Virtual Battlefield Tours - Google Street View Links

[ArizonaTank]

Been a while since I did one of these...

Red Cloud's War - The Fetterman Fight, Banner, Wyoming, USA, December 21st, 1866

Echos of the Battle of Little Big Horn to come, the Fetterman Fight saw a reckless US Army officer, take his men into an ambush and have his entire command wiped-out by Native American warriors.

In June, 1866, the US Army sent an expedition under Colonel Henry Carrington into the Powder River country in Wyoming to protect settlers on Bozeman Trail. Carrington's force constructed three forts, the largest was called Fort Phil Kearny.  These forts were directly in the favored hunting grounds of the Ogalala Lakota Sioux and Arapaho Cheyenne tribes.

While the forts were being constructed in the Summer and Fall, the Oglala Lakota Sioux chief Red Cloud led raiding parties against Carrington's column, killing about 50 troops and civilians. 

On December 21st, a US Army wood cutting party outside of Fort Phil Kearny came under attack. Carrington organized a relief force under the command of one his subordinates, Captain William Fetterman. Fetterman was an impetuous officer who by some reports boasted that with 80 soldiers he "could ride through the entire Sioux Nation." On this fateful day, with his 80+ soldier relief force, fate gave Fetterman the chance to test his boast.

Fetterman's relief force was a mixed command of infantry and cavalry. Soon after Fetterman and his troops left Fort Phil Kearny, Red Cloud dangled a handful of mounted warriors in front of them, and Fetterman took the bait. The warriors led Fetterman and his men into a trap, where an estimated 1000 Lakota and Arapaho warriors waited for them.

The 'fight,' often called a massacre took approximately 20 minutes. Carrington's troops still in Fort Phil Kearny could hear the firing, but the actual fighting was over a ridge and they couldn't see it. Sioux accounts of the fighting said that Fetterman and his soldiers took covered firing positions when they could, but that eventually much of the fighting was hand-to-hand. Fetterman's infantry were armed with muzzle-loading Civil War Springfield muskets, and could not match the rate of fire of warriors bows. In the end Fetterman and his entire force were wiped out.

This is the Google Street view of the battlefield and memorial. The cenotaph marks the spot where Fetterman's body was found.
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.5709622,-106.8410379,3a,75y,336.12h,78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1xIJcz12GHeZIUDMukDk3g!2e0!7i3328!8i1664?entry=ttu

Because of Red Cloud's spirited resistance, the Army eventually withdrew Carrington's force, the forts were abandoned, and the Bozeman Trail was closed for a while. "Red Cloud's War" is one of the few examples of Native Americans prevailing in a campaign against the US Army.

Here is a nice site describing more of the history.
https://friendslittlebighorn.com/Fetterman-Battle.htm

[ArizonaTank]

Continuing the Indian Wars theme:

Chief Joseph's War - Battle of Clearwater River, Stites, Idaho, USA, 10-12 July, 1877

Chief Joseph, famously led his Wallowa band of Nez Perce Indians in a desperate war against the US Army in the Summer and Autumn of 1877. The Nez Perce, under Joseph and a War Chief named Looking Glass, trekked almost 1200 miles in a fighting retreat, attempting to get to relative safety in Canada.

One of the early battles in that war was near the banks of the Clearwater River, just outside of current day Stites, Idaho. As the Nez Perce retreated from the US Army forces under the command of US Army General Otis Howard (a well-known Civil War general, and founder of Howard University), settlers abandoned their homes as the Nez Perce approached. A group of settlers, formed into a volunteer militia, then found the Nez Perce village (a camp) along the banks of the South Fork of the Clearwater River. The settlers took up defensive positions on a hilltop and sent word for the Army to join them.

As the battle begun, there were about 80 militia, opposed by 800 Nez Perce villagers, of whom 200 were warriors. General Howard's command had almost 500 soldiers.

