by the bomber and after the enemy had circled I got in about twenty, my gun layer an equal amount and in the last dive we each fired about twenty or more. The enemy then broke off and glided for about 4000 Ft, when it turned on its side and dived into a wood, this last being seen by Petty Officer Rees. [F/L J. D. Newberry, fighter 9722]

Of the bombers, all but F/S/L Wilson made it to Volklingen. He had returned to Luxeuil after failing to keep up with his flight on the way to the lines. The rest reported dropping their bombs on the target, but were unable to see the result owing to smoke. The following day saw a return to Volklingen, this time by a force of 14 bombers and seven fighters. Once again Shearer was in combat, but this time as the attacker when he...

saw two Huns just the other side of the lines. Dived and fired about twenty rounds at one of them. They immediately turned and I saw no more of them. [F/S/L A. B. Shearer, bomber N5088]

Other aircraft involved in combat this day included 9669 (F/S/L G. G. MacLennan) who was attacked by an EA over the target which was driven off by W.Cdr. Davies and AM Pinchen in 9667.