Engine trouble Archives - Page 2 of 3

9 July 20185 December 2018

Tuesday 9 July 1918 – Nothing Doing…Well, Almost

Down for a Counter Battery Patrol, but not such an busy day today on account of the weather. Greg’s diary verdict was “absolutely nothing doing”, but his sortie involved bombing Greve Farm and a couple of shoot-ups. His threshold of what constituted “something” had obviously risen.

Log Book

Date: 9.7.18 
Hour: 7.15 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Passenger: Lt Pring 
Time: 1 hr 30 mins 
Height: 7000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Low clouds at first.  Nothing doing.  Eng. missing

Trouble with the engine again.

Diary

Tuesday July 9^th 1918. CBP 5.30-8.30.

Got off at 7.15 owing to low clouds.  Came down at 8.45 – absolutely nothing doing.

Went and had a look at the Hun battery I did a shoot on.  Seemed to have been very badly knocked about. 4 bombs.

Unfortunately there are no photographs of the badly knocked about Hun battery, the reconnaissance of which didn’t merit an mention in the Squadron Record Book Report:

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring

Duty: Artillery Patrol

Hour of Start: 7.15am

Hour of Return: 8.45am

Remarks: 
7.35am 4-25lb bombs dropped for farm at K.24.d.4.7. [Greve Farm, just on the northeast edge of Merville] 4 bursts observed, 1 on road at K.24.d.3.8 [behind the farm]. 

7.45am called C.W.S.  X out.

7.45am sent U.L.  F.R.  U.D. [Unfit for counter-battery work or photography, but fit for artillery registration]

7.55am 200 rounds L.G. into Goods Station at MERVILLE

8.10am called C.W.S.  X out.

8.25am 100 rounds L.G. [Lewis Gun] into CALONNE.  No movement of any kind seen.  No E.A. or A.A. [Enemy aircraft or anti-aircraft fire] Vis: low clouds at first, fair later.  Obs. by P. & O.

Greve Farm

Greve Farm lies on the edge of Merville on Rue Ferdinand Capelle, which goes northeast towards Neuf Berquin. Here is the farm today:

8 July 20185 December 2018

Monday 8 July 1918 – Jolly Good Shoot

Although Greg’s ‘bus’ – RE8 E27 – had had its propeller fixed, all was still not well, as the engine was backfiring. But what seems to have been the decisive factor in making the morning’s scheduled Counter Battery Patrol a washout was the weather. The day improved with a ‘jolly good shoot’ with 174 Siege Battery (6″ Howitzers) in the evening.

Log Book

Date: 8.7.18 
Hour: 8. 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Passenger: Lt Pring 
Time: 30 mins 
Height: 2000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Heavy fog.  Came down. Eng. Pretty dud.

Date: 8.7.18 
Hour: 6.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Passenger: Lt Pring 
Time: 2 hr 10 mins 
Height: 5000 
Course/Remarks: Shoot with 174.  Successful. Eng. missing

Diary

Monday July 8^th 1918. CBP 8-11.

Very cloudy & misty, took off without bombs & went to look at the line & came back after 30 minutes.

Engine missing, seemed inclined to backfire.

6.30pm.  Went up and did a shoot on a Hun battery at K.35.d.1.2

Jolly good shoot.  Both pits badly knocked about, one direct hit on one, which went up in the air.

One shell dropped in the river, great big column of water about 500 ft.

The Hun battery that was the target of the ‘jolly good shoot’ with 174 Siege Battery RGA was on the southern edge of Merville, just above what is now Merville-Calonne Airport. Its position is shown on the following map, along with the positions of the house and factory referred to in the Squadron Record Book report below.

Map of position of battery at K.35.d.1.2 — Position of battery at K.35.d.1.2 etc on a 1:20,000 map dated 27 June 1918. Each square with a number in its centre (like 35) is 1,000 yards. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

Modern 1:25,000 map of shoot — The equivalent extract from a modern 1:25,000 map. Credit: GreatWarDigital.

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring

Duty: Art Obs 174 S.B. (6” How) on H.B. at K.35.d.10.20

Hour of Start: 6.40pm

Hour of Return: 8.30pm

Remarks: SUCCESSFUL. Called up 6.50pm.  K. 6.52pm.  L 6.54.  G. 6.58.  V 8.0. Time G. to V. 1 hr 2 mins. [time taken to range guns]

OBSERVED:- M.A.9.  M.A.2. 1 O.K. 12.A. 13 B. 12 C. 1 D. 39 ranging rounds.  2 M.O.K. during B.F.  [Two mean points of impact of salvos were direct hits during battery fire] Both pits badly damaged.  Fire caused in house at K.35.b.5.2. Shoot by P.  Height 5000’.

MISC INF.  6.50pm large fire in Factory at K.35.b.4.4. burning continuously.  200 rounds fired into MERVILLE STATION.  Vis. fair.  Obs. By P. & O.

