Chicks "Eagles"

Exactly 100 years ago, the Russian naval baptism took place aviation. On the morning of July 4, 1916 (according to a new style), the battleship Glory and the destroyers Siberian Shooter and Hunter fired at German coastal batteries near Cape Ragots on the southern shore of the Gulf of Riga. The air cover was carried out by four M-9 flying boats from Orlitsa air transport.
At about 3:00 in the morning, three German Friedrichshafen FF.9 float seaplanes and one Brandenburg FB flying boat from the navigation station on Lake Angern attempted to bomb the ships.

Exactly 100 years ago took place the baptism of Russian naval aviation. On the morning of July 4, the 1916 of the year (in a new style), the battleship Slava and the destroyers Siberian Rifleman and Hunter made shelling German coastal batteries at Cape Ragots on the southern coast of the Gulf of Riga. The air cover was carried out by four M-9 flying boats from the Orlitsa hydraulic vehicle.
At about 3:00 in the morning, three German Friedrichshafen FF.9 float seaplanes and one Brandenburg FB flying boat from the navigation station on Lake Angern attempted to bomb the ships.

At this time, a squadron patrolled M-9 with the number SCHS-12 under the control of the pilot Second Lieutenant A.N. Izvekova and sideman non-commissioned officer A.V. Nazarov. When enemy vehicles appeared above the horizon, three more seaplanes started to intercept, but Izvekov, not waiting for them to gain altitude, entered into battle alone to prevent the Germans from dropping bombs. In this unequal battle, our crew died. Incendiary bullet pierced the gas tank, the plane flared, rolled over, fell into the sea and sank quickly.

However, flying boats of the ShchS-11 (pilot midshipman B. Shchepotiev, shooter noncommissioned officer A.A. Shepelev), ShchS-13 (pilot lieutenant S.A. Petrov, gunner noncommissioned officer NP Korshunov) and SchS-14 (pilot midshipman GG Kartsev, gunner mechanic Yarantsev) managed to equalize. SchS-13 from close range shot from a machine gun "Friedrichshafen" with a "sinister" tail number 666. The German crew in the composition of the pilot, Lieutenant von Siebourg and gunner-scorer Oberleutant Meyer managed to land the damaged car in the water next to the Russian ships and was captured.

Two more enemy hydroplanes were damaged and left, planning with non-working engines, to its shore. However, they are not listed in the lists of German losses, obviously, they managed to successfully splash down. As a result of the battle, the enemy raid was blown off, not a single bomb hit the ships, but this success was overshadowed by the death of two Russian aviators.

Kstiti, with this air battle there is a rather ridiculous incident. In 1996, then Defense Minister Igor Rodionov, confusing the old style with a new one, issued an order according to which July was announced as the Day of Russian Naval Aviation. In the order, this date was timed to the first battle and the first air victory of the Russian sea pilots. However, 17 July is the fourth of July in the new style, and according to the old chronology in force in the 17 year, the battle took place on June 1916. Thus, due to the ignorance or negligence of Rodionov and his referents, the holiday turned out to be “pushed” 21 days from the real dating of the event. Surprisingly, this error has not yet been fixed.

On the screen saver - air transport "Orlitsa" with hangars for seaplanes on the upper deck. This aircraft carrier was converted in 1915 from the Empress Alexander transport steamer. In addition to the aircraft, he carried eight 75-mm guns, so he was sometimes called the “hydro-cruiser.”

“Orlitsa” with an open hangar in which FBA flying boats are visible, later replaced by M-9.

Crew M-9 of the Baltic Fleet. On the nose of the aircraft mounted machine gun "Lewis" infantry model.

M-9 with number SCHS-26 and machine gun "Maxim".

Drawing of the flying boat Grigorovich M-9.

"Friedrichshafen" FF.33. A seaplane of this type was shot down by Russian pilots 4 July (21 June) 1916 of the year over the Gulf of Riga.

Another combat participant is the FB. Brandenburg flying boat.

Comments

[Cat]

Thanks to the author!

[Rurikovich]

By today's standards, aviators flying on such whatnot would look crazy
But they still managed to fight on them and fulfill their tasks And this is without toilets in the cabins and climate control. Even a photo of your beloved "Penelope" has nowhere to stick for moral comfort
A plus!

[King, just king]

I was in the 14th in July at the Artillery Museum in St. Petersburg, where an airplane was shown in full growth. Mom, dear, but not for what money. It's scary to look there, not fly and fight ... How do you like the convenience?

[Aleksander]

The reason for the appointment of Naval Aviation Day is clear - the first air battle of July 4 1916.
But, nevertheless, naval aviation fought well before, in 1915, bombing enemy targets in reconnaissance and communications.

[Veteran]

In fact, aerial battles were before 4 July 1916:
1) 26 June. According to the summary of the naval headquarters of the VGK for 26.06 - “Around noon, 4 enemy airplanes appeared in the area of ​​the Irben position. They were attacked by 3 of our seaplane flying out of Tserel. The enemy vehicles turned back, ours pursued them. One enemy vehicle was hit and sat down but the water, attempts to save the enemy failed, he was shot by our pilots and sank ”; according to BV Drashpil - “On June 26, the battle of our 3's with the German 2 took place. From Tserelya, Stralborn and Korolkov flew out, and Zaitsevsky flew out from Arensburg. Stralborn was forced to land due to engine damage and, being towed by the boat, was attacked by 4 Germans, dropping a bomb on him and firing him with a machine gun. The Turzhonsky and Velichkovsky who had flown out to help from Tserelya attacked the Germans, knocking out one “Albatross”, who later landed on the water, picked up his comrades and burned the apparatus. ”
2) 2 of July. From the documents of the headquarters com. Baltic Fleet - “About 9 hour, returning to the Orlitsa at an altitude of 1500 m, the pilot Lieutenant Petrov, having an observer of Midshipman Savinov, saw a German apparatus with which he entered the battle at a distance of 15 m, going lower and stepping under his tail. After 5 minutes, the German was shot down due to damage to the radiator. "
It turns out that on July 4 Lieutenant Petrov shot down the second German aircraft.

[Lyubopyatov]

Quote: "However, July 17 is the fourth of July according to the new style, and according to the old chronology in force in 1916, the battle took place on June 21. Thus, due to the ignorance or negligence of Rodionov and his assistants, the holiday was" pushed back "by 13 days from the actual date of the event. Surprisingly, this error has not yet been fixed. "

The author says that the battle and capture of the German crew took place on June 21 in the old style, that is, July 4 in the new. Therefore, the error in the quoted text:
should have written: "However, today is July 17th - this is the fourth of July according to the old style, and according to the old calendar, in force in 1916, the battle took place on June 21." (That is, the holiday date today is July 4, not 17/7.) Moreover, there is no need to load July 17, which is celebrated as the day of the villainous ritual murder of the Tsar's Family in Yekaterinburg.

[kvs207]

Little-known page in history. I read in the magazine "Marine collection", emnip, an article about the pestilence. aviation of Russia and all over it turned out that at that time, we were not so far behind the West.