Ein deutscher Marineflieger bringt im Rigaischen Meerbusen einen russischen Schoner auf. Darstellung von Marinemaler Willy Stöwer circa 1915-1916, Willy Stöwer

The depiction obviously goes back to an incident on september 12, 1915 in the gulf of riga. The naval aircraft "270", crewed by lieutenant von roques and chief engineer's mate stöckler, had taken off from an aircraft mother ship (either "answald" or "santa elena") to attack riga or domesnäs. On the way back, a russian tugboat consisting of a tug and a schooner was sighted. "270" landed and forced the schooner crew to transfer to the tugboat, sinking the schooner. Source: heinrich rollmann: the war in the baltic sea, volume ii: the war year 1915, berlin 1929, p. 292f. (series: the war at sea 1914-1918, published by the marine archives).