Salmson aircraft of World War I

Salmson Aircrat-t of World War I Colin A. Ovvers Jon S. Guttlllan James J. Davilla Color Illustrations by

Juanita Franzi

To all the Salmson pilots and observers I met and didn't meet, who hopefully will finally get their due. -Jon Guttman

Salmson Aircraft of World War 1 by Colin A. Owers, Jon S. Guttman and James J. Davilla

Copyright © 2001 by Colin A. Owers, Jon S. Guttman and James J. Davilla ISB 1-891268-16-3 Printed in the United States of America Published by Flying Machine Press, a division of Paladin Enterprises, Inc. Gunbarrel Tech Center 7077 Winchester Circle Boulder, Colorado 80301 USA + 1.303.443. 7250 Direct inquiries and/or orders to the above address. Publisher's Cataloging-in-Publication Data Owers, Colin A., 1944-, Guttman, Jon S., 1951-, Davilla, James J., 1951Salmson Aircraft of World War I / Colin Owers, Jon Guttman p. em. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 1-891268-16-3 (aile paper) 1. Airplanes, Military-American-History. 2. Airplanes, Military-French-History. 3. World War, 1914-1918-Aerial operations, American. 4. World War, 1914-1918-Aerial operations, French. 5. World War, 1914-1918-Equipment. UG1245.F8D38 1999 623.7'461 '094409041-dc21

All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, no portion of this book may be reproduced in any form wi thou t the express wri tten permission of the pu blisher. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for the use or misuse of information contained in this book. Book and cover design, layout, and typesetting by John W. Herris. Color aircraft illustrations by Juanita Franzi. Color aircraft illustrations copyright © 2001 by Juanita Franzi. Cover painting by Michael O'Neal. Salmson 2 drawings by Colin Owers. S.M.1, Salmson 3, Salmson 4, and Salmson 7 drawings by Martin Digmayer. Digital scanning and image editing by Colin Owers, Aaron Weaver, and John W. Herris. Text edited by John W Herris. Visit our Web site at www.flying-machines.com

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Table of Contents

Introduction

1

Salmson-Moineau S.M. 1

2

Salmson-Moineau S.M.2

13

Salmson 2

14

Fold-out Scale Drawings

61

Salmson 3

101

Saln1son 4

102

Salmson 5

103

Sallnson 6

103

Salmson 7

104

Camouflage and Markings

105

Color Plates

109

iv

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at various stages of the game, he decided to go along and do a little looking and a little shooting. The outcome of the whole thing was that when the war was over Tom Jervey, an ordnance officer, had an enviable record of combat victories to his credit." On 4 November, Strahm and Jervey engaged one of their opposite numbers, a German two-seater, and brought it down near Coflans for Jervey's third and Strahm's ace-making fifth victory.

Baucom, Erwin and Easterbrook of the 1st Aero Squadron. Via G.H. Williams.

America's Two-Seater Ace of Aces While the 91st Aero Squadron produced the most Salmson aces, the leading American two-seater ace of World War I came from the 1st Aero Squadron, a corps observation outfit that saw its own share of combat over the front lines. Born in Amarillo, Texas, William P. Erwin was living in Chicago, Illinois, when he enlisted in the USAS and went to

Erwin, 1st Aero Squadron. Photograph taken postwar. Via G.H. Williams.

51 France with the 1st Aero Squadron. He was first cited by the French when: "On July 20, 1918, he volunteered for an infantry mission at night fall, executed his mission at 200 meters altitude. He brought back his observer, who was mortally wounded, and his plane was full of bullet holes." On I August Erwin was assigned to take photographs of the German artillery batteries and machine-gun positions at Fere-en -Ta rdenois. Escorted by SPADs, he and his observer, Lt. E.B. Spencer, fought their way to and from the objective, through a gauntlet of enemy fighters. Upon their return it was found that only a few photographic plates had been exposed, so Erwin and Spencer took of[ to try again. Once more they encountered determined fighter opposition, during which Erwin claimed to have shot down a Fokker D. VII with his front gun though it was not confirmed. Spencer, however, was wounded and-just as heartbreaking, considering the effort taken by him and Erwin to carry out their mission-his photographic plates were destroyed by enemy gunfire. Erwin's DSC citation predated his airto-air exploits, serving as a reminder that the primary mission of the observation pilot was not to engage enemy aircraft: "For extraordinary heroism in action in the Chateau Thierry and St. Mihiel salients, France, Lt. Erwin, with Lieutenalll Byrne V. Badcom, Observer, by a long period of faithful and heroic operations, set an inspiring example of courage and devotion to duty to his entire Squadron. Throughout the Chateau Thierry actions in June and July 1918, he flew under the worse weather conditions and successfully carried out his missions in the face of heavy odds. He flew as low as 50 feet from the ground behind the enemy's lines, harassing German troops wi th machine gun fire and su bjected himself to attack from ground batteries, machine guns and rifles. He twice drove of[ enemy planes which were attempting to destroy an American observation balloon. On 12-13 September he flew at extremely low altitudes and carried out infantry contact patrols successfully. Again on 12 September he attacked a German battery, forced the crew to abandon it, shot off his horse a German officer who was trying to escape, drove the cannoneers to their dugouts and kept them there until the infantry could come up and capture them."

