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Willy Omer François Jean baron Coppens de Houthulst, DSO MC (6 July 1892 – 21 December 1986) was Belgium's leading fighter ace and the champion "balloon buster" of World War I. He was credited with 37 confirmed victories and six probables.
The leading Belgian ace was also the premier balloon buster of the war. [1] [2] Willy Coppens – 37 confirmed aerial victories. [3] Andre de Meulemeester – 11 confirmed aerial victories. [4] Edmond Thieffry – 10 confirmed aerial victories. [5] Fernand Jacquet – 7 confirmed aerial victories. [6] Adolphe DuBois d'Aische – 6 confirmed ...
The leading balloon buster, Willy Coppens, is personally decorated by his monarch, King Albert I. ... Willy Coppens: Belgian 35 2 37 [2] Léon Bourjade: French 27 1 ...
Willy Coppens Belgium: Belgian Military Aviation: 37 [22] Top Belgian and balloon busting ace of war OL, OWE, OC, CdeG, BCdeG, CdeLd'H, DSO, MC James Ira Thomas Jones United Kingdom: Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force: 37 [7] DSO, MC, DFC*, MM Carl Bolle German Empire: Luftstreitkräfte: 36 [5] PLM, HOH, IC Julius Buckler German Empire ...
Willy Coppens, the top Belgian ace of the war, was the most successful HD.1 pilot. [1] At least one of his machines was experimentally fitted with an 0.43 in (11 mm) Vickers machine-gun for use in balloon busting, something at which Coppens excelled. Most of his victories were balloons and many were claimed while flying HD.1s.
One of its flying ace pilots, Willy Coppens, became the top ranking balloon buster of World War I, as well as one of the war's top aces. Four other pilots from the tiny force also became aces with it: Andre de Meulemeester, [17] Edmond Thieffry, [18] Jan Olieslagers, [19] and Fernand Jacquet. [20]
The Chinese spy balloon that traversed across the US in 2023 was secretly fitted out with American technology that may have allowed it to spy on Americans.
He ended the war with a victory list of 27 balloons and one aircraft shot down, with a second airplane as an unconfirmed victory. [1] It was a total that left him second only to Willy Coppens of Belgium as a balloon buster. [3] He was awarded a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur. In 1920, he was raised to Officier in the Legion. [4]