War trophies (planes, guns) exhibited at Place de la Concorde - Paris October 1918

[monse]

On the BNF GALLICA website, here are pictures of war trophies exposed for the subscription campaign to the "Liberation Loan".
German guns and planes, place de la Concorde, Paris 8th district.
October 20th 1918.
Most of the photos show the planes in front of which are placed on the railing machine guns on tripods while below are stationed the guns.
On some photos only the planes are exposed (photos probably taken before the installation of the machine guns and the cannons for the ceremony or after their removal).

Overall view, guns, AV7 tank :








Guns, machine guns, airplanes :




Albatros D.III (2107/16) - Rudolf Nebel - Jasta 35, captured in 1917

The autochrome Lumière (first photographic process in natural color dating from 1903) showis surprising colors compared to black and white photos :




With the kind permission of David Méchin (specialist of the aviation of the First World War, creator of the website As 14-18 and author-illustrator in the specialized magazines Avions, Le Fana de l'Aviation, Aero-journal, as well as on the website Escadrilles française 14-18 d'Albin Denis, here are published below pictures of his own collection and his aerial views of identification and localization of the planes and balloons exposed during this national subscription of October 1918.






Rumpler C.IV :




AEG G.IV :



DFW C.V :



Observation balloon and structure of Zeppelin L.49 :



Photo below :
White LVG C.IV No. 4351/15 captured on January 14, 1917 (according to the aerial views above) sports post-March 1918 straight crosses under the wings on squares darker than the white wing cloth, when it should have iron crosses since it was captured in 1917.
David Méchin's explanation:
"The captured German planes were almost all clad in French colors, if only to avoid being shot at during their convoys in flight to the rear.
They were hastily repainted in German colors for the end of 1918 exhibition - and sometimes not with the original black crosses."

[CrashCraig]

Simon, thank you for posting these amazing photos and explaining the French "repaints"

[flash]

Fascinating stuff, Simon, thanks for that.

[milcoll73]

ive got a ton of pics of the a7v #542 elfriede displayed here at place de la concorde. too many to post here. let me know if people are interested.

[RJG173]

I wish there was a color photograph of the AEG G.IV. Perhaps we'll see an all yellow Albatros from Daryl. Thanks for sharing.

[Teaticket]

Thanks for sharing this. I've seen a few photos before with one or two trophies in a town square but never to this level. I guess with the Germans in full retreat there was a lot of equipment left behind.

[Biggles downunder]

What great photos. I would love to see more!

[BwanaJoe]

Fantastic. Love the color shot. And the pix of the tanks were great. Rep incoming.

[malachi]

Wow, great photos! Thank you, Simon.

[greenalfonzo]

I never realized how much I needed an orange plane before. What model is that? A C.V of some sort? And is that a stylized B on the side?

[monse]

I never realized how much I needed an orange plane before. What model is that? A C.V of some sort? And is that a stylized B on the side?

According to David Méchin’s aerial identification picture (in the first message) :
- the yellow plane is an Albatros D.III
- the green plane is a Rumpler C.IV
- the orange plane is a LVG C.V

[Flying Helmut]

Awesome photographs!

Very many thanks for posting them!

[driph]

ive got a ton of pics of the a7v #542 elfriede displayed here at place de la concorde. too many to post here. let me know if people are interested.

Yes please!

[monse]

What great photos. I would love to see more!

I've seen a few photos before with one or two trophies in a town square but never to this level.

Here are more captured planes pictures.
All comments come from the fabulous Kees Kort planes pictures collection (except “personal note”).
I hope you enjoy the presentation.


place de la Concorde - Tuileries exhibition - Paris - October 1918
source : David Méchin collection (sorry, no link)







3 views of the DFW C.V 171/1X


LVG C.IV No. 4351/15


The end of the show


Nancy (eastern France) on the Stanislas square.
During the war, the German planes captured were exposed in Nancy on the Stanislas square.


