100 Years Ago Today

[Sailor Steve]

July 24, 1918


Air War:

0530 Australian AFC George Peters and observer James Traill, flying Bristol F.2b B1278, shoot down an LVG two-seater. Victory number 4 for Peters; number 3 for Traill.

0655 German ace Karl Thom, with Jasta 21, shoots down an SE.5a for victory number 22.

0658 German ace Paul Turck, with Jasta 66, shoots down an SE.5a for victory number 9.

0700 Karl Thom scores his second kill of the day, shooting down another SE.5a for number 23.

0735 French ace Jacques Erlich, with Spa 154, destroys a German observation balloon for victory number 10.

0830 German ace Georg Meyer, flying with Jasta 37, shoots down Bristol F.2b D7902 for victory number 10. 2nd Lt S.N. Waddy and Sgt W.J. Shuker are both killed.

1045 Scottish RAF pilot Arthur Randall, in SE.5a C1931, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 5.

1105 Karl Thom gains his third victory of the day, shooting down another SE.5a for number 24.

1115 Two RAF pilots share a victory over a Fokker D.VII:
Norman Mawle, England, C1868, victory number 4.
John Ralston, Scotland, D6914, victory number 11.

1115 South African RAF pilot William Nel, in SE.5a D6926, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 2.

1130 German ace Gustav Dörr, flying with Jasta 45, shoots down SPAD VII 5214 for victory number 14. Cpl Bendix is taken prisoner.

1545 French ace Claude Haegelen, with Spa 100, shoots down a German two-seater for victory number 11.

1705 American pilot Wilbert Wallace White, in a Nieuport 28, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 1.

1707 Wilbert White scores his second victory, another Albatros D.V.

1735 Five American Nieuport 28 pilots share a victory over two Fokker D.VIIs:
Thomas J. Abernathy, victories 1 and 2.
James Andrew Healey, victories 1 and 2.
Arthur H. Jones, victories 1 and 2.
Ralph O'Neill, victories 3 and 4.
Charles P. Porter, victories 2 and 3.
Francis Simonds is in on the second kill, victory number 3.

1920 German pilot Marat Schumm, flying with Jasta 52, shoots down SE.5a D6900 for victory number 3. Capt P.S. Burge is killed.

1950 German pilot Emil Schäpe, with Jasta 33, shoots down a Bréguet 14 for victory number 5.

2015 English RAF pilot George Ebben Randall and Scottish observer George Victor Leamond, in Bristol F.2b D8086, shoot down a Fokker D.VII. Victory number 1 for both.

1035 American RAF pilot George Vaughn, in SE.5a C6457, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 2.

2100 German ace Hans-Eberhardt Gandert, with Jasta 51, shoots down Bristol F.2b C4606 for victory number 6. Sgt H.D. Aldridge is taken prisoner; Sgt M.S. Samson is killed.

2200 German pilot Reinhold Maier, flying with Jasta 30, destroys a British observation balloon for victory number 2.

French pilot Albert Achard, in a SPAD XIII, shoots down a German two-seater for victory number 5. Achard is also wounded in the fight.

German ace Oskar von Boenigk, in a Pfalz D.III, destroys an observation balloon for victory number 16.

German ace Gerhard Fieseler, with Jasta 25, is credited with two Nieuports for victories 6 and 7.

German ace Hermann Frommherz, in a Fokker Dr.I, shoots down SPAD XIII 8262 for victory number 8. MdL André Conraux is killed.

[Jimbuna]

25th July 1918

Western Front

Allies advance continued.

French retake Main de Messiges (east of Reims).

Allies take Villemontoire (6 miles south of Soissons), Oulchy-le-Chateau (north of River Ourcq) and southern half of Forest of Fere.

Eastern Front

Czecho-Slovaks capture Simbirsk (corn granary on west bank of Volga, 130 miles from Samara).

Political, etc.

Speech of Mr. Lloyd George to Food Controllers of France, Italy and U.S.A.

American sugar ration cut to 2 pounds per month on Aug. 1; England has same ration, France 1.5 pounds, Italy 1 pound.

Mr. Balfour at inauguration of Yugo-Slav National War Aims Committee.

Conference of National Engineering and Allied Trades' Council decides for strike if no settlement before 30 July.

