Warbirds Online » Blog Archive » This Week In Military Aviation History: 9-15 April

Hello Folks, Boy, I’ll tell ya, these weeks are just flying by! (no pun intended) Old Man Winter just doesn’t want to let go, does he? BAH! Friday is Appreciation Day at the Historical Aircraft Group Museum from 1200 to 1400 hours. (12:00 to 2:00). If you’re in the neighborhood at that time, feel free to drop in. Tell ‘em Tom K. sent ya….on second thought, don’t, they may ask you to leave. (Just kidding, Folks)
Be Safe,
Tom K.

11 April 1911
The U.S. Army’s first permanent flying school was established at College Park, Md.

Lieutenants T.D. Milling and Henry H. Arnold were ordered to Dayton, Ohio for flying instructions.

12 April 1911
Lieutenant T. Gordon Ellyson became the first pilot in the United States Navy.

11 April 1915
The prototype German Zeppelin-Staaken VG01 heavy bomber flew for the first time. This later became the Zeppelin-Stakken R1.

12 April 1917
Breguet 14s were introduced into service with French squadrons on the Western Front.

12 April 1918
German Gotha bombers bombed Paris, hitting a hospital and killing a mother, baby and a nurse. Bombs also exploded in the city and northern suburbs. A further attack that night left 26 dead and 72 injured.

14 April 1918
The 94th Aero (Pursuit) squadron became the first American unit to engage in combat when Lieutenants Douglas Campbell and Alan Winslow, flying Nieuport 28s, shot down two German aeroplanes and captured the pilots.

12 April 1935
The first successful flight of the Bristol Blenheim light bomber prototype took place. It was the first all-metal cantilever monoplane with stressed-skin construction.

9 April 1940
German forces overran and occupied Denmark.

The Germans invasion of Norway included the use of paratroop assaults on Oslo and Stavanger.

11 April 1940
The RAF raided Stavanger airfield on Norway’s west coast.

9 April 1941
An agreement was reached between the Danish government in exile and the United States, allowing the United States to build and operate airfields in Greenland.

The RAF attacked Keil in an attempt to knock out port facilities.

11 April 1941
Bristol was bombed by the Luftwaffe.

15 April 1941
The Luftwaffe kept up its air offensive by attacking Belfast.

10 April 1942
RAF Bomber Command dropped the first 2,000 pound bomb during a night raid on Essen.

12 April 1942
USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and North American B-25 Mitchells based in Australia made the first attack against Japanese shipping and installations in the Philippines.

10 April 1944
The RAF dropped a record 3,600 tons over northern France.

11 April 1944
An RAF Mosquito raid hit the Gestapo headquarters in the Hague.

15 April 1944
Prior to the Allied invasion of Northern France, a program of air attacks on all forms of enemy transport was given priority.

10 April 1945
The last wartime sortie over the United Kingdom was made by an Arado Ar 234B reconnaissance aircraft operating from Norway.

During the 8th Air Force’s largest raid to date (1,232 bombers) on targets in the Berlin area, the USAAF lost 19 bombers and 8 fighters to German Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters.

The RAF attacked Kiel.

11 April 1945
In a last-ditch attempt to stop the American advance, Kamikaze aircraft attacked the U.S. fleet off Okinawa. The aircraft carrier ENTERPRISE was seriously damaged.

12 April 1945
The destroyer USS MANNERT L. ABELE was sunk by a Japanese Ohka suicide aircraft off Okinawa.

15 April 1951
It was announced that production of the RB-45 Tornado four-engined jet bomber by North American Aviation Inc. was to cease.

11 April 1952
No. 14 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, equipped with de Havilland Vampire
jet fighters, was stationed with British forces in the Middle East area.

15 April 1952
The YB-52 made its first flight.

9 April 1959
The world’s largest plastic balloon, 240 ft. in diameter was launched.

13 April 1960
Major R.M. White became the first USAF pilot to fly the X-15 rocket research aircraft.

12 April 1961
The Soviet Union launched Vostok 1 into earth orbit from Baikonur in Western Siberia and Flight Major Yuri Alexeyvich Gagarin became the first man in space. He landed successfully after one orbit of the Earth. The flight time was 1 hour 48 minutes.

12 April 1966
The first SAC B-52 bombers struck targets in North Vietnam.

10 April 1975
The B-1 Lancer aircraft attained supersonic flight for the first time.

14-15 April 1986
During Operation Eldorado Canyon, United States Navy aircraft, supported by General Dynamics F-111F bombers and EF-111A electronic warfare aircraft flying from bases in Great Britain, attacked targets and Libya. The raid came as a retaliation for terror attacks carried out with suspected Libyan support.

12 April 1988
The first F-16C/D Fighting Falcon was delivered to Luke AFB, Ariz.

14 April 1994
Two Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter were shot down by friendly fire from USAF McDonnell Douglas f-14 Eagles in the Iraqi “no-fly” zone when they were mistaken for Iraqi “Hinds”.

9 April 1996
The EMD Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor was rolled out.

9 April 1997
The first production Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22A Raptor was rolled out.
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Well, that’s it Folks, see ya in seven.