The much photographed L.V.G. C.IV which was captured at Atton, a small village near Pont-a-Mousson also a small place. The text on this photograph gives that the machine was captured on 14 January 1917, although other photographs have a text of 17 January.
One source (on internet jmpicquart.pagesperso-orange.fr/AvionsExposes2.htm) notes that the machine was forced down by malfunctioning of the engine and that the two men crew were captured.
This picture is taken from one nof the buildings surrounding the Place Stanislas, maybe on the roof. Due to the long exposure time some moving figures are hazy.
The statue of Stanislas Leszczyński can be seen here. It was placed there in 1831 as a replacement for the statue of Louis XV which was destroyed during the French Revolution.
source : Kees Kort collection




A captured LVG C.IV is displayed on the place Stanislas in Nancy.
This LVG C.IV is completely intact. It was captured on January 14, 1917 at Atton. Due to an engine failure, it had to land and the crew was taken prisoner.
source : Kees Kort collection
personal note : this plane appears to be the same that the ‘white’ plane No. 4351/15 exhibited in October 1918 at the Tuileries-Paris, according to the aerial identification picture made by David Méchin (see pictures in first message).


A.E.G. C.IV (number 1103/16).
This dates the machine as being from the first production order for the A.E.G. C.IV dating from March 1916 for 100states mmachines ( C 1024/16 till C 1123/16).
The reverse of the picture is extensively written and dated Nancy dimanche (sunday) 23 Janvier (January) 1917. In the written text their is quite some reference to this exposition of captured German aeroplanes.
The beginning of the text is as follows : “My dear David, I am sending you this picture of a second Kraut that fell in the Lunéville area and is on display in Nancy. It is smaller than the other one and camouflaged in green and yellow. I think it is a Fokker ...”
It is interesting to note that the writer states that this is the second German aeroplane exposited at the same time. The machine was camouflaged in the typical German style and given here as vert (green) and jaune (yellow). That he states it could be a Fokker, gives some idea about the impression the Fokker machines made on the general public in France at the time.
source : Kees Kort collection


A captured A.E.G. C.IV exposited on the Place Stanislas at Nancy
Another captured German aeroplane exhibited on the Place Stanislas at Nancy was this A.E.G. C.IV. It was captured on 23 January 1917 near Lunéville. Given that the machine did not have any visible damage, the probable cause is engine faiulure or even low fuel.
The A.E.G. C.IV was the most successful two-seat biplane built by A.E.G [ Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschafft]. It was built in great numbers.
Just at the right is part of the statue of Stanislas visible.
source : Kees Kort collection


This time a Hannover CL.IIIa is exhibited, again in excellent condition. This Hannover was brought down on 6 September 1918 in a fight with MdL Joseph Florentin flying a SPAD S.XIII of Escadrille 90. The crew of the Hannover, Uffz Weisser and Uffz Wilhelm Scharg were taken prisoner.
On the same day Joseph Florentin was killed in an aerial combat with Ltn. Martin Haenichen of Jasta 53.
source : Kees Kort collection


A Hannover CL.IIIa exhibited on the Place Stanislas at Nancy.
The Hannover (short for Hannoversche Waggonfabrik] produced several types in the CL class. That Class was a lighter version of the C class two-seater.
Here we see a captured sample of a Hannover CL.IIIa The German Bestellnummer (order number) can be seen on the fuselage side as C 13369/17, identifying it is one of a series of 57 CL.IIIa biplanes ordered at the end of 1917 with Bestellnummer C 13318/17 - C.13374 /17. Note the high numbers of C (CL) machines ordered in 1917, more that 13.000.
This sample was apparently brought down on 6 September 1918 and is seen here exposited at Nancy.
There is at least one other picture of the same scene from another angle
source : Kees Kort collection


An Albatros D.III (Bestellnummer D 2107/16) single seat fighter war booty exposited at the Place de Stanislas at Nancy.
This machine was brought down near Rambervilliers on 2 April 1917 by AA fire. The pilot Vfw Rudolf Nebel was taken prisoner, but he escaped to Switzerland on 5 May 1917.
The propeller is broken and a part of the rudder is damaged, but otherwise Rudolf Nebel was able to bring the machine down without much damage.
source : Kees Kort collection
personal note : this plane appears to be the same that the yellow Albatros D.III No. 2107/16 exhibited in October 1918 at the Tuileries-Paris, according to the aerial identification picture made by David Méchin (see pictures in first message).


