Albatros Aircraft of WWI Volume 4 | Fighters A Centennial Perspective on Great War AirplanesAlbatros Aircraft of WWI Volume 4: Fighters A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes Jack Herris Great War Aviation Centennial Series #27 This book is dedicated to Bruno Schmiiing, exceptional man and aviation historian. Acknowledgements Lwant to especially thank Colin Owers for providing many of the contemporary aircraft photos from WWI and for his drawings of the experimental Albatros fighters. Thanks also to Bob Pearson for his color profiles and feedback and Aaron Weaver for photos, photo editing, feedback, and cover design. Finally, thanks to the Muscum of Flight, the Deutsches Technikmuseum, Bill Toohey, Greg VanWyngarden, Reinhard Zanki, Bruno Schmaling, and Lance Bronnenkant for photographs. Any errors are my responsibility. Cover photograph of Lt. Emil Schaefter in his Albatros D.IID.1724/16 colorized by James F. Miller. Color aircraft profiles © Bob Pearson. Purchase his CD of WWI aircraft profiles for $50 US/Canadian, 40 €, or £30, airmail postage included, via Paypal to Bob at: bpearson@kaien.net For our aviation books, please see our website at: www.aeronautbooks.com, You may contact me at jherris@me.com. Interested in WWI aviation? Join The League of WWI Aviation Historians (www.overthefront.com) and Cross & Cockade International (www.crossandcockade.com), ISBN: 978-1-935881-52-0 © 2017 Aeronaut Books, all rights reserved ‘Text © 2017 Jack Herris Design and layout: Jack Herris Cover design: Aaron Weaver Digital photo editing: Aaron Weaver & JackHeris WWW.aeronautbooks.com Peto CELL2; Table of Contents Albatros Fighters Albatros D.I Albatros D.IT Albatros D.1IL Oefiag-Built Albatros D.II & D.IIL Albatros DIV Albatros D.V & D.Va Albatros Dr. Albatros D.VI Albatros D.VIt Albatros D.VII Albatros DIX Albatros D.X Albatros Dr.II Albatros D.XI Albatros D.XIL Albatros D.X1IT Albatros D.XIV Albatros Fighters In Retrospect Bibliography & Index Scale Drawings Albatros D.IV Albatros Dr.l Albatros Dr.II Albatros D.VIT Albatros DIX Albatros DX Albatros D.XI 2208/18 Albatros D.XI 2209/18 Albatros D.XII 2210/18 Albatros D.XIf 2211/18 Afterword 14 30 56 100 14 118 168 169 169 170 a7 172 174 175 180 182 183 192 193 194 196 197; 200 203 206 208 209 210 213 216 Foreword ‘This is the last of four volumes covering all the Albatros aircraft of WWL Albatros was most famous for its fighters that formed the backbone of German fighter units from the autumn of 1916 through the spring of 1918 and were the most numerous German fighters during that period. In this volume we document all Albatros fighter designs, and for completeness include brief coverage of the Albatros fighters built under license by Oeffag for the Luftfahrtruppen, the Austro-Hungarian Army's flying service. For ease of comparing the various fighter designs, the technical specifications are provided in tables that document several types at once. With so many Albatros fighters in service, it is not possible to cover them in the desired depth in a single volume this size. Therefore, we plan several ‘special’ volumes just on these operational fighters. In this volume we include the key information and a representative selection of photographs; however, many more photographs of these streamlined, colorful fighters will be in the forthcoming special fighter volumes. This approach enables us to publish a much greater number of Albatros fighter photographs and color profiles than we could include in just this volume. Upon reviewing a draft of this material, a colleague strenuously argued for more detail in the rise to prominence of Albatros fighters, and the brief ‘essay on pages 12-13 addresses those concerns. Jack Herris Ibatros D.1 flown by Prinz Friedrich Karl von Preussen, crown prince of Prussia. Although commanding FI.Abt.