.... is there ? ... that is a very scary picture .... it's a wonder it didn't make the other pilots afraid to try again !! Remains of German Gotha bomber shot down at Chateau Thierry
It looks like the Gotha burnt on the ground after landing, rather than crashing, as all the bits seem to be in about the right places. Perhaps the crew set fire to it after coming down behind the French lines. Do you have a rough date for the photo? This might help to identify the Gotha concerned, and its crew. Gareth
A shame that there's no detail on the date. The aeroplane doesn't actually look like a Gotha as, unlike the burnt offering in the photo, most of them had balanced rudders. It looks more like the remains of a Friedrichshafen G.III, used as a night bomber from mid 1917. Three units equipped with the Friedrichshafen G.III were involved in raids on Paris - Bogohl 1, Bogohl 2 and Bogohl 5. Bogohl = Bombengeschwader der Oberste Heeresleitung, or Supreme Command Bombing Wing. However, it was common at the time to refer to all German twin-engined bombers as "Gothas". Gareth
