***************
1- How many official victories does René Fonck have at the end of the war, and how many more "unofficials" did he claim *himself* ? Why such a difference ?
By official count, Fonck shot down 75 German airplanes.he had an additional 52 (some sources say 69 but it s a mistake because this number only appears on a SPA103 citation...) unconfirmed ones.
Why the difference? It was damned hard to get confirmation by French standards, which where: In order to obtain confirmation for an air victory, it was necessary for a French aviator to have the testimony of three independent people (other than the members of its own squadron), the type of enemy apparatus as well as the place, the date and the hour of the combat. We may add that most of this unconfirmed victories were above german territory, but a german communicate confirmed near 12 of this 52 victories.
2- How many victories does he officialy have with the SPAD XII canon, and how many more "unofficials" did he claim *himself* with this SPAD XII ?
7 Officials + 4 claimed (source : "Mes combats" and C. Micelli's Biography)
3- In august the 6th 1916, René Fonck captured a Rumpler C.I and forced him to land on a Allied aérodrome. What 's the name of the 2 german aviators captured ?
Oblt A. BREY / Lt Herman Von Raumer
4- In 1928, Fonck related that, in august 1918, while he was attacking a german formation of 4 aircrafts, He didn't shot at one of the plane because his pilot was flying very badly ! Who was the pilot of this plane ?
Goering ?? No... not far ... it was Ernst Udet !
Udet told Fonck that he though that Fonck's guns jammed during the attack and then the german pilot kept saved.
The fact is that Fonck has effectivly shot down 3 planes in agaust the 14th of 1918 over ROYE. Udet was effectivly present in this aera at the same time... But... Nobody knows the truth about this possible encounter between René and Ernst.
5- What was the name of René Fonck Stork (the bird not the symbol) ?
It was an alsacian Stork, her name was : Hélène ! She was a present from the wife of a rich french busynessman (M. HERIOT). She became the mascott of the "Escadrille des Cigognes".
6- What was the symbol painted on the René Fonck Caudron G4 ? What was the symbol usually painted on the René Fonck' Spads upper wing ? Why ?
On the Caudron G4 he had a Four Leaf Clover
On the SPADs the red star on the upper wing is Fonck's personal device: previously the star had been the symbol of the N 103 squadron.
7- After the Great war, Fonck was elected as MP (député in french) in a famous Chamber of deputies. What's the name of this Chamber ? And give me the name of one other great WWI pilot also elected in this chamber :
*Chamber of the Room blue horizon*
*Chambre Bleu Horizon sous les couleurs de l'Alliance démocratique de 1919 à 1924* He served as the Deputy of the Vosges
The other pilot elected to this chamber is: Alfred Marie Joseph Heurteaux
8- Give me 10 aircraft models piloted at least once by René Fonck during his life :
Caudron G3
Caudron G4
SPAD S. VII
SPAD XIII
SPAD XII
SPAD XV
Sikorsky S.35
Morane Saunier MS 35
Junker G24
Dewoitine 500, and maybe 501
Dewoitine 503
9- Where is the "Aerodrome René Fonck" ?
The aerodrome of Saint-Dié des vosges, baptized under the name of the aviator *Rene Fonck* in june 2009 and located on the commune of Remomeix.
10- How many plane has René Fonck lost under enemy bullets between may 1917 and november 1918 as pilot in SPA 103 ?
Zero.
René Fonck, as SPAD pilot, never let the time to his adversaries to reply !
The mecanicians found only one bullet in one of his plane. But not sure that it was a German one !
But before becoming a "stork", he has been very closed to die when he came back home with a G4 amazingly damaged.
And he crashed one or two Spad during his career !
Nobody's perfect !
Trivia #10 - René Fonck
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by LGKR
Bookmarks