The Eagle of Lille
Interesting site hosting a number of excellent period photographs, artwork, and color aircraft profiles linked to the "Eagle of Lille," Max Immelmann. In addition, it provides a link to an the issue of Aviation History magazine (Nov 2013) in which this article by Don Hollway may be found.
http://www.donhollway.com/immelmann/
Good find Christopher; I enjoyed the site very much.
I'm in the midst of enlarging my mini collection to fill-out the 1915/1916 part to enable me to run some early war PBeM games for up to 20 aircraft even though there probably weren't any/many 20 aircraft fights then.
I've got 4 Eindekkers, 4 Halberstadt II/IIIs, 4 Siemen-Schuckert D.1s, 4 Morane Ns, 2 Bristol Scout Cs, 4 RAF BE 2cs, 4 DH-2s, 2 Nieuport 11s and 4 Nieuport 17s so far, and now, thanks in part to the site you've just discovered and to the excellent files on our/this Aerodrome site I know what's missing.
I certainly need a few early war German 2-seaters and a few French 2-seaters, and probably a couple of others to be able to create a reasonably historically correct series of early war scenarios.
But, I'm off to Florida soon for a winter holiday (-26 at 8 a.m. here yesterday was typical and demoralizing), but when I'm back I'll get cracking on it.
Thanks for sharing.
Incredible that you should find that just now Chris.
If you look at my latest AAR in Over the Trenches you will know exactly where I pinched the photos at the start and end from.
Rob.
"Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."
This is great stuff Rob - some of the pictures are amazing - pity you can't download them as desktop's though
Yes great find!
Further evidence that I walk in the footsteps of giants... And that I need to read AARs more closely!
Fascinating read - thanks for posting this link!
Great find thanks
I once met old Percy, who lived in Leytonstone, East London, and who was front gunner in a Vickers FB 5 'forced down' by Max Immelmann in 1915. Percy said he mistook the aircraft for a Morane N as it flew head-on towards them and - as the pilot was waving - he took his gloves off and waved back. Before they knew where they were, MI did the Immelmann turn over them, swept in gun blazing and hit them several times.
The pilot side-slipped the FB 5 into a cloud and later forced landed on the Allied side of the lines. He was taken off with a nervous breakdown and was never seen again, Percy (a fitter) checked the plane out and found m.g. rounds had gone through the cockpit instrumentation diagonally behind his head and gone out the other side. Percy was not amused.
In WW2 Percy set up five British factories which copied the famous German 'petrol tin' or as we Brits call it, the 'Jerry Can'. He was prouder of the last than the first. A lovely bloke.
Fascinating stuff Barry.
Thanks for this little cameo of another of our unsung heroes.
Rob.
"Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."
Thank you for the link, Christopher. That is an interesting site.
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