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Help to ID a WW1 aircraft


Vincennes
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Hi,

 

I recently acquired a collection of 41 WW1 photos. Most are in France in 1918, some are labeled "Landley Field, 1919". Maybe Langley Field in VA? And a few are of family. There are aerial photos of clouds, an aerial photo of a Breguet aircraft, a photo of the Junkers JL-6, a battleship in Brest Harbor 1918, scenes in France, etc. The attached photo is cropped but around the edge of the original is written in fountain pen "John, France 1918". Can someone tell me what aircraft he is standing in front of?

 

He appears to be a Pfc., so he was not a pilot but since most of the photos are of aircraft I am guessing he worked in an Aero squadron.

 

Thanks,

Paul

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I'd like to see the pix of the battleship in Brest harbor. Any chance you could post more of the collection? thanks for sharing thumbsup.gif

Terry

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Here are a few more photos from the collection. I have scanned these a little smaller so I can post them easier.

 

Notice that these have numbers in the print. Apparently they were part of a set (or sets) and "John" added his comments to the prints in ink.

 

Paul

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The battleship is the USS New York. It was in Brest as part of the escort for President Wilson when he traveled to France for the Versailles talks.

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The battleship is the USS New York. It was in Brest as part of the escort for President Wilson when he traveled to France for the Versailles talks.

nice call, Steindaddie! I had just opened my old copy of Jane's to see if I could figure out whethe it was the New York or the Texas. Nifty bit of historical sleuthing you did there. thumbsup.gif

Terry

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brandon_rss18

I may be an AAC guy but I do know that the Texas (BB-35) and the New York were both dreadnought series ships. :) I know this because the Texas is 10 minutes from me! lol Cool photos!

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Here are a final 2 photos from this set. The train photo is in France, but I am not sure of the Junkers JL-6 photo. Some neat stuff remaining but I will not post it all.

 

Thanks for IDing the Battleship.

 

Paul

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Terry, Here is the Battleship photo.

 

I'll post another couple photos later.

 

Thanks to Will for the ID.

 

Paul

 

Take a second look at the flag on the stern of the ship vs. the size of the men below it. It had to be huge!

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It appears to be a British aircraft, the Bristol F2.B Fighter

 

~Will

I concur, it is indeed a Bristol Fighter.

On the battleships, the New York & Texas were the only two ships of the New York class. Texas is a state shrine while New York lays at the bottom of the Pacific having been sacrificed in the early atom bomb tests. Old BB35, USS Texas is the worlds oldest surviving battleship and the only one of the "Dreadnaught" class of ships worldwide to survive.

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Take a second look at the flag on the stern of the ship vs. the size of the men below it. It had to be huge!

 

And judging by the way it's flapping in the wind, I'd say it was a breezy day in Brest !

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I agree that the first photo is a British Bristol F.2B fighter/bomber. An exceptional 2-seater aircraft that could hold its own in a combat with the nimblest German fighter. A local airline pilot owned and flew one around here until he sold it to someone in Australia.

 

Here are a few more photos from the collection. I have scanned these a little smaller so I can post them easier.

 

Notice that these have numbers in the print. Apparently they were part of a set (or sets) and "John" added his comments to the prints in ink.

 

Paul

 

The 2nd bomber is a French-made Breguet Type 14 B.2 bomber. It had an engine exhaust that resembled a "horn" that protruded vertically from the engine cowl. (The French Dorand also had a similar engine cowl and about the same shape.) Don't worry moderators, the Breguet was also used by the Americans along with the Salmson. It is hard to tell the colors of the roudels but it could be American. The Black&White images sometimes would subdue the REDs in the image.

 

Got anymore photos??

 

Source: Jane's Fighting A/C of WW1.

 

Steve

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Steve,

 

Since you asked...here are 2 more. I know very little about IDing WW1 aircraft and these two are not named on the photos.

 

I think the strange white "hook" protruding from the radiator of the one aircraft is ascratch on the negative...it is not a scratch on the print.

 

Paul

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Salvage Sailor
Steve,

 

Since you asked...here are 2 more. I know very little about IDing WW1 aircraft and these two are not named on the photos.

 

I think the strange white "hook" protruding from the radiator of the one aircraft is ascratch on the negative...it is not a scratch on the print.

 

Paul

 

When I was a wee lad, I built many a model aeroplane. The radiator is a dead give-a-way.

 

That is the famous S.E.5 (probably a S.E.5a) flown by many of the best allied fighter pilots in the Great War.

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When I was a wee lad, I built many a model aeroplane. The radiator is a dead give-a-way.

 

That is the famous S.E.5 (probably a S.E.5a) flown by many of the best allied fighter pilots in the Great War.

 

But the second aircraft is a DH-4....

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