Kostrba for first time
A hundred years ago this Czech pilot of No 4 Sqn of the Austrain-Hungarian AF downed two enemy aircraft and his third kill was shared. Later he even improved his one day score.
Jindrich ie Henry Kostrba flew the first German fighter plane fitted with a synchronized gun. In spring 1916 the Allies did not have such a sophisticated system firing forward through the propeller. That reason for were E III pilots barred from flying farther beyond the frontline. So all the three above mentioned aircraft of the Italian Air Force went down not far from the river of Isonzo ie Socha on Feb 18,1915. One of them West of the river at Palmovo and two East of it - at Monfalcone and Merna. The events occured about three weeks prior to the fifth Italian offensive at Isonzo. Italians launched eleven ones within this TO from Jun 23, 1915 to Aug 18, 1917. The area was also defended by about three hundred thousand Kostrba´s compatriots in both the Regiments of Infantery, Dads´Infantery and Rifle- and Mountain Brigades as well as Field Special Inf Batalions. From Oct 12, 1916 Alexander Hess saw action there too. In Aug 1940 he volunteered for the RAF and was appointed the first CO of Cz No 310 Fighter Sqn.
NOTES :
1/ Nos 1, 3, 8, 11, 18, 21, 28, 35, 42, 73, 75, 91, 93, 98, 100 a 102 Inf Regiments /IR/ from the recruitment areas of Opava, Kromeriz, Brno, Písek, Hradec Kralove, Caslav, Prague, Plzen, Terezín, Cheb, Jindrichuv Hradec, Ceske Budejovice, Sumperk, Vysoke Myto, Cesky Tesin and Benesov respectively. Nos 6 Cheb, 11 Jicin, 25 Kromeriz, 31 Tesin and 106 Olomouc Dads´ Infantery Regiments/LWIR/. Nos 2 Hradec Kralove, 17 and 25 Brno Field Special Inf Batalions/FJB/. Nos 3 and 15 Mountain Brigades /GbBrig/. Nos 6 Rifle Regs 6 Cheb, 7 Plzen, 8 Praha a 28 Pisek/SchR/. A half of personnel of No 24 Dads´ Inf Brigade were the Czechs, another half the Slovenians. The latter as well as the former ones defended the territory settled by the kin Slovanic nation. That reason for they battled gallantly in this theatre of operations.
2/ No XI Freshmen Bn of No 28 Inf Reg nicknamed ´The Childen of Prague´ retook the key point of defense Mt San Michelle on July 28 1915. On Nov 18 they put up an good fight while defending it. Their gallantry was beyond praise. Both the events made the Supreme HQ of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire reinstate No 28 Inf Reg Prague and give its flag back on Dec 26, 1915.
No 28 Inf Reg had been cancelled from the Regiments´ list by the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces Archduke Friedrich Maria Albrecht on Apr 11, 1915. Reason - two Bns of No 28 Inf Reg were said to have laid their arms to the Russians without fight at the Dukla Pass eight days ago.
3/ Each Freshmen Inf Bat was sent to front to reinforce its Reg in an interval of 4 - 6 weeks.
4/ Alexandr Hess served with No 102 Inf Reg Benesov in within the Isonzo ie Socha TO.
R&R :
Po zapadlych stopach ceskych vojáku z Julskych Alp k Jadranu ie In covered footsteps of Czech men in arms from the Giullo Alps to the Adriatic Sea - by Joseph Vrican The Ondrej Havlik Publ 2008
www.cs-letectvi.cz/osobnost-jindrich-kostrba
Chronicle of Aviation by Jacques Legrand - The JL International Publishing 1992
.