(A) 258, the Prinz flew this D.I on patrols with Jasta Boelcke between his two-seater missions. On 21 March 1917 the Prinz was brought down in no man’s land and was mortally wounded trying to escape back to German lines. The skull and crossbones insignia used on the fulselage was also applied to the spinner.Albatros Fighters Above: Albatros 0.Va 5390/17 in the Australian War Museum displays the "V-strutter” wing characteristic ofthis streamlined fighter. For many months Albatros fighters were the adversaries Allied pilots met most frequently over the Western Front. ‘wore when captured by No.3 Squadron, AFC. he first true fighters were the primitive Fokker monoplanes that gave Germany air superiority over the Western Front from their arrival over the front in the summer of 1915. In early 1916 the Allies countered with superior biplanes, the British DHL.2 and especially the French Nieuport 11 and its developments. It became clear to German aviators and aviation commanders that Germany needed improved fighters of biplane configuration. The first German biplane fighters to reach the front were the Halberstadt fighters, followed quickly by Fokker and then Albatros biplane fighters. The Halberstadts were robust fighters with excellent handling and maneuverability that more than matched the DH.2 and Nicuports already at the front, whereas the new Fokker biplanes were fragile fighters inferior to the Halberstadts in every respect. The new Albatros D.I and D.ll fighters, however, photograph shows the machine after its restoration by the conservation staff of the AWM and the correct colors that it proved superior to all other fighters at the front, both German and Allied. The Albatros fighters were robust, streamlined aircraft powered by the reliable, 160 hp Mercedes D.III six-cylinder engine that enabled them to carry two synchronized machine guns, the armament that set the standard for fighters for the rest of the war. Although not as maneuverable or pleasant-handling as the Halberstadt fighters, the Albatros was faster, had better climb, and had more firepower ~ Halberstadts came from the factory with only a single machine gun, although some were modified at the front by addition of a second gun. ‘The arrival of the Albatros fighters at the front made an immediate impact. Combined with the formation of the first specialized German fighter units — the Jagdstaffels — and the development of offensive unit fighter tactics by Oswald Boelcke,4 Frontbeststand Inventory of D-Type Aircraft (Biplane Fighters) at the Front 191d 1915 1916 1917 1918 Srya1]a]28 30 ]90, 31] 31] 51] 18] 30] 30] 31] |S] HO] 90 |S] |S] BB] 90/30 TT Manwtactserand Type_Avg Oct Decl Feb Ape jun Ads Oct De| Feb Ape jum Au Oct Dec] eh Ape jum Aug Oct Del Feb Ape jon Atl AEG: DI 1 a j ji |w)s]a8 20) a7 [a] > e[sie ais pa | | J | ff Lf] |] 2] as}ataisolaor| za} ae} ] ie fa} a | a fa com |] | | | | tt | J | | | |i )isr|sar|snolaes| ese exa|as7|174| 0 | 52 bv Ie ome pc seals 4) ||" ate|4na|s26|513]250|131| 91 | 20 nas pokes a ple lea NPS ‘esi 75 908.608 80 isa eee Ree) ie ele | “enik 6 Dat : DAW Dit oi alr Dit z afi) 6 [a Tokker—~— wo} a]s|s|slala bit 10/49 68 ].49 33/36 10 6 att 7) 6 387 1) af? aio Div a|°)4 ‘ bv alefala) a mfasi) 6] 3 Dv 21 37 bu 1» aor aa Tatbewade DI @)_ pawl i]e Dit e|s|° sss 2|islicla}afal fafa Dan 1} |2/a/aliz}ays|e) 6/7 sliai2|2 by 7 xfalul6 9/5 ala we DI @a7 8 bat 1 Pfalz Dm | 3/145 276/182 13 13) 3 Dita Te)2si 433 239 166 Dv "1D Dx 5 168 Rand =D 1) ?