Albatros D.III n°53.24 of Hptm Nikitsch, Jagd-Flieger Detachment Nikitsch, Romanian Front 1917.

Albatros D.III n°53.24 of Hauptmann Nikitsch, commander of the Jagd-Flieger Detachment bearing his name, and gathering all the fighters of the surrounding Austro-Hungarian squadrons, forming a kind of marching squadron of fighters. Nikitsch, who finished the war with 6 victories, won 5 on the Romanian front (including one on board this aircraft) in the middle of a sector held by the Romanian airforce, but none of his claims in Romania can be found in the French or Romanian archives (Coll B.Toschinger)

The Magyar Altalanos Gepgyar (MAG) factory in Budapest also produced fighters, such as this Berg D.I of the Hungarian Communist Air Force with the red star and Austro-Hungarian registration 92.126. (Paolo Varriale)

A lonely but deadly opponent, the Lohner L 16 of Gottfried Banfield based in Trieste who shot down 3 French flying boats.

Banfield's Lohner L 16 fighter, moored at its quay in Trieste (Paolo Varriale)

In January 1916, Gottfried Banfield recovered a seaplane designed for racing that he used as a single-seater fighter. Registered L 16, it would prove to be a formidable opponent to French and Italian aviation. (Paolo Varriale)

View of Lohner L 59, which left Pola with 5 other similar aircraft to raid Venice. Its pilot, Linienschiffleutnant Demeter Konjovics, with Linienschiffleutnant Hugo Stenta as observer, returned to its base heavily damaged by the fire of Lachmann's Nieuport according to the Austrian archives (Paolo Varriale)
Seeflugzeug L 59, Type Te, Seeflugstation S. Catharina. Herbst 1915. davor stehend Lschlt Demeter Konjovic
Гидросамолет L 59, Type Te, база гидросамолетов S. Catharina. Осень 1915 года. Перед ним Lschlt Demeter Konjovic

Another view of Austrian Lohner registered L 137. (Paolo Varriale)

Symbol of the naval aviation war fought by the French pilots, this Austrian Lohner registered L 137. Hit by a ship's flak, it had to land on the Adriatic where it was captured by a fast torpedo boat of the Italian Navy, a MAS. (Paolo Varriale)

First confirmed aerial victory of escadrille N 392, the Lohner L 138 shot down by Sous-Lieutenant Xavier Garros and Lieutenant Rene Robert. The Austrian seaplane landed in a swamp near Caorle, northeast of Venice, where its crew, composed of the Seekadet Frantz Viranyi and the observer Hoch, was captured by the soldiers of the guardia di finanza (Paolo Varriale)

View of a Lohner seaplane in flight over the lagoons of the Italian coast. This aircraft, the only one used by the Austrian Navy in 1915 and early 1916, was the main adversary of French fighters and seaplanes. (Paolo Varriale)

Phonix C.I were also used by the Czechs. (Coll Berhardt Totschinger)

Having an aviation industry on its soil, the Hungarian government can take advantage of local production to perfect its airforce - here, a UFAG C.I n°161.166 manufactured in Budapest (Coll. Bernhardt Totschinger)
UFAG CI (161.169) of the Hungarian Communist Air Force.

End of the line for this UFAG C.I of the Hungarian Bolshevik Air Force.

While the N 581 squadron was stationed at Holhocha, the SOP 582 reconnaissance unit settled not far away, a little further south, at Cheremkouf. Since it could not receive its aircraft, it lent its observers to a British squadron equipped with BE2s, such as this one. (Coll Albin Denis)

Sopwith 1A2 n°49 built by the Hanriot company, belonging to the SOP 582 squadron and sabotaged on July 21, 1917 during the retreat to Jezerzany.

Sopwith 1A2 n°1056 (built by Liore), escadrille SOP 36, Castello di Godego, February 1918.

Sopwith 1A2 n°5165 (built by SACA) escadrille SOP 221, Verone/Porto Nuova, November 1917.

Sopwith 1A2 n°5173 (built by SACA), escadrille SOP 206, Verone, February 1918.

Sopwith 1A2 n°51xx produced by the SACA company, used by Lachmann and his mechanic Lecoq during the fighting against the Bolshevik troops from Arkhangelsk in September-October 1918, within the Slavo-British Aviation Corps (SBAC).

Sopwith 1A2 n°5268 built by SACA and used by escadrille 583 for the city of Omsk in July-August 1919

Sopwith 1A2 n°unknown (built by Hanriot), escadrille SOP 214, Verone/Porto Nuova, November 1917.

Photo showing a Sopwith 1A2 from escadrille 221 in Nove, among Italian soldiers. (Collection Paolo Varriale)

Mystery photo of these Sopwith 1A2s decorated with an unidentified insignia by the Air Force Historical Service, a magician perched on a smiling crescent moon and observing the ground with a long sight. One could think of escadrille Espinasse, but the serial numbers of the aircraft in the photo do not correspond to those attributed to it. It could therefore be a first abandoned badge of one of the French Sopwith squadrons present on the Italian front before the battle of Caporetto, SOP 208 or SOP 221 (Luigino Caliaro)

Photo showing a Sopwith 1A2 from escadrille 221 in Nove, among Italian soldiers. (Collection Paolo Varriale)

Poor quality photo of one of the Sopwith 2A2 of the SOP 582 squadron (Coll. Albin Denis)

Present in Italy in the fall of 1917, before the defeat at Caporetto, SOP 36 wore a frog on its Sopwith 1A2s, often associated with a personal badge. (Paolo Varriale)

This Sopwith of SOP 36 wears a seahorse on the tail fin as a personal insignia. (Albin Denis)

After the departure of escadrille Espinasse from Italy, escadrille N 561 recovered some of its Sopwith 1A2s and one of its observers, lieutenant Olphe-Galliard, seen here preparing for the flight. On September 4, 1917, this observer carried out a reconnaissance mission over Istria, flying over the port of Fiume. (Paolo Varriale)

Another pilot of escadrille N 561 specialized in the piloting of two-seaters, Lieutenant Rene Robert (1 victory), in front of one of the Sopwith 1A2 two-seaters of the squadron. He was recalled to France at the end of 1917 to take command of escadrille SOP 106. (Paolo Varriale).