Ship Losses:

Asta (Denmark) The three-masted auxiliary schooner was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 600 nautical miles (1,100 km) west north west of the Hebrides, United Kingdom by SM UB-89 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of five of her crew.
Indore (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean 20 nautical miles (37 km) north north west of Rathlin Island, County Donegal by SM UB-62 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew. She was beached but was later refloated.
Magellan (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 53 nautical miles (98 km) north of Cape Serrat, Tunisia by SM UB-50 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.
Tippecanoe (United States) The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 550 nautical miles (1,020 km) off Brest, Finistère, France (40°57′N 15°25′W) by SM U-91 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of one of her crew.

[Sailor Steve]

July 25, 1918


Air War:

0415 Australian AFC pilot Elwyn King, flying Sopwith Camel E1416, shoots down an LVG two-seater for victory number 5.

0615 Irish RAF ace George McElroy, in SE.5a C8869, shoots down a Hannovr two-seater for victory number 45.

0630 Scottish RAF ace John Ralston, in SE.5a D6914, destroys a German observation ballooen for victory number 12. Ralston is severely wounded in this attack, makes it back to his home field but apparently faints and crashes to his death.

0700 German ace Karl Schlegel, with Jasta 45, shoots down a Bréguet 14 for victory number 9.

0715 George McElroy scores his second kill of the day, another Hannover two-seater, for number 46.

0730 Karl Schlegel destroys an American observation balloon for his second kill of the day, number 10 overall. Lt Ray W. Thompson of the 1st Balloon Company parachutes safely.

0740 English RAF ace Leonard Rochford, in Sopwith Camel D9618, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 25.

0745 English RAF pilot William Sidebottom, in Sopwith Camel D9583, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 4.

0810 German ace Karl Thom, with Jasta 21, shoots down SE.5a C1929 for victory number 25. Lt W.R. Henderson of 64 Sqdn is taken prisoner.

0820 German ace Rudolf Klimke, in a Fokker D.VII, shoots down SE.5a E5966 for victory number 11. Lt H.M. Struben of 32 Sqdn is taken prisoner.

0840 German ace Paul Billik, flying with Jasta 52, shoots down Sopwith Camel D9585 for victory number 27. Lt C.F. Brown of 203 Sqdn is is wounded and taken prisoner, later dying from his wounds.

0910 Australian AFC ace Roy Phillipps, in SE.5a D6860, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 12.

0915 German pilot Albrecht Weinschenk, with Jasta 16, shoots down a Bristol F.2b for victory number 1.

0915 German pilot Michael Hutterer, with Jasta 23, shoots down an SE.5a for victory number 2.

0915 German pilot Marat Schumm, with Jasta 52, shoots down SE.5a C8734 for victory number 4. Lt A.S. Barret of 64 Sqdn puts his plane down safely.

0935 German ace Carl Degelow, flying with Jasta 40, shoots down Sopwith Camel D8199 for victory number 13. Lt W.O. Carveth of 208 Sqdn is taken prisoner.

0940 German ace Dieter Collin, with Jasta 56, shoots down Sopwith Camel D9636 for number 13. English 9-victory ace Joseph Henry Siddall of 209 Sqdn is killed.

0950 German ace Friedrich von Röth, with Jasta 16, shoots down Bristol F.2b C976 for victory number 16. Lt F.J. Shearer and Sgt D. Malpas of 20 Sqdn are both killed.

0955 German pilot Ludwig Beckmann, with Jasta 56, shoots down Sopwith Camel D9621 for victory number 5. 2nd Lt A.G.S. Blake is taken prisoner.

1100 German ace Gustav Dörr, with Jasta 45, shoots down a Bréguet 14 for victory number 15.

1115 German ace Paul Turck, flying with Jasta 21, shoots down an SE.5a for victory number 10.

1145 German pilot Friedrich Engler, with Jasta 62, shoots down a Dorand AR.2 for victory number 4.

1845 American pilot Walter W. Avery, in a SPAD XIII, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 1. German 39-victory ace Carl Menckhoff is taken prisoner. Menckhoff will still be a prisoner more than a year later, when he will escape from France into Switzerland in August 1919. He will settle there and buisinessman until his death in 1948.