{alala Dit na |97|41 10) 2 Dis im 6 3 Dat 9/4 Dive a8 8 Daib va ssw DI | 2 Dan | slale bw | 3 Tak 1 [aes 85 eons 75 moa hsm PO Toa ‘Above: Compiled after the war from war-time strength returns from combat units, the Frontbestand tables show the inventory of aircraft at the front by date and type; the chart for D-type fighters is given above. Although Halberstadt and Fokker biplane fighters reached the front before the Albatros, the effectiveness of the Albatros in combat resulted in substantial orders and Albatros production capacity quickly responded. Asa result, by December 1916 the number of Albatros D-types at the front was larger than Fokker and Halberstadt combined. Albatros numbers dominated all other German fighter types until the arrival of the exceptional Fokker D.VIl, Even then the huge jump in the number of Fokker DMIs at the front was made possible by Albatros, which built far more Dils than Fokker itself Germany quickly regained air superiority, although them the overalll tactical advantage; now German Allied numbers enabled aerial reconnaissance and __ fighter pilots were on the offensive and could attack artillery-spotting to continue despite rising losses. __or break off combat when they desired. The period ‘The performance and firepower of the Albatros of Albatros fighter superiority lasted from their fighters combined with aggressive unit tactics gave _ introduction over the front in August 1916 untilAlbatros Fighter Production Orders Date Ordered | ‘Type Qty Serials! July 1916 DI 50. D.Az-A70/16 ‘Aug. 1916 DIL 50. DAMS. /16 1916 Dar 50 D.890-939/16 Sept. 1916 Dal D.1700-1799/16 ‘Aug. 1916 DULG) i 1D.1024-1098/16 Oct. 1916 Dil D.1910-2309/16" Feb. 1917 Dall 50. D.600-649/17 ‘March 1917 Dut 50. D.750-799/17 Apr 1917 __ | DIMNOAW! 200 D.1650-1849/17, May 1917 __ | D.MOAW) 200 D.2362-2561/17 June 1917 [ D.MOAW) 100) 1D.2562-2651/17 july 1917__ | D.AMOAW) 200 1D.3056-8255/17 ‘Aug. 1917 _ | D1IOAW} 140 1D.5022-S161/17 ‘Ape. 1917 DV 200 D.1000-1199/17 May 1917 DV 400 1D.1962-2361/17 July 1917 DV 300 1D.4403-4702/17 ‘Aug. 1917 DVa 262. D5165-5426/17 Sept. 1917 D.va 250 D.5600-5849/17 Oct. 1917 D.Va 550 D.7000-7549/17 ‘Sep/Oct. 1917_| D.ValOAW] 600 1D.6400-6999/17 Notes: 1. Serials D384-391/16 assigned to prototype fighters. 2. Off-set radiator from 2200/17. 3. D.1 total of 50, D.lI total of 275, D.IIL total of 1,340 (500 by Albatros & 840 by OAW). 4. D.V total 900, D.Va total 1662 (1,062 by Albatros & 600 by OAW). Total of all Albatros fighters 4,227. May/June 1917 when the next generation of Allied fighters reached the front, and it was during this period that Albatros became truly famous. As is so often the case, success tends to breed complacency, thereby leading to subsequent failure, and this happened to the Luftstreitkrafte and Albatros. During the period of Albatros fighter ascendency, the superior Albatros D.IIl fighter arrived to gradually replace the earlier D.I and D.II, further accentuating Albatros superiority. The similar Albatros D.V arrived in May/June 1917 just, as the next generation Allied fighters appeared in combat. The situation then changed dramatically. Not only was the performance of the more streamlined Albatros D.V little better than the D.I it was intended to replace, the new airframe was more lightly built and began to suffer increasingly from structural failures due to the rigors of air combat. Just at the moment the Jagdstaffels needed a better fighter to match the new Allied aircraft, the new Albatros D.V was no real improvement on. the earlier D.I and, in reality, was a partial-step backward due to is less robust airframe. From the time the D.V arrived at the front, it began to struggle in combat with newer Allied fighters. German fighter pilots started demanding better machines, and Albatros was unable to deliver. Just as Albatros two- seater competitiveness peaked with