Close encounters of the Dogfight!

[gully_raker]

Don't think there would have been any N.17's around in the Dr.I days but this Nieuport pilot has sure gotten up close but I think he has overshot!.

[Teaticket]

Neat shot. I'd say the Nieuport is already ahead of the Dr1 and he's where the Dr1 can use his 90* right turn to get him.

[Naharaht]

It is a great action shot, Barry!

[Baxter]

Nice one Barry.

[Marechallannes]

Hope the Nieuport has some tricky maneuvers in reserve.

..otherwise it's the Baron himself.

[Stumptonian]

It's Flyboys with real planes!

[Flying Helmut]

Neat shot. I'd say the Nieuport is already ahead of the Dr1 and he's where the Dr1 can use his 90* right turn to get him.

Looks like a standard Rt 60 degree turn should line him up nicely!

Lovely photo!

[flash]

Yep, he's done


Great pic Baz

[zenlizard]

Great one, Barry!

[Mike George]

Love it!

[monse]

It’s been a while that I wanted to post in this thread a few informations, but unfortunately I am sorry for doing it too late after Barry passed away.

Don't think there would have been any Nieuport 17 around in the Dr.I days

Barry’s comment has led to a few research.
Indeed, it seems that no victory were scored between a french Nieuport 17 and a Fokker Dr.I.
But Nieuport scout types and Fokker Dr.I may have met in the same area at the same period :

The first two Fokker Dr.I arrived in lat August 1917 in front line (Courtrai, Belgium, near French border), in an area mostly hold by English squadrons on the allied side.
On board these two Dr.I, Manfred VON RICHTHOFEN and Verner VOSS shot down English RAF RE8 and FE.2b, Sopwith Pup and Camel, a Spad VII, an Airco DH.4, a French Spad VII and a Caudron two seater.
Because of several accidents, Fokker Dr.I were grounded from October to December 1917.

Belgian Squadrons
André de MEULEMEESTER scored several confirmed and unconfirmed victories flying on Nieuport (that might have been N.23 type) during the Fokker Dr.I first introduction in September 1917.


French Squadrons
By 1st August 1917, over 50 French fighters squadrons were equipped with Spad and there were 455 Spad VII with these units (SPAD SCOUTS VII XIII - Aircam 9 - page 4).
But some Nieuport 23, 24 and 24 bis were still used by some french squadrons in late 1917 and early 1918.

Examples :
French pilots were killed or wounded on Nieuport 24 / 24 bis on September in Escadrille 82 and Escadrille 91, on October and November in Escadrille 155

Escadrille 97 exchanged its Nieuport 23 and 24 bis for Spad VII and XIII in November / December 1917

Escadrille 99 had Nieuport 24, 24 bis and 27 when created in January 1918. A pilot killed on April 1918 during aerial accident near Nancy on a Nieuport 23 (maybe this type was still used for non combat duty, or it could be a typo ?).

Escadrille 153 led many missions in the Somme area with Nieuport 24, 24 bis and 27 until late December 1917.

Three Nieuport 23, along with N 24 and 27, are reported in Escadrille 159 in January 1918 (Nancy area).


English Squadrons
Nieuport being outclassed, SE.5a fighters began to reequip RFC units :
60 sqn in July 1917
40 sqn in October 1917
1 sqn in March 1918
29 sqn in April 1918
(NIEUPORT ACES OF WW1 - Osprey 33 - page 14)

On the Aerodrome, it is interesting to compare the victories of this four english squadrons and the return of the Fokker Dr.I back in first line in January 1918.

In March 1918, Nieuport 24 of Sqd 29 scored two victories facing Pfalz D.III
while SE.5a of Sqd 1 and 40 shot down Fokker Dr.I.

Squadron 29
Francis WILLIAMS - 18 March 1918 - Nieuport 24 (B3605) -> Pfalz D.III - Lille (France near Belgian border)
William Earle MOLESWORTH - 18 March 1918 - Nieuport (B6812) -> Pfalz D.III - Rumbeke (Belgium)

Squadron 40
John Wilson WALLWORK - 24 March 1918 - SE.5a -> Fokker Dr.I - Croiselles (France near Belgian border)
Gwilym Hugh LEWIS- 11 April 1918 - SE.5a -> Fokker Dr.I - Lens (France near Belgian border)

Squadron 1
Kenneth Charles MILLS - 25 April 1918 - SE.5a -> Fokker Dr.I - Becelaere (Belgium)


German squadrons
As for the English side, it seems that Nieuport and Fokker Dr.I didn’t score facing each other until Nieuport withdrawal :
On early 1918, Fokker Dr.I scored victories facing any English scouts except Nieuport,
while two victories facing Nieuport were scored by German scouts but no Dr.I.

Jasta 2
Erwin BÖHME - 16 October 1917 - Albatros D.II (?) -> Nieuport 17 (B3578) - Magermeirie (Belgium)

Jasta 9
Fritz PÜTTER - 19/27 January 1918 - Albatros ? -> 2 Nieuport - Tahure (east of Reims french sector)

Jasta 47
Friedrich EHMANN - 18 March 1918 - Pfalz -> Nieuport - Hooglede (Belgium)

Fokker Dr.I Jastas
Jasta 2
Richard PLANGE - 26/27 March 1918 - Fokker Dr.I ? (Fok Dr.I shot down on 19 may 1918) -> Dolphin, RE.8, SE.5a - Albert (northern France)

Jasta 11
Edgar SCHOLTZ - 13/18 March 1918 - Fokker Dr.I ? (Fok Dr.I shot down on 2 may 1918) -> 2 Camel - Vaucelles (near Cambrai northern France)

Jasta 36
Hans Gottfried von HÄBLER - 8/18/22 March 1918 - Fokker Dr.I ? (Fok Dr.I captured on 22 March 1918) -> 3 Camel - Roulers Menin (Belgium) / Lille / Cambrai

Jasta 4
Eugen SIEMPELKAMP - 1 April 1918 - Fokker Dr.I -> Camel - Amiens (northern France)

[chee911sc]

Informations full of relevance and useful for future dogfights

[Rebel]

Thanks Barry for another spectacular pic.

[milcoll73]

dramatic action shot!