Bloody April 1917: An Exciting Detailed Analysis of One of the Deadliest Months in the Air in WWI

Bloody April 1917 examines the aerial war over the Western Front during April 1917, a month that saw unprecedented flying casualties in World War I. By spring 1917, the British and French were preparing a major land offensive on the Arras Front, requiring substantial air support from the Royal Flying Corps and French Air Force. The German Jagstaffeln (Jastas)—fighter squadrons developed by Oswald Boelcke in 1916—countered this offensive with newly improved Albatros DIII fighters. The result was a near massacre of British and French aircraft and crews, making April 1917 the deadliest month for flying casualties the war had yet experienced. Norman Franks provides a day-by-day account of these events, supported by original photographs, eyewitness testimony, and detailed research. The book combines accessible statistics with period recreation and maintains a focus on accuracy throughout.