the 1916 vintage GY, Albatros fighter competitiveness peaked with the 1916 vintage D.IIl. From the debut of the Albatros D.V at the front, Albatros fell behind the advancing state of the art in Aghters and never recovered, Despite its now relatively inferior performance, Albatros fighter production continued to increase because for many months Germany produced no fighter superior to the Albatros and the pilots needed an increasing number of fighters as the air war expanded. As documented in the first Albatros volume, Albatros also employed corrupt business practices through connections to high-ranking army officers with compromised morals, and it would be naive to suppose this connection had nothing to doAlbatros Fighter Specifications DA DI D.I(LVG) D0 Engine 160 hp Mercedes D. 160 hp Mercedes Du 160 hp Mercedes Daw 160 hp Mercedes Dil Span (Upper) 850m 850m 850m 9.00 m Span (Lower) 800m 8.00 m 810m 881m Chord (Upper) 1.6m 16m 1.6m 15m Chord (Lower) 16m 1.6m 16m Tim ‘Wing Area 24.9 me 24.9 me 25.2 me 20.9 m= Length 740 m 740m 7.40 m. 733m Height 2.95 m 2.64m 2.90 m Empty Weight 694 kg 673 ke 710 kg 673 kg Useful Load 227.5 ke 225 kg 207.5 ke 235 kg Loaded Weight 921.5 ke, 898 ke 937.5 kg 908 ke Wing Loading 39.7 kg/m? 37.3 kg/m? 44.2 kgf Power Loading 5.76 ke/hp 5.61 ke/hp 5.86 ke/hp 5.68 kg/hp Max. Speed 175 km/h 175 kmjh 175 km/h. 175 km/h Climb, 1,000 m_ 4 minutes 4 min, 50 sec. ‘2 min. 30 sec. Climb, 2,000 m_ 9 min. 30 sec. 9 min, 10 sec. 6 minutes Climb, 3,000 m 15 minutes 12 min. 40 sec. TI minutes Climb, 4,000 m 23 minutes 26 minutes 17 minutes Climb, 5,000 m 40 minutes 37 minutes 24 min. 30 sec. ‘Type-Test Accept. ‘April-June 1916 Mid-1916 ‘November 1916 September 1916 Note: All were armed with two machine gunsAlbatros Fighter Specifications D.HOAW) DV D.Va D.Va(OAW) Engine 160 hp Mercedes Di Dil 160 hp Mercedes 170 hp Mercedes Dilla 170 hp Mercedes Dilla ‘Span (Upper) 9:00 m 9:00 m 9.00 m 9.00 ma ‘Span (Lower) 381m 373m 873m a7am Chord {Upper} 15m ism 1.49 m 149m Chord (Lower) Lim 1.0m 10m 10m Wing Area 20.9 m* 20.86 m? 20.50 m? 20.50 m* Length. 733m 736m 733m 733m Height 2.90 m 2.75 m 270m 270m Empty Weight 603.5 kg, 680 ke 717 kg 730.5 kg ‘Useful Load. 207.5 kg 235 kg 220 ke 220 kg ‘Loaded Weight 891 kg, 915 kg. 937 kg 950.5 kg, Wing Loading 47.7 kel 411 kgf? 45.7 kim 46.4 ke/me Power Loading __[5.57 kg/hp 3.72. ke/hp 5.51 ke/hp 5.59 kg/hp ‘Max. Speed 175 kmjh 170 kmjh 172 km/h 172 km/h Climb, 1,000m |= 4 min. 20 sec. 4 min, = Climb,2,000m __[— 8 min. 50 sec. 8 min. 48 sec. = Climb, 3,000m | — 14 min. 30 sec. 14 min. 47 sec. = Climb, 4,000m __[— 22 min. 40 see. 22min. 45sec. [— Climb, 5,000m — |— 35 minutes 35 minutes = “Type-Test Accept. [June 1917 ‘April 1917 December 1916 __ [January 1918 ‘Notes: All were armed with two machine guns. D.Va ceiling 5,800 m. with Albatros's large production orders. Although a production success due to lack of competitive alternatives, Albatros fighters now became infamous within the German fighter community for their fragility and overall mediocrity compared to the latest Allied aircraft. It would be many months until Germany fielded a superior fighter in May 1918, and when it did the fighter was a Fokker design, the famous D.VII, and not a new Albatros. From now on the Albatros contribution to German fighter aviation would be in the form of license production of the Fokker D.VI. In fact, with its large production capacity, Albatros built far more Fokker D.VIT fighters than the Fokker factory. Meanwhile, Albatros tried without success to design another superior fighter for the Luftstreitkrafte. Unfortunately, those efforts were Facing Page: The Albatros DV in which Manfred von Richthofen was wounded on 6 July 1917. Although most