Because of this, the focus of pilots started to shift away from exclusively reconnaissance and towards preventing their enemies from doing the same. As the war progressed, it became increasingly obvious how crucial aerial recon and especially spotting for the modern massed artillery batteries really was. Soon enough, this brief period of relative peace in the sky ended as first pistols and grenades would be ineffectual against one another before machine guns were mounted onto planes. Indeed, at this point, airplanes were so new that weapons for use in the sky did not exist – and the war so fresh that animosity had yet to grow between the sides. In the initial stage of the war, aircrews were seen less as fighter pilots, or even combatants at all, with many instances of aircraft coming across one another only for the pilots to wave at one another as they passed by. France would be one of the first adopters of aircraft, looking into how airplanes could be used for scouting and reconnaissance, replacing one of the roles traditionally performed by cavalry. Despite this, many countries were indeed interested in the possibilities of these new inventions. The invention of heavier-than-air vehicles was a new phenomenon in the world, having only really taken off some ten years prior to the outbreak of World War I. He died aged 90 in 1985.The First Fighter Pilots A reproduction of an early aircraft, via CNN before becoming Prime Minister in the Punjabi city of Patiala in 1944.Īfter independence in 1947 he was the first Indian High Commissioner to Canada and later ambassador to France. From 1938 he was trade commissioner to Canada and the U.S. Hardit, who married a lawyer and had three children, joined the Indian civil service after the war. Hardit was one of only four Indians to fly with the Royal Flying Corps Indra Lal Roy, a barrister’s son from Calcutta, got 10 kills before he was shot down in July 1918. He was officially credited with two kills, although he claimed six. After recovering, he rejoined 28 Squadron in Italy before spells in two-seat Bristol F.2 fighters with 141 Squadron at Biggin Hill, Kent, and again in France with 11 Squadron. Two bullets remained in Hardit’s leg for the rest of his life. My pursuers just did not have the bullet with my name on it.” My mechanic said it was quite amazing how I ever got down. I definitely thought I was going to be killed. They shot all they had at me but not a single one hit me or any vital part of the plane. In an interview more than 65 years later he said: His plane had been hit by more than 400 bullets. Bullets riddled his petrol tank but miraculously it did not explode.Ĭhased by three German aircraft and taking fire from the ground, he flew 40 miles at low altitude before landing, bleeding and exhausted. Hardit was hit in the leg before shooting down the pilot who shot him. Hardit joined 28 Squadron under Major Billy Barker, a Canadian who won the Victoria Cross and had 33 enemy “kills”, the highest of any First World War pilot.īarker was obsessed with shooting down German ace Manfred von Richthofen and on 26 October 1916, he, Hardit and two other volunteers were hunting the Red Baron over Passchendaele.Įmerging from thick cloud, they were surrounded by enemy planes.
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