Erwin's scoring began on 15 September 1918, when his observer, Lt. Homer W. Dahringer, shot down an enemy aircraft over Mammey. lilt. Berne Baucom was Erwin's observer on the 29th when they accounted for a Rumpler two-seater over Fleville. The following month on the 6th, liLt. Arthur Edmund Easterbrook shared an EA with Erwin, and also on the 8th, when he and Erwin scored a double-a two-seater over Apremont at 4:50 p.m. and another over Sommerance at 5:15. Erwin and Baucom teamed up to down an EA over Thenorgues on the 15th, and then

a Fokker D.VIl over Sommerance on the 19th. On 22 October, Erwin and Easterbrook shot down a two-seater northwest of Remonville for Erwin's eight and la5t victory. After the Armistice Erwin returned to his birthplace state of Texas and continued his career in aviation. "Lone Star Bill" Erwin, as he liked to be called, did not rest on his wartime laurels but attempted to fly the Pacific. With Ike Eichwaldt as navigator, Erwin piloted a Swallow monoplane, christened Dallas Spirit, in the 1927 Dole Race. Hawaiian pineapple magnate James

Above: A pilot of the 186th Aero Squadron inspects the red devil squadron insignia. The individual aircraft numeral "2" would be red with a white outline. G. Van Wyngarden via J. Guttman. Below: Probably the same aircraft, Salmson 2A2 3361. G. Van Wyngarden via J. Guttman.

52

Above and top: Salmson 2A2 5247 of 104th Aero Squadron. The officer is possibly Lt. Clearton H. Reynolds. Reynolds had his crew work all night to fit makeshift bomb racks under the wings so that he could carry out one last flight before the Armistice was declared. The individual aircraft numeral" 3" is repeated on the upper wing. The fuselage stripes were possibly red with blue outer stripes, the whole outlined and separated by white. USAF Museum via R. Cavanagh.

53

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Salmson 2A2 Aircraft No.7 of the 12th Aero Squadron. Note the red fuselage stripe with chalk line above for the addition of the white and blue to the stripe. The generator fixed to the fuselage appears to have been a field fitting judging by the fabric patch surrounding the installation. Photograph believed taken at Bickendorf, Cologne, post Armistice. Late M.T. Cottham.

Close up of the above aircraft. Note the form and location of the T.S.F legend. Late M.T. Cottham.

Dole, inspired by the pioneer flight of the USAAC Fokker trimotor Bird of Paradise to the Hawaiian Islands, offered a prize of $25,000 for the first civilian airplane to fly

nonstop from California to Hawaii. Erwin's plans went beyond the Dole prize. Dallas stockbroker William Easterwood was offering another $25,000

prize for the first aircrew to fly from Dallas to Hong Kong with no more than three stops, and Erwin aimed to use Hawaii as a stepping stone toward accomplishing that

54

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1st Aero Squadron Salmson 2A2. The radiator appears to be missing and there are no wheel covers. USAF Museum via R. Cavanagh. feat as well. Projecting his ambitions even beyond that, Erwin intended to go from Hong Kong to circumnavigate the globe. So confident was he that he could allain his multiple goals that he had already struck a deal with the New York Times to sell that newspaper his first account of the night. Erwin had to drop out of the Dole race when a rip appeared in the fabric of one wing, the result of an insecurely fastened panel. The Dole race was a disaster. Between the disappearance of two aircraft at sea and the crash of a US Army search plane with its two-man crew, a total of nine men and one woman were killed in the race. Although he did not place in the Dole race, Erwin still wanted to carryon with his comprehensive program, starting with the Easterwood prize. On 19 August he took off from Oakland, stating that he intended to search for the two missing contestants along the way. It appears from radio transmissions that the Dallas Spirit went into a spin as Erwin became disorientated in the darkness and the two were lost, presumed crashed at sea. One of Erwin's squadron mates, Byrne Baucom, also died in a flying accident when his Liberty DH-4 crashed near Douglas, Arizona on 30 May 1927. Everen R. Cook's career was more Aircraft NO.16 of the 1st Aero Squadron with crew. G. Van Wyngarden.

successful. During the 1920s he served on General Mitchell's staff and after leaving the service, he became a member of the COllon Exchange in Memphis, becoming its president in 1931. In 1942 he returned to service in the US Army Air Force (USAAF) and served as chief of staff for the Eight Air Force in England, later serving in the Middle East and Europe. He was awarded the Silver Star and Legion of Merit for his services in World War II. In 1946 he joined Edward V. Rickenbacker on the board of Eastern Airlines, later becoming a director for that company. He was also chairman of the board of Cook Industries, which he had founded in 1916.

A brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve, Cook died in Memphis on 21 January 1974 at age 79. Victor Strahm, like Cook, reached the rank of brigadier general while serving in the USAAF. Prior to that he had been involved in aviation research during the 1930s, among other things reporting on the testing of the Consolidated P- 30 twoseat allack fighter in 1934. On 11 May 1957, he was reponed to have commined suicide at Shrevepon, Louisiana. Of the other Salmson aces, Leonard Hammond died on 21 December 1945 in San Francisco, California, aged 61. Anhur Easterbrook died at Long Beach, California

55

These US Salmson 2A2 biplanes have mountings for an overwing Lewis. This practice was apparently common in late 1918. Greg Van Wyngarden.

..

Salmson dropping a message to 5th Division Commander, Fayel Farm, Meuse, 19 October 1918. National Archives.

Above: The 12th Aero Squadron insignia on a Salmson 2A2. G. Van Wyngarden. Right: Salmson 2A2 in German hands. The wings have been removed for transportation from the front. University of Texas.

56 on 24 July 1952 after suffering a bad fall the year before. Bill Badham worked in his father's coal mining business and later founded the Naphthalene Produces Company. The longest lived of the Salmson aces, he was 95 years old when he passed

The 3rd Army held a carnival at Coblenz, Germany on 26 April 1919 and displayed Allied aerial might and surrendered German trophies. The stripped Salmson 2A2 has ramps to allow the populous to view the cockpits while 5433 is next in line. A Fokker D.VII, Sopwith Camel, S.E.5a of the 25th Aero Squadron and a Nieuport (24?) completes the line-up. Via R. Cavanagh.

Another view of Salmson 2A2 5433. The legend Scotty can be seen on the fuselage between the centre section struts. J. Warne.

Postwar photo of camera equipped Capt. A.W. Stevens, observer, in an oddly numbered Salmson of the 24th Aero Squadron. Arriving at the front in August 1918, the 24th took part in 80 combat missions. National Archives via R. Cavanagh.

away in Mentone, Alabama, on 6 June 1991. The esteem in which the American squadrons held the Salmson 2A2 is summed up by the 19th Aero Squadron which considered that the Salmson

"proved most satisfactory in every respect-no observation airplane used upon the western front up to the conclusion of the Armistice gave greater allround satisfaction."

57

99th Aero Squadron Salmson 2A2. The serial number on the rudder has been painted out but bears the crudely applied "986" as does the fuselage. It is possible that this is a replacement rudder which has not been repainted. The radiator shell has a petal pattern in red (7) and white. This aircraft was assigned to Lt. Llewellyn on 26 September 1918. R. Cavanagh.

99th Aero Squadron Salmsons at Luxeuil. The aircraft have French cockades while the one on the left has U.S. rudder stripes. National Archives E-4914 via R. Cavanagh.

This appears to be a U.S. hack Salmson 2A2; note the lack of squadron insignia and missing wheel cover. Photograph taken at Cologne. 20 March 1919. D.H.9a bombers are in the background. J.M. Bruce/G.S. Leslie collection.

58

Interior of Zeppelin hangar (at Treves?) housing USAS and German aircraft, 3 July 1919. Seven Salmsons of the 88th Aero Squadron, two US D.HA bombers, and a miscellany of German types can be counted. Points to note are the overpainting of the upper wing of Aircraft NO.7 (first in line-up on left) and what appears to be a dark chordwise band on the starboard upper wing of Aircraft NoA (fifth in line-up). R. Cavanagh.

Middle and right: Salmson 2A2 5464 was assigned to the 1st Aero Squadron on 31 March 1919. In addition to the squadron insignia and individual aircraft number, it bears the insignia of the III Corps under the generator. This comprised three blue points around a white center. Apparently the 1st Aero Squadron was assigned to the III Corps Observation group. Note that the white radiator shell can only be seen in the front view. Bargwanna Collection via N. Hayes.

59

Aircraft NO.7 in a line up of 12th Aero Squadron's Salmsons. There is a patch around the generator and light photographic alignment lines on the fuselage. G. Van Wyngarden.

Aircraft No.4 of the 12th Aero Squadron. Note the outline to the lower wing panel. G. Van Wyngarden.

"Billy" Mitchell's SPAD 16 breaks up the line-up of Salmson 2A2 biplanes of the 12th Aero Squadron at Treves. University of Texas.

60

Salmson 2A2 of the 91st Aero Squadron.

Salmson 2A2 3076 was assigned to the 91st Aero Squadron on 26 April 1918, and photographed by Photo Section No.2 on 14 June. The aircraft number "1" is red without a white outline which was typical of this period. Note that the rudder is in French colors.

Australian "Diggers" examine Aircraft No.18 of the 91st Aero Squadron. Photograph probably taken after the war when No.4 Squadron, AFC, was on occupation duty in Germany. The knight's shield bears three Maltese crosses representing three victories claimed by the crew. Late L.R. East.

Salmson Aircraft No.15 of the 91 st Aero Squadron displays the upper wing stripes. The wing numeral appears to be painted over an earlier number. This is thought to be serial 571, the aircraft of Lt. John Van Hueuel. University of Texas.

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