A captured German Albatros D.III single seat fighter on display at the Place Stanislas in Nancy.
The text in French reads : 'A German aeroplane shot down by our special cannons near Flirey on 22 July 1917' (small village in the arrondissement Toul).
There are conflicting accounts who flew this machine.
source : Kees Kort collection


A captured Gotha G.III twin-engined heavy bomber exposited at the Place de Stanislas at Nancy.
On 8 February 1917 a fleet of 15 twin-engined Gotha G.III bombers attacked Nancy, covered by seven fighters. This was done in daylight as the fleet crossed the lines at Moncel-sur-Seille at 10:30. The Gotha bomber fleet belonged to KAGOHL 2 - an abbreviation meaning KAmpfGeschwader der Oberste HeeresLeitung - Combat group of the High Command.
The response came from the French fighter escadrilles in the neighbourhood, which were unable to counter this force but managed to bring down this Gotha G.III at Bouconville. Effectively the shooting down was attributed to the French star fighter pilot Guynemer (scoring his 31st victory).
The crew of three was taken prisoner. Looking to the remains the emergency landing must have been quite an effort, but the machine had relatively little damage. Later 180 hits were counted in this machine.
Even this big twin-powered heavy bomber was exposited at the Place de Stanislas in Nancy, as usual for other German captured aeroplanes.
source : Kees Kort collection




Overview of the Place Léopold at Lunéville (eastern France)
when the captured L.V.G. C.II was exposited.
Most of the time when you find a picture of an occasion there is always another one as here. The photographer could not resist an overview picture of the crowd inspecting the captured L.V.G. C.II exposited at the Place Léopold in Lunéville.
source : Kees Kort collection



A Rumpler C.IV brought down by the French forces here exposited in Dunkerque (northern France)
This C.IV (C 8426/16) was a machine from a batch of 150 with serials C 8403/16 - C 8558/16 ordered in November 1916. Given these facts the picture was taken 'some time' in 1917. Almost no damage is seen on the machine, safe the absence of the rudder. The Rumpler C.IV was very succesfull with a total production of ca. 2200 machines.
source : Kees Kort collection



Invalides, musée de l’armée - exhibition - Paris



A captured Gotha LE.3 Taube exposited at the war booty exhibition at the Invalides museum in Paris
One of the center pieces of the early war booty exposition in Paris was this Gotha LE.3 Taube (LE was an abbreviation for Land Eindecker / Land Monoplane]. It was photographed from all sides and printed on innumerable postcards. This card presents a seldom seen front view of the Taube which shows the elaborate wing construction struts which were characteric for real Taube monoplanes. Later in time the Taube evaluated to a more conventional monoplane without the struts.
It can be seen here surrounded by captured cannons, mortars etc.
source : Kees Kort collection


source : Kees Kort collection


source : Kees Kort collection


An often photographed scene in the Musée de l'Armée in 1915.
In front is a captured Gotha LE 3 Taube, where LE stands for Land Eindecker. No visible German identification / serial visible on the many photographs taken of this machine. Probably cut away by throphy hunters at the place of the capture.
At the back is the D.F.W. B.I serial B.451/14 also often photographed.
source : Kees Kort collection


A DFW B.I captured by the French forces and exposited at the Musée de l'Armee in Paris
serial B.451/14 in the Musée de L'Armée (Paris) about July 1915 - September 1915. For a good view the machine was mounted high, so that the public could also have a view from underneath.
This DFW was not preserved for exhibition after the war.
Remark that the card maker captions this German biplane type as an Aviatik. Identifying German reconnaissance biplanes was already difficult in that time.
source : Kees Kort collection