1900 American RAF pilot John Donaldson, in SE.5a E6939, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 2.

1900 Brazilian-born RAF pilot Gordon Rule, in DH.9 D1715 with Lt R.A.V.R. Scherk as observer, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 5.

1900 English RAF pilot Arthur Rowe Spurling and observer George William Bell, flying DH.9 D3056, shoot down a Fokker D.VII. Victory number 1 for both.

1930 American RAF pilot Alvin Callendar, in SE.5a C1903, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 4.

1930 German ace Heinrich Dreckmann, with Jasta 4, shoots down a SPAD XIII for victory number 10. S/Lt Jean Robert de Beauchamp of Spa 75 lands behind German lines but manages to avoid capture and escape back to his own side.

1940 German pilot Gerold Tschentschel, with Jasta 72, destroys a French observation balloon for victory number 3.

1945 Two RAF Camel pilots share a victory over an LVG two-seater:
Norman Cooper, United States, D6484, victory number 1.
William Stephenson, Canada, C9296, victory number 11.

1950 German ace Lothar von Richthofen, flying a borrowed Fokker D.VII 244/18, returning to service after four months off recovering from a serious wound, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 30. This is also JG 1's 500th recorded victory.

2030 German pilot Erich Just, in a Fokker Dr.I, shoots down a two-seat SPAD XI for victory number 3.

2035 German naval pilot Heinrich Wessels, with Marine Feld Jasta 1, is credited with two Sopwith Camels for victories 5 and 6.

2035 German naval ace Gotthard Sachenberg, with MFJ 1, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 19.

2050 German ace Erich Löwenhardt, in a Fokker D.VII, shoots down a SPAD for victory number 44.

2053 German naval ace Theo Osterkamp, flying an Albatros D.V with MFJ 2, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 18.

German pilot Dietrich Averes, with Jasta 81, shoots down a SPAD for victory number 3.

German pilot Gerhard Bassenge, in a Fokker Dr.I, shoots down Sopwith Camel D8197 for victory number 3. 2nd Lt N. Wilson of 44 Sqdrn is wounded and taken prisoner, later dying from his wounds.

German ace Walter Blume, with Jasta 9, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 16.

German pilot Konrad Brendle, with Jasta 45, shoots down a Bréguet 14 for victory number 4.

German ace Karl Bolle, flying a Fokker Dr.I with Jasta Boelke (2), shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 26.

German ace Hermann Frommherz, in a Fokker Dr.I, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 9.

Five American SPAD XIII pilots with the 95th Aero Sqdn share a victory over a Rumpler two-seater:
Clarence S. Gill, victory number 1.
Waldo Heinrichs, victory number 2.
James Knowles, victory number 1.
George W. Puryear, victory number 1.
Sumner Sewall, victory number 4.

Two American Nieuport 28 pilots from the 147th Aero Sqdn share a victory over a Fokker D.VII.
James healy, victory number 2.
Joseph Raible, victory number 3.

James Knowles scores his second kill of the day, shooting down a Fokker D.VII for number 2.

German ace Josef Schwendemann, flying with Jasta 41, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 12.

German pilot Karl Strünklenberg, with Jasta 9, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 2.

[Jimbuna]

26th July 1918

Western Front

General retreat of Germans on Marne toward Epernay.

Partial capture of Buzancy by Scottish Division.

Eastern Front

French troops join the northern Russian Expeditionary Force at Murmansk.

Aviation

Mick Mannock, the top British flying ace with 61 aerial victories, is killed in action over France.


Political, etc.

Japan accepts U.S.'s proposals for joint action in Siberia on behalf of Czecho-Slovaks.

Government warning to munition workers: after 29 July, alternative is return to work or military service.

Ship Losses:

Blairhall (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 3.5 nautical miles (6.5 km) north east of Sunderland, County Durham by SM UC-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of a crew member.
Boy Jack (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) east of the Cross Sands Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of three of her crew.
Godesgenage (Belgium) The fishing vessel was scuttled in the North Sea off the Cross Sands Lightship by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Monastir (France) The tanker was torpedoed and damaged in the Strait of Kasos (35°00′N 27°00′E) by UC-74 ( Kaiserliche Marine). She was beached in Poro Bay, Crete. Monastir was later repaired and returned to service.

