Serbia Shoots Down German Aircraft With Cannon

On September 30, 1915, the aviation world achieved a milestone of sorts when the first incident of a combat airplane being shot down by ground fire took place over Serbia.  A flight of 3 German Farman 2 man airplanes attacked the Military Technical Institute in the Serbian town of Kragujevac, dropping 45 small bombs on the Serbians.  Serbia had their own surprise waiting, with one of the world’s first anti-aircraft artillery units based on the ground defending that location.  A lucky shot from a Serbian cannon achieved a direct hit on one of the Farmans and shot the plane down, killing both crewmen.  Ever since that day, the Serbian military celebrates September 30^th as a holiday for the air defense units of the Serbian military.