Somme 1916 : jouer avec quels avions ?

Royaume-Uni

From 'The War In The Air', Volume 2, Appendix IV - RFC Order of Battle, 1 July 1916
https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/275221-which-aircraft-were-used-during-the-first-battle-of-the-somme-1916/

No 1 Sqn – Morane Parasol, Morane Biplane, Nieuport Scout, Nieuport two-seater
No 2 Sqn – B.E.2c and B.E.2d
No 3 Sqn – Morane Parasol and Morane Biplane
No 4 Sqn - B.E.2c and B.E.2d
No 5 Sqn – B.E.2c and B.E.2d
No 6 Sqn - B.E.2c and B.E.2d
No 7 Sqn - B.E.2c and B.E.2d
No 8 Sqn - B.E.2c and B.E.2d
No 9 Sqn – B.E.2c
No 10 Sqn – B.E.2c, B.E.2d and B.E.12
No 11 Sqn – F.E.2b, Vickers Fighter, Bristol Scout and Nieuport Scout
No 12 Sqn – B.E.2c
No 13 Sqn – B.E.2c
No 15 Sqn – B.E.2c
No 16 Sqn - B.E.2c and B.E.2d
No 18 Sqn – F.E.2b
No 20 Sqn – F.E.2d
No 21 Sqn – R.E.7, B.E.2c, B.E.2e
No 22 Sqn – F.E.2b
No 23 Sqn – F.E.2b and Martinsyde Scout
No 24 Sqn – D.H.2, Bristol Scout and Morane Scout
No 25 Sqn – F.E.2b and F.E.2c
No 27 Sqn – 17 Martinsyde Scout (G.100)
No 29 Sqn – D.H.2 and F.E.8
No 32 Sqn – D.H.2
No 60 Sqn – Morane Bullet and Morane Scout
No 70 Sqn – Sopwith two-seaters (1½ Strutter)

A summary of types and their roles -
B.E.2 – artillery observation, reconnaissance and light bomber
B.E.12 – single-seat fighter, bomber, general purpose
Bristol Scout D – single-seat biplane scout
D.H.2 – single-seat pusher biplane scout
F.E.2 – two-seat fighter reconnaissance
F.E.8 – single-seat pusher biplane scout
Martinsyde G.100 - single-seat fighter-scout, bomber and reconnaissance
Morane BB – two-seat biplane observation aircraft
Morane LA – two-seat parasol monoplane scout
Morane N – single-seat monoplane scout (“Bullet”)
Nieuport 10 – single-seat biplane scout
Nieuport 11 – single-seat biplane scout
Nieuport 16 – single-seat biplane scout
Nieuport 17 – single-seat biplane scout
R.E.7 – two-seat biplane light bomber and reconnaissance biplane
Sopwith 1½ Strutter – two-seat biplane scout and light bomber


Allemagne
Using the figures contained in 'Development of German Warplanes in WW1' by Jack Herris, the inventory (aircraft are not all on the Western Front) for the GAS during the 1916 Somme battles include the following for  30th Jun/31 Aug/31 Oct:

Fokker E I - 3/1/0
Fokker E II - 4/5/2
Fokker E III - 101/64/28
Fokker E IV - 29/25/16
Pfalz E 1 - 13/11/3
Pfalz E II - 30/17/3
Pfalz E III - 8/0/0
Pfalz E V - 3/0/0
Albatros D I - 0/1/50
Albatros D II - 0/1/28
Fokker D I - 0/10/74
Fokker D II - 0/10/49
Fokker D III - 0/7/6
Halberstadt D I - 0/0/6
Halberstadt D II - 0/10/49
Halberstadt D III - 0/7/6
AEG C IV - 0/0/9
AGO C I - 23/16/9
Albatros C I - 165/143/125
Albatros C III - 300/354/320
Albatros C V - 0/65/57
Albatros C VI - 0/8/71
Albatros C VII - 0/0/94
Aviatik C I - 219/183/177
Aviatik C III - 0/26/47
DFW C I - 2/2/9
DFW C V - 0/0/21
LVG C I - 4/5/1
LVG C II - 255/220/195
LVG C IV - 1/27/60
Roland C I - 35/0/0
Roland C II - 35/37/45
Roland C IIa - 0/13/11
Rumpler C I - 144/202/231

Côté Empire Britanique, on peut ajouter le MORANE SAULNIER N pour la Bataille de la Somme en 1916, présents dans certaines unités anglaises en petit nombre depuis fin 1915.

On utilisera les figurines françaises mais en les considérant aux couleurs anglaises (si on ne souhaite pas repeindre les cocardes), de préférence le modèle Navarre avec son nez rouge pour la Bataille de la Somme.
En effet, pour ne pas être confondu avec des Fokker E allemands et pris pour cible par les artilleurs alliés, le commandement anglais a mené des expérimentations montrant que les parties métalliques à l’avant du Morane-Saulnier N peintes en rouge se sont révélées plus facilement identifiables qu’en noir ou blanc (voir article ci-dessous).
(d’ailleurs, il semblerait qu’aucun Morane-Saulnier N français possédait un avant peint en rouge, ce qui supposerait que la figurine MS-N de Navarre soit incorrecte, ce qui fera l’objet d’une recherche ultérieure).

