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Royal Flying Corps
Tag
(33)
1914
August
13
Royal Flying Corps flies to France
On 13 August 1914 British air squadrons flew from Dover to France. They were the first units to cross the Channel by air.
25
First air patrol over the British retreat
On 25 August 1914 British airmen patrolled the skies over the retreating army and forced a German aircraft to land. It was one of the first air combats.
September
22
First wireless link between an aircraft and artillery
In September 1914 Royal Flying Corps airmen over the Aisne first directed artillery fire by wireless. It was the beginning of aerial artillery observation.
28
First markings on German aircraft
At the end of September 1914 it was noted that German aircraft bore black crosses. The markings were meant to protect airmen from their own troops' fire.
November
12
Markings on British aircraft
On 12 November 1914 an order required all Royal Flying Corps aircraft to carry identification marks. The Union flag gave way to a French-style roundel.
1915
October
01
Start of the "Fokker Scourge"
In autumn 1915 German Fokker monoplanes with a machine gun firing through the propeller gave Germany air superiority over the Western Front.
13
Airship raid on Theatreland
On the evening of 13 October 1915 the airship L 15 bombed London's Theatreland. The raid by five airships killed 71 people and injured 128.
November
22
Battle of Ctesiphon begins
On 22 November 1915 Townshend's division took the first Turkish trench line at Ctesiphon, but a counter-attack stopped it before the second. Losses were huge.
1916
January
31
Airship raid on the Midlands
On the night of 31 January–1 February 1916 nine naval airships sent against Liverpool bombed the Midlands instead. 70 people were killed and 113 injured.
February
16
War Office takes over air defence
On 16 February 1916 the air defence of London passed from the Admiralty to Field Marshal John French, and soon after that of the whole country.
March
31
Zeppelin L 15 shot down
On the evening of 31 March 1916 anti-aircraft guns on the Thames hit the airship L 15. It fell into the sea off the estuary and its crew were taken prisoner.
April
01
End of the "Fokker Scourge"
In spring 1916 new Allied fighters and flying in formation robbed the Fokkers of their superiority over the Western Front. The date of 1 April is notional.
May
17
The Air Board is created
On 17 May 1916 the government announced Lord Curzon's Air Board in the Commons. It was to reconcile army and naval aviation but had no executive power.
June
18
Death of Max Immelmann
On 18 June 1916 near Lens Max Immelmann, the "Eagle of Lille" and Germany's first great ace, was killed. His Fokker broke up in a fight with British F.E.2bs.
July
01
First RFC contact patrols
On 1 July 1916 over the Somme, RFC airmen closely followed the infantry's advance, watching for flares and flashing mirrors. Such trials dated from 1915.
September
02
Key event
Airship raid and the downing of SL 11
On the night of 2–3 September 1916, 16 airships set out for London. Lieutenant Leefe Robinson shot down SL 11 over Cuffley, and the rest of the raid collapsed.
15
Aircraft co-operate with tanks
On 15 September 1916 RFC airmen followed the first tanks in battle on the Somme. They sent the famous report of a tank driving up the main street of Flers.
17
Richthofen's first victory
On 17 September 1916, in the first fight of Boelcke's squadron, Manfred von Richthofen downed a British F.E.2b near Cambrai, the first of his 80 victories.
23
Airship raid and the shooting down of L 32 and L 33
On the night of 23/24 September 1916 naval airships bombed London and Nottingham. L 32 fell in flames near Billericay, and L 33 came down in Essex.
October
01
Shooting down of airship L 31
On the night of 1–2 October 1916 Wulstan Tempest shot down L 31 near Potters Bar, killing Heinrich Mathy, the most famous German airship commander.
28
Death of Oswald Boelcke
On 28 October 1916 over the Somme Oswald Boelcke, creator of fighter tactics and a 40-victory ace, was killed in a collision with a squadron comrade.
November
27
Zeppelin raid and the shooting down of L 34 and L 21
On the night of 27–28 November 1916 naval airships attacked northern England. L 34 fell in flames off Hartlepool, and at dawn L 21 was lost off Lowestoft.
1917
April
30
Bloody April
In April 1917 over Arras German fighter squadrons shot down more than 240 British aircraft. RFC airmen called the month "Bloody April".
June
13
Key event
Gotha raid on London
On 13 June 1917 fourteen Gothas bombed the City and East End by day, killing 162 people, 18 of them children at a Poplar school. No bomber was lost.
17
Destruction of airship L 48
Early on 17 June 1917 British airmen shot down the new airship L 48 over Suffolk. It fell near Theberton. Sixteen men were killed and three survived.
July
06
Richthofen wounded
On 6 July 1917 over Flanders Manfred von Richthofen was shot in the head fighting British F.E.2ds. He managed to land but never fully recovered.
07
Raid on London of 7 July
On the morning of 7 July 1917 21 Gothas again bombed the City and East End by day. 57 people died, and Londoners' anger forced the government to act.
September
04
First Gotha night raid on London
On the night of 4 September 1917 Gothas bombed London after dark for the first time. A bomb hit a tram by Cleopatra's Needle. In the capital 16 people died.
November
29
The Air Force Act
On 29 November 1917 the British Air Force Act received royal assent. It paved the way for merging the army and navy air services into the RAF.
December
21
Creation of the Air Council
On 21 December 1917 an Order in Council of King George V set the membership of the Air Council, which was to run an air force independent of the army and navy.
1918
January
02
The Air Ministry is created
On 2 January 1918 Lord Rothermere became Secretary of State for Air, and on 3 January the Air Council took over the duties of the Air Board.
March
07
Giants raid London
On the night of 7 March 1918 German giant bombers attacked London without moonlight. A bomb weighing a ton destroyed houses in Warrington Crescent.
April
01
Formation of the RAF
On 1 April 1918 the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service merged to form the Royal Air Force, independent of both the army and the navy.