Gunfire over the Balkans
In August 1914, just weeks into World War I, the skies over Serbia witnessed an unprecedented moment. During the Battle of Cer, Serbian pilot Miodrag Tomić, on a reconnaissance mission, encountered an Austro-Hungarian aircraft. What began as a wave between airmen turned quickly into the world’s first known dogfight.
A Mid-Air Duel Begins
The Austro-Hungarian pilot opened fire with a revolver. Tomić, flying unarmed but carrying a pistol, returned fire. Both pilots circled and shot at each other while maneuvering their planes, marking the first recorded instance of aerial combat between two aircraft in wartime.
A New Type of Warfare Emerges
Tomić managed to escape unharmed. The encounter prompted immediate changes: within weeks, both Serbian and Austro-Hungarian aircraft were equipped with machine guns. Aviation, initially used for observation, was now being reshaped into an offensive weapon of war.
Before the Machine Guns
This pistol exchange, fought from open cockpits, predated mounted aircraft weaponry and occurred before the famed downing by Frantz and Quénault in October 1914. It was the first instance of airmen turning the sky into a battlefield.
In August 1914, during the Battle of Cer in World War I, Serbian pilot Miodrag Tomić encountered an Austro-Hungarian plane midair.
What started with a wave turned into the first aerial dogfight, a pistol exchange that changed how wars would be fought from the sky…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/vnA3k1UIRO
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) May 5, 2025