[Sailor Steve]

July 26, 1918


Air War:


0530 Two RAF pilots share a victory over an LVG two-seater:
Donald Clyde Inglis, New Zealand E1294, victory number 1.
Mick Mannock, England, E1294, victory number 61. Mannock fires first, then pulls off, giving "the new guy" a shot. Inglis puts in the killing shot, then Mannock flies close in to make sure of the wreckage. As he is pulling back up his plane is hit by ground fire, setting it aflame. The SE.5a crashes and burns out. Mannock's body is never properly identified and he is memorialized on the RAF's monument to the Missing. Some evidence was presented several years ago that might boost Mannock's score up to 73, but Manoock himself talked once about unconfirmed claims and when it was suggested at that time that he might have 51 vs the official 47 he said "go with the official number". In fact, the opinion of aerial historians seems to be that had he lived he would have denied even this claim, giving it solely to "the new guy". Edward Corringham Mannock seems to have been that kind of guy.

0910 English RAF ace Arthur E. Jarvis, in SE.5a B163 over the Italian Front, shoots down a Rumpler two-seater for victory number 6.

1219 German pilot Kurt Delang, with Jasta 54, destroys a French observation balloon for victory number 2.

1220 Arthur E. Jarvis scores his second kill of the day, sharing a victory over a DFW C.V with Lt C.B. Spackman in SE.5a C9501. Number 7 for Jarvis, unknown for Spackman. This is also Jarvis' last aerial victory. He will survive the war, and live until 1969.

[Jimbuna]

27th July 1918

Western Front

General German retreat north of Marne; cavalry pursue.

Allied troops reach line Bruyeres-Chaumuzy. (Bruyeres three miles west of Fere-en-Tardenois). Chaumuzy on River Ardre, south-west of Reims).

Ship Losses:

Antonio S (Italy) The barquentine was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea (35°27′N 11°09′E) by SM UB-50 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Chloris (United Kingdom) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 17 nautical miles (31 km) south by east of Flamborough Head, Yorkshire (53°52′N 0°10′E) by SM UB-107 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of three of her crew.
Counsellor (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) north of the Haisborough Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Crimdon (Sweden) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) east of the Whitby Lighthouse, Yorkshire[124] by SM UC-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of four of her crew.
Fear Not (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 14 nautical miles (26 km) north north east of the Haisborough Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
I'll Try (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 12 nautical miles (22 km) north north east of the Haisborough Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
John Rettig (Sweden) The cargo ship was sunk in the North Sea 18 nautical miles (33 km) south of Flamborough Head by SM UB-107 ( Kaiserliche Marine).[128] Her crew survived.
Kirkham Abbey (United Kingdom) The cargo liner was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off Winterton-on-Sea (52°44′N 1°42′E) by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of eight lives.
Le Bijou (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 9 nautical miles (17 km) north east of the Haisborough Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Paragon (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 8 nautical miles (15 km) north east of the Haisborough Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Passion Flower (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 14 nautical miles (26 km) north east of the Haisborough Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Porto (Portugal) The barque was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean 340 nautical miles (630 km) off Cape Sable, Florida (39°18′N 60°40′W) by SM U-140 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Subadar (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 112 nautical miles (207 km) north by west of the Cabo da Roca, Portugal by SM U-43 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of three crew.
Success (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was shelld and sunk in the North Sea 7 nautical miles (13 km) north north east of the Haisborough Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Valour (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was scuttled in the North Sea 14 nautical miles (26 km) north north east of the Haisborough Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

July 27, 1918


Air War:

0830 French pilot André Petit-Delchet, flying a SPAD XIII, destroys a German observation balloon for victory number 5.

0855 Canadian RAF ace Thomas F. Williams, in Sopwith Camel D8208 over the Italian Front, shoots down a German two-seater for victory number 14. This is Williams' last aerial victory. He will survive the war, return to Canada and become a barnstormer. He will help found the Royal Canadian Air Force and serve as chief test pilot for the Fleet Aircraft Company from 1939 to 1948. In 1971 he will still be an aerobatic pilot at age 86 and publish a book of his poetry at 97. Thomas Frederic Williams will die on July 25, 1985, 79 days shy of his 100th birthday.

[Jimbuna]

28th July 1918

Western Front

French advance, occupying Fere-en-Tardenois; British retake Montagne de Bligny (Ardre valley).

Political, etc.

Today marks the 4th anniversary of the start of the war.

