Then and Now: German Airplane Crash Outside of St. Georges

May 22, 2017 by Randy
3 comments

Crash Site Then

Location of Then Photo:  A farm field southwest of St. Georges.  (Part of Landres-et-St. Georges.)

Details at Bottom of Photo:  Argonne – Meuse #191.  299.7 – 268.2.  (Longitude – latitude)  German Plane.  Arrow indicates photo taken facing north.  Dated 23 February, 1919.

Note:  The Webmaster would love to get more details on the type of aircraft, pilot, date of action, etc.

Source of Then Photo:  Griffin Group Photos, National Archives, College Park, MD.  Record Group 120G.

 

 

Crash Site Now

Note:  It is impossible to pinpoint the exact crash site, but it is the coordinates on the photo that allow the approximate spot to be identified.  They place it in the lower quadrant (0.7; 0.2) of the full box on the ABMC Summary of Operations map below.  The reservoir (pictured below) is believed to be one of the dots around the red M on the map.  It is clear on today’s map.  Thus, it appears that the crash was almost due south of the reservoir.

Note:  This is on property owned by Mr. et Mme. Cognard, 2 Chemin d’Imecourt, St. Georges.  Before wandering into the field, seek their approval.

Source of Now Photo:  The Webmaster.

 

 

Griffin AM 191 Hunt

 

 

IGN Section From 3011E

 

 

Reservoir to North

  Then & Now Gallery

3 thoughts on “Then and Now: German Airplane Crash Outside of St. Georges”

  • Nick McCall

    Something about the shape of the engine block makes me think it may have been a Halberstadt or Rumpler twin-seater; it looks like the ring mount of the gunner-observer’s flexible machine gun in the foreground of yhe photograph.

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    • Alfons Philippi

      I would rather think it might have been a Fokker D VII. Obviously the wreck is lying upside down, and the structure of the wing bracing looks very much like that of the 1918 Fokker, which was a highly efficient fighter plane (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fokker_D.VII#/media/File:Fd72.jpg). The round structure in the foreground looks like the tyre that has come off the wheel, which must have been knocked off the axle when the plane made some kind of emergency landing.

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      • Nick McCall

        Now that you mention it, Alfons, that does seem quite plausible, and I tend to agree. I was having a hard time finding a German two-seater with wing bracing and a wing system quite like that in the photograph, but the bracing makes it a dead ringer for the D.VII, and yes, that circular item does look like a deflated tire. (I mistook a branch or other item jutting from the ground as being part of or attached to the round item, which is what made me think it might be part of a rear gunner’s mount.) Great detective work.

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