RFC Type Ns had a black or red cowl/hub ?
The Morane-Saulniers left the French factory with black cowlings and metal parts. I'm pretty sure that Moranes in French service generally continued to fly with black cowlings.
However, in the RFC they were eventually painted red. In his history of "Sixty Squadron RAF 1916-1919", A.J.L. Scott wrote:
"War flying was started a few days later, and it at once became apparent that our anti-aircraft batteries found difficulty in distinguishing our 'bullets' from the Fokkers. In consequence the black cowls of our machines were painted red to help the "archie" gunners, who had been assiduously firing at 60's machines."
J.M. Bruce wrote: "At the request of General Trenchard, Capt. A R Smith-Barry (of 60 Sqdn) conducted comparative experiments with all the metal areas painted white on one Morane, red on another; on a third aircraft the airscrew was painted white. The white airscrew proved...to be invisible; and red was considered to be better than white as a distinguishing colour."
Greg VanWyngarden
http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38372

WINDSOCK DATAFILES - MORANE SAULNIER N
page 20 : at the time (March 1916), the Morane would not have had the red paint applied. The RFC order to paint the front end of all Morane's red, came in July, during the battle of the Somme to avoid confusion with the Eindekker's, the Pfalz in particular.




Exemples de combat impliquant des Morane-Saulnier N anglais à partir de juillet 1916, Bataille de la Somme

Morane-Saulnier A.173 was transferred on May 30th, 1916, and subsequently assigned to No. 60 Squadron. On August 28th 1916, it was being flown by 2/Lt. Wainwright, along with two colleagues of his, as a bomber escort for the No. 8 Squadron. Wainwright was last seen attacking German LVG aircraft. On his eventual release, he reported that during his attack, he was hit in the engine, and had to make an emergency landing behind German lines between Bapaume and Peronne, where he was taken into captivity.
https://ak-interactive.com/product/morane-saulnier-type-n-1-48/

WINDSOCK DATAFILES - MORANE SAULNIER N
page 13 : 24 MS N delivered  to RFC from April 23 (No 5180 - 3 sqd) to June 24 (No A196).
page 15 : in June, MS N with new type of wing (11 metres) delivered to No 24 sqd.
no 60 sqd, on July 3, maj Waldron (flying A175, mortally wounded) led five Bullets (cpt Smith-Barry, lts Balfour, Simpson, Armstrong) into an attack on a formation of  two seaters and three Fokkers.
On July 21, cpt Browning-Paterson is shot down on A128. On July 27, lt Vincent sent down a German two seater.
On September 12, cpt Goodrich spun and is killed on A128.
page 20/21 : summer 1916. MS N 5180, 5195, A166, A178 were detached from No 3 sqd to supplement DH2s of No 24 sqd. No claim to combat success. (page 32-33 : lt Bayetto on A186 No 60 sqd).
page 23 : first MS type I (110 hp) MS735 that became A199 delivered on July 19. Only four used by RFC No 60 sqd.
page 25 : 110 hp Morane dangerous to fly.
page 26 : on 22 October 1916, RFC HQ ordered all 110hp Morane to be sent to England (13 type N, 2 type I, 9 type V).

OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES • 73
Early German Aces of World War 1
page 65 :
on 19 July 1916, Kurt Wintgens [Fokker E] remained active in the hotly contested skies over the Somme, by downing one of the new Sopwith 11/2 Strutters. The Strutter was another well-armed and capable aircraft in the British stable, equipped with a synchronised Vickers machine gun for the pilot and a moveable Lewis gun for the observer. Wintgens' victim was a machine from No 70 Sqn, which fell near Cambrai.
On 21 July - a day of intense and bitter aerial combat over the Somme - Hohndorf received credit for a Nieuport south of Bapaume, thus entering the double-digit column with his tenth victory. Wintgens racked up a double on the same day, claiming a BE 2c from No 12 Sqn in the morning and a Morane N from No 60 Sqn in the afternoon.
page 66 :
On 21 July, Otto Parschau, ran into trouble over Grevillers (south of Arras). Incredibly, he managed to bring his aircraft (possibly a new Halberstadt D.II) down safely behind German lines and was rushed to a field hospital, but died on the operating table that evening. Unfortunately the time of Parschau's fatal combat is not recorded, thus clouding the question of exactly who shot him down. Both the DH.2 ace Capt J 0 Andrews of No 24 Sqn (who claimed a Fokker over Allaines in the morning) and the French star Lt Charles Nungesser have been put forth as the possible victor over Parschau. Nungesser's tenth claim was for an 'Aviatik', a term often used by the French for any generic German aircraft (as mentioned, Parschau may have been flying a new Halberstadt fighter, which would have been an unfamiliar type) [victoire de Nungesser non référencée sur le site d’Albin Denis].

page 71 :
When Leopold Rudolf Reimann transferred to Jasta 2 from Jasta 1 on 1 September, he reportedly brought his unit's solitary Albatros D.I along with him. At any rate, the unit opened its record books on the first day of operations, when Reimann bagged a Sopwith 11/2 Strutter from No 70 Sqn on 24 August east of Metz-en-Couture (south of Cambrai).
page 72 :
August 1916. A fourth aircraft from No 27 Sqn (Martinsyde G 100) went down to a Roland C.II crew of Kampfstaffill, Kagohl I.
[pour le Martinsyde G.100 Éléphant (monoplace), on pourra utiliser la figurine du Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter sans mettre en jeu le mitrailleur arrière, avec le deck Y de l’Albatros C.III (avions non officiels sur l’Aerodrome WOG)].

