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The man who shot the Albatross
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I hadn't heard this one before ,but during WW1 when they were requisitioning big game rifles against German snipers who were hiding behind thick steel plate, Richard ''Dickie'' Cooper brought down three German Albatross Fighter planes with a H and H double 450 Nitro ,''Dropped the first one like a Pheasant ,then another after him ,then reloaded and dropped another '' .You never though a double rifle would be so good at dropping ''birds'' !
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Re: The man who shot the Albatross
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93x64mm
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(.416 member)
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16/12/18 08:39 AM
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Re: The man who shot the Albatross
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The true sense a "dangerous game" rifle!
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Rule303
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(.416 member)
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16/12/18 03:07 PM
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Re: The man who shot the Albatross
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Had not heard that before. Dropped a rising double then a third. Takes some doing.
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Re: The man who shot the Albatross
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Bror Blix mentions the story in his book. He is having a G&T with a german called Udett alone with Cooper. Udett was wingcommander and flew with Hermann Göring and the Red Baron over Flandern(Belgium) when it when it took place. Udett explains they lost planes from rifle fire below and couldn`t understand how it could done. Cooper then explains he was one of the officers who brought their big game double rifles on the battlefield to see if they could shoot down german airplanes….and they could. The funny part of the story is ofcouse that Dick cooper and Udett had never met before sitting down and enjoying a Gin & tonic in africa and sharing their story.
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kuduae
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(.400 member)
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17/12/18 01:24 AM
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Re: The man who shot the Albatross
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Nota dr, but a side by side shotgun: A friend of my grandfather had been one of the minor German "Fighter Aces" of WW1 with 6 confirmed victories. "Uncle" HM was once shot down by a British observer with a shotgun. When he passed the enemy plane with his Albatross at short range, the second man raised from his seat and swung a double barrel shotgun at him. Being a hunter himself, he immediately knew he was done. He managed to escape and land his plane. But he had some indigestible buckshot in his stomach instead of a healthy breakfast. He survived the wounds and lived to an old age.
BTW, Ernst Udet (not Udett!) was the second high scoring German Ace with 62 victories, second only to the "ace of aces" Manfred v. Richthofen, 80 victories, see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Udet
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93x64mm
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(.416 member)
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17/12/18 08:08 AM
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Re: The man who shot the Albatross
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Quote:
Nota dr, but a side by side shotgun: A friend of my grandfather had been one of the minor German "Fighter Aces" of WW1 with 6 confirmed victories. "Uncle" HM was once shot down by a British observer with a shotgun. When he passed the enemy plane with his Albatross at short range, the second man raised from his seat and swung a double barrel shotgun at him. Being a hunter himself, he immediately knew he was done. He managed to escape and land his plane. But he had some indigestible buckshot in his stomach instead of a healthy breakfast. He survived the wounds and lived to an old age.
Tough old bugger - surviving buckshot for breakfast!!!!
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Rule303
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(.416 member)
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17/12/18 06:48 PM
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Re: The man who shot the Albatross
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Quote:
Nota dr, but a side by side shotgun: A friend of my grandfather had been one of the minor German "Fighter Aces" of WW1 with 6 confirmed victories. "Uncle" HM was once shot down by a British observer with a shotgun. When he passed the enemy plane with his Albatross at short range, the second man raised from his seat and swung a double barrel shotgun at him. Being a hunter himself, he immediately knew he was done. He managed to escape and land his plane. But he had some indigestible buckshot in his stomach instead of a healthy breakfast. He survived the wounds and lived to an old age.
BTW, Ernst Udet (not Udett!) was the second high scoring German Ace with 62 victories, second only to the "ace of aces" Manfred v. Richthofen, 80 victories, see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Udet
It is unfortunate that Ernst Udet is often overlooked when talking of WW1 Ace's. He was a very good pilot.
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9.3x57
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(.450 member)
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18/12/18 01:38 AM
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Re: The man who shot the Albatross
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Interesting discussion.
Brings to mind fellows like the Marquis of Ripon in the 1800's and the VAST numbers of birds some of the gentleman sportsman of the day and later right before WW1 shot and the skills they thereby developed.
I would NOT want one of them taking a sling at me while I was buttoned down inside a wood-and-canvas plane chugging along at 90 or a 110 miles an hour in a strafing run over a couple hundred yards of trench...and I doubt it would even take a .577 to get my attention!
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DarylS
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(.700 member)
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18/12/18 06:03 AM
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Re: The man who shot the Albatross
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My grandpa Pete used his issue Ross.
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