closely associated with the Fokker Triplane in the popular imagination, von Richthofen downed 60 of his 80 victories while flying Albatros fighters. uninspired. To achieve superior performance Albatros needed either a breakthrough in airframe design or a significantly better engine. Unfortunately, Idflieg’s complacency over the success of the Albatros fighter extended to German engine development. The 160 hp Mercedes D.III used by Albatros fighters was an excellent engine with far better reliability than most Allied engines, especially rotary engines that were so popular with Allied designers early in the war. But nothing lasts forever. The appearance of the Hispano-Suiiza V8 in Allied fighters should have been a wake-up call to Idflieg. Beset by numerical inferiority due to the Allies’ vastly superior resources, and lulled into a false sense of security for a time due to the Albatros’s success despite a limited number of Hispano- powered Spad 7 fighters at the front, perhaps exacerbated by the early Hisso's power of only 150 hp, which was less than the Mercedes, Idflieg rationalized standing pat with the existing airframe and engine combination in the Albatros fighters. Idflieg was surprised by the growth potentialatros Fighter Specifica D.VI D.VO/1 D.Vil/2 DIX D.X Engine 160 hp Mercedes D.II 195 hp Benz Bz.IIIbo 195 hp Benz Bz.llIbo 170 hp Mercedes D.IMa 195 hp Benz Bz.lllbm, ‘Span [Upper] 9.80 m 9.30 m 932m 10.40 m_ 990m Span (Lower) = 820m 832m 10.20 m_ 9.15 m Chord (Upper) _ [1.6m 13m 13m 13m iam Chord (Lower) 13m 13m iam 13m Gap 132m 133m, 132m 137m Stagger 018m 0.18 m O17 m 030m ‘Wing Area 20.5 m? 20.9 m? 24.0 m? 22.9 m Length 6.62 m 6.66 m 618m Height 2.68 m 275m 274m ‘Empty Weight 630 kg, 750 kg 647 ke 667 ke ‘Useful Load 255 kg 190 kg 220 kg. 239 kg ‘Loaded Weight 885 kg, 940 ke 897 kg 906 ke Wing Loading 43.2 kg/m? 45.0 kg/m 37.4 kgf 39.6 kejme Power Loading 4.54 ke/hp 4.82 kg/hp 5.28 kg/hp 4.65 kg/hp ‘Max. Speed 165 km/h 170 km/h (Climb, 1,000 m 4 minutes Climb, 2,000 m 8.8 minutes Climb, 3,000 m 14.8 minutes ‘Climb, 4,000 m 22.8 minutes Climb, 5,000 m 35 minutes Climb, 6,000 m [= ‘Notes: All were armed with two machine guns, D.VI track 2.72 m. Below: Albatros fighters formed the backbone of the German fighter units from late 1916 until the arrival of the Fokker D.It in the spring of 1918. This photo is of the pilots of Jasta 76b and their Albatros fighters.Albatros Fighter Specifications D.XI D.XI/1 D.XU/2 D.XII 170 hp Mercedes Dilla Engine 205 hp Sh.lit 185 hp BMW.Illa 170 hp Mercedes D.llla Span (Upper) [800m 820m 885m 950m Span (Lower) 6.60 m 7.46 m 74lm Chord (Upper) _ [1.5m 14m 14m 165m Chord (Lower) Cap 1.0m 143m i4m 145m 14m 145m 110m 132m 1a7m Stagger 0.43 m (0.28 m 028m 075m 0.70 m Wing Area 18.5 m 19.84 me 20.01 m* 20.6 m= 20.64 m* Length. 5.58 m 6.62 m 5.85 mi 620m Height 2.87 m 2.68 m = 275m 2.82 m Empty Weight [494 kg 619 kg G21 kg 639 ke (640 ky Useful Load 195 kg 180 kg 180 kg 181 kg 180 kg Loaded Weight [689 ke. 799 kg 801 kg, 820 kg, 820 kg, WingLoading [372 kg/m* [40.3 kg/m? 40.0 ke/m* 39.8 kg/m 39.7 kg/me Power Loading [3.36kg/hp [4.70 ka/hp 4.33 kelp 482 ke/hp 4.43 ke/hp ‘Max. Speed 180 km/h 180 km/h 180 km/h 185 km/h 185 km/h 1.8 minutes Climb, 1,000 m 19 minutes [2 minutes 2 minutes Climb, 2,000m [4.3 minutes 4:1 minutes Climb, 3,000m [6.3 minutes 6.8 minutes Climb, 4,000 m [9.3 minutes 10.4 minutes _[— = Climb, 5,000 m [12.8 minutes 167 minutes [23 minutes 23 minutes Climb, 6,000m [17.8 minutes Notes: All were armed with two machine guns, D XIII track 1.75 m, D.XIV track 1.76 m, of the Hispano V8, which was quickly developed into new versions producing 180 hp, then 200 hp, 220 hp, and finally 235 hp, followed by an enlarged derivative producing 300 hp. When Iflieg awakened from its slumber and determined that new V8 engines were needed for superior performance, German engine manufacturers dedicated insufficient engineering resources to these projects. The result was that, although V8-powered prototypes were built and flown by Albatros and others, no German aircraft flew in combat powered by a production V8 (or V12 for two-seaters and bombers} engine during WWI Development of advanced rotary engines ‘was also slow, and only the Siemens-Halske Sh.