Two aircraft on display from July 3, 1917 in the courtyard of the Hôtel National des Invalides
In the foreground is the Rumpler C.I 4525/15 of FA(A) 273 landed by mistake at Fismes-La Cense (Marne) on January 23, 1917 (captured crew: Lt. Hans von Stockhorn, pilot, and Lt. Heinrich von Unruh, observer);
at the back of the picture and on the one below, DFW C.V (LVG) 5155/16 captured at Dannemarie (Haut-Rhin) by Sgt. Edmond Pillon (3rd v.), a future ace of the N 82, on April 24, 1917 Originally canvas colored, the Rumpler was camouflaged by the French before August 2, 1917.
source : Passion pour l’Aviation


A Fokker D.VII single seat fighter exhibited as war booty late in the war in Paris.
From the beginning to the end of the war German war booty was exposited in the Musée de l'Armée which was in the Hotel des Invalides in the centre of France.
The exposition of this late Fokker D.VII single seat fighter may have been the last exposition in the museum just before the end of the war or maybe just after the armistice. As most German war booty then on the street in France was burned in the festivities that is somewhat unlikely.
source : Kees Kort collection


One of the frequent seen views of the Fokker D.VII on exposition at the Musée de l'Armée in Paris. The exposition of this late production sample of the Fokker D.VII single seat fighter may have been the last exposition in the Musée de l'Armée, just before the end of the war or maybe just after the armistice.
The Fokker D.VII is completely intact with no overpainting of registrations, which makes it easy to identify this machine as a Fokker D.VII (Alb) which has 6852/18. It is one of the machines from an order for 250 machines [D 6650/18 - D 6899/18] ordered and licence built by Albatros.
As this batch of 250 machines was the 3rd series ordered, some searching gives that the second series licence built by Albatros was for 400 D.VII machines. The first series ordered was also for 400 D.VII. In all Albatros built according to this record the astonishing number of 1050 Fokker D.VII in licence.
For good measure some small German cannons, mortars etc. were grouped together for the exposition with the Fokker D.VII.
source : Kess Kort collection


An exposition of a complete intact Friedrichshafen G.IIIa bomber in the Musée de l'Armée (Paris).
As always the identification of the machine is somewhat out of the way. The big board before the machine proclaims GOTHA. This could mean a sort of general name for all German bombers (two-engined).
The card has an enigmatic description of the type as a Gotha Friedrichshafen Type F.d.h.Gm.a. With the last letters are meant the codes on the side of the fuselage, where Fdh is the official abbreviation of Friedrichshafen and Gm.a means G.IIIa. Fdh G.IIIa was followed by the serial (Bestellnummer) but that is not visible in this picture.
This version of the G.III Friedrichshafen bomber has a double rudder tail and an MG position at the back of the fuselage with the possibility to fire downwards.
source : Kees Kort collection


Another view of the Friedrichshafen G.IIIa heavy bomber exposited in the Musée de l'Armée (Paris).
On the side can be seen the German identity of the machine Fdh G.IIIa (Daim) 1048/18. This sample was licence built by Daimler based on an order of October 1918 for 75 machines (serials 1045/18 - 1119 18/18). As these machines were produced so late in the war, they probably never saw battle, hence the immaculate condition. According to the Armistice rules German aircraft had to be handed over to the Entente forces.
It is little known that aircraft factories in Germany did not shut down immediately and quit all their workforce. To come to a gradual stop machines which were 50% or more finished were completed (and then handed over or axed). Production of ordered machines continued till ca. mid 1919. The reason to continue producing was also influenced by the unruly and revolutionary time in Germany in 1918 / 1919.
source : Kees Kort collection

[RJG173]

Excellent photos and commentary. I like the white triangle markings on the nose of the Gotha. Perhaps that will show up in a model in the future. And the DFW C.V is a very attractive airplane.

[Stumptonian]

Terrific photos.
Thanks so much for sharing.

[malachi]

More amazing photos and info. Thanks, Simon!
REP

[milcoll73]

Yes please!

hi chris. are you one facebook? ive posted pretty much all my a7v pics on an a7v fan page. it would be easy to link them here or to your facebook page.

[milcoll73]

very cool pics! sad it was all destroyed after the display. wouldve made a great museum display!!!