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Part 2
21 August
Zeppelin LZ66 (L23) is shot down near Jutland by a Sopwith Pup, flown
from cruiser HMS Yarmouth by Flight Sub-Lieutenant B.A. Smart of the Royal
Naval Air Service (RNAS).
21 August
The first two Fokker FI (DrI) single-seat, triplane fighters are received
by Manfred von Richthofen's 'Flying Circus'.
30 August
A German Fokker FI (DrI), flown by fighter ace Leutnant Werner Voss, records
the first combat victory for the type by shooting down a British aircraft.
3 September
The United States' 1st Aero Squadron arrives in France.
3 September
Brigadier-General William L. Kenly is appointed the first Chief of Air
Service of the American Expeditionary Force.
11 September
French fighter ace Capitaine Georges Guynemer is killed.
15 September
Russia is declared a Republic by the Provisional Government under Kerensky.
17 September
German Staaken RVI heavy bombers are used to attack Britain for the first
time.
23 September
German fighter ace Leutnant Werner Voss is shot down and killed by Captain
James McCudden of 56 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps (RFC).
8 October
An explosion destroys Zeppelin LZ102 (L57) in its shed at Juterbog near
Berlin.
19 October
Zeppelin LZ 50 (L16) is dismantled after being wrecked in an accident.
20 October
Five Zeppelins are lost: Zeppelin LZ85 (L45) is forced down behind Allied
lines and destroyed by the crew; LZ93 (L44) is shot down by anti-aircraft
fire over St Clement in France; LZ96 (L49) is forced down in France and
captured; LZ89 (L50) goes missing over the Mediterranean; LZ101 (L55)
is wrecked during a forced landing in Germany.
21 October
The American 400 horse-power Liberty engine is tested on a Curtiss HS-1
seaplane.
28 October
A German Fokker DrI triplane, with Leutnant Heinrich Gontermann in the
cockpit, breaks-up in flight. The type is grounded pending an investigation
which reveals deficiencies in the construction of the fighter's wings.
7 November
The storming of the Winter Palace in Moscow heralds seizure of power by
the Bolsheviks in Russia .
10 November
Bolsheviks set up the Bureau of Commissars of Aviation and Aeronautics
(BKAV).
18 November
United States Navy Tellier flying-boats based at Le Croisac in France
commence operations.
20 November
The opening of the Battle of Cambrai. During the battle German Schutzstaffeln
(escort squadrons) reconstituted as Schlachstaffeln (battle squadrons)
attack Allied positions.
27 November
Brigadier-General B.D. Foulois succeeds Brigadier-General William L. Kenly
as Chief of Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force.
3 December
It is announced that from February 1918, the Lafayette Escadrille will
become part of the American Expeditionary Force.
7 December
The United States declares war on Austria-Hungary.
11 December
Aviatrix Katherine Stinson flies from San Diego to San Francisco, thereby
establishing a new American non-stop distance record of 975 kilometres
(606 miles).
17 December
German Navy Oberleutnant Christiansen, flying a Brandenburg W12 seaplane,
shoots down the British non-rigid airship C27.
22 December
Peace negotiations begin between Bolshevik Russia and the Central Powers
at Brest-Litovsk.
Also this year...
The following air services are established:
The Russian Ilya Mourometz bomber IM-Ye2 appears with heavy defensive armament, comprising one cannon and eight machine-guns.
An adapted biplane made by Mjr Chassaing of the French Army Medical Service becomes the first ambulance aircraft and is used for the evacuation of wounded from Loulin Lafaux.
Part 2
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