FBA Type H

FBA Type H

In January 1916 admiral Lacaze, the requirement for a new patrol aircraft with great range, that would help the fight against submarines decimujícím allied supply ships. Louis Schreck of course, your company should be involved also and commissioned the engineer Maurice Le Pen, a former employee of the company Gnome et Rhône, preliminary work. Schreck had planned for some time used water-cooled inline engine the Hispano-Suiza, and modified FBA type C no. 102 with the engine of the Hispano took off in the second half of the year 1915. On the construction of the actual prototype have of course participated and André Beaumont. This machine first flew in April 1916. Against the C-type had a greater range, which allowed him to up to 450 kg of cargo, the longer the bow, again in double digits, with the third position of the machine-gunner classes/observer interconnected with the main cockpit chodbičkou. The engine, which had compared the rotary gnomes higher performance at the same weight, allowed during tests the speed over 150 km/h, which is of Type H made at a given moment, the fastest seaplane, and faster even than most of the classic fighters. And while used the Hispano made around 140-160 horsepower, already a few months later it was available a variant with an output of 200 to. At the but there was a danger that it will be all production reserved for SPAD XIII, Schreck therefore tested also the possibility to use the engine of Lorraine about 160 k or Gnome Monosoupape about the same performance.

At the call of the admiralty responded by other manufacturers. Maurice Blanchard suggested for Georges Lévy big wooden biplane with the engine Lorraine. Alphonse Tellier presented the draft of the machine with a 200k engine Hispano, capable of up to 180 km/h. Tested was with great success was in the autumn of 1916 in Saint-Raphaël. And François Denhaut, the author of the first real flying boat, designed in its new business Donnet-Denhaut magnified Donnet-Lévèque with a star engine Canton-Unné, who in the summer of 1916 over the Seine reached 160 km/h. Eventually the navy ordered 200 machines from Telliera, a hundred from Denhauta (DD.2) and a Levy (in this case, but I guess they were built like a significantly more powerful Lévy 40 HB.2) and 360 machines FBA type H with engines Hispano-Suiza of 150 hp. "H" has thus become the first serial type with the engine of the Hispano in France.

To Schreck managed to satisfy all the contracts, including the ongoing production of the type C, was established the third factory in Nice, and part of the production transferred to paris race Pierre Levasseura. That in 1916 he built a hundred machines. The first production FBA type H was in may of 1916, transmitted to the CAM (Centre d'aviation Maritime) in the Fran. Dunkerque together with CAM Boulogne belonged to the Zone des Armées du Nord, under the direction of vice-admiral Pierre Alexis Ronarc'ha cover everything from the belgian border after the cape Cap d'Antifer to the north of Le Havre. A not very distant neighbour for Dunkerque so were the German submarine base in the Ostend, Zeebrugge, Brugge and Antwerp. Patrol flights were conducted for a triangular route, rarely further than 160 km from the coast, but often were marred by mist and frost. And of course enemy fighters. 5. August was a FBA D.1 (no 306) separated from his wingman and shot down Oberflugmeisterem P. Meyer and Lieutnantem Bönischem. Pilot enseigne de vaisseau Delauney and the observer quartier-maître Amossé were killed. By the end of the year were lost the other two machines – 20. August was anti-aircraft fire from Ostend hit by FBA D.6 (no 316) and 23. October was eight miles from the same port two seaplanes shot down by D.11 (no 322). Over the winter due to fewer flights, the situation has improved, but 14. April 1917 they were near Zeebrugge despite the two accompanying sopwithům shot down three fighters FBA D.8/323, and D.7/411.

And soon it was worse, mainly because of the lousy tactics. 26. may have taken off to search for the submarine, the four machines of the Dunkirk – D.7 (no 472) D.8 (462), D.10 (417) and D.11 (419). Soon they were attacked by three rumplery and exactly according to the official tactics, which should provide a better chance of survival, all the machines landed on the surface and opened fire from their lewisů. The result was an easy job for the "boše" and the loss of all four machines, the death of one of the pilots and injured the other six, only one escaped without injury. And others were captured, including one of the pioneers of the French aviation enseigne de vaisseau Paul Testeho. After this disaster contre-admiral Exemans commanded to interrupt the patrol and resumed it in July, with four fighters in each of the two patrol cars. The month before, however, the CAM Dunkerque came in the first Donnet-Denhauty 200 hp and in October have already been FBA completely replaced. The germans incidentally captured at least one FBA, which was tested in Warnemünde.

