Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
In this episode, dive into the opening salvos of "Bloody April" on April 1, 1917, during the Nivelle Offensive near Arras. The Royal Flying Corps faced devastating losses from German Jasta aces as reconnaissance missions sparked intense dogfights amid brutal spring weather.
What You'll See
• Leutnant Otto Bernert's (Jasta Boelcke) balloon victory at Villers-au-Flos – his 11th kill using cloud cover.
• Werner Voss's ruthless attack on Capt. Arthur Wynne's B.E.2 – strafing the wreck for his 23rd victory.
• Leutnant Alfred Mohr's fatal encounter with a B.E.2 gunner south of Douai.
• British F.E.2 loss to flak, French claims, and the day's grim tally: 2 planes + 1 balloon lost, 1 German claimed.
Relive the end of WWI aerial chivalry through detailed accounts, aircraft specs (Albatros D.II/III, B.E.2, F.E.2, Nieuport), and tactical breakdowns. Weather, doctrine, and tech gaps set the stage for RFC's nightmare month.
Watch the introuduction video if you missed it:
youtu.be/Rw-V4RHQtfU
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
- September Evening: The Life and Final Combat of the German World War One Ace: Werner Voss
amzn.to/4aaWhZG
- Jasta Boelcke: The History of Jasta 2, 1916-1918
amzn.to/4qL9LSV
- Jagdstaffel 2 ‘Boelcke’: Von Richthofen’s Mentor
amzn.to/4qQiWkZ
- youtube.com/@ww1documentaries683
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
Machinations Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
In this episode, dive into the opening salvos of "Bloody April" on April 1, 1917, during the Nivelle Offensive near Arras. The Royal Flying Corps faced devastating losses from German Jasta aces as reconnaissance missions sparked intense dogfights amid brutal spring weather.
What You'll See
• Leutnant Otto Bernert's (Jasta Boelcke) balloon victory at Villers-au-Flos – his 11th kill using cloud cover.
• Werner Voss's ruthless attack on Capt. Arthur Wynne's B.E.2 – strafing the wreck for his 23rd victory.
• Leutnant Alfred Mohr's fatal encounter with a B.E.2 gunner south of Douai.
• British F.E.2 loss to flak, French claims, and the day's grim tally: 2 planes + 1 balloon lost, 1 German claimed.
Relive the end of WWI aerial chivalry through detailed accounts, aircraft specs (Albatros D.II/III, B.E.2, F.E.2, Nieuport), and tactical breakdowns. Weather, doctrine, and tech gaps set the stage for RFC's nightmare month.
Watch the introuduction video if you missed it:
youtu.be/Rw-V4RHQtfU
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
- September Evening: The Life and Final Combat of the German World War One Ace: Werner Voss
amzn.to/4aaWhZG
- Jasta Boelcke: The History of Jasta 2, 1916-1918
amzn.to/4qL9LSV
- Jagdstaffel 2 ‘Boelcke’: Von Richthofen’s Mentor
amzn.to/4qQiWkZ
- youtube.com/@ww1documentaries683
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
Machinations Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