{II counter-rotary was available ~ in small numbers ~ for German fighter production before the Armistice. The only good news for German manufacturers ‘was the availability from mid-1918 of the over- compressed BMWillla six-cylinder engine followed later by the similar Mercedes D.1MG and D.IIfaii. ‘The impact on Albatros was that the design team ‘was forced to use the familiar Mercedes engine in most of its new fighter designs, the exceptions being the Sh.lll-powered D.XI and the D.VIl and DX prototypes powered by the 195 hp Benz Bz.IIIb V8. However, all German fighter designers were confronted with the same engine choices. Some of them, notably Fokker, created break-through designs combining advanced structural and aerodynamic features that gave their aircraft performance that was fully competitive with Allied designs. In fact, the Fokker D.VIT, using the same engines available to Albatros, is generally regarded as the best all-around fighter of the war. Moreover, Junkers and Zeppelin- Lindau (with Claude Dornier as principle designer} developed and flew advanced, all-metal fighters during the war, and the Junkers D.I thick-wing, cantilever monoplane actually reached production.10 Albatros Fighter Specifications Dr Dr.ll 160 hp 195 hp Benz Mercedes D.IM | Bz.IITbm 87m 100m 100m Stagger (All) Wing Area 26.6 me Length, 73m 618m Height 242m 334m Empty Weight |[— 76 kg Useful Load = 239 kg Loaded Weight |[— 515 ke Wing Loading _|— 348 kein Power Loading |— 27 ka/hp ‘Notes: Both to be armed with two machine guns. Track of Dr.ll 1.76 m, In contrast, Albatros continued using the same structural technology until the end of the war that it had used in the D.1 fighter of mid-1916. Without making any fundamental advances in structures or aerodynamics such as some of its competitors were developing, Albatros lagged behind and no new Albatros fighter designs were placed into production. Even the advantage of building a fighter based on advanced structural technology under license did not help. Albatros did not apply that technology to its new designs and ended the war building Fokker D.VHl fighters under license. Oeffag-Built (Austro-Hungarian) Albatros Fighter Production Orders Austro-Hungarian Albatros Fighters The Luftfahrtruppen (Austro-Hungarian Air Service) ‘was impressed by the combat effectiveness displayed by the Albatros fighters over the Western Front and moved uncharacteristically quickly to produce the Albatros under license for themselves. The first production contract was signed with the Oesterreichische Flugzeugfabrik A.G. (Ocffag) on December 4, 1916, only a few months after the Albatros entered combat. Surprisingly, by that time Oeffag already had production of the first aircraft underway! ‘The original intention was to produce 20 D.