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England Squadron
The England Squadron (German language: Englandgeschwader), officially Kagohl 3 or later Bogohl 3, was a squadron of the Imperial German Army Air Service, formed in late 1916 during the First World War for the purpose of the strategic bombing of the United Kingdom and specifically London. The first air raid of the squadron on 25 May 1917 was unable to reach London, but bombed the coastal town of Folkestone instead. On 13 June, the squadron bombed London in daylight causing nearly 600 casualties. A further raid in July prompted reinforcement and reorganisation of the capital's air defences, but German losses had also caused a switch to bombing by night.
On the night of 3/4 September, the squadron raided coastal towns in Kent and on the following night, London was attacked. Raids continued into the spring of 1918, supported by another squadron operating larger aircraft. The final attack was at the end of May, by which time more than 2,800 people had been killed or injured, 68% of those in the London area. A later plan for the squadron to join a massed attack on London and Paris with incendiary bombs in the autumn of 1918 was abandoned on the grounds that it might prejudice peace negotiations, and possibly the fear of reprisals against German cities.
A the outbreak of war in August 1914, the capability for a German strategic bombing campaign had initially rested with the eleven Zeppelin and Schütte-Lanz rigid airships which were operational with the Imperial German Air Service and the Imperial German Navy. However, the initial focus was on battlefield reconnaissance, tactical bombing and maritime patrol work. In the first weeks of the war, it seemed likely that the German offensive through Belgium would succeed in reaching the Pas de Calais area on the coast of the English Channel, which would put the South East of England within the range of the primitive bomber aircraft which were available at that time.
Major Wilhelm Siegert was an aviation pioneer and an influential advocate of strategic bombing, who immediately approached the Oberste Heeresleitung (Supreme Army Command or OHL) proposing the formation of a bombing aeroplane force to attack Britain from Calais; the idea was accepted and on 19 October 1914, General Erich von Falkenhayn ordered Siegert to form an elite force for the purpose, the Fliergercorps der OHL. The new formation was selected from the best volunteers from the various branches of the Air Service and was installed at a temporary base amongst orchards at Ghistelles (Gistel) in occupied Belgium. To conceal its function, the unit was given the cover name of Breiftauben Abteilung or "Carrier Pigeon Squadron". The personnel were accommodated in a train so that they could deploy forwards at the earliest opportunity. The squadron was provided with thirty-six two-seat aircraft of various types. All of the aircraft were capable of carrying four 10 kilograms (22 lb) bombs, but not heavy defensive machine guns, so the aircrews relied on pistols or some prototype self-loading rifles which Siegert obtained from the museum of a weapons testing site. The squadron personnel were accommodated in railway carriages so that they could be quickly moved forward once the Channel coast had been captured. Amongst the talented pilots recruited to the squadron were Hermann Göring and Manfred von Richthofen.
With the failure of the German armies to make any progress in the First Battle of Ypres, it became clear that the Pas de Calais would not be captured in the near future and the focus of the Carrier Pigeon Squadron was broadened; on 28 January 1915, an attack was mounted on the port of Dunkirk, which was the main supply port for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Further raids followed on Furnes, La Panne and Nieuport, before the squadron was broken up; part was moved to Metz while the remainder was later redeployed to the Eastern Front. Returning to Ghistelles in December 1915, the squadron was designated Kampfgeschwader 1 der OHL ("Battle Group 1 of the Army High Command"), usually abbreviated to Kaghol 1, where it was engaged in airship escort, patrol work, tactical bombing over the Verdun and Somme battlefields. In August 1916, Kaghol 1 was split into two half-squadrons or halbgeschwader; Halbgeschwader 1 remained on the Western Front while Halbgeschwader 2 was redeployed to the Balkans theatre.
During the autumn of 1916, increasing losses to the German airship fleet while bombing London and other towns in England culminated in the disastrous raid of 27/28 November when two naval Zeppelins were shot down by defending fighters. Although the navy was determined to press on with improved airship designs, the recently reorganised army service had already decided that the campaign had "become impossible". The army air service had been given greater operational autonomy, was retitled Luftstreitkräfte (Air Force) and given a general officer to command it, General Ernst von Hoeppner. Siegert, who was contemptuous of Hoeppner's total lack of flying experience, was made Inspector General of the new force.