FBA fortunately, they served also in the (supposedly) safer waters. Already from the beginning of the Italian involvement in the war, France was helping out with the defense before the austrian air raids and CAM in Venice faced the aviators of the Trieste and Pula. The venetian FBA Type C (which barely deserves the plural – there were only two, plus the one Donnet-Denhaut 150 hp, all barely serviceable) were added to the first " h " in July 1916. Unfortunately, their first mission ... didn't go well. Together with four Mckee attacked 15. August machine CAM de venise offers quick access to the hangars and docks in Trieste. Here you peered FBA no 310 Linienschiffleutnant Gottfried Banfield, flying the Lohneru L-16. It is need to say more? "Le Loup Blanc" he forced his opponent to land, and then attacked the next Frenchman, no. 308, which crashed into the sea. The body of the pilot, enseigne de vaisseau Jean Rouliera, the Italians managed to fish it out, and was honorably buried in Venice. Another Italian ship then dragged FBA no 310 safe. In September, fortunately the venetian fleet, in the meantime, reduced to two Donnet-Denhauty and two FBA, added six brand new Type H. Losses continued, and in October had a base available, only six pilots and seven FBA (Donnety were meanwhile returned to France), which was added work in the form of the istrian coast, which also were put in charge. The next big disaster then caused a 22kg puma, which is released from the aircraft triggered to the surface. That killed 12 French and 3 Italians, including lieutenant de vaisseau Reynauda, unit commander, and observer enseigne de vaisseau Emile Hariata. The command then took the only remaining officer, enseigne de vaisseau André Woltz. Winter weather, although operation of the unit significantly reduce the number of aircraft is picked up again into seven pieces, but 17. April 1917 was Woltz shot down by the Austrians.

That day actually, at least he started winning when he was two Italian FBA of 252. squadron and the three French nieuport of 392. squadron shot down by austro-Hungarian flying boat K192 (OEFFAG Type K). The next moment he unleashed a real chaos, in which both parties seek to get to the crew of the downed machines, Fregattenleutnantu Johanna Plachnerovi and Seefähnrichovi Michael Chart Szechenymu, who managed to land. Soon they are on the choppy surface of the joined Italian FBA no. 9 sottocapo torpediniere Ranato Bonsembianta and capitan Paolo avogadro scientific secondary, which is when you try to pick them overturned, and nearly also FBA second-maître Duclose, which at the last moment got your machine back up and waves him only prepare an auxiliary float. Successfully landed Mckee L. 3, the crew guardia-marina Agosto Brunetta and volontario motonauta Gavone Gandola, which we collected all the flyers-swimmers of the levels, but with a load it wasn't able to take off. As the last then appeared the austrian torpedo boat Tb75, which definitively solved the who has whom taken into captivity. And this ship became fatal Weltzovi and his observer, notre-maîtremu Maurice Costemu. Their puma while smashed all the windows on the torpédovce, more damage but isn't that bad and the Austrians stricken FBA crashed into the sea. Because in Venice there was no officer in command briefly took over the second-maître Cadiou, that was in June in the end CAM de venise offers quick access concluded. The italians, fortunately, have been able to take full responsibility for their defense and the last remnants of the French could 27. June back to France.

FBA Type H served, with the exception of Portugal and Africa, also on all the other CAM, Postes de Combate and Postes de Relâche French navy, usually at much poklidnějších missions protiponorkového patrol and escort convoys of merchant ships. The biggest threat to them do not represent enemy aircraft (in these places absent), but mechanical defects. For example, FBA no. 610, belonging to CAM Toulon and bearing the bow number H.4, suffered after 90 minutes, accompanied by a convoy bound for Marseilles malfunction of the engine. Lieutnenant de vaisseau Langlet and second-maître Dien may managed to land the plane after them, the questing is of course not found and after three days was called off. Despite the fact that they had on board only slightly meal, a small bottle of rum and a bit of undrinkable water from the radiator, they managed to survive thanks to the distillation column made of the anemometer. After another nine days it is the waves brought to the shore near the corsican town of Piana.

