Great War historian Peter Hart takes an objective look at the reality of the air war over Arras in 1917, one hundred years ago this month.
THE MYTH OF ‘BLOODY APRIL
The Royal Flying Corps and the Battle of Arras
The myth of a ‘Bloody April’ suffered by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during the Battle of Arras in 1917 is very powerful. The story is deceptively simple: brave young British pilots of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), with just a few hours training, were sent up daily to face the ‘Red Baron’ and his ruthless gang of merciless German aces. Outnumbered, lacking even basic flying skills, outgunned and flying totally obsolescent aircraft, the young boys of the RFC went to their deaths due to the blind stupidity and intransigence of their commanders. They died, like the men on the ground, as sacrifices to the doctrine of the offensive.
There is certainly no doubt about the severity of the casualties suffered by the RFC in April 1917. In that month alone the British suffered 207 fatalities. It took just 92 hours of pilot flying time for every death incurred. And, indeed, the worst carnage was amongst the new pilots – many of whom lasted just a day or two - once they had actually started flying missions over the front.
