[Sailor Steve]

March 21, 1918

Air War:

Operation Michael, the German Spring Offensive, begins. In support of the troops the German Luftstreitkräfte fields 1,860 aircraft, most of them two-seat close-support machines. They are opposed by the British Royal Flying Corps with 579 planes.

0720 Scottish RNAS ace Maxwell Findlay, flying Sopwith Camel B6419, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 9.

0825 English RNAS pilot John Hunter, in Sopwith Camel B3879, shoots down a Pfalz D.III for victory number 3.

0900 German pilot Wolf von Manteuffel-Szöge, with Jasta 35, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 2.

0905 Australian AFC pilot Arthur Henry Cobby, in Sopwith Camel B2535, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 1.

0920 Indian RNAS pilot Lawrence Percival Coombes, in Sopwith Camel B6358, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 1.

1030 English RFC pilot William Staton and Australian observer John Rutherford Gordon, flying a Bristol f.2b, shoot down a Fokker Dr.I. Victory number 3 for Staton; number 1 for Gordon.

1115 Two RNAS Sopwith Camel aces share a victory over an Albatros D.V:
James Glen, Canada, B7185, victory number 12.
Leonard Rochford, England, B7222, victory number 11.

1130 German pilot Friedrich von Röth, in an Albatros D.V, destroys a British observation balloon for victory number 5. 2nd Lt A.H. Burton is unhurt.

1135 Friedrich von Röth flames a second balloon for number 6.

1145 Indian RFC pilot Alexander George Vlasto, in Sopwith Camel B9195, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 1.

1245 English RFC pilot Alan Jerrard, flying Sopwith Camel B5648 on the Italian Front, shoots down an Albatros D.III for victory number 4.

1255 English RFC pilot Harold Eycott-Martin, in Sopwith Camel B7283 over the Italian Front.

1310 German ace Erich von Löwenhardt, in an Albatros D.V, destroys a British observation balloon for victory number 14.

1315-1345 Canadian RFC pilot Henry John Burden, in SE.5a D283, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 1.

1315-1345 English RFC pilot Trevor Durant, in SE.5a B35, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 3.

1340 Three French SPAD pilots shoot down a Rumpler two-seater. Ltn Michael Freiherr von Korff and Gefreiter Willi Speier are both taken prisoner.
Adj Baron (no first name given), France, victory number unknown.
Auguste Baux, France, victory number 1.
Adj Tasque (no first name given), France, victory number unknown.

1345 South African RFC pilot pilot Alfred Hemming, in SE.5a B8267, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 2.

1350 Canadian RFC pilot Harry Watson, in SE.5a B9235, shoots down a Fokker Dr.I for victory number 2.

1355 German pilot Friedrich Friedrichs, with Jasta 10, destroys a British observation balloon for victory number 1,

1420 English RFC ace pilot William Lewis Wells and observer Walter Beales, in Bristol F.2b C4707, shoot down an Albatros D.V. Victory number 7 for Wells; number 1 for Beales.

1425 German ace Robert Greim, flying with Jasta 34, shoost down Sopwith Camel B2456 for victory number 9. 2nd Lt C.S.L. Coulson lands safely.

1430 German ace Fritz Pütter, with Jasta 68, shoots down an SE.5a for victory number 12.

1615 English RFC pilot Herbert Sellars and Scottish observer Charles Robson, in Bristol F.2b C4673, shoot down an Albatros D.V. Victory number 5 for both.

1620 Wolf von Manteuffel-Szöge scores his second victory of the day, shooting down a Sopwith Camel for number 3.

1630 German ace Erich Thomas, with Jasta 22, destroys a British observation balloon for victory number 9.

1645 Canadian RNAS ace James Glen, flying Sopwith Camel B7185, shoots down an Albatros two-seater for victory number 13.

1745 German pilot Ludwig Hanstein, in Albatros D.V 5285/17, shoots down a Sopwith Camel for victory number 16.

1800 Herbert Sellars and Charles Robson score their second victory of the day, shooting down Albatros D.V 5285. Victory number 6 for both. German 16-victory ace Ludwig Hanstein is killed.

1805 German ace Heinrich Arntzen, in Albatros 2480/17, downs a British observation balloon for victory numer 10.

1808 Two French SPAD pilots share a victory over an Albatros D.V. Ltn Herbert Kohl is taken prisoner:
Andre Jean louis Barcat, victory number 1.
Gilbert de Guingand, victory number 5.

English RFC observer John Bruce-Norton, riding in a Bristol F.2b with 2nd Lt H.N. Arthur as pilot, shoots down an Albatros D.V for victory number 3.

English 8-victory RFC ace Bernard Beanlands is wounded strafing German troops. He wil miss the rest of war only to be killed in a flying accident on May 8, 1919.

French 6-victory ace Jules Covin dies from wounds received in combat.

English RFC pilot Percival Vrnon Godfrey Chambers and Scottish observer Thomas Laurence Purdon are credited with two Albatros D.Vs. Victories 1 and 2 for both.

German ace Max Kahlow, with Jasta 34, shoots down an SE.5a for victory number 4.

German pilot Hellmuth Krätzschmer, flying with Jasta 48, shoots down an Armstrong-Whitworth FK.8 for victory number 1.

German ace Friedrich von Röth, in an Albatros D.V, destroys a British observation balloon for victory number 6.

English RFC pilot William Staton and Australian observer John Rutherford Gordon, in a Bristol F.2b, shoot down a Fokker Dr.I. Victory number 3 for Staton; number 1 for Gordon.

German pilot Ernst Schulze, with Jasta 48, shoots down an SE.5a for victory number 1.

German observer Gottfried Ehmann, riding in a two-seater with a pilot named Warda (no first name given), shoots down a Sopwith 1½ Strutter for victory number 2.