|Oef} and 30 D.Il[Oef fighters, although production of the D.l1(Oef] was stopped after 16 aircraft in favor of the improved D.Ill|Oef). The story of the Oeffag-built Albatros fighters is a much happier one than that of the parent company. First, Oeffag engineers reinforced the airframe at critical points, essentially eliminating the structural problems being experienced by German-buile V-strut fighters. Second, Oeffag workmanship was excellent, the quality of the workmanship contributing to the robustness of the aircraft. Third, Oeffag installed the 185 hp Daimler engine, giving a useful 25 hp more than the 160 hp Mercedes in the German-built fighters. Fourth, as production continued, Oeffag. installed more powerful engines as they became available, first the 200 hp Daimler, then the 225 hp Daimler. Fifth, Oeffag modified the nose of the fighters in production after wind-tunnel experiments in Germany showed that eliminating the spinner and rounding the nose improved propeller efficiency, adding about 14 km/h to the aircraft's speed. These improvements made the Oeffag-built fighters superior to their German counterparts and continually enhanced the aircraft's performance. Date Ordered [| _ Type Qty Serials Engine 4 December 1916 | _D.lOet) 16 53.01-58.16 185 hp Daimler 4 December 1916 | _DilllOel) 34 53.20-53.58 185 hp Daimler 3 February 1917_[ D.lllOef) i 53.5453.64 185 hp Daimler 3 February 1917 | D.llOef) 6 153.01-153.61 200 hp Daimler 18 july 1917 | D.lllOet} 50 153.62-153.111 200 hp Daimler 8 October 1917_|_DllliOef} 100 153.112-153.211 200 hp Daimler 18 May 1918 [ Dill|Oef) 70 153,212-158.281 200 hp Daimler 18 May 1918 | _DaliOef] 230° 258,01-253.230 205 hp Daimler ‘August 1918 | _D.ll|Oef) 100 253.231-258.830 225 hp Daimler completed, with the last 30 or so after the Armistice. ‘Notes: I. Originally 20 D.[Oef) were ordered, but only 16 were built 2. 201 of this production batch accepted by October 1918. A total of 260 Series 253 fighters were11 Oeffag-Built (Austro-Hungarian) Albatros Fighter Specifications D.I Series 53 | D.III Series 53.2 | D-Ill Series 153 | D.III Series 253 Engine 185 hp Daimler 185 hp Daimler 200 hp Daimler 225 hp Daimler ‘Span (Upper) 850m 9.00 m 9.00 m 9.00 m Span (Lower} 8.00 m 8.73 m. 8.73 m 8.73 m Chord [Upper] 170m 150m 150m 150m Chord (Lower) 1.70m 1.00 m 1.00 m 1,00 m. Gap 135m. 147m 147m 147m Stagger O12m 022 m 022m 024m Wing Area 24m? 20.56 m* 20.56 m? 20.56 m* Length 735m 7.35 m 7.35 m 7.43 m Height 271m 2.80 m 2.80 m 2.64 m ‘Track 1,80 m. 1.80 m 180m 1.80 m Empty Weight [— 0k 710 kg 722 kg Loaded Weight 898 kg 964 kg 987 kg 995 kg Wing Loading 37.4 kg/m? 46.7 kg/m? 48,0 kgm? 48.4 kg/m? Power Loading 4.85 kg/hp 5.21 kg/hp 4.94 ke/hp 4.42 kg/hp Max. Speed 170 km/h 180 km/h 188 km/h 202 km/h Climb, 1,000 m 4 min. 30 sec. 3 min. 20 sec. 2 min, 35 sec, 3 min. 5 sec. Climb, 2,000 m 7 minutes om 6 min. 35 sec. 7 min. 10 sec. Climb, 3,000 m 12 min. 30 sec. 14 min. 30 sec. 11 min. 20 sec. 1 min. 20 sec. Climb, 4,000 m te a 18 min. 50 sec. 17 min. 15 sec. Climb, 5,000 m_ not 32 minutes 33 minutes 27 minutes Notes: 1. All were armed with two machine guns except a few D.II had only one gun. 2. Series 153 performance given for aircraft with spinner. From 153.112 the Oeffag-built D.II fighters had a rounded nose without spinner that increased speed by about 14 km/h. Whereas the Albatros D.IIl and D-V were out- until the end of the war, including the Spad fighters moded on the Western Front by the summer of 1917, _ flown by Italy and the Sopwith Camels flown by the the improved Oeffag-built D.II with 225 hp Daimler RFC/RAF on the Italian Front. was the equal of any enemy fighter it encountered Oeffag-Built Albatros Acceptances by Type & Series 1917 1918 Month J|Fim/A|m|y J{A/S|O|N|D|}|F|M/A[MIJ [J )A]S/O| Total Alb. D.t(Oef) 53 | | 16 [| [16 Alb. DIT (ef) 53.2 | | slalis| | | | [| [4 Alb. D.III (Oef) 153 | 8 |28 30 22 |26|26|19|36|28)37|15| 6 _| | 281 | Alb. Dl (Oef) 253 |_| | 13[21/40/37\48|42|_ 201 Total | 2121 26] 28|30]22 26 26] 19|36 28)37/28] 27|40|37|48]42] 54212, German Fighter Development During 1916 D« to the importance of Albatros’s contribution ‘to German fighter