L’utilisation de l’HALBERSTADT D.III ne cesse pas en novembre 1916, qui marque le début du retrait progressif de la première ligne jusqu’en février 1917 (selon l’Évolution chronologique de Sir_Erickson).

La période d’utilisation de l’Halberstadt sur le graphique chronologique de l’application WW1 est trop restreinte, d’autant plus qu’elle ne se limiterait qu’à la version D.III (commandée en juillet et août 1916), utilisée en parallèle avec la version D.II.

D’après les extraits d’Osprey présentés ci-dessous, il serait plus juste de considérer une période d’utilisation des Halberstadt D.II et D.III s’étendant de juin 1916 à mars 1917.
Cela sera plus bénéfique pour le jeu, plutôt que de se limiter à une utilisation de 3 mois dans le cadre d’une campagne.

Dans l’Osprey AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES • 73 - Early German Aces of World War 1, il est indiqué que la première commande pour ces modèles est passée le 8 mars 1916, mais un délai considérable va s’écouler avant qu’ils ne soient livrés.
L’un des premiers Halberstadt est testé par Boelcke le 22 juin 1916 :
page 51
Partly in response to earlier calls from Boelcke and others (including Berthold) for a small single-seat biplane fighter, Jagdflieg placed its first order for 12 Halberstadt D I scouts on 8 March 1916. However, it would be a considerable time before these and other improved types would arrive, leaving the burden of fighter duties to fall on the monoplanes for some time to come.
page 61
Boelcke used the opportunity to try out one of the new Halberstadt D-types - intended for Immelmann, it had arrived at Douai on 22 June. Boelcke wrote: 'One evening I flew the new Halberstadt biplane - the first appearance of this type at the front.

Autre exemple d’utilisation d’Halberstadt type D en novembre 1916 (secteur Verdun)
OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES 118 - ACES OF JAGDSTAFFEL 17
page 14
On 14 and 16 November 1916, Georg Strasser recorded flights in Halberstadts.
page 17
On 14 November Strasser made a test flight from Metz in a Halberstadt D-type, and on the 15th he led a patrol at 4000 metres over the Pont-à-Mousson sector. On 17 November his logbook recorded two sorties in Halberstadt D II 115/16. Of the first mission, he wrote, ‘Over Pont-à- Mousson, a fight with Nieuport and Caudron at 3000 metres’. On the second flight of that day (lasting 132 minutes) he had another inconclusive engagement with a Nieuport fighter.

Le pilote allemand Josef Jacobs remporte une victoire le 23 janvier 1917 contre un Caudron R.4 au nord de Soissons.
OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES • 73 - Early German Aces of World War 1
page 81 :
When, exactly, ]asta 4 replaced its Halberstadt fighters with Albatros D-types is uncertain, but this probably started before the end of 1916. No more victories were claimed before January (two unconfirmed on the 23rd), by which time Albatros fighters were likely on hand.
page 82 :
On 1 September Josef Jacobs was back at the front with FFA 11, flying Fokker E III 339/16. On 20 September his diary recorded;
'Yesterday evening I received news that my Fokker biplane was ready. ../..
page 83 :
On 18 December; I flew a Halberstadt for the first time in the afternoon at the Jastaschule at Valenciennes. The 7. Armee has not as yet received this type of aircraft. The machine is extraordinarily easy to fly, very fast and stable, and possessed no vices.'
On 18 January 1917, Jacobs left the Jastaschule to report for combat duty with Jasta 22, where he would fly Halberstadt D II 595/16 (built by Aviatik). He used this nimble machine to score his second victory, which is recorded as occurring on either 23 or 24 January.

Les Halberstatdt type D sont remis en service en première ligne début 1917 lorsque les Albatros D.III sont temporairement interdits de vol suite à des défaillances structurelles de leurs ailes inférieures :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halberstadt_D.II
When the first true fighter Jagdstaffeln were formed in mid-1916, the Halberstadt was the best fighter available and was used by Oswald Boelcke to demonstrate his famous pioneering air fighting tactics (the Dicta Boelcke) to the new units (although he is also recorded as flying a Fokker D.III at this period).
As the new Albatros fighters came into service the Halberstadts were quickly replaced, although a few survived into early 1917. Manfred von Richthofen flew a red Halberstadt D.II for a few weeks in February and March 1917, after the spar of the lower wing of his Albatros D.III cracked in combat.

Retrouvez dans la rubrique Histoire le sujet sur les Morane-Saulnier type N français : capot noir ou rouge ?