In the late afternoon of 18 June 1916, Immelmann led a flight of four Fokker E.III Eindeckers in search of a flight of eight F.E.2b reconnaissance aircraft of 25 Squadron Royal Flying Corps over Sallaumines in northern France.
Sallaumines has a train station (Gare de Sallaumines) on the line from Lens to Lille, and another one (Gare de Pont-de-Sallaumines) on the line from Lens to Valenciennes.