More details about shoots and how to interpret Squadron Record Book reports of them:

Observation of Artillery Fire – A Shoot

30 June 201826 June 2018

Sunday 30 June 1918 – CBP – Weather OK, Engine Bad

An improvement in the weather meant that today’s Counter Battery Patrol could go ahead more or less as planned, but it was marred by engine trouble. (If it’s not one thing, it’s the other.) So Air Mechanic Corkhill came up for a test ride in the afternoon. And there was time for some correspondence.

Log book

Date: 30.6.18 
Hour: 10.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Watkins 
Time: 1 hr 5 m 
Height: 4500 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Engine very bad.

Date: 30.6.18 
Hour: 5 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: AM Corkhill 
Time: 30 m 
Height: 2500 
Course/Remarks: Engine test.

Diary

Sunday June 30^th. C.B.P with Lt Watkins.  Engine nothing great, sent FL FR UD (10.30am).

Received parcel of mags & stockings.  Wrote home.

5.30 pm. Took up mechanic with E.27 for engine test.  Engine apparently OK.

“Sent FL FR UD”

This was the weather report that Greg sent at 10:30am:

FL – fit for counter battery work
FR – fit for registration (of artillery fire)
UD – unfit for photography

26 June 20185 December 2018

Wednesday 26 June 1918 – Four Bombs on Houses

Another Counter Battery Patrol, and more bombs dropped today; and more water in the carburettor, so an early return:

Log Book

Date: 26.6.18 
Hour: 11.00 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 1 hr 10 m 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. 4 bombs. Returned due to engine.

Diary

Wednesday June 26^th. CBP. Dropped four bombs on houses.  Late up & early down – water in carburettor.

Nothing to indicate where the bombs on houses were dropped, but it was probably somewhere in or around German-occupied Merville.

2nd Lt Roche

This was to be 2nd Lt Anthony Berthon Roche’s last flight as Greg’s observer. He was evidently still with 42 Squadron at least until 7 July 1918, according to the records of http://www.airhistory.org.uk/rfc/people_index.html, but Greg’s own papers contain no more information about him.

25 June 20185 December 2018

Tuesday 25 June 1918 – Direct Hit on Bridge

Back on Counter Battery Patrol after recovering from the flu, with Lt Roche (also recovered), meant a 5:30am start that was rewarded with a direct hit with a bomb on a bridge near Merville. Mac (Lt. Hugh McDonald), who died yesterday, was buried later in the day.

Log Book

Date: 25.6.18 
Hour: 5.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 1 hr 30 m 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Direct hit on bridge. Wat. in Carb.

Diary

Tuesday June 25^th. CBP at 5.30 am.  Very heavy mist.  Dropped bombs on bridge near Merville, (direct hit).  Observer fired 100 rounds behind Merville.

Heavy low bands of clouds appeared about 6.45 to windward.

Engine became very rough owing to water in carburettor so came home.  No Archie.  No Huns. 

Good landing.

Developed a cold as after effect of P.U.O.

Mac buried.

“Dropped bombs on bridge near Merville, (direct hit)”

An opportunistic departure from a counter battery patrol. Which bridge was it? Hard to tell, as there are so many, as this map extract shows:

Merville 20k map — Extract from a 1:20,000 map of Merville, May 1918 edition, with trenches revised to 19 June 1918. German works in red. Numbered squares are 1,000 yards. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

Merville still has still lots of bridges. One of today’s tourist information boards proudly says:

As the heart of the town is surrounded by water, it can only be reached by crossing one of the seventeen bridges.

It seems unlikely that even a direct hit with one of the 20 lb Cooper bombs that were carried by an RE8 would actually have brought a bridge down. And Greg would surely have proudly said so if he had done. (Spoiler alert: he did on a later occasion!)

Water in Carburettor

A recurrent problem, with the heavy mist and low cloud.

Lt. Hugh McDonald (Mac) Buried

Lt. Hugh McDonald lies buried at plot III.D.33 at Aire Communal Cemetery, next to his observer 2nd Lt. Cuthbert Alban Marsh at III.D.34.

19 June 20185 December 2018

Wednesday 19 June 1918 – Fruitless Reconnoitre

On another damp day around the River Lys, Greg takes Lt Watkins as observer, since Roche has flu. Central Wireless Station tells them to reconnoitre an area by l’Épinette, southeast of Merville. But they didn’t see any guns firing and the damp air leads to water in the carburettor again.

Log Book

Date: 19.6.18 
Hour: 3.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Watkins 
Time: 1 hr 10 m 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Came down due to water in 
                carburettor.

Diary

Wednesday June 19^th. E27. Roche got an attack of the ‘flu’.  Took up Watkins as observer, saw one Hun.

Asked C.W.S. for a target & got R VII.  Went over to reconnoitre square R7 but owing to smoke from a fire just to windward was unable to see any guns firing in that square.  Weather pretty dud & damp.

