Day: 28 May 2018

Posted on

Tuesday 28 May 1918 – Three Air Combats for 42 Sqn

Meanwhile in France (again)…

…almost 70 miles (110 km) to the north of the battle at Cantigny, 42 Squadron was having a busy day dealing with enemy aircraft, with three ‘Combats in the Air’ reports being filed about activity over Calonne and Le Sart, either side of the River Lys to the west of Merville, itself 17 miles (30 km) west of Lille:

Calonne and Le Sart
Calonne and Le Sart, near Merville, from 1:40,000 scale map. Click for larger image. Map credit IWM/GreatWarDigital

1. Capt. Davis and Lt Chatterton

This crew had a tough time against 12 aircraft only three days ago on 25 May 1918. 

Air combat report
Air combat report – click for larger image
Time: 5.15 a.m.  
Locality: CALONNE
Pilot: Capt. A. E. Davis  
Observer: Lieut. J. Chatterton, M.C. 

Three small two-seater Fighters, and one with slight extensions on top plane.  

While doing a shoot 4 E.A. appeared over CALONNE.  I turned West but one machine dived on our tail and fired continuously.

Observer fired about 100 rounds into this E.A. which then turned away.  The second then dived and also fired continuously.  Observer fired another drum at about 200 yards into this E.A. which also turned East.

A third machine then dived on us but after firing about 100 rounds on us the whole formation withdrew East.

Vickers gun fired about 50 rounds at E.A. after they had turned East.

2. Lt. Welsh & 2/Lt. Watkins

Air combat report
Air combat report – click for larger image
Time: 10.30 a.m.  
Locality: LE SART
Pilot: Lieut A. W. Welsh 
Observer: 2/Lieut H. Watkins 

Two seater, possibly Aviatik  

R.E.A. [Reconnaissance Enemy Aircraft] obviously trying to bomb our trenches dropped 3 at LE SART, during which time he was fired at back by back and then front gun.  He immediately flew back over MERVILLE to ESTAIRES.

3. Lts. Puckle and Nicolson

This was another crew that had seen air combat recently: on 19 May 1918 and  22 May 1918.

Air combat report
Air combat report – click for larger image
Time: 4.35 p.m.  
Locality: CALONNE 
Pilot: Lieut H. Puckle 
Observer: Lieut J. F. W. Nicolson 

Four two seaters, one with extensions, type unknown.  Machine which fired on our tail had two guns.  Machines had a blue bottom plane (underneath) and large blue patch under the fuselage.  Very small black crosses.   

While flying over CALONNE 4 E.A. two seaters were sighted.  Pilot fired 25 rounds into 1 E.A., then gun jambed.  E.A. then turned on R.E.8. and got one on the tail.  Observer fired 250 rounds into this E.A. which turned East and flew with the others towards MERVILLE. 

One machine had a kidney-shaped tail (not the one with extensions) thus: [see image]  The extensions on the only E.A. which had them were short and square.

 

Posted on

Tuesday 28 May 1918 – The Battle of Cantigny

Meanwhile in France…

Among the items of the Greg’s War collection are various photographs from the Somme sector, which as far as we know he never visited.  And since Tuesday 28 May 1918 was Greg’s last full day in Hampshire, he was certainly not there for the Battle of Cantigny – a small village 3½ miles (5.5 km) ENE of Montdidier – which was fought that day.  The battle’s tactical objective – the elimination of a small German salient whose high ground was inconveniently favourable for the enemy’s artillery – was arguably dwarfed by the greater strategic effect of establishing the capabilities of the American Expedition Force as an effective fighting unit, for the encouragement both of the allied Entente Powers and of the enemy.  Michael Seymour’s article sets out the context of the battle:

The Battle of Cantigny

Five striking aerial photographs of that engagement are published here today.  Possibly they were taken by a French squadron[1], as France was responsible for providing air cover to the American troops undertaking operations on the ground in their first major battle of the Great War. 

The Battle of Cantigny Photographs

These aerial photographs of the Battle of Cantigny are all from the Greg’s War Collection, and are reproduced here with their original captions:

Cantigny
[Click on any photograph for a larger image.] 
Attack on Cantigny by Americans May 1918.  
1. The Bombardment
Cantigny
2. Village and wood after bombardment
Cantigny
3. Advance of the tanks
Cantigny
4. The attack by tanks and yanks
Cantigny
5. Yanks encircling the village

Cantigny Then and Now

Cantigny today is still a tiny place, albeit more peaceful, with the poignantly named Rue de 28 Mai 1918.  Compare Photograph 1 above with its contemporary equivalent below:

The same oblique aspect from the north as Photograph 1 today, courtesy Google. Click for a zoomable view in Google Maps (opens in new tab)

The Tanks…

A number of French Schneider CA-1 tanks [2] were active with the US troops, which was a new experience for both.  The Schneiders were fairly small, turret-less boxes (~21 ft/6 m long by ~7 ft/2 m wide), with a characteristic boat-like prow.  This is visible in this magnified detail of the centre portion of Photograph No. 3:

Schneider tanks
Detail of Photograph No. 3, showing Schneider tanks (marked)

(Note, incidentally, how the tracks that the tanks have left behind them in the spring crops curiously foreshadow the ‘tram lines’ made by the large farm implements of modern agriculture.)

One Schneider CA-1 survives today in the Musée des Blindés at Saumur:

Schneider CA-1
Schneider CA-1 on display at the Musée des Blindés in Saumur. Image credit: Wikipedia user ‘Fat yankey’, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5

The marine-looking prow is seen clearly in this photograph, as is the steel spur above it.  The purpose of this configuration was cut and crush barbed wire.

The US troops gained their objective fairly early in the day, and hung on tenaciously in the face of a brutal counter attack.  Their defence of the newly gained was all the more impressive for it being inadequately supported by artillery as a result of rapid redeployment to resist the Blücher-Yorck offensive.  The Battle of Cantigny was a success for the allies, and particularly for the Americans.

Notes

[1] I’m grateful to Timothy Slater (Twitter: @SlaterTimothy) for this:

“The annotations on the photographs confirm they were taken by the French 42nd Sqn (SPA 42). SPA 42 was the French Sqn attached to the 1st American Division between Apr & Aug 1918.”

[2] A post on the Great War Forum (https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/176720-cantigny-french-flame-and-tank-support/) has a photograph indicating that the tanks were French-manned. 

Header Image: detail from Photograph 1 (Greg’s War Collection)

Post edited 13 September 2018

© Copyright 2018- Andrew Sheard and licensors. All rights reserved.
Proudly powered by WordPress