The Nez Perce had detected the militia, and attacked the settlers before Howard brought his Army troops onto the field. In the early morning darkness of July 10, the Nez Perce attacked the militia on the hilltop. The Nez Perce skirmished with the militia, often at long range, causing casualties and forcing the militia to retire.

By the second day, Howard brought up his Army troopers from the south, including light mule-pack mountain guns and gatlings. Howard placed his artillery on a hilltop overlooking the village, but the guns did not have the range to reach the teepees.

The Nez Perce warriors offered stiff resistance by establishing a firing line behind rocks and boulders. Although outnumbered, the warriors held off Howard's men until a spirited charge by a US battalion under Captain Marcus Miller finally collapsed the Nez Perce line.

But the Nez Perce defensive line had held long enough for the villagers to escape from Howard's grasp. The battle was over, with approximately 20 dead Army troops and militia, while 6 Nez Perce died. The battle was technically an Army victory, but a strategic failure since Joseph and his band escaped.

Joseph would then take his people on a long trek, with more battles, confounding the US Army for months. Joseph attempted to take his band to Canada where they might find refuge. But in early October, Joseph and his band were surrounded, within 40 miles of the Canadian border. His surrender words are well known: Hear me, my chiefs; my heart is sick and sad. From where the Sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. 

This is a streetview of the Clearwater Battlefield. The Nez Perce village would have been directly behind the camera, while the view looks up into the hills where the fighting occurred.   

https://www.google.com/maps/@46.0812703,-115.9755865,3a,75y,113.24h,87.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sRUmYvuHz-EdLuMDTTn2CLQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Here is a very nice description of the battle from the US Park Service.

https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/nepe/greene/chap4.htm

[ArizonaTank]

WWI Air Combat

Bloody April, April 1917,

-German Jasta 11, Douai (La Brayelle) Aerodrome, Douai, France.
-British No. 56 and 19 Squadrons, Vert Galant Aerodrome, Amiens, France


In late April 1917, the Western Front was shattered by a massive Franco-British land offensive, called the Nivelle Offensive. To support this offensive, the French and British air services conducted a massive number of artillery spotting and photo reconnaissance missions. The German air service, on the defense, was experiencing a period of technological and training superiority. The result was a 'slaughter' of mostly British aviators, going up in obsolete two-seat aircraft, facing deadly German fighters. This air campaign is now called "Bloody April." 

In late 1916, the Germans had reorganized their fighter squadrons into specialized "Jagdstaffel" (Fighter Squadrons), usually abbreviated as "Jasta."  From January, 1917, Jasta 11, the 'Royal Prussian' Jasta, was commanded by Rittmeister (Captain) Manfred von Richthofen. Richthofen drilled his pilots continually in the months leading up to the offensive, making Jasta 11 one of the elite squadrons on the Western Front. 

The Germans were flying Albatross II and III fighters. A good solid aircraft. The Albatross' main advantage over the British and French were its two forward firing machine guns. Most British and French fighters (Sopwith Pups, Spad VIIs, Nieuport 17s, Sopwith Triplanes, DH2s, and Fe8s) only had one forward firing machine gun. The exception was the British Se-5, but it was only just being introduced at the end of the Bloody April campaign.

La Bayelle, German Jasta 11: Albatross DIIIs

During the first half of Bloody April, Jasta 11 was located at Douai, the La Bayelle Aerodrome (during the second half of Bloody April, Jasta 11 moved to Roucourt, not far from Douai). The La Bayelle airfield had previously been the home of Kampfeinsatz Kommando (KeK) Douai. The KeK was the predecessor organization type of the Jasta. KeK Douai had seen such famous German aviators as Max Immelman and Oswald Boelcke, and its pretty certain that Richhofen rubbed elbows with Bolcke at La Bayelle.

Here is the Google Street View of Douai. The camera is on a road that bisects the old airfield. Behind the view (behind the trees), a Renault factory takes up half of the old airfield.

