Taubes or, to be more correct, Tauben were German and Austro-Hungarian pre-War monoplanes that resembled the shape of a dove (Taube = dove). Originally designed and built by Etrich, they were also built by a number of other manufacturers, including Rumpler. Total production was about 500 aeroplanes. Taubes were involved in two notable events: on 30 August 1914 Ltn von Hiddeson dropped five 3 kg bombs on Paris, together with a note calling upon the city to surrender; during the Battle of Tannenberg in August 1914, Ltns Canter and Mertens in a Taube from Fliegerabteilung 14 reported an unsuspected Russian advance, saving the day for the Germans. In China,Ltn Gunther Plüschow flew a Taube during the defence of Tsingtao in September-November 1914. Gareth
I couldn't get the photograph thumbnails to open when I first looked at this post, but things are working now. The wings in the first photograph don't look all that much like those of a Taube, lacking the distinctive swept back wingtips. They're certainly from an early-War aircraft, and one that used wing-warping, rather than ailerons, but I've no idea which type. Gareth