Albert Goodwin, English labour activist active in Canada, is shot and killed while he was on the run for evading conscription. The killing causes widespread labour unrest in British Columbia.


Ship Losses:

Francis Robert (United Kingdom) The fishing smack was shelled and sunk in the North Sea 8 nautical miles (15 km) north east of the Haisborough Lightship ( United Kingdom) by SM UB-40 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Hyperia (United Kingdom) The troopship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 84 nautical miles (156 km) north west by north of Port Said, Egypt (32°21′N 31°25′E) by SM UB-51 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 65 lives.

[Catfish]

^ Truth or the whitewashing propaganda of the ruling class?

Goodwin increased in stature to become a highly prominent leader of the social movement that organized labour, but died rather suddenly under highly controversial circumstances that have not been settled to this day. The widely held belief was that Goodwin was murdered in an attempt to stifle collective bargaining;

"Goodwin was a conscientious objector during World War I, openly stating that the working class were now being employed to kill each other in the war. Goodwin nevertheless complied with the law and signed up for the draft, but was not conscripted after a medical examination found him temporarily unfit for military duty, stating that as a result of working in the mines he suffered from "black lung" and bad teeth. Shortly thereafter, Goodwin led a strike at the Trail lead/zinc smelter in 1917, bargaining for a standard eight-hour workday. Amidst the strike, Goodwin was notified that his temporary status had been changed and that he was now "fit for duty"."

Sure looks like a wonder healing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Goodwin

[Sailor Steve]

July 28, 1918


Air War:

0540 English RAF pilot Sydney Carlin, flying SE.5a D6922, destroys a German observation balloon for victory number 5.

0720 Canadian RAF pilot John Gordon Gillanders and English observer Eric Walker, in DH.4 A7909, shoot down a German two-seater. Victory number 1 for Gillanders; number 3 for Walker.

0730 John gillanders and Eric Walker score their second kill of the day, a Fokker D.VII. Number 2 for Gillanders; number 4 for Walker.

0815 Canadian RAF pilot Henry Coyle Rath, in SE.5a E5964, shoots down a German two-seater for victory number 1.

0848 German ace Emil Koch, with Jasta 32, shoots down DH.4 B2065 for victory number 6. Lt R.V. Irwin is taken prisoner; Sgt G.H. Tench is wounded and captured, later dies from his wounds.

0845 German pilot Hugo Krauss, flying with Jasta 32, shoots down a DH.4 for victory number 1.

0915 English RAF ace Edward Johnstone, in a Sopwith Camel, shoots down a DFW C.V for victory number 14.

0940 Two RAF SE.5a pilots share a victory over a Rumpler two-seater:
Roy Manzer, Canada, C8732, victory number 8.
George Vaughn, United States, C6457, victory number 2.

0950 American RAF pilot Malcolm Clifford Howel, in Sopwith Camel D6534, shoots down a Rumpler two-seater for victory number 1.

1130 German pilot Heinrich Seywald, with Jasta 23, shoots down a DH.9 for victory number 2.

1200 Two AFC Bristol F.2b crews share a victory over a Rumpler two-seater:
B1284: Allan brown, Australia, victory number 4' Garfield Finlay, Australia, victory number 7.
C4627: Carrick Paul, New Zealand, victory number 4; William Weir, Australia, victory number 6.

1400 Canadian RAF ace William Stephenson, in Sopwith Camel C9296, shoots down a Fokker D.VII vor victory number 12.

1510 German ace Erich Löwenhardt, in a Fokker D.VII, shoots down a SPAD for victory number 45. This is probably 5-victory French ace Antoine Pierre Jean Cordonnier, SPAD VII, reported Missing at around this time.

1850 German pilot Ltn Grimm (no first name given), with Jasta 13, shoots down a SPAD for victory number 1.

1900 American pilot John C. Miller and observer Stephen W. Thompson, in a Salmson 2.A2, shoot down a Fokker D.VII. Victory number 2 for Miller; number 2 for Thompson.

1905 John Miller and Stephen Thompson score their second victory of the day, another Fokker D.VII. Number 2 for Miller; number 3 for Thompson.