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.3646166,3.0381384,3a,75y,55.82h,85.13t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s1XkrL5vKeUTzl8nUUJ-joQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D1XkrL5vKeUTzl8nUUJ-joQ%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D93.71214%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Vert Galant, British 19 Squadron, Spad VIIs and 56 Squadron, SE-5s

On the British side, two fighter squadrons were located at the Vert Galant Aerodrome, about 10 miles north of Amiens. 19 Squadron, made up of 16 Spad VIIs, was commanded by a well-known Royal Flying Corps (RFC) leader, Major H. D. Harvey-Kelly. He had been the first RFC pilot to reach France at the outbreak of war, and the first RFC pilot to down an enemy aircraft.

The other British fighter squadron at Vert Galant, was 56 Squadron. This squadron, having just arrived from England on April 7th, flew the brand new SE-5 aircraft. This was the only fighter during the campaign that was a serious challenge to the Albatross'. The SE-5, and SE-5a would become one of the mainstay British aircraft for the rest of the war. 56 Squadron was commanded by one of the most famous British Aces, Captain Albert Ball. Interestingly Ball was skeptical of the SE-5's abilities, and his squadron kept his favorite Nieuport 17 for his use. 

This is the Google Street View of the location of Vert Galant Aerodome, home of 19 and 56 Squadrons during Bloody April. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.0698704,2.3235896,3a,75y,143.63h,84.49t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sGHLSnaaLn5JLV5sVw0YA1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

All during April, and into the first week of May, 1917, the air campaign raged on. The Germans were mostly on the defensive, and pilots in the Jastas routinely flew three or four missions a day. Jasta 11 alone, would claim almost a third of enemy aircraft in that period.

Some examples of the action during this period happened on April 23rd and April 29th.

Monday, April 23rd, 1917 was a fine day, and the first day that 56 Squadron had been able to bring its SE-5s into operation. At 6:45 in the morning, Captain Ball, flying his favorite Nieuport, downed a German two-seater over Abancourt. Ball then chased another two-seater, but the rear gunner drove Ball off with some well-placed shots to Ball's wings. Wanting to get back in the air, and with his Nieuport damaged, Ball reluctantly jumped into an SE-5. At 11:45am, Ball found himself outnumbered by Albatross DIIIs. Ball was able to down one of the DIIIs, and then using the SE-5's superior speed, escape from the others. Just as he was about to land, he bounced a German two-seater, and forced it to land in British territory. In Ball's mind, the SE-5 had proved its worth, and he never went back to the Nieuport. 

Sunday, April 29th, 1917 was a particularly fateful day for Jasta 11 and the British Spads of 19 Squadron. Major Harvey-Kelly did not normally fly missions, but on this morning, he decided to go on a three plane patrol. After he took off, General Hugh Trenchard, the Commanding General of the RFC, dropped by unannounced to have lunch with Harvey-Kelly. The ground staff asked Trenchard to wait, as Harvey-Kelly was expected back within the hour.

But Harvey-Kelly's flight met the von Richthofen brothers of Jasta 11, and Trenchard would never get his lunch with Harvey-Kelly. Von Richthofen, flying with five other Albatross DIIIs, including his brother, Lothar, spotted Harvey-Kelly's three Spad flight near Lecluse, south of Douai. The von Richthofen brothers each took down one of Harvey-Kelly's wingmen. For Manfred, this would be his 49th victim. One of the other German pilots, was Kurt Wolff, who alone scored 22 kills during Bloody April. After a desperate chase, Wolff finally brought Harvey-Kelly's Spad down. Major Harvey-Kelly survived the crash, but died three days later in German hospital.

May 7th, 1917. A little more than a week later, Ball was killed in a dogfight with Jasta 11. The fight included Manfred von Richthofen and his brother Lothar. Ball's British comrades last saw him chasing Lothar von Richthofen into a cloud. There is some controversy as to who shot Ball down, or if his aircraft just had a structural failure. Ball's plane came crashing down, killing Ball in the wreckage. Lothar was forced to land, and survived the fight unharmed. 

