Lt. DeWitt Coleman, right, with co-pilot James Bahl,
died battling five enemy planes.
died battling five enemy planes.
I didn’t know American forces were involved on the Italian front.
"Following the entry of the U.S. into the war it was realized that there was an insufficiency of aviation training facilities, both in the U.S. as well as in France. This condition coincided with the need for additional need for aircraft designed by European manufacturers. This dual need was partially addressed by having both the A.E.F. Air Service and the U.S. Navy have pilots trained in Italy."
"In exchange, Italy was going to provide aircraft for the American personnel to fly. The result was that the Italians provided training facilities for A.E.F. pilots. These pilots, following training, served both with Italian units or were transferred to the Western Front in France."
"The Caproni ca.5, or Caproni 600 hp, was designed in 1917 as a replacement for the old and effective Ca.3 bomber."
"During tests and early operational life, the type was found highly unsatisfactory. The Fiat A 12 powered version suffered constant problems for bad manufacturing standards and poor integration of the engines."
"The Isotta Fraschini powered version of the Ca.5 was reportedly less unsatisfactory, but still far below the required level."
Were the Italians on our side then and how many times had they switched sides? (Or am I thinking of the wrong war?)
Those fliers were tough.
Not only flying planes of canvas that could break apart making the wrong turn, and flying in freezing temperatures, but many flew without parachutes in the early days, because commanders felt the pilots should try to bring their planes back down in one piece.