Balkans pilot

The uploaded photo is interesting from two aspects. The artillery lieutenant is an aerial observer, as shown by the balloon badge symbolizing the air force on his collar lapel. Relatively few photos of the air crew have survived, and this is a particularly beautiful studio shot.

Another interesting thing is the Bosnia-Herzegovina-Dalmatia badge worn on his jacket. This badge was made for the force stationed in the military district bordering Serbia. It can be considered a front badge. We always think of the Balkan theater of war as secondary, despite the fact that the fierce resistance of the Serbs in 1914 contributed greatly to the thwarting of the Monarchy’s war plans. After the defeat of Serbia and Montenegro and the occupation of most of Albania, the Balkan front was completely relegated to the background. The British also had other things to do in Flanders and Mesopotamia, and the Monarchy’s military strength was also tied up by the Russian and Italian fronts. A weak corps-sized invasion force cannot be considered a serious military force in the circumstances of the Great War.

That is why it seems strange at first that an air force was also assigned to an invasion force of limited size and strength. It should be noted that the development of the air force took place at a rapid pace after 1914 and the Monarchy established many new flying squadrons. But even with these developments, they were unable to counterbalance the Entente’s air superiority on the Italian front. This superiority became overwhelming in 1917, but even then several flying squadrons were used on the Balkan front. There could have been many reasons for this, obviously the squadrons stationed in Albania were not intended for air combat but for reconnaissance.

There was one rather serious offensive operation of the Monarchy in this theater. Before the breakthrough of the Ottranto sea lock, the ports serving the Entente fleet were bombed, and there too, primarily the coal depots. The burning of coal reserves during the attack on the Italian and Albanian bases temporarily disrupted the refueling of ships. This significantly limited the maneuverability of the Entente fleet, which was very important for a successful attack. Marine planes from Cattaro and Durazzo also took part in this action.