Many of the FBA type H, of course, served to the training, and here also lasted the longest. The last were retired from the aviation school in Berre until 1922. Some machines were also used for experimentation, it is mentioned as housing the 37mm cannon to the left side of the bow of one Type H, but when the shootings tore off the entire bow (exactly the same story but also applies to type B and is therefore probably mistaken). The other, no. 102, was in February 1917 modified on amfibii, and wings, machine no. 101 was used to build kanonového fighter aircraft FBA Type D.

In Italy

When Italy entered the war, among others, began to buy the licence and the finished machines from France. The first of the Italian FBA were Type C purchased in June 1915 by the army for Sezione Idro del Lago di Garda, which during the years has conducted several reconnaissance and even bombing missions. Type H also interested in the Italian air force and before he was a fly ordered the Italians five pieces. Italian entrepreneur Lorenzo Domenico Santoni therefore, take this opportunity through your company Agenzia Generale Forniture Aeronautiche quickly bought the license you transferred to a company Società Idrovolanti Alta Italia. Here he founded 12. August, 1915, together with the brothers Capèovými, the owner of the woodworking plant in the Sesto Calende. This firm had to build most of the Italian FBA Type H, but reportedly also some Type C. The italians, of course, aware of the possible problems with the supply of engines, Hispano-Suiza, therefore, asked Schreck about the dragon for the development of the variants powered by the engine of Isotta-Fraschini on the performance of 170 horsepower. The good results of this machine, with a slightly enlarged margin, led the royal navy to the order of 48 machines from the SIAI, the first of which arrived in Venice at the end of August. At the same time 1. a squadron of seaplanes of the army air force received the first in France made machine, no 307. In September ordered an additional 15 machines, but not only that Schreck wasn't able to order to satisfy, at the time still didn't deliver even four of the originally ordered machines, and SIAI also proved by the end of October to deliver only five pieces with the engines IF to Venice, after two to Brindisi and the Walloons (today Albania), and two to flight school in the Taranto. In December I production finally started, and moreover, has created an impressive network of other manufacturers, including the company CIVES in Varazze, Gallinari in livorno, italy, Savoia and Zari in Bovisiu, Meridionali in Naples and Ducrot in the Palermo. Italian company should have together by the end of the war build 982 Type H.

The army meanwhile took over other machines from the FBA and with the help of the personnel taken over from the 1. wing has created a 2. a squadron of seaplanes, which in January 1917 moved to Grada north of Venice. It solicited the duke of d'aosta to meet, that he needed a cover for the back of your 3. armies before the austrian naval aviators. Later established 3. squadron, then was the army purchase from FBA terminated. But that wasn't the case for the royal navy and his machines with engines Isotta-Fraschini, which together with Mckee L.3 became his basic equipment. FBA carried out patrol and reconnaissance flights, the occasional raids and even launched to intercept enemy aircraft. Even though it wasn't too appropriate, gained several victories. The first took place on the 17th. April 1917, when in addition to the already mentioned OEFFAGu K192 shot down two FBA also austrian K188. This machine specifically only damaged and then had to because of your own faults, come back, badly damaged the aircraft was, however, forced to land. Eleven days later he was found in the Italians, what happened to the crew, Seefähnrichem Otto Ritter von Kubik-Meislem and Seekadettem Herbert Huberem, was never discovered. The third victory occurred 24. may, when the FBA 2026 2^o capa Vittorio Manzoni and tenente Egidia Greco shot down Lohner L137 attacking on the british monitors Earl of Petersborough, and Sir Thomas Picton.

Last sestřelem was again flying boat type K, K154 built Albatrosem. He was 7. June 1917 one of the three machines, which attacked military objects in Brindisi. Against them flew FBA tenente di vasacello Orazio Pierozziho, commander of the 255. squadron, and cannoniere Ercole Bellingeriho, and Mckee L. 3 2^o nocchiere Aldo Giannelliho and tenente di vascello Carlo Daviso di Charvensoda. The austro-Hungarian machines were already on the way back, when they saw the approaching of the Italian machines. One of the attackers perhaps mistook the approaching aircraft with the allies, he turned to them, and when he recognized his mistake, he tried to escape go into a dive. At that moment he was upstairs hit by gunfire from FBA and from the bottom of the Mckee. Engines affected the aircraft began to smoke, but then picked it bullet to the head Giannelliho and Mckee hit the right wing into the fuselage Austrian. FBA your colleagues back at the dose into the cockpit of the minimum distance, which sent K154 into the sea. The Italian torpedo boat later picked up unharmed Chief and Giannelliho body, austrian crew (Linienschiffleutnant Alois Poljanek and Stabsbootmann Prauer) wasn't found.