Romanian pilots of escadrille S.5 n in front of a Sopwith 1A2, on the Bessarabian front in February 1918. The aircraft bears the motto "Hogne qui voura" (Growls who will), the personal motto of the family of capitaine Augustin de Mailly et de Nesle, the second on the left in the picture. A few days later, this officer will have to go back to France, like all the pilots of the Romanian mission, leaving their Romanian comrades to their fate (DR)

Lineup of Sopwith 1A2 of SOP 582 squadron probably Kamienetz-Podolsk, autumn 1917. (Coll Albin Denis)

Observation squadron arriving with the French 10th Army, the SOP 214 has a rising sun as its insignia (SHD)

A junkyard of destroyed Italian planes after the retreat of Caporetto in November 1917. In the center we can see a Sopwith 1A2 from escadrille SOP 36. (Paolo Varriale)

Fokker D.VII of the 8th Voros Repuloszazad in May 1919.

The best fighter available to the Hungarian communist government was the Fokker D.VII, of which an assembly line had been organized at the end of 1918 in the MAG factory.

Hansa-Brandenburg C.I n°63.26, produced by the UFAG company, and equipped with a 160 hp Mercedes D.III engine. One notes the Schwarzlose machine gun of 8 mm handled by the observer, statutory machine gun of the Austro-Hungarian army, but rather unsuitable for its use on the planes because of its weak rate of fire. (Coll B.Toschinger)

Hansa Brandenburg C.I two-seater of the Austro-Hungarian aviation, of which it is the real workhorse because it would remain on the line during the whole war, being improved by the installation of more powerful engines. (Coll. B.Toschinger)

This Hansa-Brandenburg C.I of the Austro-Hungarian Air Force, bearing the serial number 269.04, is produced by the UFAG company. Equipped with an Austro-Daimler engine of 200 hp, it is much more powerful than all the Romanian aircraft then in service on the front. It is seen here surrounded by airmen who invited some elegant ladies to its field in Transylvania (Coll B.Toschinger)

The Hansa Brandenburg C was the all-purpose aircraft of the Austro-Hungarian army, and was used throughout the war in constantly improved versions. Used on the land front of the Dolomite Alps, it was rarely encountered by the French pilots patrolling the Adriatic Sea, who found the seaplanes of the Navy in front of them. (Paolo Varriale)

The communist government of Bela Kun has at its disposal aircraft from the former Austro-Hungarian aviation, such as this Hansa-Brandenburg C.I marked with the red star.

Hansa-Brandenburg KD n°28.47 of the Jagd-Flieger Detachment Nikitsch, Kezdi-Vasarhely (currently Targu Secuiesc), summer 1917.

The Hansa-Brandenburg KD, designed by Ernst Heinkel, was a rather ugly fighter nicknamed "the spider" because of its crossed struts, and had the flying qualities of an iron. Some of these aircraft, such as this one with the number 28.47, were in service on the Romanian front (Coll B.Toschinger)

Russia was so short of airplanes that any captured enemy aircraft was immediately repaired and put back into service against its former owners, such as this Rumpler C.I in service during the winter of 1916-1917 with its new Russian roundels. (Coll Albin Denis)

Rumpler G.II in flight is identified by its distinctive cutouts on the trailing edge of the lower wing that significantly reduced the design's tail heaviness in flight.
These bombers, much more efficient than the Zeppelins, multiplied the destructive missions during the autumn 1916 campaign which saw the conquest of two thirds of the Romanian territory. (Jack Herris)

The remains of Rumpler G.II G.130/15, the last production G.II, are shown here in Russian hands. Since no G.II bombers were downed by the Russians, it is a mystery how they retrieved this dismantled aircraft. G.130/15 appears to have a similar camouflage scheme to G.129/15, further indicating application at the factory.
Rumpler G.II n°130/15 was shot down on 23 December 1916 at lanca, on the Danube plain, by a Nieuport flown by Flight Lieutenant Arthur Frederik Foy Jacob, one of the members of the small British contingent reinforcing Romania. This was the first victory of the Entente air force in this campaign. The British contingent soon left the country, unlike the French aeronautical mission that was to form the backbone of the Romanian airforce. (DR)

Originality of the Italian front, the naval support of the troops on the ground. During the 11th battle of the Isonzo, the Italians used the "Faa di Bruno" monitor, a huge floating casemate built around two enormous cannons of an unfinished line ship. Its fire was regulated by Italian seaplanes. (Paolo Varriale)

Вооруженный пулеметом «Максим», «Анаде» с номером «5» в центре опознавательной хвостовой кокарды захвачен австрийцами в конце 1916 г.
The Russian Anatra D was based on the Aviatik B-type and was produced in significant numbers by the Odessa factory. Unlike Aviatik designs it was powered by a rotary engine.
Anatra D (Anade), russisches Beuteflugzeug, bekam später die Flugzeugnummer 00.39
Анатра Д (Анаде), российский трофейный самолет, позже получил номер 00.39.

Anatra two-seater in which Marc Bonnier was killed in Odessa on August 9, 1916, during a test flight. The countersigned report from French pilots indicates that the crash was due to a piloting error, Bonnier having tried to glide to his field instead of landing in an emergency. (Coll Albin Denis)

The First Russian designed aircraft, the Rossiya B, produced during summer 1910 by the Shchetinin company, whose logo can be seen on the tail fin. The aircraft looks very similar to the Bleriot XI.

One of the few aircraft of national design, the four-engine Ilya Murometz bomber had a difficult start in an autonomous Imperial Air Force squadron, reporting directly to the Russian Army Staff, the Stavka. (Coll Colin Owers)

Ilya Murometz type V no 10 commanded by Poruchik (lieutenant) A. M. Konstenchik and on which served Feldwebel (sergeant-major) Marcel Plat, making on April 8, 2, 3 and 26, 1916 three flights on board the aircraft whose precise registration possibly painted on the fuselage is not known.

At the right of the photo, wearing a white colonial hat, general Riou, new Governor of Madagascar, talks with aviator and colonial administrator Jean Raoult, on July 7, 1911, in Androhibe airfield. Raoul did break the Bleriot on his first landing... And did the same for the second Bleriot on July 28, ending the short-lived colonial aviation in Madagascar.

Propaganda postcard for military aviation in Africa.

Bleriot monoplane on the beach of Casablanca, during spring 1912.

The Bleriot monoplanes of the Casablanca escadrille began operational flights in late August 1912 and had a complete operational use in October, making aerial reconnaissance for French infantry moving eastward during the conquest of Morocco.

Breguet Michelin BM 4 no 256 of capitaine Armand Delas, leader of escadrille BM.8, Galati, summer 1917.

Breguet-Michelin BM 4 (n°256) just reassembled in the hangars of the Romanian General Aviation Reserve in Iasi, from where it will be given to the leader of escadrille BM.9, capitaine Armand Delas. These bombing planes were not very reliable and had a very low availability; they were used to attack the river navigation on the Danube (SHD)

Breguet 14 A2 n°9122 of sergent Joseph Pouliquen, escadrille 590, Bratislava 1919.

