Pub Quiz thread

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We are all aware of the painting Guernica from Picasso, depicting the horrors of aerial warfare - but in which conflict situation were shots first fired from the air ? and when ?
 
1785 Seige of Mainz or in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Napoleon did not like balloos so hid killed the balloons for the French in 1799. I like military history.


This one doesn't belong to the sphere of what is commonly called military history. Balloons were certainly used to study the movements of enemy forces, at least by the battle of Fleurus 1794. But when was the first shot fired from one ? and what was the context ? I have to go out this afternoon, so if you think you've got it don't wait for confirmation before setting the next one.
 
Paris 3. maí 1808. Two Frenchs shot at each other from balloons. The two men were M. Le Pique and M. Granprée, Le Pique and his second were killed from the balloon falling onto a house when M. Granprée shot it.
 
Paris 3. maí 1808. Two Frenchs shot at each other from balloons. The two men were M. Le Pique and M. Granprée, Le Pique and his second were killed from the balloon falling onto a house when M. Granprée shot it.

What a brilliant story! They apparently fought for the hand of Mademoiselle Tirevit, a celebrated opera dancer, kept by Granpree but discovered in an intrigue with le Pique, both apparently "men of elevated minds" (an unfortunate choice of words!). Le Pique "fired his piece ineffectually" (perhaps it didn't occur to him to aim for the balloon rather than for Granpree) and one assumes that Granpree kept his opera dancer as a result.
 
It was a Mark IV Mosquito which was bought by BOAC to fly between UK and Stockholm during the war. It carried diplomatic mail, cargo, and the occasional passenger.
 
I'm not sure I can give you much more information Ak. It crashed on its return to Leuchars from Stockholm in November 1944, apparently from structural failure.
 
Ok.

When Andy Rankin played for us he lived in a WFC owned house. He injured himself in that house and was unable to play for a while. What caused that injury?
 
NZ you are right, I didn't see your answer when I replied to Theo.

Most of the flights from Sweden had ball bearings from SKF. The Norwegian resistance used the aircraft as a transport service as well.