Author Topic: Nicholas Diary 30 March/12 April 1916  (Read 5064 times)

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Offline JamesAPrattIII

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Nicholas Diary 30 March/12 April 1916
« on: October 11, 2016, 01:59:38 PM »
Can anyone help me find out what or if Nicholas wrote in his diary on 30 March/12 April 1916 about the air attack that happened while he was reviewing the 3rd Trans-Amur Infantry Division? The next day 31 march/13 April 1916 he writes Alexandra "During the review we heard our guns firing at Austrian aeroplanes wh. were dropping bombs on both of the bridges over the Dnester." This is for an article I am writing. there is some disagreement between Russian and Austrian accounts as to what happened.

Offline nena

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Re: Nicholas Diary 30 March/12 April 1916
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2016, 07:52:42 PM »
He wrote:

"March 30th, Wednesday.

.....When I visited regiment, I said goodbye to them, we heard our gunshots firing at Austrian aeroplanes that bombed the both bridges on the Dniester....", so the letter he wrote to Alexandra on the next day does not differ a lot. I hope this helped.
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Offline JamesAPrattIII

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Re: Nicholas Diary 30 March/12 April 1916
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2016, 12:34:29 PM »
Thanks nena this is just what I needed?

the Austrian account of this raid from the book "Air Aces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire"

The Austrians bomb the parade shoot down 2 Russian aircraft which are confirmed by spies. General Brussilov calls it "An extradinary bold and courageous deed." Tsar Nicholas is furious. too put it briefly.

Russians: did lose on 13 April 1916 2 aircraft in crashes. Bussilov writes in his memoirs "When the enemy machines showed themselves our batteries greeted them with a lively fire and drove them off."

Nicholas in his diary and in his 31 March/13 April letter to Alexandra mentions in both Austrian aeroplanes bombing bridges over the Dnester.

I think this is going cause a few aviation books to be rewritten or corrected.

Offline Inok Nikolai

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Re: Nicholas Diary 30 March/12 April 1916
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2016, 12:29:26 PM »
Can anyone help me find out what or if Nicholas wrote in his diary on 30 March/12 April 1916 about the air attack that happened while he was reviewing the 3rd Trans-Amur Infantry Division? The next day 31 march/13 April 1916 he writes Alexandra "During the review we heard our guns firing at Austrian aeroplanes wh. were dropping bombs on both of the bridges over the Dnester." This is for an article I am writing. there is some disagreement between Russian and Austrian accounts as to what happened.

A few slight clarifications:
The diary entry mentions one Austrian plane; it speaks of "bridges" in the plural, not "both", and has an added detail:
“…As I rode around the regiment [at the review] and bade them farewell, in the distance could be heard the firing of our guns at an Austrian airplane which was dropping bombs on the bridges on the Dneister and finally hit the pontoon bridge.”

инок Николай

Offline JamesAPrattIII

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Re: Nicholas Diary 30 March/12 April 1916
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2016, 03:52:18 PM »
Thanks Inok
Actually 7 Austrian aircraft were involved of Flik 1 (Fliegerkompanie Aviation Company). The planes were claimed by Knoller-Albtraos B.I 22.23 crewed by Cpt Otto Jindra pilot and 1Lt Godwin Brumoski observer. These were Jindra's 6th and 7th victories of 9 and Brumoski's first 2 of 35. Brumoski became a pilot in June 1916 and ended WW I as the top scoring Austrian ace. They both have wiki bios.