South African Military History Society

CAPE TOWN BRANCH
NEWSLETTER NO. 294 - NOVEMBER 2002

The development of German military aircraft and airships, also called Zeppelins after their inventor, were the subjects of last month's talk. Their growth took place almost simultaneously just after the turn of the century, but whereas aircraft deployment took off rapidly, especially for military purposes, the airships could not really compete. They were expensive to build, exposed to the vagaries of wind and weather due to their enormous size, and if it had not been for the insistence of the government and the Kaiser, they would not have entered WW I.

Successfully used for reconnaissance sorties on the eastern and western fronts and the Balkans, they were then used as bomb carriers against targets in Gt.Britain, primarily London and harbours on the east-coast. But these missions turned out to be a waste of good men and airships compared to the damage caused on the ground, and the hoped-for propaganda value was limited. Of 123 army and navy airships in action, 73 were lost through enemy action, (AA guns and fighter planes), as well as accidents, with a loss of 40% of their crews.

The creation of the Fliegertruppe began in 1910. The first aircraft, locally copied from Wright's Kitty Hawk, did a few hops and crashed. The sorry remains were made into a chandelier for the officers' mess of the unit that initially consisted of six officers and ten other ranks and one French plane. It expanded with the acquisition of more French and also German manufactured aircraft, mostly double-seaters. But pilots were not always taken seriously by the general public, with an insurance agent refusing a pilot's policy by saying that his company did not insure "High-wire artists, racing drivers, lion tamers and airship pilots". Admittedly, flying was not for the faint hearted, it needed a lot of determination and guts to guide these ungainly contraptions made from metal tubes, wire and canvas, powered by unreliable 50 or 60 HP engines through the air. Pilots joked they needed to be cross-eyed, one eye for the plane, the other as a constant look-out for emergency landing spots, and they always had to carry pliers and sticky tape with them. Navigation was another problem. With no proper maps available, pilots used to search for name boards on railway stations or just landed and asked a passer-by.

The manufacture of single-seater aircraft followed, they were fast and safer, and pilots extended distance and altitude of operations all over the country, organised and flew in many air- and endurance tests, competed with civilian pilots and were formed into separate scout- and fighter wings.

The Kaiser and especially his brother, Prince Heinrich, supported the Fliegertruppe, and asked that planes take part in autumn army maneuvers which was done with great success. They were even told to join parade formations, much to the grumbling of senior officers who complained that aircraft spoiled the general picture.

When WW I began, fighter planes entered the air war in great numbers on both sides, especially on the western front and laterly the Balkans and in Palestine. In the east only scout-planes flew deep into enemy territory without meeting any Russian resistance in the air. It seemed as if the Russian army preferred to hoard its few aircraft instead of sending them to work. The deployment of twin-engined bombers, (with pusher propellers), for daylight attacks on the western front produced only fair results. This was due to their slow speed and fast enemy fighters.

However, when they turned to night bombing, they were more effective. Missions on Gt.Britain began from mid 1917 and were hazardous. They depended on favourable weather and cloud cover for protection and the bomb load the planes could carry was restricted. Losses through enemy fighters increased, and when the German high command was unable to supply units with high-altitude planes and also did not want to consider night bombing raids, operations were stopped.

In the final analysis aircraft and their pilots on both sides demonstrated their worth in battles in the sky consistently and with distinction on all fronts.


FORTHCOMING LECTURES:

14 November 2002
ANNUAL AFRICAN SECURITY OVERVIEW.
Talk by Maj Helmoed Roemer-Heitmann
December 2002
In recess
16 January 2003
THIRD Thursday of the month
AN ARMY OFFICER IN A BRITISH AIRCRAFT CARRIER (HMS EAGLE) in the 1960s.
Illustrated Talk by Major Anthony Gordon
13 February 2002
AN OUTLINE OF THE US CIVIL WAR 1861-1865
Extensively illustrated Lecture by Robin Smith

13 March 2003
THE BATTLES FOR RIET AND PFORTE, March 1915;
Botha's advance with the U.D.F. Burger Commandos and the Tvl Horse Artillery up the Swakop River
Illustrated Talk by Rodney Warwick

ENQUIRY:
Mr. V.C. Wratten, P. 0. Box 6789, Dunswart 15 08, is interested in any aspects of artillery used in Namibia (and around its borders - 1914 rebellion/Naulila in Angola) in 1914-1915. Any member who can assist him, his e-mail is: VincentW@hcmsa.co.za


CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE WISH EVERY MEMBER OF OUR BRANCH A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS, HEALTHY AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR 2003


Meetings are normally held on the 2nd Thursday of each month, at 20h00 in the Recreation Hall of the SA LEGION'S ROSEDALE COMPLEX, Lower Nursery Road, Rosebank (off Alma Road), opposite Rosebank Railway Station, below the line.
All visitors welcome. Tea and biscuits will be served.

Jochen (John) Mahncke (Vice-Chairman/Scribe) (021) 797 5167


South African Military History Society / military.history@rapidttp.co.za