Harry Cobby

Arthur Henry "Harry" Cobby (born August 26, 1894 in Melbourne , Australia ; † November 11, 1955 there ) was an Australian Air Force officer and with 29 kills the most successful fighter pilot of the Australian Flying Corps during the First World War . He later rose to the rank of Air Commodore in the Royal Australian Air Force .

Life

Youth and First World War

Cobby grew up in Melbourne and was a bank clerk at the start of the war. His employer prevented him from being drafted into the Australian Air Force until 1916. After completing his flight training, he served on the Western Front in the 4th Air Force Squadron. His successes as a fighter pilot were u. a. honored with the Distinguished Service Order and the Mention in Despatches .

Cobby (center) with officers of the 4th Air Wing of the Australian Flying Corps and their Sopwith Camels biplanes on the Western Front in June 1918

The 4th Air Wing reached England in March 1917 to complete a training program in preparation for service on the Western Front. The unit was stationed in France with its Sopwith Camels in December . Cobby later admitted that he was so nervous about the prospect of a combat mission that "if I could have done anything to postpone this hour, I would have left no stone unturned to make it happen." When he gained his first combat experience against the German air force , he had only had 12 hours of solo flight behind him.

He claimed to have achieved a quick victory over a DFW reconnaissance aircraft in February 1918, but it was later suspected that the opposing pilot merely initiated a dive. The kill was not confirmed. Cobby's squadron, based in the Pas-de-Calais department , supported the Allied forces during the German spring offensive that began the following month. His opponents in the air were u. a. Members of Baron von Richthofen's hunting squadron 11 . His first confirmed success was the shooting down of two Albatros D.Vs on March 21st.

After proving that he was a talented and aggressive pilot, Cobby's leadership skills were recognized at a meeting with an Air Force commander on May 14, 1918, followed by promotion to Chief of Staff on May 25. Cobby, who has been described as the "goblin of doom", customized his Sopwith Camel by assembling pieces of aluminum in the shape of comedian Charlie Chaplin .

On May 30, he got two more kills in one day near Estaires when he shot down an albatross and a reconnaissance balloon and repeated the feat the next day in the same area. In addition, he had previously shot down a reconnaissance balloon at Merville as the first pilot in his squadron. Although the "dragons", as the balloons were called, were susceptible to incendiary ammunition , attacks on them were risky because they were generally well guarded by German troops and anti-aircraft guns . Cobby was proposed in view of his successes in the air for the award of the Military Cross on June 3, 1918, as he was "a courageous and capable patrol leader an excellent example for his squadron". The order was later converted into a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). The newspaper The London Gazette reported on July 2 about it.

View of a Camel of the Australian Flying Corps through the cockpit window of another identical aircraft on the Western Front, June 1918.

On June 18, Cobby shot down three German planes and was proposed for the Medal bar for his Distinguished Flying Cross in view of his 15 kills at the time. On June 15, 1918, Cobby and another pilot surprised five Pfalz reconnaissance planes near Armentières , two of which Cobby and his comrade had spotted. The two Australians were then pursued by Fokker three-deckers , but were able to flee from the attackers. Because of this he was nominated for the second bar of the DFC because he had scored 21 kills at the corresponding time and was "successful in destroying a great many machines through hard work and the use of his wits, courage and excellent flying skills." The London Gazette reported on it on the same day, September 21st. On August 16, Cobby launched an air raid on a German airfield near Haubourdin , near Lille . This was the largest Allied air strike to date and resulted in 37 enemy aircraft being destroyed. The following day, he led a similar attack and was proposed for the Distinguished Service Order because of its success. The London Gazette wrote on November 2nd: "The success of the two attacks was great because of the resolute and capable leadership of the officer." The most successful fighter pilot is also the most aggressive, but he must remain calm and be able to assess the situation correctly.

At the end of his active service, Cobby was responsible for allied squadrons with up to 80 aircraft. George Jones, also a very successful pilot of the 4th Air Force Wing, (later Chief of Air Staff), described him as the "undoubted leader in combat and leisure" of the unit; his exploits made him a national hero. The 4th Air Force Squadron was the most successful combat squadron in France as it fought 220 kills. In September 1918, Cobby was used to train an inexperienced unit and said the stress of teaching the student pilots was "much worse than in France". He therefore tried to be deployed to the front again until the end of the war in November. In the same month he was awarded the Mentioned in Despatches by Field Marshal Douglas Haig . Although some sources attribute Cobby 29 aircrafts shot down and 13 reconnaissance balloons, others speak of 24 airplanes and 5 balloons, which made him not only the most successful AFC pilot in terms of killing statistics , but also the pilot with the most reconnaissance balloons shot down. His greatest fame, however, came from the fact that he did not lose a single pilot over enemy territory as commander.

Next life

A celebrated national hero, Cobby moved to the newly formed Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and rose to the rank of Squadron Leader by 1927. In 1936 he left the Air Force to work for the Australian Civil Aviation Board , but returned to the RAAF after the start of World War II .

Cobby held senior positions in the Air Force; so he was the recruiting officer and commanding officer of the air force in the northeast. In 1943, Cobby received the George Medal for rescuing comrades who had survived a crash. He was promoted to Commanding Officer No. 10 of the Operational Group (later Australian First Tactical Air Force), but replaced the following year. In 1946 he left the army again and worked again for the Australian Aviation Safety Authority in the civil aviation department until his death.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Australian Military History: The Australian Flying Corps in the Australian War Memorial. Retrieved April 12, 2009.
2. ↑ Cutlack, The Australian Flying Corps. (PDF; 723 kB) pp. 226–227.
3. ↑ ^{a b} Stephens: The Royal Australian Air Force. Pp. 20-21.
4. ^ Franks: Sopwith Camel Aces of World War 1. p. 94.
5. ↑ Cutlack: The Australian Flying Corps. (PDF; 734 kB) pp. 284–286.
6. ^ Guttman: Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1. pp. 6-8, 29-30.
7. ↑ Recommendation: Military Cross (PDF; 48 kB) in the Australian War Memorial. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
8. ^ London Gazette, July 2, 1918, accessed April 14, 2009.
9. ↑ Recommendation: Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross (PDF; 47 kB) in the Australian War Memorial. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
10. ↑ Cutlack, The Australian Flying Corps. (PDF; 691 kB) pp. 295–296.
11. ↑ Recommendation: Second bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross (PDF; 54 kB) in the Australian War Memorial. Retrieved April 14, 2009.
12. ↑ London Gazette, September 21, 1918
13. ↑ London Gazette, November 2, 1918.
14. ↑ Hart, Aces Falling. P. 62.
15. ^ Odgers, 100 Years of Australians at War. P. 98.
16. ^ ^{A b} Franks, Sopwith Camel Aces of World War 1. pp. 71-72.
17. ↑ Stephens: The Royal Australian Air Force. P. 17.
18. ↑ London Gazette. dated December 27, 1918, accessed April 18, 2009.
19. ↑ Shores et al.: Above the Trenches. P. 110.
20. ^ Guttman: Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1. pp. 29-30.

Web links

• First World War service record at the National Archives of Australia