1950 German pilot Justus Grassman, in a Fokker D.VII, shoots down Sopwith Camel C8296 for victory number 3. Canadian 12-victory ace William Samuel Stephenson is wounded and taken prisoner. After the war Stephenson will return to canada and start a hardware business that will make him rich. His fortune will be enhanced further with his patent for transmitting photographs via wireless. He will use his contacts to spy on Germany, reporting directly to Winston Churchill. During World War 2 he will found a businiss in the United States that will actually be a covert operation for Churchill, by then Prime Minister. Ian Fleming once cited Stephenson as one of the real-life inspirations for James Bond. William Stephenson will die in 1989 at age 92.

German ace Karl Bolle, in a Fokker Dr.I, shoots down a Salmson 2.A2 for victory number 27.

German ace Hermann Frommherz, in a Fokker Dr.I, shoots down a Salmzon 2.A2 for victory number 10.
(The two Salmsons are from the American 12th Aero Sqdn:
1st Lt Alfred B. Baker is wounded and taken prisoner; 2nd Lt John C. Lumsden is killed.
1st Lt John C. Miller is wounded, later dying from his wounds; 1st Lt Stephen W. Thompson is wounded.)

German pilot Gerhard Fieseler, with Jasta 25 over the Macendoian Front, shoots down a Bréguet 14 for victory number 8.

French 5-victoory ace André Marie Paul Petit-Delchet, with Spa 57, is killed in an accident while taking off for a routine patrol.

[Jimbuna]

29th July 1918

Western Front

German positions north of Oulchy-le-Chateau stormed. French capture Grand Rozoy. French and British capture Buzancy. Australians capture Merris and advance in Morlancourt sector, south of Albert.

Political, etc.

Munition workers' strike ends.

Ship Losses:

Rio Pallaresa (United Kingdom) The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 62 nautical miles (115 km) east north east of Malta by SM UC-25 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her crew.

[Sailor Steve]

July 29, 1918


Air War:

0715 Two RAF SE.5a pilots share a victory over an LVG two-seater:
Lt A.C. Lobley, C8693, nationality and victory number unknown.
Norman Mawle, England, D6917, victory number 5.

0800 Two RAF SE.5a pilots share a victory over a Rumpler two-seater:
Roy Manzer, England, C8732, victory number 9.
George Vaughn, United States, C6457, victory number 4.

0900 English RAF pilot Alfred Haines, in Sopwith Camel D0412 over the Italian Front, shoots down two Phönix fighters for victories 5 and 6.

1130 Two RAF SE.5a pilots share a victory over a German two-seater:
Arthur Conningham, Australia, D6883, victory number 11.
Evander Shapard, United States D6915, victory number 1.

1200 German pilot Konrad Brendle, with Jasta 45, shoots down a Bréguet 14 for victory number 5.

1210 German ace Paul Wenzel, flying with Jasta 6, shoots down a Bréguet 14 for victory number 9.

1215 German ace Erich von Wedel, in a Fokker Dr.I, shoots down a Bréguet 14 for victory number 9.

1700 German ace Gustav Dörr, with Jasta 45, shoots down a Bréguet 14 for victory number 16.

1700 German ace Karl Schlegel, with Jasta 45, shoots down a Bréguet 14 for victory number 11.

1710 German pilot Johann Schlimpen, with Jasta 45, shoots down a SPAD VII for victory number 3.

1840 German ace Franz Büchner, flying with Jasta 13, shoots down Sopwith Camel D9498 for victory number 12. 2nd Lt E. Cotton, 73 Sqdn, is killed.

1915 Scottish RAF pilot Walter Carlaw, in Sopwith Camel D9442, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 3.

1930 German ace Erich Löwenhardt, in a Fokker D.VII, shoots down a SPAD for victory number 46.

1955 English RAF pilot Thomas Traill and observer Richard Gordon-Bennett, flying Bristol F.2b E2452, shoot down a Fokker Dr.I. Victory number 4 for Traill; number 1 for Gordon-Bennett.

2020 German pilot Waldemar von Dazur, with Jasta 20, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 4.

2035 German ace Friedrich von Roth, with Jasta 16, shoots down DH0 B7668 for victory number 17. Lt G. Cheston is killed; Cpl J.W. Pacey is wounded and taken prisoner.

2040 Canadian RAF pilot James White, in Sopwith Camel E1417, shoots down a German two-seater for victory number 5.

Italian pilot Sebastiano Bedendo, in a Nieuport, shoots down an Austrian "Scout" for victory number 1.