“Asked C.W.S. [Central Wireless Station] for a target”

CWS was the squadron’s Central Wireless Station. This station operated one of the squadron’s two radio receivers. The other was at Station Headquarters for practice and tests. As the General Staff’s “Co-operation of Aircraft with Artillery” booklet (SS 131) explains:

…the Central Wireless Station should be at some central position in the corps area sufficiently far back to prevent jambing. This station acts as a link between the squadron commander and his machines working on the line, and is of great value in preventing incipient failures in their initial stages. … Its utility is largely dependent on quick telephone communication to the squadron and to batteries. Whenever possible, therefore, it should be located near Corps Heavy Artillery Headquarters, whose direct lines run to the above units. At this station are also taken weather reports, hostile aircraft reports and, in case of sudden enemy bombardments or attacks, calls for reinforcing machines.

Square R7

This would be square R7 in Sheet 36A (zone RA), 2 miles (3.2 km) SSE of Merville, near Lestrem. At the time, there was some kind of well defended German post or position there, at l’Épinette:

Map of R7 — Extract of 1:20,000 ‘Harassing Fire’ map showing Square R7 of 1:40,000 Sheet 36A and l’Épinette. This was the square given by the Central Wireless Station. Red markings show German trenches and wire entanglements. Black marking show centres of activity, occupied areas and numbered targets. Triangles indicate dumps, and the flag shows a headquarters position. The map is dated 27 June 1918, with trenches correct to 16 June 1918.

Nowadays, l’Épinette is on the southern edge of Merville-Calonne Airport:

18 June 201817 June 2018

Tuesday 18 June 1918 – Water in Carburettor

Not for the first time (see yesterday’s post), the engine of Greg’s RE8 suffered from water in the carburettor. Today the problem was worse.

Log Book

Date: 18.6.18 
Hour: 4 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 1 hr 
Height: 2500 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Cloudy. Water in carburettor.

Diary

Tuesday June 18^th. E27. Counter Battery Patrol.  Clouds low, atmosphere very damp, engine struggling along with carburettor nearly full of water.  Eventually started backfiring, so made tracks for home.  Good landing.

This wouldn’t be the last occasion of water in the carburettor.

17 June 201814 June 2018

Monday 17 June 1918 – CBP and Clouds

Greg’s run of counter battery patrols continues. This time, clouds both interfere and provide a refuge. Water in the carburettor was a problem.

Log Book

Date: 17.6.18 
Hour: 8.20 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 2 hrs 25 m 
Height: 4300 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Water in carburettor. 
                Engine rough.

Diary

Monday June 17^th.  E27.  Counter Battery Patrol.

Very cloudy.  Climbed up above clouds, very pretty but cold.  Hun machines very active. 

Dived down through clouds and got in a rain storm.  Too dud to get any information.

Sunday 16 June 1918 – Double CBP

Two Counter Battery Patrols today, and more bombing and machine gun activity:

Log Book

Date: 16.6.18 
Hour: 1.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 2 hrs 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. V bumpy.

Date: 16.6.18 
Hour: 4.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 1 hr 
Height: 2500 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Engine backfiring.

Diary

Sunday June 16^th.  E27.  CBP. Saw several huns.  Dropped four bombs & fired 100 rounds.  Sent UL UR UD. Got a lot of water in carb.

“Saw Several Huns” – Albatros C series?

Greg doesn’t record what sort of German aircraft he saw that day. They might have been scouts (fighters), or they may have been Albatros C series reconnaissance/light bombing aircraft (essentially the German equivalent of RE8s) such as this:

“Dropped four bombs and fired 100 rounds”

The bombs would have been the nominal 20 lb Cooper bombs featured yesterday. The armaments of the RE8 are given here:

The Royal Aircraft Factory RE8

Later in his log book Greg would record the number of bombs dropped and rounds fired, and from which gun, but he hadn’t started doing that at this stage.

“Sent UL UR UD”

Following on from yesterday’s post, in which Greg sent FL FR FD, these were weather signals sent to the squadron’s Central Wireless Station (CWS):

UL: Weather unfit for counterbattery work
UR: Weather unfit for registration [of artillery fire onto a target]
UD: Weather unfit for photography.

And after sending that trio, he no doubt headed for home: retour à Rely.

Hat tip again to The Long, Long, Trail for the letter codes.

12 June 201810 October 2018

Wednesday 12 June 1918 – Rigging Test

After yesterday’s adventures, today is a quiet day for Greg with just short flight for a rigging test on E27, which has had its undercarriage repaired overnight:

Log Book

Date: 12.6.18 
Hour: 7.45 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: – 
Time: 15 min 
Height: 1000 
Course:  Aerodrome 
Remarks: Rigging test. OK.

Diary

Wednesday June 12^th.  E27. Took up E27 for a rigging test.  Rigging OK, Engine rough. Good landing.

Despite a rough engine, a good landing – which must have been a relief after yesterday.

No observer or other passenger was specified, so this was probably a sandbags flight, as explained under ‘Crew’ here:

The Royal Aircraft Factory RE8

Header image: a brick and stone farm building on the rue de Liettres by the site of the First World War airfield in Rely must have looked much the same 100 years ago.