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| Click Here For Full Artist Print Indexes | Aviation History Archive |
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Aviation Art Prints  Articles and Reports  The First Aerial Victory |
[UP] - Battle of Britain - The Dambusters Story - The First Aerial Victory - Posters vs Prints - How Original Aviation Art is Produced - WW2 Aces Centrepiece Painting - Latest Releases |
| Pilot Joseph Frantz and his observer Louis Quénault have the unique distinction of recording the first ever aerial victory by an aircraft using weaponry. On 5th October 1914, Quénault used magazines of ammunition of the machine gun mounted on their Voisin III craft, with its incredibly primitive appearance, and continued with rifle fire once it had failed. Their prey, an Aviatik returned fire, but was observed to crash into trees following the combat - the first recorded aircraft to be shot down by another. |
| A photograph of Joseph Frantz (left) and his observer Louis Quénault, standing by the tail of their Voisin III aircraft. |
| This note describes the action of the first aerial victory. |
| A photo of Joseph Frantz long after World War One. |
| This is the original source of the signature we feature on our website. As can be seen, this is a philatelic first day cover, and was also signed by the noted German WW1 balloon aviator Friedrich Stahl, presumably at the same event - the postmark is dated 9th September 1971, both Stahl and Frantz died in 1979. |
| Joesph Frantz was a French aviator who became widely known after one particular sortie in 1914. With his observer Louis Quénault, they flew their Voisin III aircraft on the 5th October 1914 into history books when they engaged an enemy Aviatik aircraft. Using his altitude advantage to position his aircraft as close as possible to the German craft, Frantz gave his gunner the opportunity to fire their Hotchkiss machine gun with a good chance of success. When the gun jammed after a few rounds, and with the enemy aircraft now returning fire, Quénault resorted to his personal rifle. It is thought he hit and killed the pilot Wilhelm Schlichting and possibly also hit the fuel tank. There were many witnesses on the ground, mostly French troops, and descriptions vary as to what happened next. Did the aircraft turn over and explode, or did it just come down in trees out of control after the pilot was killed? The Aviatik certainly crashed into trees, and the observer - Fritz von Zangen was killed. No aircraft had ever shot down another in combat before this day, and the French were quick to celebrate the victory. Joseph Frantz received the Légion d'Honneur and Louis Quénault was awarded the Médaille Militaire. Perhaps more significantly, the age of air to air combat had arrived. Frantz would also receive the Croix de Guerre and Médaille Militaire, and was a co-founder of the 'Vieilles Tifes de l'Aéronautique' (eng, Old Stems of Aviation) in 1926. He died in 1979. |
| Joseph Frantz was the co-founder of an aviation history society - this photo is presumably from one of their meetings or events. |
| This note contains details of the French aviators and the feat they are best known for. |
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| Text for the above items : |
The First Victory by Ivan Berryman. Pilot Joseph Frantz and his observer Louis Quénault have the unique distinction of recording the first ever aerial victory by an aircraft using weaponry. On 5th October 1914, Quénault used magazines of ammunition of the machine gun mounted on their Voisin III craft, with its incredibly primitive appearance, and continued with rifle fire once it had failed. Their prey, an Aviatik returned fire, but was observed to crash into trees following the combat - the first recorded aircraft to be shot down by another. |
Clipped Signature - Joseph Frantz. Joesph Frantz was a French aviator who became widely known after one particular sortie in 1914. With his observer Louis Quénault, they flew their Voisin III aircraft on the 5th October 1914 into history books when they engaged an enemy Aviatik aircraft. Using his altitude advantage to position his aircraft as close as possible to the German craft, Frantz gave his gunner the opportunity to fire their Hotchkiss machine gun with a good chance of success. When the gun jammed after a few rounds, and with the enemy aircraft now returning fire, Quénault resorted to his personal rifle. It is thought he hit and killed the pilot Wilhelm Schlichting and possibly also hit the fuel tank. There were many witnesses on the ground, mostly French troops, and descriptions vary as to what happened next. Did the aircraft turn over and explode, or did it just come down in trees out of control after the pilot was killed? The Aviatik certainly crashed into trees, and the observer - Fritz von Zangen was killed. No aircraft had ever shot down another in combat before this day, and the French were quick to celebrate the victory. Joseph Frantz received the Légion d'Honneur and Louis Quénault was awarded the Médaille Militaire. Perhaps more significantly, the age of air to air combat had arrived. Frantz would also receive the Croix de Guerre and Médaille Militaire, and was a co-founder of the 'Vieilles Tifes de l'Aéronautique' (eng, Old Stems of Aviation) in 1926. He died in 1979. |
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