American pilot Arthur Raymond Brooks, flying a SPAD VII, shoots down a Pfalz D.III for victory number 1.

German ace Arthur Laumannn, in a Fokker D.VII, shoots down a Bréguet 14 for victory number 14.

German naval ace Theo Osterkamp, in an Albatros D.V, shoots down DH.4 D8402 for victory number 19. Lt W. Chalaire and Pvt A.E. Humphrey, 202 Sqdn, are both wounded.

[Jimbuna]

30th July 1918

Western Front

Strong German resistance all along line. At St. Euphraise (south-west of Reims) German counter-attack fails. Remigny captured.

Eastern Front

German Field Marshal Hermann von Eichhorn, the military governor of Ukraine, is assassinated by Boris Donskoy, a member of the Left Socialist Revolutionaries.


Aviation

Frank Linke-Crawford, Austro-Hungarian ace with 27 victories, is killed in action over Italy.


Political, etc.

Onondaga Indians declare war on Germany.

Ship Losses:

HMS Stock Force (Royal Navy) The Q-ship was torpedoed and damaged in the English Channel 25 nautical miles (46 km) west of Start Point, Devon (49°49′N 3°53′W) by SM UB-80 ( Kaiserliche Marine). She counter-attacked and severely damaged SM UB-80, earning her commander Harold Auten a Victoria Cross. HMS Stock Force later sank in Bigbury Bay.

[Sailor Steve]

July 30, 1918


Air War:

0710 Australian AFC pilot Edward Kenney and observer Leslie Sutherland, flying Bristol F.2b C4626 over the Palestinian Front, shoot down a DFW C.V. Victory number 2 for Kenney; number 3 for Sutherland.

0840 German pilot Kalmünzer, with Jasta 78, shoots down DH.9 D7233 for victory number 2. 1st Lt P. Dietz and 2nd Lt H.W. Batty of the Independant Air Froce are both killed.

0845 German ace Franz Piechulek, in a Fokker D.VII, shoots down Bristol F.2b C904 for victory number 10. 1st Lt G.H. Zellers and Sgt J.D. Cormack of 20 Sqdn are both killed.

1015 English RAF ace Norman Mawle, in SE.5a D6917, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 6.

1015 South African RAF pilot William Nel, in SE.5a D6926, shoots down a Fokker D.VII for victory number 3.

Italian pilot Aldo Astolfi, in an Hanriot HD.1, shoots downa an Aviatik D.I for his first and only aerial victory. Austrian 27-victory ace Frank Linke-Crawford is killed. Linke-Crawford had made sure his squadron was safe before single-handedly engaging a group of Italian fighters. His top wing was seen to come off before he crashed, leading some historians to believe he was the victim of poor construction rather than enemy action.

“Linke was both a fine flier and a fine man. He gave his men full support and generally ignored the rules about officers and non-officers having little to do with each other. He often gave away victories to other, less experienced pilots. As you can imagine, the feelings of his men for him were quite strong.”
-Julius Arigi to Dr. Martin O’Connor, 6 October 1977

[Jimbuna]

31st July 1918

Western Front

Severe fighting round Seringes (north-east of Fere-en-Tardenois); finally left to Americans.

Aviation

George McElroy, one of the leading British flying aces and the top Irish ace with 47 victories, is killed in action over France.


A British Sopwith Camel, piloted by Stewart Culley, successfully takes off from a small barge being pulled behind a destroyer.


Political, etc.

Lord R. Cecil accepts recommendations of Royal Commission on Foreign Office reforms.

Sir Charles W. Fielding appointed Director-General of Food Production.

Ship Losses:

Alkor (Norway) The sailing vessel was sunk in the North Sea off the south coast of Norway by SM U-98 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
HMT City of Liverpool (Royal Navy) The naval trawler struck a mine laid by UC 71 (Walter Warzecha) and sank in The Downs with the loss of ten of her crew.
USS C. F. Sargent (United States Navy) The collier foundered off the Hen and Chicken Shoals.


MERCHANT SHIPPING
British, Allied and Neutral ships lost to enemy submarines, mines and cruisers etc in the month - 115 ships of 274,000 tons gross. (Lloyd's War Losses)