Breguet 14 A2 of French escadrille 590. (Coll. Michal Pavlec)

Sergent Joseph Pouliquen seen here at the commands of his Breguet 14A2 in Bratislava in 1919.

Polish pilot in front of his SPAD XIII just delivered by the French. On the foreground, a Breguet 14.

Change of owners: this mechanic paints the polish chessboard on the wing of a Breguet 14 in 1919.

This photo of General Nivelle's visit is particularly interesting because it allows to compare the difference in shades of the Farmans seen in the background. In the foreground, a particularly decorated Caudron G.4. (Marcel Simian)

Other view of the Caudron G.4 and his very detailed nose art showing a desert owl behind a landscape of the mountains of Algeria. (Collection Pierre Jarrige)

The Caudron R, a unique aircraft that remained a prototype. The only floatplane of military aeronautics, this aircraft equipped with a 150 hp Canton-Unne engine remained in service until 1917 at the CAM Salonique.

Autochrome showing a Deperdussin monoplane of the Oudja escadrille during the conquest of Morocco, 1913. (Jules Gervais-Courtellemont)

Donnet-Denhaut 150 hp Hispano n°251 « Lou Gobi» of CAM Alger, 1917. This profile was drawn according to a diagram showing the decoration of the seaplane use by Sous-Lieutenant Leopold Coren to bomb and claim a U-Boot on May 7, 1917. The U-Boot, confirmed to Coren, did in fact escape the attack.

Donnet-Denhaut 150 hp Hispano (serial unknown) of CAM Bone, 1917.

Donnet-Denhaut 150 hp Hispano n°281 of CAM Oran, 1917.

His Donnet-Denhaut seaplane, from CAM Oran, shows a rare personal decoration (a moon crescent) and a stylized identification letter. CAM Oran was suppressed in early 1918 and became a Combat Post from CAM Arzew. (Collection ARDHAN)

We're closing! This is what says the sign held by this sailor from the CAM Sousse, on the day of the armistice of November 11, 1918. Note the personal decorations cut from the hulls of the Center's seaplanes held by two other sailors. (Collection ARDHAN)

Damaged Donnet-Denhaut 160 hp Canton-Unne from CAM Bizerte, in 1916. This Center was the first to be operational in north Africa, in April 1916. In this time, the seaplanes had no identification letters.

Donnet-Denhaut 200 hp Hispano (serial unknown), CAM Aveiro, 1918.

Donnet-Denhaut 200 hp Hispano no 1271 of CAM Casablanca, 1918.

Donnet-Denhaut 200 hp Hispano n°1525 of CAM Arzew, 1918. The seaplanes who attacked U-39 on May 18, 1918 are not precisely known.

A Donnet-Denhaut 200 hp Hispano of CAM Arzew. The seaplanes of this Center had "W" for identification letter. (Collection ARDHAN)

Donnet-Denhaut 200 hp Hispano from CAM Sousse in 1917. This Center had "S" as identification letter. (Collection ARDHAN)

Seaplane Donnet-Denhaut 200 hp Hispano from CAM Casablanca, marked with the identification letter "C" given to this Center. (Collection ARDHAN)

Closeup of the Bessonneaux hangars from CAM Arzew. (Collection ARDHAN)

Donnet-Denhaut 200 hp from CAM Aveiro (Portugal) in 1918. This seaplane carries the nickname"Patte folle" (Crazy leg).

Another Donnet-Denhaut 200 hp Hispano from CAM Sousse on the water. (Collection ARDHAN)

Donnet-Denhaut 200 hp Hispano from CAM Arzew taxiing on the water. This seaplane show a rare personal decoration, the name "Netto". (Collection ARDHAN)

AR 1 n°205, escadrille AR 22, Castello di Godego, February 1918.

AR 1 n°215, escadrille AR 44, Castello di Godego, February 1918.

AR 1 n°366, escadrille AR 14, Castello di Godego, February 1918.

AR 1 (serial unknown), escadrille AR 254, Verone, February 1918.

Autochrome representing the AR 1s of escadrille AR 44, a squadron arriving in Verona on November 5,1917 with the 10th French Army.

Dorand AR n°216 from escadrille AR 14, one of the eight observation units serving with French 10th army sent in Italy to secure the front. (Luigino Caliaro)

Other unit of the French 10th army, escadrille AR 22. Its symbol, difficult to distinguish on the AR 1 aircraft, is the she-wolf suckling Remus and Romulus (Luigino Caliaro)

Italian soldier surrounding an AR 2 of escadrille AR 44 that missed its landing. The snowy mountains in the background are clearly visible (Paolo Varriale)

In Algeria, the first military flight was conducted in Biskra on February 17, 1912 by Lieutenant Maxime de Lafargue, using this Farman-type 1911.

The first airplane to reach Biskra by train in 1911, this Maurice Farman type 1911 with 50hp engine.The pilot in the picture is Lt Jolain, on the camel is Lt Cheutin. (Collection Pierre Jarrige).

Henri Farman HF 20 n°68 used by Lt Cheutin, Biskra, 1913.

Henri Farman HF 20 (unknown no.) flown by Unteroffitser (adjutant) Alphonse Poire, assigned to the squadron reserved for the command of the 2nd Russian Army (2nd AAO) in January 1915.

Henri Farmans HF 20 from Biskra, during their propaganda raid across North Africa, seen here in Tozeur (Tunisia) on February 27, 1913. (Collection Pierre Jarrige)

A Henri Farman HF 20 taking off from Biskra in 1913. (Collection Pierre Jarrige)

The Henri Farmans from Biskra are now in Colomb Bechar (Algeria, near Moroccan border). (Collection Pierre Jarrige).

Lieutenant Etienne Cheutin was one of the first military pilots of the French airforce. He conducted a raid from Biskra to Tunis with 3 other pilots on February 1913 at the commands of a Henri Farman HF 20. In 1917, with the rank of commandant (Major), he was named commanding officer of the aviation in Morocco. He ended his career in 1934 with the rank of General.

Another French aircraft serving in large numbers in Russian units at the beginning of the war, this Henri Farman HF 20. (Coll Alan Dukota)

Farman F.41 (serial unknown), escadrille F.301 (541), Foum Tataouine, 1916. The Arabic writing means "I throw fire".

Farman F.40, Escadrille 546 or 547, Biskra 1918.

Farman F.40 n°3197, Escadrille F.7,Tecuci, summer 1917.

Farman F.40 n°3236, Escadrille F.2, Onesti, summer 1917.

Old Farmans were still in use in 1919, before being replaced by Breguet 14s. The two Farmans shown there are in Colomb-Bechar in 1919.

F.40 at Sfax, Tunisia, probably also of Escadrille 490. Renaud.
Another F.41 of escadrille F.301, carrying the threat "I throw fire". (Coll Jack Herris)

F.40 at Sfax, Tunisia, probably of Escadrille 490. This escadrille later became a G.6 unit designated G 490.
Near the high ranking officer in white dress in Captain Maxime de Lafarge, commanding officer of escadrille F.301. The Farman F.410 behind him carries a threat written in Arabic on the front of the fuselage. (Coll Jack Herris)

The caption of the photo say, lieutenant Marcel Simian, commanding officer of escadrille 547, stands in front of his "Blue plane", a Farman F.40, in Biskra during the month of November 1917.

On April 1918, General Nivelle (right), former chief of staff of French Army and then military governor of French North Africa, visits the oasis of Biskra and the Farmans of escadrilles 546 and 547. (Marcel Simian)

Armed cars in front of Farmans from escadrille 541 in Tunisia 1917

General Nivelle visits Escadrille 547 in 1918

Farman F.40 of escadrille F.306 in Biskra, April 1917 (Marcel Simian).

Escadrille 547 made a propaganda tour across Algeria during Spring 1917. This Farman is seen here on August 8, 1917, during a stopover in Biskra. (Marcel Simian)

The governor of Sahara visits Biskra on June 1917 and inspects the Farmans from escadrilles 546 and 547. (Marcel Simian)

Note the colorful decoration of some Farmans - the one on the left seems painted all red, the one on the right wears color stripes. (Marcel Simian)

On April 16, 1917, the Farmans from escadrille F.306 carried out a raid from Biskra to Laghouat and Gahardaia, two oasis in the middle of Sahara.

Each time the Farmans land in the desert, all the local population comes to see those strange birds.

This photo of General Nivelle's visit is particularly interesting because it allows to compare the difference in shades of the Farmans seen in the background. In the foreground, a particularly decorated Caudron G.4. (Marcel Simian)

The governor of Sahara visits Biskra on June 1917 and inspects the Farmans from escadrilles 546 and 547. (Marcel Simian)

Farman at Ghardaia April 1917

Farman F.40, Escadrille 546 or 547, Biskra 1918.

The city of Bacau, flown over by a French Farman in early 1917. The dictator Ceaucescu having remodeled the historical city center of this city as well as many others, there is little left today of the streets and buildings appearing on the photo, except for the Saint Nicolae church which is on the right on the square in the center of the photo (Coll Passot-Seguin)

Farman F40 (n°4414) of escadrille F.558, Tadla, Morocco, 1918. Barely visible within the circle on the side of the fuselage is the squadron symbol, an owl perched on a branch. The skull and crossbones on the front of the fuselage is a personal insignia.

Detachment of escadrille F.552 in Sidi Lamine, Morocco, February 1918.

Pilots and observers of escadrille F.554 pose in front of one of their Farman F.40s (???), Marrakech, Morocco, circa 1918. Note the Fatima hand in a moon crescent drawn on the plane.

S/Lt Leon Boittiaux aboard a Farman F.40 of the 27th KAO on the Russian front during the winter of 1916-1917. He is sitting in the front seat of the observer. (Coll Albin Denis)

During this time, on the front, the airmen of the 27th KAO took an oath to the new Russian constitution adopted after the Tsar's ouster. The aircraft are Farman F.40 equipped with skis (Coll. Albin Denis)

Farman F.40 n°3236 of escadrille F.2 at Onesti, seen in the spring of 1917. This is the personal aircraft of sergent Joseph Coste de Triquerville, who decorated it with a personal insignia, a hand holding a club, and gave it the nickname "La Trique" ("The club") in relation to his surname (DR).

The Farman F.40 n°3197 of escadrille F.5 is decorated with a legendary figure of the Romanian nation, Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul), Prince of Wallachia and hero of the fight against the Turks at the end of the 16th century (DR)

Farman F.40 with unknown serial number decorated with an angry Oran-Outang. It is an aircraft of the F.4 squadron stationed at Tecuci (DR)

Caporal William Billon du Plan (2nd left) of escadrille F.7 squadron poses with French and Romanian squadron mates in front of Farman F.40 n°3233 (DR)

Farman F.40 with Romanian cockades on its nose in a snowy field... A symbol of all Romanian aviation at the beginning of year 1918: left on her own with the departure of the French. (Coll. Emmanuel de Vachon)

FBA Gnome 90 hp (type C) n°39 from CAM Venise usually flown by lieutenant de vaisseau Jean Louis Conneau, San Andrea Island, Summer 1915.

FBA Gnome 90 hp (type C) n°54 from CAM Venise usually flown by enseigne de vaisseau Jean Roulier, San Andrea island, Summer 1915.

FBA Gnome 90 hp (type C) n°94 from CAM Venise flown by enseigne de vaisseau Andre Vaugeois, San Andrea Island, June 1916. Vaugeois was captured in this plane.

One might think that this is a photo of Lieutenant de vaisseau Jean Louis Conneau (in light-colored shirt and suspenders facing the camera) at the CAM Venise. But this is not the case: this is Lake Garda, whose northern end was occupied by Austrian troops. The Italian army hastily created a small seaplane squadron and bought FBAs from France. Conneau, an employee of the firm, delivered them in July 1915 (Passot-Seguin Collection)

As early as September 1915, the French FBA 100 hp were equipped with a machine gun fixed on an improvised removable carriage. However, its limited range will limit its effectiveness in combat against Austrian aircraft. (ARDHAN)

Ensign Jean Roulier, a young maritime pilot, poses in front of his personal FBA coded 10 in July 1915. This pilot became famous for his bombing attack on an Austrian submarine on July 1, 1915, the event making the front page of Italian newspapers (Passot-Seguin Collection)

View of the FBA of Ensign Vaugeois, lying on the quay in Trieste after his capture. Gottfried Banfield invited the French pilot to the table of his squadron where he and his pilots toasted his bravery. (Paolo Varriale)

Launching of a 100 hp FBA 100 hp (Type C) on the island of San Andrea, the aircraft coded "2" of Lieutenant Jean Louis Conneau, a famous pre-war civilian pilot known even in Italy for having won the 1911 Paris-Rome race on his Bleriot (Passot-Seguin Collection)

In June 1915, a squadron of 6 FBA 100 hp seaplanes of the French Navy was installed on the island of San Andrea, which officially became the CAM Venise in 1916. The seaplanes were housed in a large hangar next to a channel, formerly used for torpedo tests. (Passot-Seguin collection)

FBA Hispano 150 hp (type H) no 308 from CAM Venise flown by enseigne de vaisseau Jean Roulier, San Andrea Island, August 1916. Roulier was killed in this plane with his observer, quartier-maitre Auguste Costerousse.

FBA Hispano 150 hp (type H) n°310 from CAM Venise flown by second maitre Jacques Dudos, San Andrea Island, August 1916. Piloted by second maitre Jacques Dudos with quartier-maitre August Le Men as observer, this flying boat was shot down by Banfield but survived and was towed back to Venice. After repairs, it flew again with the nickname “Chichourlette comes back anyway"

Entered in the inventory in September 1916, FBA n°329 coded H7 is the usual mount of second maitre Eugene le Guennec, who is about to take off from the San Andrea channel (Paolo Varriale)

Ensign Jean Roulier examines his FBA 150 hp, just before his last flight on August 15, 1916, where he will be shot down by Banfield's fighter Lohner in the Gulf of Trieste (SHD)

After the accident of October 31, the CAM Venize had plenty of FBA 150 hp Hispano, which can be seen here lined up along the San Andrea channel. But there were only four pilots left to fly them, in addition to its new commander and sole officer, Enseigne de vaisseau Woltz, who himself was killed in action on April 17, 1917 (Paolo Varriale).

Wreck of the FBA 150 hp Hispano n°308 of ensign Jean Roulier, towed by the Austro-Hungarian sailors and brought back in Trieste. Only the body of Roulier was recovered by Italian sailors, while the observer, quartier-maitre Auguste Costerousse, disappeared in the sea. (Paolo Varriale)

A crater, a burnt piece of hull and a tattered hangar, that's what we find on this picture taken after October 31, 1916 when the accidental explosion of a bomb that was being loaded on the FBA 150 hp n°321 killed LV Reynaud (CAM Venise's commanding officer), EV Emile Hariat (observer), 13 French and 3 Italian sailors, plus 8 French and 9 Italian wounded. The CAM Venise was decimated and began its long decline... (Paolo Varriale)

The first victorious pilot and future ace of Russian aviation, Poruchik (Lieutenant) Alexander Kazakov, a pilot with the 4th KAO, succeeded on March 31,1915 in shooting down an enemy two-seater aboard his Morane G No. 316, which he had equipped with a grappling hook fitted with explosives. He actually hit his target more or less unintentionally and left his own landing gear behind, but managed to return with his damaged aircraft. Kazakov later became the head of the main fighter group of the Russian Air Force and crossed the path of French pilots who came to Russia several times. (DR)

Another surprise for the French aviators of the Berger mission, the discovery of outdated equipment, such as this Morane parasol which was withdrawn from French units at the end of 1915 and which is still in service nearly a year later in Russia (Leon Boittiaux, coll. Albin Denis)

A Morane Parasol of the Romanian Army Air Corps (Corpul de Aviatie) takes part in a military parade in May 1916, before the country entered the war, which had about forty aircraft, half of which were in flying condition (SHD).

In parallel to the action of the N 581 and SOP 582 squadrons, the war of the 1916 Berger mission continued... And so do their losses. Here, a Morane LA crushed on July 23,1917 by pilot Jean Robinet, from the Odessa factory (Coll. Albin Denis)

Nieuport monoplane flown by lieutenant Albert Fequant in 1911 in Senegal.

Nieuport IV monoplanes decorated with Russian roundels at the beginning of the war. With nearly 300 locally produced or imported aircraft, the Nieuport IV was the first aircraft to serve in the Russian Imperial Air Force (Coll Michel Benichou)

The IVAK organized a great national subscription to provide Russia with a military aviation. The logo of the association is on the front of the hangar, which houses a model of Nieuport IV, the French monoplane which received the largest public order from the Russian state in 1912. (DR)

Nieuport XH "NB1" with 100 hp Clerget engine began its career in Brindisi, then came in March 1916 to Port-Said and finished its career in Argostoli.

Nieuport hydro NB2 Type X Clerget 100 hp

Profile of the Nieuport seaplane of the Escadrille de Brindisi, equipped with a 100 hp Clerget engine.

The Nieuport NB2, taken out of its hangar and launched in the port of Brindisi from where it flew for a maritime patrol. (ARDHAN)

View of the Nieuport coded "NB 3"of the Brindisi squadron, which carried out maritime patrols south of the Italian boot from September 1915 to January 1916. It was equipped with three Nieuport seaplanes and a prototype Caudron seaplane (Paolo Varriale).

Nieuport 10 no 251 of sous-lieutenant Louis Brullard, escadrille N 92/I, Mestre, Fall 1915. One of the first Nieuports used by the unit, a two-seater.

Nieuport 10 no 388 of sous-lieutenant Georges Lachmann, escadrille N 92/I, Mestre, then Venice Lido, December 1915.

Nieuport 10 No. 711 flown by Podporuchik (second lieutenant) O.P. Pankratev (pilot) and Second Lieutenant Henri Laurent (gunner), of the 5th fighter squadron (5th Aviatsionniy Otryad Istrebitelei), shot down on September 5, 1916 by a German two-seater near Lake Drysvaty in the Dvinsk region.

Nieuport 10 of escadrille N 92/1 flying over the Venice lagoon. The squadron left its Mestre airfield for the Lido on December 11, 1915 (SHD)

On August 15, 1915, four Nieuport 10s and as many pilots, plus the squadron leader of N 92/1, Captain De Chalonge, set up on the Mestre airfield, on the shoreline west of Venice (SHD)

The Nieuport 10s of the N 92/1 squadron were mostly used as single-seat fighters, but others were used as two-seaters. Their strength quickly increased to six aircraft in line in October. (Gallica)

On November 18,1915, the first effective intervention of escadrille N 92/1 took place, when Second Lieutenant Georges Lachmann (on the right in the picture) succeeded in shooting down Lohner L 59, which he managed to damage. Lachmann left Venice in March 1916 to fight at Verdun. He finished the war with a total of 8 air victories, 5 of which were on the Russian front (SHD).

Nieuport 11 n°1413 of Adjudant James Texier (Escadrille N.3, 3 victories), the only French pilot of the Romanian mission killed in air combat.

Nieuport 11 no 1404 of Adjudant Andre Melin, escadrille N 392, Cascina Farello, Oct 1916.

Nieuport 11 n°1405 of Lt Rene Chambe, provisional defense squadron of Bucharest, September 1916.

Nieuport 11 no 1413 of corporal Henri Manchoulas, Escadrille N.3, Tecuci early 1917. Manchoulas won 3 confirmed victories on the Romanian front.

Nieuport 11 (serial unknown) of Captain Maurice Gond, leader of escadrille N.3 and holder of 2 air victories.

View of the Nieuport 11 n°1405 of Capt. Rene Chambe at Onesti in early 1917. At the end of 1916, the aircraft was wearing the pennant of the French N12 squadron, which seems to have been removed here, but the aircraft may have been re-covered. Later in 1917, the order was given to display the Romanian colors on the aircraft, which in practice consisted of painting the white of the French roundels in yellow. (Coll Emmanuel de Vachon)

Lt Rene Chambe, photographed here on the Pipera field near Bucharest, was alone in his attempt to oppose the incursions of the enemy bombers attacking the capital. He is seen here on his Nieuport 11 n°1405 which he decorated with the blue and white pennant of escadrille N 12 squadron, his former unit. The photo was published in the Romanian press which reported that he managed to disperse a formation of enemy bombers (Coll. Emmanuel de Vachon)

Promoted to the rank of captain and appointed head of the N.1 fighter squadron, Rene Chambe (center) touches the propeller of one of the Nieuport 11s of his unit, stationed near Onesti in early 1917.

Nieuport 11 of Sergeantul Nicolae Manescu, of N.1 Squadron. This aircraft was a reconditioned aircraft delivered to Romania (Coll Jack Herris)

Nieuport fighter of Sergent Henri Manchoulas on patrol along the Putna River, May 23, 1917, photographed by a Farman it was escorting. Moments later, attacked by an enemy aircraft, Manchoulas was wounded in the head and had his machine gun destroyed, but remained to protect the Farman. He was awarded the military medal for this feat (DR).

On February 14, 1917, S/Lt Charles Rivol-Tissot and Corporal Henri Manchoulas shot down a German aircraft in their lines and landed beside their victim. The Nieuport n°1413 of Corporal Manchoulas is seen here, on the left of the cockpit, surrounded by soldiers of the 4th Russian Army who witnessed the air combat (SHD)

Pilots from French-Romanian escadrille N.3 around March 1917. From left to right: sergent Henri Manchoulas (3 victories), adjudant Charles Revol-Tissot (2 victories, +1 won in France), capitaine Maurice Gond (2 v.), adjudant James Texier (3 v, killed on August 16, 1917), caporal Maurice Theron (1 v.), sergent Francois Terry (SHD)

Capitaine Maurice Gond, commanding officer of escadrille N.3, in front of his Nieuport decorated with an archer (SHD)

Adjudant Charles Revol-Tissot holding a Romanian pilot by the shoulder, in front of a Nieuport 11 which could be the latter's. In fact, in a correspondence written in the 1960s, Revol-Tissot indicated that his personal Nieuport was decorated with a red five-pointed star (DR).

On December 7, 1916, Adjudant Andre Melin completely missed his landing and destroyed his Nieuport 11 in the lagoon. The pilot would be sent to hospital. (SHD)

Nieuport 12bis n°2127 of Capitaine Rene Robert, N 392, Venice-Lido, 1917.

Escadrille F.556 owned a Nieuport section. One of these planes visited Colomb Bechar in 1918. (Collection Pierre Jarrige). (Coll Jack Herris)

Flight Lieutenant G.A Cox departing for Romania on October 25, 1916, aboard his Nieuport 12 serial 8524 (and bearing French serial number 1421) (Coll. Cross and Cockade)

On the Mudros field, lined up in front of the airship, the three Nieuport 12s bearing RNAS serials n°8524 (French serial n° 1421, Flt Lt G.A. Cox's plane), 8514 (Flt SLt H.V. Reid) and 8525 (French serial n° 1422, Flt Lt A.F.F. Jacob) in 1916, with an SS type airship in the background. (Coll. Cross and Cockade)

Nieuport 17 n°2592 of the N 581 squadron based in Kolotche (currently Holocha, Ukraine) and flown by Warrant Officer Paul Jalaguier, mid-June 1917. The aircraft is equipped with Le Prieur fuses.

Nieuport 21 n°1953 of Marechal des Logis Edouard Corniglion (2 victories), escadrille N 392, Venice-Lido, 1916-1917.

Nieuport 23 n°2066 of Sous-Lieutenant Pierre de Jumilhac, N 392, Venice-Lido, 1916-1917.

Nieuport 23 n°2100 of Sergent Ivan Marcou, N 392, Venice-Lido, 1917.

Nieuport 23 n°2750 of Sergent Andre Levy (6 victories), N 561, Venice-Lido, 1917.

Nieuport 23 n°2756 of Sous-Lieutenant Jean Bignon (1 victory), N 561, Venice-Lido, 1917.

Nieuport 23 n°2903 of Aspirant Marcel Robert (3 victories, including 1 in Venice), N 561, Venice-Lido, 1917.

Nieuport 23 n°3341 of Lieutenant Frederic Loiseau, N 561, Venice-Lido 1917.

Nieuport 23 n°3363 of Marechal des Logis Edouard Corniglion (2 victories), N 561, Lido 1917.

Nieuport 23 n°3678 of Marechal des Logis Henri Boyer, N 561, Venice-Lido, 1917.

Nieuport 23 (serial unknown) of Sous-Lieutenant Jean Darbos, N 561, Venice-Lido, 1917.

Nieuport 23 (serial unknown) of Sous-Lieutenant Xavier Garros (1 victory), N 561, Venice-Lido, 1917.

Nieuport 23 (serial unknown) of Lieutenant Daniel Chambariere, N 561, Venice-Lido 1917.

Nieuport 17s of the N 581 squadron guarded by a sentry at Kolotche (today Holhocha, Ukraine) where the unit settled on June 20, 1917, just before the Kerenski offensive (Coll. Albin Denis)

The field of Jezerzany is also occupied by the 1st Combat Group of the Russian Air Force (1st BAG), gathering three fighter squadrons, and led by Captain Alexander Kazakov. While the staff aircraft (the four planes in the foreground) bear a black skull and crossbones on a white background, those of the 19th KAO bear the same skull and crossbones with white reversed colors on a black background. In the background, 6 Nieuports of the 4th KAO can be seen wearing a white six-pointed star on a red background, then, barely visible, the aircraft of the 2nd KAO wearing a yellow ace of spades on a black background, or vice versa. (Coll Jack Herris)

Close-up view of Nieuport 23 n°3363 of MdL Edouard Comiglion. Very fluent in Italian language, he decorated his aircraft with the Italian imprecation "Ocio! Fiol d'un can" which translates as "Beware, son of a dog" (Paolo Varriale)

Close-up view of Nieuport 23 n°3363 of MdL Edouard Comiglion. Very fluent in Italian language, he decorated his aircraft with the Italian imprecation "Ocio! Fiol d'un can" which translates as "Beware, son of a dog" (Paolo Varriale)

View of the hangars of the Lido airfield, base of escadrille N 561, at the end of the summer of 1917. One can see three Nieuport 23s on alert: lieutenant Frederic Loiseau's n°3361 "Elefante Nero", marechal des logis Edouard Corniglion's n°3363 "Ocio - Fiol d'un can", and sergent Ivan Marcou's n°2100 "Rondinella". At this date, all the aircraft of the squadron carry a personal decoration. (Paolo Varriale)

Views of Lieutenant Frederic Loiseau's Nieuport 23 #3361 flying over the city of Venice. His Nieuport was christened "Elefante nero", or "Angry Elephant". (SHD)

Nieuport 23 of Loiseau in flight.

A professional officer from the cavalry, as illustrated by the pilot's personal badge, aspirant Marcel Robert began his career with eight days' detention in a fortress... For refusing to be assigned to N 561, preferring to fight on the French front. He arrived in Italy on June 7, 1917, and left on his first leave in France in April 1918, ending the war at escadrille SPA 124. He won three air victories during the war, including one in Italy. He then had a long career in the French airforce (SHD).

Lieutenant Daniel Chambariere in his Nieuport 23 decorated with a very popular Italian cartoon character, the "cittadino che protesta" (the citizen who protests) that appeared on a humoristic magazine with the stories written by Oronzo Marginati, nom de plume of the writer Luigi Locatelli. "Ferma!!" means "Stop!!" in Italian. Chambariere ended the war as commanding officier of escadrille SPA 162 where he won 4 victories, having under his orders marechal des logis Corniglion, as him veteran from escadrille N 561.

Integrating N 561 on July 7,1917 in a contingent of four pilots, Sergeant Andre Levy decorated his personal Nieuport with a bulldog, a decoration that was repeated on his following aircraft. (SHD)

A French Nieuport in Jezerzany on June 21, 1917.

This Nieuport 23 (n°2582) from escadrille N 581 was damaged on landing on June 9,1917, during the Kerensky offensive. His pilot, Alberto Paolo Bucciali, was wounded. (Coll Albin Denis)

The Lido airfield is located in the enclosure of the fort guarding the entrance to the Venice lagoon. In its moat, located all around, sometimes fell clumsy pilots who missed their landing, as it is the case of sergent Henri Boyer who crashed his Nieuport 23 decorated with a Pinocchio (SHD).

Nieuport 24 n°4393 of marechal des logis Andre Loyseau de Grandmaison (1 victory), escadrille N 561, Venice-Lido, 1918.

Nieuport 24 n°4663 of Sergent Andre Levy (6 victories), escadrille N 561, Venice-Lido, early 1918.

Nieuport 24bis n°5152 of Sous-Lieutenant Gabriel Trouve, officer of the French cavalery, who always decorated his planes with horses. Escadrille N 561, Venice-Lido, early 1918.

Nieuport 24bis n°5158 of Sous-Lieutenant Jean Bignon (1 victory), escadrille N 561, Venice-Lido, early 1918.

Nieuport 24bis (serial unknown) of Sous-Lieutenant Gabriel Trouve, escadrille N 561, Venice-Lido, early 1918.

Nieuport 27 n°5182, pilot unknown, escadrille N 561, Venice-Lido, 1918.

Nieuport 27 n°5239 of marechal des logis Edouard Corniglion (2 victories), escadrille N 561, Venice-Lido, 1918.

Nieuport 27 no 5332 flown by Lieutenant Vitoux (1 victory in Italy) from escadrille 82 on February 10, 1918. Yhis unit was then based in San-Pietro-in-Gu.

Nieuport 27 n°5683 of sous-lieutenant Xavier Garros (1 victory), escadrille N 561, Venice-Lido, 1918.

Presumably in the spring of 1918, marechal des logis Andre Loyseau de Grandmaison decorated his Nieuport 24 n°4393 with a splendid dragon. He was already wearing such a decoration on his previous Nieuport 23. This pilot won a victory on August 28, 1917 by shooting down an Austrian Hansa-Brandenburg CC fighter plane in the Adriatic Sea (SHD)

Sous-lieutenant Jean Bignon, who won an aerial victory on November 17, 1917, decorated his Nieuport 24bis n°5158 with a magnificent faun playing a flute. In the background is the SPAD VII n°1068 decorated with the Elefante Nero of lieutenant Frederic Loiseau (SHD)

Nieuport 27 in aluminium livery, received by the Venice squadron at the beginning of 1918. The unidentified pilot who owned it had it decorated with a beautiful panther (Paolo Varriale)

One of the best pilots of the N 561 squadron with two certified victories, sous-lieutenant Xavier Garros poses in the Nieuport 27 received by his unit in early 1918. He had it decorated with a personal insignia, a Pinocchio head (SHD)

Photographed by a Sopwith of SOP 221 which he was escorting, the Nieuport 27 of Captain Raoul Echard, leader of escadrille N 82 and ace with 7 victories (including 3 in Italy), flew over the Piave front on February 25, 1918. Considered obsolete on the French front, the Nieuport 27 nonetheless performed well on the Italian front against an Austrian air force that was not considered very combative. (SHD)

Presumably Marechal des logis Edouard Corniglion had his last Nieuport 27 (n°5239) decorated with his favorite imprecation, "Ocio - Fiol d'un Can!" using both sides of the aircraft's fuselage, which can be seen on patrol over the Venetian Lagoon. Sick of malaria, which was endemic in the Italian lagoons at the time, Corniglion left the squadron in June 1918, having won two certified victories. He would win four more in 1940 at the controls of his Curtiss H-75, then second in command of Fighter Group III/2! Film producer, journalist, raid pilot and personal friend of Andre Malraux during the interwar period, he joined the resistance after the 1940 campaign and joined the Free French Air Force, fighting again in North Africa. Finishing with the rank of general, he became congressman and minister of transport and then of justice in the governments of the French Fourth Republic. This companion of the liberation died in 1963 (Paolo Varriale)

Salmson 2A2 (serial unknown), escadrille SAL 22, Nove-di-Bassano, Summer 1918

Salmson 2A2 no 43xx, escadrille SAL 580, Poland 1919.

Salmson 2A2 n°43xx of escadrille SAL 582 in Poland, 1919. Like all Salmsons of the serial 4000, this plane was built in the Latecoere factory of Toulouse.

During the summer of 1918, an inspection took place at Nove where the Salmson 2A2s of escadrille SAL 22 were located. In the center of the picture, in light pants, the young Prince of Wales (future Edward VIII, King of England) walks. Immediately to the right, the King of Italy Victor-Emmanuel III, then General Armando Diaz, Chief of Staff of the Italian Army. (Lugino Caliaro)

French planes given to the young Czechoslovakian air force - SPAD fighters and a Salmson 2A2 at the center of the photo, even if this two seater was not put into service against the Bolsheviks Hungarians.