By the end of Bloody April, the British had lost 178 aircraft (almost 300 depending on when you start and end the count). 75 of the British losses were the obsolete B.E.2 observation aircraft. The French lost a total of 88, while the Germans only lost 78. BTW, the source for these claim numbers is the Osprey Air Campaign book on Bloody April.

The Nivelle Offensive itself was a bust, and almost lost the war for the French, as many French Army units mutinied against their orders to make near suicidal frontal attacks...but that is another story.
 
_______________

*a note on the locations. I am very confident that the La Brayelle location (Jasta 11) is correct. The pinpoint comes from a very good book titled "KeKs and Fokkerstaffels" by Johan Ryheul. I am less confident about Vert Galant, the home of the British 19 and 56 Squadrons. This pinpoint comes from a message board dedicated to pinpointing the locations of old WWI airfields....and well...the location is from the "Internet." I could not find a good description of the Roucourt airfield where Jasta 11 was located during the last half of Bloody April.

[ArizonaTank]

WWII Air Combat

Masters of the Air - US 8th Air Force, 100th Bomb Group
Thorpe Abbotts Airfield, near Diss, South Norfolk, United Kingdom

Hitting the Apple+ streaming service this month will be the Steven Spielberg / Tom Hanks mini-series called "Masters of the Air." The series is based on the book "Masters of the Air" by Donald L. Miller. Here is the link:
https://www.amazon.com/Masters-Air-Americas-Against-Germany/dp/0743235452/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1IS5YNUE3NKM8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0V9HqZNW0ySg8C0Wd7bFHG-tWjQZ6BaDHjyl2yn6L7Q206vQtXNFV8ueXgRjEAMN0a-mTpJ8kstQDeIZotVSKcaEjjSCa3YJtkfPcKAAbI8fbllim3VVjxhWVxIVBhezVVfbtLH_U0lKXqFjYKWRSay1SICHorcNvFOD7WLMdz264HZIS2ZqbLnYjxeZKcGH9azHnRBKHsftBZpEiQkLofZRpfxXlWSHszfDvfqs71A.oFgBJ3y8mElcCFmprBHtLPAMEV4NRSIYH1qNvd2pCOY&dib_tag=se&keywords=masters+of+the+air&qid=1705528036&sprefix=masters+of+%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-1

The series will portray the US 100th Bomb Group of the US 8th Air Force that flew B-17s from the Thorpe Abbotts Airfield from mid-1943 until the end of the War. Because of their heavy losses, the group was called the "Bloody 100th."

The Bomb Group's web page does a much better job than I can of explaining the group's history.
https://100thbg.com/bloody-hundredth/

You can still see parts of the Thorpe Abbots airfield, and there is a 100th Bomb Group museum there. I get to the UK from time-to-time, so definitely putting this on my list of places to visit.

Here is a Google Street View of the base entrance:

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.3873997,1.2123557,3a,75y,239.02h,84.85t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1snjAM8zJ0aK8-_KcmBnANBg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DnjAM8zJ0aK8-_KcmBnANBg%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D275.20053%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu


Here is the base control tower:

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.3864383,1.2126327,3a,75y,147.8h,104.45t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipNNJwr-Ng8QrvYsLyl6r0c5o-6cUra12KRZkOFg!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNNJwr-Ng8QrvYsLyl6r0c5o-6cUra12KRZkOFg%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya239.86346-ro0-fo100!7i5632!8i1904?entry=ttu


Here is what appears to be a runway, but doesn't seem wide enough. So maybe a taxi-way:

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.3855676,1.1974845,3a,75y,96.39h,91.35t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sDdryFNogDuh53FdawVntYQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DDdryFNogDuh53FdawVntYQ%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D64.06438%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu