On this day in history
 

I thought I would post what I hope people here find interesting a little fact about July 1st.
Today is anniversary of what all of us who frequent here, albeit virtually, essentially enjoy.
In 1915 Leutnant Kurt Wintgens scored the first ariel kill using a synchronised gun equiped aircraft- the Fokker Eindecker. This is therefore essentially the 'genesis' moment for what has since followed in the skies of our many nations.

I thought this could become a thread for people to post interesting historical info relating to specific moments in ariel combat since this day in 1915

yes,before that,it was pistols and harsh language

Who was the pilot who died in the other aircraft?

Actually "On April 1, 1915, French pilot Roland
Garros shot down a German Albatros
airplane. Although this was not the first air-
to-air kill, Garros’ airplane, a Morane
Parasol, was the first airplane that was
modified specifically for the purpose of
aerial combat. Working with designer
Raymond Saulnier, Garros had developed
reinforced propeller blades that deflected
bullets from a forward-firing machine gun
(which made hitting the target easier). Over
the next several weeks, Garros and his
airplane scored three more victories until he
was forced to land the plane in Germany
territory. He was taken prisoner before he
could burn the airplane, which fell into the
hands of the Germans."

Rest of the story you'll find from here.

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/es...Combat/AP4.htm

The aircraft shot down was a Morane-Saulnier flown by Capitaine Paul de Peuty who also had with him an observer a Lieutenant de Boutiny.
It is though classed as 'unrecognised' with Wintgens having to wait until July 15th to manage his first 'recognised' kill, again against a Morane-Saulnier.

wasnt the night of the long knives june 30th to 2nd july 1934?

Ok..

1st July 1940 saw the first daylight raids by the luftwaffe on Hull and Wick as they probed and tested Britains defences in preperation for the 'biggest air battle in history'

hello

very interresting and good thread!!!

i want to come back about the first dogfight of the world:
a day of september 1914 , the french commander GABRIEL VOISIN and the french captain FAURE decided to install an hochkiss machine gun in 6 biplane VOISIN TYPE LA.
october 5th 1914,MUIZON(nearby the city of REIMS in FRANCE)9 : 30 am ,an german biplane drop bombs on the french positions when one of the french voisin fly by sergent aviator FRENTZ and soldier mechanic QUENAULT(gunner) came,after 10 mins of following LOUIS QUENAULT shoot down the german biplane with his machine gun.the german casualties were the vizefeldwebel WILHELM SCHLICHTING (pilot) and the oberleutnant FRITZ VON ZANGEN (observer) of the fliegerabteilung 18.
JOSEPH FRENTZ receive the french medal:"la croix de chevalier de la legion d'honneur", and LOUIS QUENAULT receive the french medal :"la medaille militaire".
the hunting was born....

I believe the battle of the Somme started today in 1916? (from memory so i could be wrong:P)

The Royal Air Corps lost lost 782 aircraft and 576 pilots during the battle.

You're spot on P-51, by the end of the day the British had some 19,000 men killed and another 40,000 wounded.