One of Hoeppner's first directives was to repurpose Halbgeschwader 1 to operate the new Gotha G.IV heavy bombers specifically to bomb London, a mission which Hoeppner called "Scheme 1" but the OHL designated Operation Turkenkreuz or Turk's Cross. Hoeppner and the OHL hoped for several results from the operation; besides degrading British morale, it was believed that by bombing in daylight, specific military, political and communications targets could be effectively targeted. A subsidiary effect would be the redeployment of British anti-aircraft guns and fighter aircraft from the Western Front to home defence duties. The half-squadron was expanded from three to six kasta or flights and was renamed Kampfgeschwader 3 der OHL, abbreviated to Kaghol 3, but was better known as Englandgeschwader or England Squadron. Experience with small numbers of the earlier Gotha G.II and G.III bombers had shown that an exceptionally level airfield was required to avoid damaging the delicate aircraft, and accordingly four new airfields would be built in the area around Ghent. While waiting for these to be finished and pending the arrival of their new aircraft, the squadron used their two-seaters for night raids on the ports of Calais and Dunkirk, and the logistic hub of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise. Detachments of aircrew were also sent in rotation for training at the naval air bases at Westerland and Heligoland, where they learned navigation at sea and warship recognition.
It had originally been planned that the England Squadron would be fully equipped with 30 new G.IV bombers by 1 February 1917, but shortages of strategic materials caused by the British blockade and problems with the Mercedes D.IVa engines resulted in lengthy production delays. Hoeppner had selected Hauptmann Ernst Brandenburg to command the England Squadron and he took up the appointment at Ghistelles on 5 March. A former infantry officer, he transferred to the air service as an air observer after being wounded in 1915 and had subsequently proved to have a flair for organisation. On arrival, Brandenburg intensified training to include more navigation over water and night flying.
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England Squadron
The England Squadron (German language: Englandgeschwader), officially Kagohl 3 or later Bogohl 3, was a squadron of the Imperial German Army Air Service, formed in late 1916 during the First World War for the purpose of the strategic bombing of the United Kingdom and specifically London. The first air raid of the squadron on 25 May 1917 was unable to reach London, but bombed the coastal town of Folkestone instead. On 13 June, the squadron bombed London in daylight causing nearly 600 casualties. A further raid in July prompted reinforcement and reorganisation of the capital's air defences, but German losses had also caused a switch to bombing by night.
On the night of 3/4 September, the squadron raided coastal towns in Kent and on the following night, London was attacked. Raids continued into the spring of 1918, supported by another squadron operating larger aircraft. The final attack was at the end of May, by which time more than 2,800 people had been killed or injured, 68% of those in the London area. A later plan for the squadron to join a massed attack on London and Paris with incendiary bombs in the autumn of 1918 was abandoned on the grounds that it might prejudice peace negotiations, and possibly the fear of reprisals against German cities.
A the outbreak of war in August 1914, the capability for a German strategic bombing campaign had initially rested with the eleven Zeppelin and Schütte-Lanz rigid airships which were operational with the Imperial German Air Service and the Imperial German Navy. However, the initial focus was on battlefield reconnaissance, tactical bombing and maritime patrol work. In the first weeks of the war, it seemed likely that the German offensive through Belgium would succeed in reaching the Pas de Calais area on the coast of the English Channel, which would put the South East of England within the range of the primitive bomber aircraft which were available at that time.
