A Sanke postcard of a captured British Sopwith Triplane being wheeled along.
Erbeuteter Englische Sopwith Dreidecker1036Postkartenvertrieb W. SankeBerlin N.27Nachdruck wird gerichtlich verfolgt.Captured British Sopwith Triplane1036Postcard Distributor W. SankeBerlin N.27Reproduction will be prosecuted.Reverse:Postmarked March 2, 1918
"[Royal Naval Air Service Sub-Lieutenant Robert A.] Little fought his way out of this melee right above Jasta 11's base, to share his victory with Minifie—who also returned. Interviewed later in life, Minifie explained, 'Yes, they nearly had me down on Douai aerodrome, about 200–300 fee off it. But luckily my Triplane was just that little shade faster than they were. I was going low for home, and they let me go and get a lead of about 500 yards on them. So that was that—they just couldn't catch me.' Minifie, Naval 1's youngest ace at age 19, went on to be the squadron's top Triplane pilot, scoring 17 of his 21-victory total in that type."
On April 29, 1917 Manfred von Richthofen's squadron, Jasta 11, and Royal Naval Air Service Squadrons 1 and 8 were flying over the Arras battlefield when they began a dogfight sometime after 7:25 PM. Von Richthofen had already downed three planes, killing five men that day, his victories 49, 50, and 51. The Jasta included Manfred's brother Lothar, also an ace. Its planes were painted red. Von Richthofen was flying an Albatros DIII when he had his first encounter with the Sopwith Triplane, a fast and maneuverable British plane that would become the model for the Fokker Dr.I triplane von Richthofen later flew. Von Richthofen downed one of the Sopwith Triplanes for his 52nd victory. According to his biography, von Richthofen's father, a German cavalry officer, was visiting his sons on April 29. Australian pilot Robert Minifie flew with RNAS Squadron 1.
The Origin of the Fighter Aircraft by Jon Gutman, page 142, copyright © 2009 Jon Gutman, publisher: Westholme Publishing, publication date: 2009
1917-04-29, 1917, April, Sopwith Triplane, von Richthofen, Manfred von Richthofen, Albatros, Albatros DIII
