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Victory 55

Event ID: 219

24 June 1917

50.852624327709485, 3.0307366220562146
Between Keibergmolen (former windmill, located in Beselare) and Lichtensteinlager.
Beselare

Source ID: 13

Under the guns of the Red Baron, Norman Franks, Hal Giblin and Nigel McCrery

ISBN: 9781898697275

Combat Report: 0910 hrs, between Keibergmolen and Lichtensteinlager, this side of the lines. De Havilland DD. With six machines of my Staffel, I attacked enemy squad consisting of two reconnaissance planes and ten fighters. Unimpeded by the enemy fighters, I managed to break one of the reconnaissance planes with my fire. The fuselage fell with the inmates into a hangar between Keibergmelen and Lichtensteinlager, this side of our lines. The plane exploded when crashing on the ground and destroyed the hangar. Weather: fine but cloudy, visibility good in early morning and again in the evening.

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  1. source: Inside the victories of Manfred von richthofen – Volume 1, James F. Miller, Aeronaut Books, 2016

    l. Richthofcn’s translated combat report is erroneously dated as “June 26th, 1917.”

    2. Richthofen’s translated combat report records an erroneous time of “9.10PM”

    3. From RFC Communique No. 86: “April 29th . Hostile Aircraft—A patrol of No. 57 Squadron observed several hostile aircraft engaging two S.E.5’s. The F.E.’s joined in the combat, and a pilot of one of the hostile machines, which was engaged by Capt. McNaughton and 2nd Lieut. Downing, was seen to fall from his machine, which crashed.”

    4. From RFC Communique No. 86: “April 30th. Hostile Aircraft—Major L.A. Pattinson and Lieut. A. H. Mearns, No. 57 Squadron, observed a formation of their F.E.’s fighting with German machines, and immediately joined in the combat. They drove down one of the hostile machines in a damaged condition… ”

    5. From RFC Communique No, 93: “June 21 st. Enemy Aircraft—Capt. McNaughton, No.57 Squadron, drove down an Albatross (sic)
    Scout out of control.”

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