Major Wilhelm Siegert was an aviation pioneer and an influential advocate of strategic bombing, who immediately approached the Oberste Heeresleitung (Supreme Army Command or OHL) proposing the formation of a bombing aeroplane force to attack Britain from Calais; the idea was accepted and on 19 October 1914, General Erich von Falkenhayn ordered Siegert to form an elite force for the purpose, the Fliergercorps der OHL. The new formation was selected from the best volunteers from the various branches of the Air Service and was installed at a temporary base amongst orchards at Ghistelles (Gistel) in occupied Belgium. To conceal its function, the unit was given the cover name of Breiftauben Abteilung or "Carrier Pigeon Squadron". The personnel were accommodated in a train so that they could deploy forwards at the earliest opportunity. The squadron was provided with thirty-six two-seat aircraft of various types. All of the aircraft were capable of carrying four 10 kilograms (22 lb) bombs, but not heavy defensive machine guns, so the aircrews relied on pistols or some prototype self-loading rifles which Siegert obtained from the museum of a weapons testing site. The squadron personnel were accommodated in railway carriages so that they could be quickly moved forward once the Channel coast had been captured. Amongst the talented pilots recruited to the squadron were Hermann Göring and Manfred von Richthofen.
With the failure of the German armies to make any progress in the First Battle of Ypres, it became clear that the Pas de Calais would not be captured in the near future and the focus of the Carrier Pigeon Squadron was broadened; on 28 January 1915, an attack was mounted on the port of Dunkirk, which was the main supply port for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Further raids followed on Furnes, La Panne and Nieuport, before the squadron was broken up; part was moved to Metz while the remainder was later redeployed to the Eastern Front. Returning to Ghistelles in December 1915, the squadron was designated Kampfgeschwader 1 der OHL ("Battle Group 1 of the Army High Command"), usually abbreviated to Kaghol 1, where it was engaged in airship escort, patrol work, tactical bombing over the Verdun and Somme battlefields. In August 1916, Kaghol 1 was split into two half-squadrons or halbgeschwader; Halbgeschwader 1 remained on the Western Front while Halbgeschwader 2 was redeployed to the Balkans theatre.
During the autumn of 1916, increasing losses to the German airship fleet while bombing London and other towns in England culminated in the disastrous raid of 27/28 November when two naval Zeppelins were shot down by defending fighters. Although the navy was determined to press on with improved airship designs, the recently reorganised army service had already decided that the campaign had "become impossible". The army air service had been given greater operational autonomy, was retitled Luftstreitkräfte (Air Force) and given a general officer to command it, General Ernst von Hoeppner. Siegert, who was contemptuous of Hoeppner's total lack of flying experience, was made Inspector General of the new force.
One of Hoeppner's first directives was to repurpose Halbgeschwader 1 to operate the new Gotha G.IV heavy bombers specifically to bomb London, a mission which Hoeppner called "Scheme 1" but the OHL designated Operation Turkenkreuz or Turk's Cross. Hoeppner and the OHL hoped for several results from the operation; besides degrading British morale, it was believed that by bombing in daylight, specific military, political and communications targets could be effectively targeted. A subsidiary effect would be the redeployment of British anti-aircraft guns and fighter aircraft from the Western Front to home defence duties. The half-squadron was expanded from three to six kasta or flights and was renamed Kampfgeschwader 3 der OHL, abbreviated to Kaghol 3, but was better known as Englandgeschwader or England Squadron. Experience with small numbers of the earlier Gotha G.II and G.III bombers had shown that an exceptionally level airfield was required to avoid damaging the delicate aircraft, and accordingly four new airfields would be built in the area around Ghent. While waiting for these to be finished and pending the arrival of their new aircraft, the squadron used their two-seaters for night raids on the ports of Calais and Dunkirk, and the logistic hub of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise. Detachments of aircrew were also sent in rotation for training at the naval air bases at Westerland and Heligoland, where they learned navigation at sea and warship recognition.
It had originally been planned that the England Squadron would be fully equipped with 30 new G.IV bombers by 1 February 1917, but shortages of strategic materials caused by the British blockade and problems with the Mercedes D.IVa engines resulted in lengthy production delays. Hoeppner had selected Hauptmann Ernst Brandenburg to command the England Squadron and he took up the appointment at Ghistelles on 5 March. A former infantry officer, he transferred to the air service as an air observer after being wounded in 1915 and had subsequently proved to have a flair for organisation. On arrival, Brandenburg intensified training to include more navigation over water and night flying.
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