First German Night Aerial Victory (Aerial Battles of Bloody April 1917)

In this episode of our “Bloody April 1917” series, we follow the air war over Arras on 5–6 April, from the debut disaster of the Bristol Fighter to the heaviest British losses yet. We look at how over optimistic victory claims contrasted with German records, and trace the one British success that can be clearly matched to a documented German loss. The video covers night and day operations, including what was most likely the first night aerial victory by German fighter pilots, achieved by Wilhelm Frankl, and his subsequent actions leading Albatros D.IIIs against F.E.2 formations. We examine the fate of Sopwith Triplanes of No. 1 Squadron RNAS, including the type’s first confirmed loss to an enemy fighter, as well as the destruction of multiple F.E.2s from No. 57 Squadron RFC and the costly role of German Jastas 2, 4, 5, 11 and 12. We also explore the vulnerability of British reconnaissance aircraft such as the R.E.8 and the continuing risks of balloon busting missions against German observation balloons. The French sector’s parallel efforts to blind German artillery observers ahead of the Nivelle Offensive are also briefly covered. Watch the previous episodes:    • Bloody April Explained – Why the Allies Su...      • First Blood of Bloody April: Werner Voss v...      • Red Baron’s Deadly Hunt, April 2 1917 (Aer...      • Bristol Fighter's First Combat – A Costly ...   Bloody April 1917: The birth of modern air power https://amzn.to/3MBiRlZ Bloody April 1917: An Exciting Detailed Analysis of One of the Deadliest Months in the Air in WWI https://amzn.to/4afEYbA UNDER THE GUNS OF THE RED BARON: THE COMPLETE RECORD OF VON RICHTHOFEN'S VICTORIES AND VICTIMS https://amzn.to/4aEY0GV When you purchase these books on Amazon through the links in this description, the channel earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. The proceeds help fund new book purchases and support the creation of future videos. Support the channel on Patreon   / showtime112   Donate via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/showt... Join our Discord server:   / discord   "Interloper" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...