Rising numbers of austro-Hungarian anti-aircraft guns have shown the main problem of the aircraft FBA, specifically low altitude with a full suicide cargo. At the end of August and early September of 1917 repeatedly attacked FBA and L.3 from Venice for two battleships of the class Monarch docked in Trieste. The result were two cars damaged by gunfire, including one that got a direct hit of 102mm with a grenade, which fortunately neexplodoval. another machine is then damaged when landing in Venice. It was then not only decided to stop putting the FBA against fortified targets, but soon after were moved from Venice to the base with a smaller appearance of the enemy. During the year 1918 with the FBA in action against the enemy too engaged, 17. July, but in a supporting role participate in one of the final major battles. That day was the first time in the day attacked Pula, and flying boats 263. wing patrolovaly sea ready to pick up any downed crew.

The main activities for the FBA became the escort of convoys and anti-submarine patrol, which did not require great height or agility, but but threw their reliability and the ability to landing on a stormy sea. The importance of this already somewhat obsolete type for Italy also shows the order of June 1918 on 1000 machines, which were to supplement the losses in the defence wing (the vast majority of them, of course, was not built due to the end of the war). Most of the squadrons intended to protiponorkovému patrol was even expanded to full squadron, with the numbers from 266 up. Machines with dual control is then located in each of the flight school of the Italian navy. 20. October, 1918, had the Regia Marina at the units on the Adriatic 382 of the FBA type H, 113 around the Tyrrhenian sea and the 182 in flight schools, 22 of them were in Libya. By that time, however, the units began to also come in first SIAI WITH.8, intended to be their replacement.

After the end of the war, numbers of aircraft rapidly diminished, but the FBA did not disappear immediately. Machines in Libya were used in the bloody campaign to retake Libya, which is still partially controlled Senussijští Arabs cooperating with the Turks. In April 1919 it was in units and schools still 331 FBA, however, this number rapidly dwindled and at the end of the year, I were located only at flight schools in Portorose, Pasignanu and Vigna di Vale. A few cars got into civilian hands, three of the FBA so bought brothers Cosulichové, the operators of the hotel in Trieste, who in 1921 shortly operated sightseeing flights for their guests. Many others are then found itself with foreign users, who aircraft, nicknamed by the Italian pilots "Fate Ben Atenzione" (be very careful – not because that would be directly dangerous, but after just a few odpouštěly errors) that still managed to appreciate.

Other users

After the entry of the USA into the war, the US Navy ordered 150 FBA type H, but they were rejected due to the priorities of supplies for the French navy. Yet the "Yanks" at least loaned 11 machines (no 295-297, 801, 802, 806-808, 813-815) serving mainly to training at the stations Lacanau-Le Moutchic and Cap Ferret. Although the Americans were generally satisfied (the american report describes the hulls of the FBA as miserable processed, but still providing great performances), served relatively briefly, because they were soon pushed out by the much more numerous Donnet-Denhauty 200 ch triplace and 200 ch biplace. When the FBA no. 805, who has been in the service of the destroyed, with all the FBA after the war, returned to French hands. Other machines three machines (sometimes there are placed six, perhaps, of Italian production) deployed in Italy, which flew from the base of Porto Corsini.

