Antoine Laplasse
Antoine Laplasse | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 May 1883 Vernay, France |
| Died | 22 August 1918 (aged 35) Saint Gobain, France |
| Allegiance | France |
| Service | Aviation |
| Rank | Adjutant-Chef |
| Unit | Escadrille 461, Escadrille Spa.75 |
| Awards | Médaille militaire Croix de Guerre |
Adjutant-Chef Antoine Laplasse was a World War I balloon buster and flying ace credited with eight aerial victories, six of which were against observation balloons.
He was a pioneer aviator who earned his civilian pilot's license on the eve of World War I. As a result, he soon was assigned aviation duty, and defended his country throughout the war. He was killed in action less than three months before war's end.
Early life and service
[edit]Antoine Laplasse was born on 16 May 1883 in Vernay, Rhône, France. He was a pioneer aviator, receiving his Civil Pilot's Brevet, No. 1655, on 11 July 1914. France's declaration of war on 3 August 1914 sparked Laplasse's entry into military service. He was initially assigned to clerical work.[1]
Aviation service
[edit]His civil pilot's license was noted, and he was quickly transferred into aviation service. He earned a military pilot's license on a Morane and was assigned to Escadrille 461. On 22 June 1916, he forced a German airplane into an involuntary landing. In May 1917, he repeated the feat. His distinguished service in Escadrille 461, earned him the Médaille militaire; as the award citation said, he was noted for "...strafing the German trenches and batteries at a low altitude, and returning often with his plane riddled by bullets."[2]
He was "promoted" to flying Nieuport fighters with Escadrille 75, joining the squadron on 20 October 1917. Once the unit re-equipped with Spad XIIIs, he began to score his aerial victories. He downed two German two-seater reconnaissance planes; then, he began the highly hazardous practice of balloon busting.
On 22 August, with four wingmen flying top cover for him, he destroyed three enemy observation balloons. As he attacked a fourth one, a quintet of German Fokker D.VIIs attacked him and sent him down in flames, killing him.[3]
List of aerial victories
[edit]See also Aerial victory standards of World War I
Confirmed victories are numbered and listed chronologically. Unconfirmed victories are denoted by "u/c" and may or may not be listed by date.
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| u/c | 22 June 1916 | German airplane | Forced to land | |||
| u/c | May 1917 | German airplane | Forced to land[1] | |||
| 1 | 15 December 1915 @ 1125 hours | Spad XIII | German reconnaissance airplane | Destroyed | Saint-Mards | |
| 2 | 13 March 1918 | Spad XIII | German reconnaissance airplane | Destroyed | Septvaux | |
| 3 | 18 June 1918 | Spad XIII | German observation balloon | Destroyed | Moulin-le-Comte | |
| 4 | 17 August 1918 | Spad XIII | German observation balloon | Destroyed | Blerancourt | Victory shared with another French pilot |
| 5 | 17 August 1918 | Spad XIII | German observation balloon | Destroyed | Cuts | |
| 6 | 22 August 1918 | Spad XIII | German observation balloon | Destroyed | Saint-Gobain | |
| 7 | 22 August 1918 | Spad XIII | German observation balloon | Destroyed | Saint-Gobain | |
| 8 | 22 August 1918 | Spad XIII | German observation balloon | Destroyed | Saint-Gobain | Laplasse killed in action shortly thereafter[1] |
Endnotes
[edit]Sources of information
[edit]- Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914-1918 Norman L. R. Franks, Frank W. Bailey. Grub Street, 1992. ISBN 0-948817-54-2, ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.
- SPAD XII/XIII Aces of World War 1: Volume 47 of Aircraft of the Aces: Volume 47 of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces. Jon Guttman. Osprey Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-84176-316-0, ISBN 978-1-84176-316-3.