Best Ace of WW1

[FLYBOYJ]

OK GUYS - WHO FORGOT WHAT DAY IT IS TODAY (APRIL 21)!

 

[evangilder]

Isn't today the Queen's birthday?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Isn't today the Queen's birthday?

I thought you were going to say Snoopy's birthday!

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

yes it is the queen's birthday today, although she has two, a real one and an officail one...........

 

[FLYBOYJ]

God bless the Queen!

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

rather unusual attitude for an american??

wait what am i saying!!

God save the Queen!!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

 

[FLYBOYJ]

HEY BUT LET'S NOT FORGET....

 

[Wildcat]

Robert Little was Australia's leading ace of WWI. When war broke out he couldn't wait to join up so he sailed over to Britain (because there was a long waiting list for flying school at Point Cook). Paid 100 pound for his flying certificate which he gained on Oct 27, 1915. Little immediately enlisted in the RNAS where he was sent to Dunkirk flying Sopwith 1 and a half strutters flying several bombing missions.
On 26 Oct 1916 he was posted to 8 Naval Sqaudron flying Sopwith Pups where he claimed his first kills over the Western front. By March he had claimed 4 kills and was awarded a DSC. His unit then converted to Sopwith Triplanes were he claimed a further 24 victories. He then converted to fly Camels were he brought his score up to 38. He recieved a DSO and Bar to his DSC in August and was followed by a Bar to his DSO in September.
In March 1918 he joined 3(N) Squadron as a flight commander were he shot down a further 9 aircraft. On 27 May 1918, while trying to intercept a Gotha bomber at night he was caught up in a search light beam where he was shot though both thighs. Little crash landed near Noeux, but by the time his plane was found he had bled to death. No one knows whether the bullet came from the Gotha or from ground fire, which would be an unfortunate way for this great flyer to go, being killed by friendly fire.

 

[Nonskimmer]

Very interesting. 8)

yes it is the queen's birthday today, although she has two, a real one and an officail one...........

Which was this?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Robert Little was Australia's leading ace of WWI. When war broke out he couldn't wait to join up so he sailed over to Britain (because there was a long waiting list for flying school at Point Cook). Paid 100 pound for his flying certificate which he gained on Oct 27, 1915. Little immediately enlisted in the RNAS where he was sent to Dunkirk flying Sopwith 1 and a half strutters flying several bombing missions.
On 26 Oct 1916 he was posted to 8 Naval Sqaudron flying Sopwith Pups where he claimed his first kills over the Western front. By March he had claimed 4 kills and was awarded a DSC. His unit then converted to Sopwith Triplanes were he claimed a further 24 victories. He then converted to fly Camels were he brought his score up to 38. He recieved a DSO and Bar to his DSC in August and was followed by a Bar to his DSO in September.
In March 1918 he joined 3(N) Squadron as a flight commander were he shot down a further 9 aircraft. On 27 May 1918, while trying to intercept a Gotha bomber at night he was caught up in a search light beam where he was shot though both thighs. Little crash landed near Noeux, but by the time his plane was found he had bled to death. No one knows whether the bullet came from the Gotha or from ground fire, which would be an unfortunate way for this great flyer to go, being killed by friendly fire.

At one point Little's kill pace surpassed many WWI leading aces, had he lived he might of got well over 100 kills!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