Already in the spring of 1917 trying to get from Italy seaplanes FBA the british admiralty. Although the Italians had through all the above mentioned involved the factory seaplanes always in short supply, the British them supply you with a lot of other military material, including patrol "blimpů" class SS. Got four FBA, which received the designation N-1075-1078, and were delivered to 6. the wing at the base in Otranto at the end of June 1917. N1075 and N1076 flew from Otranto over the Adriatic, the first of them is of course followed the end of the year. N1076, however in Otranto flew in April 1918. Other machines Italian ship Isonzo and transported them to Malta, where they were serving from port Kalafarna. Even N1078 not too long career. 8. August took off for the anti-submarine mission, near the libyan Misuraty was, however, forced to land and the waves brought him to shore, where the crew fell into captivity protureckých Arabs. Abandoned machine then he was for sure blown Italian torpedo boat Orion. The last british FBA type H, N1077, 20. August southeast of Malta attacked an enemy submarine. First Lieutenant W. M. Tait and And. M. Clark on the submarine dropped 65lb cougar and saw her sink to the level of the course in a reasonable time back, it is therefore possible that sank.

Due to the number of the produced FBA is logical that to get to many other smaller users. One of the first users to happen, for example, the belgian military air force. It gained five machines from its French ally and served with Escadrille Hydravions in the Calais. Their engines Hispano-Suiza 8Aa were by the way in the service of the replaced 180k engines 8Ab. The first combat flight was 12. December 1917, and the belgian FBA usually over the English channel flying together with their French counterparts. With them you also claim two (permanently) the sunken submarine, the first in march 1918 and the other 11. August. For this event, five members of crews awarded, and one of these five, Tony Orta, he even had 5. July the honour cross with the king Albert to the british Folkestownu, in FBA no. 4, while the FBA no. 1 took his wife, queen Elizabeth. the unit was eventually disbanded 4. December 1918. The only surviving FBA Type H is just one of these belgian and is exposed in the royal military museum in Brussels.

I guess in 1921, were from Italy to the Spanish military air force purchased the first FBA Type H for training at a base in Los Alcázares. In February 1922 there were only two, were, however, according to the base commander Alfredo Kindelán y Duany (later the commander of franco's air force) so cheap and good quality, that general Francisco Echagüe Santoya, commander of the air force, recommended the purchase of four others, and overall, the Spaniards eventually used at least eight machines FBA type H. These machines were standard practice seaplane in Los Alcázares at least until 1927, when still flying machines 3, 4 and 6. The following year, then they were finally replaced by new Mckee M.18 ranking in Barcelona. By the way one of the instructors here was Vsevolod Marchenko, who also later flew in the rebel service, and in 1937 was his Ju 52 shot down by a soviet "advisor" Ivan Jerjomenkem. In 1922 from Italy three additional machines received the kingdom of SHS, where flew with the N numbers.13i, 14i and 15i, of course, mainly as practice until 1926, replaced by were domestic Ikarusy ŠM. Yugoslavia, respectively Serbia, received on three other machines – one Italian FBA type H crashed in Kumboru in October 1918, another landed in the same year in the Bay of Kotor and the third crashed in Crkvenici in 1922. What happened to them but they don't know, perhaps they were used for spare parts. Other european users then it was Estonia, which was one piece, and Finland, which are also likely to obtain one. More is unfortunately not known.

Among non-users belonged to Peru, which gained three " h " from the French military mission in 1919, and finally Uruguay. 26. October 1922 he devoted montevidejský businessman Domingo Zambra type H Italian production flight school, uruguayan army Escuela Militar de Aviación, This machine, named after its donátorovi and having supposedly the engine capacity of 220 horsepower, was the local workshops adapted to the amfibii to zvedatelným wheel chassis, the wheels rode up and down in čtvrtkruhovém recess in the side of the fuselage. "Zambra" served until at least 1927. A final good night then use seaplane FBA in the service of an air carrier Ad Astra Aero, founded in February 1920. In the same year the swiss company has registered three of course in Italy made FBA purchased from war surpluses, CH-14, CH-17 and CH-18. With them then operated a charter and mail flights, and also aerial photography. A total of was built over 1400 FBA Type H, more than any other seaplane of the first world war. Followed by were 1200 Curtissy HS-1 and HS-2, which were built up to 1924, and a number of Donnet-Denhaut with about 1100 pieces.

Varriale, Paolo. The FBA Type H, Windsock Datafile 124. Albatros Publications, Berkhamsted 2007.
Davilla, James J. Soltan, Arthur M. French Aircraft of the First World War. Flying Machines Press, Stratford 1997. ISBN 0-9637110-1-0.
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