SPAD VII no 283 of Lieutenant Jean de Limur, escadrille N 561, Lido, Winter 1917-1918.

SPAD VII no 338 of the N 581 squadron during the summer 1917.

SPAD VII n°1068 of Lieutenant Frederic Loiseau, escadrille N 561, Venice-Lido, early 1918.

SPAD VII (serial unknown) of lieutenant Honore de Bonald (5 victories), escadrille SPA 69.

SPAD VII of S/Lt Georges Lachmann decorated with his personal question mark. This is most likely the aircraft with which he won his first official victory on September 1, 1917, from the Kamianets-Podolsk airfield.

SPAD VII (serial unknown) of Capitaine Georges Lachmann, escadrille 590, Bratislava 1919.

SPAD VII of S/Lt Coudouret, Kamianets-Podolsk, fall 1917.

Another SPAD VII attributed to S/Lt Coudouret.

The field of Jezerzany is also occupied by the 1st Combat Group of the Russian Air Force (1st BAG), gathering three fighter squadrons, and led by Captain Alexander Kazakov. While the staff aircraft (the four planes in the foreground) bear a black skull and crossbones on a white background, those of the 19th KAO bear the same skull and crossbones with white reversed colors on a black background. In the background, 6 Nieuports of the 4th KAO can be seen wearing a white six-pointed star on a red background, then, barely visible, the aircraft of the 2nd KAO wearing a yellow ace of spades on a black background, or vice versa. (Coll Jack Herris)

The SPAD VII of Second Lieutenant Louis Coudouret, probably at Kamienetz-Podolsk between August 12 and November 15, 1917. (Coll Albin Denis)

Another SPAD VII of Second Lieutenant Louis Coudouret, touching with his hand the propeller of the aircraft, which was also equipped with tubes for Le Prieur rockets. (Coll Albin Denis)

View of a SPAD VII (n°338) of the N 581 squadron probably at Kamienetz-Podolsk, in autumn 1917. As is often the case with French aircraft in Russia, it bears no distinguishing marks. (Coll Albin Denis)

It was only after the battle of Caporetto, at the end of 1917, when N 561 finally receives some SPAD VII. These models have been in service for more than a year on the French front... The French high command is far from judging the Venice squadron as a priority for its supply of modern aircraft! One of the very first SPADs received, n°283, was appropriated by lieutenant Jean de Limur who decorated it with the Italian version of the Norman motto: Forse che Si, forse che no (maybe yes, maybe no). This is in fact the title of a novel published in 1910 by Gabriele d'Annunzio, a regular visitor to the squadron and himself an aviator. (SHD)

A landing by Lt. de Limur on the Lido fort shows the other part of the motto, "Forse che no". (SHD)

Sous-lieutenant Jean Bignon, who won an aerial victory on November 17, 1917, decorated his Nieuport 24bis n°5158 with a magnificent faun playing a flute. In the background is the SPAD VII n°1068 decorated with the Elefante Nero of lieutenant Frederic Loiseau (SHD)

This photo, of poor quality because it comes from the magazine "la guerre aerienne illustree", shows the SPAD VII of S/Lt Georges Lachmann landing on August 6, 1917 in Vinitsia (Ukraine) on his way back from the city of Kiev, a step among others in a hectic journey back to his squadron in Kamienets-Podolsk which he finally reached on August 8. His aircraft is decorated with his personal symbol, the question mark, and also carries an additional Lewis machine gun mount on the upper wing, which is a local DIY job as SPADs were not equipped with them. (Coll Albin Denis)

French planes given to the young Czechoslovakian air force - SPAD fighters and a Salmson 2A2 at the center of the photo, even if this two seater was not put into service against the Bolsheviks Hungarians.

Three French pilots pose in front of a SPAD VII delivered to the Romanian aviation, decorated with the name Marasesti - the famous Romanian battle of year 1917.

These photos of the wreck of SPAD VII seen in May 9,1920, well after the war against Hungary, are very interesting because showing plane of the French ace Georges Lachmann, decorated with his personal marking, the question mark.

View of Georges Lachmann's SPAD VII on June 26, 1917, or what is left of it, after it crashed into some trees, after having flamed a Russian sausage...! (Coll Jack Herris)

SPAD XI n°6123 of sergent Seraphin Rapello, escadrille N 561, Venice-Lido, 1918. N 561 always kept a section of two-seaters for strategic reconnaissance missions.

View of the aircraft of N 561 lined up on the Lido airfield, in January 1919, shortly before the squadron was disbanded. In the foreground, the two two-seater SPAD XVIIs (XIs ???) of the squadron intended for long-range reconnaissance missions. An examination of the fighters in the background shows that the unit was equipped with half SPAD VIIs and XIIIs, and half Nieuport 27s, aircraft that were considered obsolete and relegated to second lines units. (SHD)

SPAD XIII n°4764 of marechal des logis Andre Levy (6 victories), escadrille N 561, Venice-Lido, October 1918.

Polish pilot in front of his SPAD XIII just delivered by the French. On the foreground, a Breguet 14.

After his 5th balloon destroyed, sergent Levy was not lucky, as his plane was hit by flak and had to land in the enemy lines where he deliberately wrecked his plane. The photo, taken by Austrian soldiers, shows the personal decoration of his SPAD XIII n°4789: a bulldog head, drawn in memory of a dog he owned and liked. (Paolo Varriale)

Tellier 200 hp Hispano n°27 of CAM Bizerte, Early 1918. In this time, the Center had "H" as identification letter.

Tellier 200 hp Hispano n°124 of CAM Bizerte, mid 1918. In this time, the identification letter of the Center switched to"Z".

10 worn-out Voisin LAS from the Air Depots of Armee d'Orient: that's all Indochina received during the war. The two little escadrilles formed, one near Hanoi and one in Saigon (today Ho Chi Minh City), could make only very few flights.

Voisin LA of the Corpul de Aviatie in 1916.

The French pilots and observers of the Berger mission are distributed among the Russian squadrons, where they discover very rustic living conditions. Second Lieutenant Boittiaux photographed this Voisin LAS stuck in what seems to be a barely thawed pond. (Leon Boittiaux, coll. Albin Denis)

Voisin VII from escadrille 302 in Taza, on December 1916.

A less successful version of the aircraft, the Renault 8Gc 170hp-powered Voisin VII was sent to North Africa, seen as a secondary front.This plane was used by commandant Cheutin to cross the Atlas mountains from the airfield of Meknes to the city of Bou Denib in June 1917.