Letters: Jun. 30, 1930

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Greatest Flight

Sirs: Will TIME kindly report the greatest flight— as to number in air at one time—of airplanes on record? See TIME, p. 12, issue of May 19, third column, last sentence: "Never before had so large a fleet of planes flown so far or so well together." Correct perhaps as to "so far" and "so well together" but not as to number. While stationed at Nixville, near Verdun, late in 1918 (September or October, I believe), many American and Allied soldiers including the 5th U. S. Division and others in battle around Montfaucon enjoyed the thrill that came from a flight reported (London Daily Mail, Army Edition) to include 310 Allied planes of all kinds and descriptions. First came a wave or "v" formation of seven planes. This was not unusual. Slightly interesting. In a moment, another similar formation— still not too unusual. Within a few minutes, dozens of such formations—the air was full of them. Hats, mess kits and everything else were going into the air—we felt certain the end of the War was near. The only report I ever read on that flight was the one referred to in the London Daily Mail, about a half-dozen lines regarding the flight of 310 planes over the enemy lines to offset a counterattack and drop food supplies —as near as I recall it. Reports among the troops were to the effect that they had gone to rescue the "Lost Battalion" and most general and probably the most correct was the report that they delivered some supplies where they were badly needed; directed brief but effective resistance to an unusually vigorous counterattack planned by the enemy; in what seemed like less than 15 or 20 minutes, returned, the entire body of planes, it was later rumored— without the loss of a single plane. W. L. WESSEN Denver, Col.

To W. L. Wessen, plaudits for a TIME-worthy report. One U. S. airplane was lost in the sky show to which he refers. U. S. War Department reminiscence:

"There was a formation of 353 planes operating together on the afternoon of Oct. 9, 1918. This formation was of the following composition:

"200 (or more) bombers

100 pursuit planes

53 triplace planes (probably heavy bombardment planes).

"They rendezvoused in our rear area and passed over the enemy lines in two echelons. A total of 32 tons of bombs were dropped on the cantonment area between La Wavrille and Damvillers. This formation was strongly attacked by the enemy but our flyers brought down 12 enemy and lost but one of their own airplanes. . . . "Both at Rockwell Field, San Diego, Calif., and at Payne Field, West Point, Miss., there were flights involving a large number of planes at the post-Armistice Day celebration on Thanksgiving Day, 1918. At both of these places at least 200 planes were flying together in the formations. These were practically all training planes. "At the close of the Air Corps Maneuvers at Kelly Field, Tex., in May 1927, over 200 service type planes flew in a formation in an aerial review."—ED.

Brawls, Failures