Lex Anteinternet: Collier's. July 27, 1918.

Lex Anteinternet: Collier's. July 27, 1918.

Lex Anteinternet: The German Naval Attack on Orleans, Cape Cod, Mass...

The German Naval Attack on Orleans, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. July 21, 1918.

On this day in 1918 the large U-156 surfaced off of Orleans, Massachusetts and took shots at the tugboat Perth Amboy and the four barge it was towing, damaging the barge and sinking all four barges.  The U-boat also shelled the town with its deck guns.

The U156 was a Type 151 German submarine, the same type as this captured example on display in the UK following World War One.  These were abnormally large U-boats that had originally been designed to be merchant blockade runners.  Note the two deck guns.

During the attack, a Surfboat was launched by the United States Life Saving Service, which is now part of the Coast Guard, to rescue the sailors trapped on the tug and the barges and came under shell fire from the submarine as well.

Curtis HS.

Shortly, the Navy dispatched Curtiss HS flying boats and Curtiss Model R bombers from Naval Air Station Chatham and they attacked the submarine.

Curtis Model R dropping a torpedo.

The entire incident was the only example of a German U-boat surfacing to attack a coastal target during the war, let alone bombarding a town.  What exactly the U-boat commander had in mind isn't known, as several weeks later the submarine disappeared with all hands.  Chances are, however, that commanding a large submarine with two deck guns, he simply chose to use them, and fairly successfully at that.

Lex Anteinternet: First Aircraft Carrier Launched Raid. Todern, July 19, 1918.

First Aircraft Carrier Launched Raid. Todern, July 19, 1918.

On this day the Royal Navy achieved a military milestone when it launched the first aircraft carrier supported air raid in history.

Sopwith Camels on the HMS Furious.

Seven Sopwith Camels were launched from the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier, the HMS Furious, upon the German Navy's airship base at Tonder, which is now part of Denmark but which was then part of Germany.

The Furious had been a battle cruiser, but it had been converted to an aircraft carrier.  The attack, which was delayed due to weather, was undertaken in two waves.  The Germans were taken by surprise.  Two airships and a captive balloon were destroyed.  However, only one Camel was recovered.  Three were interned in Denmark after their pilots took them there as they feared they had insufficient fuel to make it back to the carrier.  Two of the planes were abandoned and one was lost at sea. The one that made it back was damaged.

Lex Anteinternet: Quentin Roosevelt shot down and killed in combat, ...

Lex Anteinternet: Quentin Roosevelt shot down and killed in combat, ...: Quentin Roosevelt, age 20, one of Theodore and Edith Roosevelt's son, was killed in aerial combat over France. Quentin was the youn...

July 14, 1918 - Quentin Roosevelt Shot Down

Lex Anteinternet: Transportation disasters and milestones, and a dra...

Lex Anteinternet: Transportation disasters and milestones, and a dra...: 101, officially, (it may have been 121) people were killed and 175 injured in  a train collision of two trains belonging to the Nashville...

Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks

Denver Airport A Train Station

The other side of big commercial air travel. United Cargo, Denver Colorado

Lex Anteinternet: Airmail! Lt. Torrey Webb gets a watch and New York and Philadelphia get air mail service (and meanwhile on the Western Front). May 15, 1918.

Airmail! Lt. Torrey Webb gets a watch and New York and Philadelphia get air mail service (and meanwhile on the Western Front). May 15, 1918.

Lt. Torrey Webb on the day of the inauguration of air mail between New York City and Philadelphia.  They gave him a Hamilton watch.  Dignitaries showed up. . . including ones from France.

The plane was a Curtis JN-4, a "Jenny".  The Jenny had, fwiw, just been commemorated by way of a postage stamp a few days prior.

Torrey Webb was was in the Army 's air service during the war, but he was studying engineering prior to it and would return to it.  He ended up the vice president of Texas Oil Company (Texaco).

Meanwhile, on the Western Front, these two RAF crewmen were were taking off in their RE8.

All of these air missions, we would note, were incredibly dangerous.

View from the New Belgium Hub. . . a dreary day at DIA. United and Icelandair.