Greece claims an aviation first

On December 5, 1912, Lieutenant Michael Moutousis took off from a field at the Emin Aga hani (roadside lodge), near Preveza to reconnoitre the Turkish fortifications guarding Ioannina, at Bizani. This is touted by the Hellenic Armed Forces as the first-ever instance of an attack from an aircraft. However, there are other claims.

Moutousis overflew the Greek lines in a Maurice Farman aircraft, drawing cheers from the troops, and then maintained an altitude of 1,400 metres. As he approached Bizani, he dropped to 600 metres and managed to gain a clear picture of the Turkish positions. Seeing a Turkish column in a ravine, he dropped hand grenades on them. Some of the Turks opened fire and poked a number of holes in the wood-and-fabric aircraft. Moutousis landed at the Emin Aga hani, where he was cheered and then taken to see the commander of the Field Army Ipeiros, Sapountzakis, whom he briefed in detail.

The official report reads as follows: "Today... a trial aircraft flight took place for the first time with Lieutenant of Engineers Mihail Moutousis piloting a Maurice Farman aircraft. Departure Preveza, arrival Emin Aga hani. A flight took place over Bizani and Ioannina plain. The aircraft was shot at by the enemy. Three bullets struck without serious damage. On the plain of Ioannina and at the place where the aircraft received fire, Moutousis dropped four handgrenades... Moutousis conducted a second flight over Bizani on December 9 (at 2pm), taking off from Nikopolis, noting positions and ammunition drops in detail. This time he was fired upon with larger-calibre weapons grazing the landing gear, but he landed safely at Philippias at 4.10pm." (Document 567, Philippias, 5 December 1912, ministry of the military, Athens)

Moutousis was born in Tragano (Ahaia) in 1885. He matriculated from the Cadet School in 1908 as a lieutenant. In 1911 he was sent to Etamp in France for training and returned to Greece in 1912 because of the Balkan Wars. In 1920 he took active part in operations in Proussa, and in 1921-22 he was chief of staff of the Adrianople Division. In 1927 and 1929 he was military attache to Sofia. His final posting was chief of staff of the Engineers Corps. He died on 16 March 1956.

Rivalling Greece, Italy claims the first aerial bombardment on November 1. Second Lieutenant Giolio Gavotti, says the Italian Airforce, carried out the first aerial bombardment mission, dropping four bombs on two Turkish-held bases in Libya. Whether or not this is true, the Italians also plausibly claim the first air reconnaissance mission.

On 23 October 1911, Captain Carlo Piazza, a well-known racing pilot, made the first reconnaissance flight near Benghazi in a Bleriot XI. In March 1912, Captain Piazza made the first photo-reconnaissance flight in history. These events seem very likely and are quite possibly true.

In terms of naval missions, American historians often claim that Didier Masson's attack on the Mexican government gunboat General Guerrero on 29 May 1913 was the first bombing attack of a ship from an aeroplane.

Efthymios Tsiliopoulos writes for Athens News.