Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
On April 3–5, 1917, the skies above Arras became the scene of relentless air combat that marked the beginning of what would later be known as Bloody April.
This episode covers some of the actions of the Royal Flying Corps as they faced increasingly deadly German opposition, including the infamous Jasta 11 led by Manfred von Richthofen — the Red Baron himself. We follow the events leading up to the catastrophic first mission of the new Bristol F.2 Fighter, flown by 48 Squadron RFC, and examine how poor tactics turned a promising aircraft into an early disaster.
Discover how heavy weather, flawed decisions, and veteran German pilots combined to create one of the most difficult periods for the British air service in the First World War.
Watch the previous episodes:
youtu.be/Rw-V4RHQtfU
youtu.be/_deCwHEuIsc
youtu.be/tNt_lo_PQnU
Main sources:
- Bloody April 1917: The birth of modern air power
amzn.to/3MBiRlZ
- Bloody April 1917: An Exciting Detailed Analysis of One of the Deadliest Months in the Air in WWI
amzn.to/4afEYbA
- UNDER THE GUNS OF THE RED BARON: THE COMPLETE RECORD OF VON RICHTHOFEN'S VICTORIES AND VICTIMS
amzn.to/4aEY0GV
- Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War I
amzn.to/4rBPlMr
- The Red Baron
amzn.to/40i8xCT
When you purchase these books on Amazon through the links in this description, the channel earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. The proceeds help fund new book purchases and support the creation of future videos.
Support the channel on Patreon
patreon.com/showtime112
Donate via Paypal:
paypal.com/paypalme/showtime112
Join our Discord server:
discord.gg/c56q7tUNCP
"Interloper" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
On April 3–5, 1917, the skies above Arras became the scene of relentless air combat that marked the beginning of what would later be known as Bloody April.
This episode covers some of the actions of the Royal Flying Corps as they faced increasingly deadly German opposition, including the infamous Jasta 11 led by Manfred von Richthofen — the Red Baron himself. We follow the events leading up to the catastrophic first mission of the new Bristol F.2 Fighter, flown by 48 Squadron RFC, and examine how poor tactics turned a promising aircraft into an early disaster.
Discover how heavy weather, flawed decisions, and veteran German pilots combined to create one of the most difficult periods for the British air service in the First World War.
Watch the previous episodes:
youtu.be/Rw-V4RHQtfU
youtu.be/_deCwHEuIsc
youtu.be/tNt_lo_PQnU
Main sources:
- Bloody April 1917: The birth of modern air power
amzn.to/3MBiRlZ
- Bloody April 1917: An Exciting Detailed Analysis of One of the Deadliest Months in the Air in WWI
amzn.to/4afEYbA
- UNDER THE GUNS OF THE RED BARON: THE COMPLETE RECORD OF VON RICHTHOFEN'S VICTORIES AND VICTIMS
amzn.to/4aEY0GV
- Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War I
amzn.to/4rBPlMr
- The Red Baron
amzn.to/40i8xCT
When you purchase these books on Amazon through the links in this description, the channel earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. The proceeds help fund new book purchases and support the creation of future videos.
Support the channel on Patreon
patreon.com/showtime112
Donate via Paypal:
paypal.com/paypalme/showtime112
Join our Discord server:
discord.gg/c56q7tUNCP
"Interloper" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