LITTLE'S KILLS

Date Time Unit Aircraft Opponent Location
1 23 Nov 1916 0950 8N Sopwith Pup (N5182) C (DESF) NE of La Bassée
2 04 Dec 1916 1130 8N Sopwith Pup (N5182) Halberstadt D.II (OOC) NE of Bapaume
3 20 Dec 1916 1115 8N Sopwith Pup (N5182) C (OOC) Fontaine
4 07 Jan 1917 1100 8N Sopwith Pup (N5194) Albatros D.II (OOC) Grevillers
5 07 Apr 1917 1930 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5469) Albatros D.III (DES) SE of Lens
6 09 Apr 1917 1200 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5469) Halberstadt D.II (OOC) Noyelles-Lens
7 21 Apr 1917 1855 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5469) Albatros D.III (DES) NE of Oppy
8 24 Apr 1917 1230 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5469) Aviatik C (CAP) Auchel
9 28 Apr 1917 1225 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) C (DES) Oppy
10 29 Apr 1917 1915 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.III (DES) Douai
11 30 Apr 1917 0710 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.III (OOC) E of Arras
12 30 Apr 1917 0725 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.III (OOC) E of Arras
13 02 May 1917 1930 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.III (OOC) Vitry
14 09 May 1917 1010 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) LVG C (OOC) SE of Lens
15 09 May 1917 1015 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.III (OOC) SE of Lens
16 10 May 1917 ? 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.III (OOC) Lens
17 18 May 1917 1100 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) DFW C (DES) NE of Lens
18 18 May 1917 1115 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.III (DES) NE of Lens
19 23 May 1917 1545 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.III (OOC) W of Douai
20 25 May 1917 0810 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.III (OOC) Quiery la Motte
21 16 Jun 1917 0930 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) C (DES) Wingles
22 21 Jun 1917 1025 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.V (DES) E of Henin-Lietard
23 26 Jun 1917 1835 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) C (DESF) E of Acheville
24 29 Jun 1917 0655 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.V (OOC) E of Lens
25 03 Jul 1917 1100 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.V (OOC) Lens
26 03 Jul 1917 1130 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.V (OOC) Lens-La Bassée
27 06 Jul 1917 1115 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) C (DES) N of Izel
28 10 Jul 1917 1445 8N Sopwith Triplane (N5493) Albatros D.V (OOC) Fampoux
29 12 Jul 1917 1300 8N Sopwith Camel (N6378) Albatros D.V (OOC) Vitry-Drocourt-Quéant
30 13 Jul 1917 1015 8N Sopwith Camel (N6378) C (OOC) Lens
31 13 Jul 1917 1130 8N Sopwith Camel (N6378) Albatros D.V (CAP) Croiselles
32 15 Jul 1917 2045 8N Sopwith Camel (N6378) Albatros D.V (OOC) Lens
33 16 Jul 1917 0830 8N Sopwith Camel (N6378) C (OOC) Gavrelle
34 20 Jul 1917 1840 8N Sopwith Camel (N6378) DFW C.V (DES) Lens
35 21 Jul 1917 1930 8N Sopwith Camel (N6378) Albatros D.V (OOC) E of Oppy
36 22 Jul 1917 0620 8N Sopwith Camel (N6378) C (OOC) Rouvroy
37 22 Jul 1917 1945 8N Sopwith Camel (N6378) Albatros D.V (OOC) Lens
38 27 Jul 1917 1600 8N Sopwith Camel (B3877) C (DES) Loos
39 01 Apr 1918 1400 203 Sopwith Camel (B7198) Fokker DR.I (DES) E of Oppy
40 06 Apr 1918 1230 203 Sopwith Camel (B7231) DFW C.V (DESF) NE of Lens
41 07 Apr 1918 1300 203 Sopwith Camel (B7231) Fokker DR.I (DES) SE of Violanes
42 09 Apr 1918 1610 203 Sopwith Camel (B7231) Albatros C (DESF) Givenchy
43 11 Apr 1918 1430 203 Sopwith Camel (B7231) Albatros D.V (DES) Bac St. Maur
44 21 Apr 1918 1500 203 Sopwith Camel (B6319) Pfalz D.III (OOC) W of Bailleul
45 18 May 1918 0750 203 Sopwith Camel (B7220) Pfalz D.III (OOC) Neuf Berquin
46 22 May 1918 1140 203 Sopwith Camel (D3416) Albatros C (DES) Mory-St. Leger
47 22 May 1918 1145 203 Sopwith Camel (D3416) DFW C (DES) Morchies

 

[Wildcat]

Thanks for the list FB It's a shame he didn't live to see the end of the war. Little was not only the highest scoring Aussie ace of WWI but is the top scoring Australian ace period.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Thanks for the list FB It's a shame he didn't live to see the end of the war. Little was not only the highest scoring Aussie ace of WWI but is the top scoring Australian ace period.

You betcha - when I did the Collishaw post I was also thinking about Little as well!

 

[HealzDevo]

I think the Red Baron definitely. There was Manfred and what was the other Richtoffen?

 

[pbfoot]

William barker is my choice particularly his last flight in ww1 in which he tangled with up to 60 enemy ac and shot down 4 to give him a total of 50
also please note bishop shot down about the same amount of ac as Rickenbacker in much less time I do think the American media made Rickenbacker a better pilot then he was

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I do think the American media made Rickenbacker a better pilot then he was

But what do you expect? He was the top US recognized ace, a former race car driver and a celebrity before the war. Lufbury, Luke, Springs, and especially David Putnam were probably way better pilots, and Putnam was said to have over 30 kills!

 

[Nonskimmer]

I think the Red Baron definitely. There was Manfred and what was the other Richtoffen?

Lothar von Richthofen. He scored 40 victories; exactly half as many as Manfred. He survived the war, but was killed in a civilian plane crash in 1922.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Robert Little was Australia's leading ace of WWI. When war broke out he couldn't wait to join up so he sailed over to Britain (because there was a long waiting list for flying school at Point Cook). Paid 100 pound for his flying certificate which he gained on Oct 27, 1915. Little immediately enlisted in the RNAS where he was sent to Dunkirk flying Sopwith 1 and a half strutters flying several bombing missions.
On 26 Oct 1916 he was posted to 8 Naval Sqaudron flying Sopwith Pups where he claimed his first kills over the Western front. By March he had claimed 4 kills and was awarded a DSC. His unit then converted to Sopwith Triplanes were he claimed a further 24 victories. He then converted to fly Camels were he brought his score up to 38. He recieved a DSO and Bar to his DSC in August and was followed by a Bar to his DSO in September.
In March 1918 he joined 3(N) Squadron as a flight commander were he shot down a further 9 aircraft. On 27 May 1918, while trying to intercept a Gotha bomber at night he was caught up in a search light beam where he was shot though both thighs. Little crash landed near Noeux, but by the time his plane was found he had bled to death. No one knows whether the bullet came from the Gotha or from ground fire, which would be an unfortunate way for this great flyer to go, being killed by friendly fire.

BOB LITTLE WAS KILLED TODAY, 1918

 

[GT]

Update.