November 23, 1917
Air War:
1025Canadian RFC ace Albert Carter, flying SPAD VII A8834, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 8.
1120 Canadian RFC ace Alfred McKay, in SPAD VII B3560, shoots down a DFW C.V for victory number 7.
1140 German ace Heinrich Bongartz, in an Albatros D.V, shoots down Sopwith Camel B2415 for victory number 24. 2nd Lt L. Marshall is killed. Bongartz claims a second Camel at the same time, but this is Unconfirmed.
1200 German pilot Fritz Rumey, in an Albatros D.V, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 4. Possibly N2396, Lt S.R. Hanafy wounded and taken prisoner, and later died from his wounds.
1210 German pilot Ernst Hamster, in an Albatros D.III, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 3. This is possibly B2409, Lt A. Rosenthal killed; or B5222, Lt C.F. Keller taken prisoner. Complicating matters is that these two are also believed to have collided during the combat. This is Hamster's last aerial victory. He survived the war, transferring to Jasta 65 on May 26, 1918 and serving there until the Armistice. Further records are unknown.
1220 Two RNAS Camel pilots share a victory over an Albatros D.V:
Fred Banbury, Canada, B6230, victory number 10.
John Hales, Canada, B3832, number 4.
1300 Fritz Rumey scores his second victory of the day, shooting down Armstrong-Whitworth FK.8 A2170 for victory number 5. 2nd Lt R. Main and AM1 G.P. Leach are taken prisoner.
(Some sources have this as B316 of No 8 Squadron)
1320 German ace Otto Könnecke, in an Albatros D.V, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 10.
1400 Canadian RNAS pilot Charles Hickey, in Sopwith Camel B6300, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 2.
1400 German ace Lothar von Richtofen, probably in an Albatros D.V (the Dr.Is are still sidelined while awaiting Idflieg recertification), shoots down Bristol F.2b B1116 for victory number 26. 2nd Lt Erland Dauria Perney and Lt Ewan John Blackledge are listed as Missing.
1400 German ace Manfred von Richthofen has been busy with administrative duties. In his first combat since September 3, flying Albatros D.V 4693/17, von Richthofen shoots down DH.5 A9299 for victory number 62. Lt James Alexander Vaseill Boddy is wounded in the head and crashes heavily, breaking both his legs. Another DH.5 pilot, Cpt Hnry Thornbury Fox Russell, who said his tail had been bloan off by a shell had crashed. Making his way back to his own lines Russell sees Boddy's plane come down and pulls him from the wreckage. A tank crew takes them both safely to their side. One of Boddy's legs has to be amputated, ending his combat flying career. He will serve in the Home Guard in World War 2 and live until 1954.
Von Richthofen's report mentions another plane downed, but he only filed a claim for the one.
Quote:
"At 1400 hours, shortly after I had forced an Englishman to land at the west side of Bourlon Wood, I attacked a DH5 north of Fontaine at abut 100 metres height. After the first shots, the Englishman started to glide downwards, but then fell into the south-east corner of Bourlon Wood. I could not observe the plane hitting the ground."
-Manfred von Richthofen
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1400 Englsih RNAS pilot Adrian Tonks, in Sopwith Camel B6243, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 4.
1500 German pilot Kurt Küppers, in an Albatros D.V, shoots down an unidentified "Sopwith" for victory number 5.
1525 Canadian RFC pilot Edward Carter Eaton, in Sopwith Camel B2413, shoots down an Albatros D.III for victory number 1. Shared with two other pilots:
Lt B. Balfour, B5221.
Cpt L.S. Weedon, B2394.
1630 German ace Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp, in an Albatros D.V, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 26.
French pilot Louis Coudouret, flying a SPAD VII, shoots down an Albatros C.X two-seater for victory number 4. One source says this was a Rumpler two-seater.
Two Austro-Hungarian aces share victories over a pair of Italian Nieuports:
Godwin Brumowski, Galicia, Oeffag Albatros 153.45, victories number 26 and 27.
Frank Linke-Crawford, Austria, Oeffag Albatros 153.11, victories number 10 and 11.
German ace Bernhard Ultsch, in an Albatros D.III, destroys an observation balloon for victory number 8.