aviation, the rise to prominence of Albatros fighters deserves additional context. The factors contributing to fighter effectiveness go beyond the technical capabilities of the aircraft and include pilot training, combat tactics and strategy, organization, and the ability of the industry to build and support aircraft in the field. The Albatros fighters arrived early in the evolution of fighter aviation. Early experiments resulted in deployment of the first true fighters, the Fokker Eindeckers, to the Western Front in mid summer of 1915. They were assigned to individual pilots of two-seat reconnaissance units, who had to develop combat tactics in the air. As more Fokkers were delivered, some units had two or three in their inventory, and these often hunted together. Unarmed reconnaissance aircraft were the natural prey of these Fokker fighters, which quickly established superiority over the front. However, the relatively few Fokkers available meant that Allied reconnaissance aircraft were still able to fulfill their missions, albeit at the cost of ever increasing losses. Given the crucial importance of aerial reconnaissance and Allied industrial resources, this situation could not last long. In early 1916 the British DH.2 pusher fighter and French Nieuport 11 arrived over the front to counter German superiority. Both types offered speed, climb, and maneuverability that surpassed most of their Fokker adversaries, although the Fokker E.IV matched them in speed. As the Battle of Verdun raged, the French took the next step and organized their Nieuport fighters into dedicated fighter squadrons. Massing the fighters into coherent units improved their combat effectiveness and, combined with technical superiority, regained air superiority for the Allies. This was a harsh lesson for the Germans, who had not adequately anticipated these changes. Initially the German response focused on the need for better fighters of biplane configuration, resulting in the appearance of Halberstadt, Fokker, and Albatros fighters in the summer of 1916. Finally appreciating the value of dedicated fighter units after their mauling over Verdun, the Germans reorganized their air service, and one change was establishment of the first German fighter units, the Jaststaffeln, or Jastas. Formation of the Jastas started soon after biplane fighters began to arrive. When the first Albatros fighters arrived at the front, the German air service was in a state of flux. It was reorganizing after its defeat over Verdun and starting to integrate a new generation of biplane fighters that were slowly arriving, Industry was still in its infancy and production of the new Fokker, Halberstadt, and Albatros fighters was just starting to gain momentum. Another challenge was developing effective group tactics for the new Jastas, at this time the pilots only knew individual tactics. Consequently, the new German biplane fighters, including those from Albatros, arrived at a very difficult time of urgent transformation forced on them by the severe combat situation on the Western Front. Part of this process of change involved determining which fighter types were most effective and should be ordered in greater quantity, with a significant consideration being which companies were able to respond quickly to urgent orders for greater production. Of the three companies supplying biplane fighters in 1916, Fokker was the only company that had previous experience building single-seat fighters. As a result, the bulk of orders for the new biplane fighters initially went to Fokker. Despite that, Halberstadt fighters reached the front about two months prior to Fokker biplane fighters, which were followed within a few weeks by the Albatros fighters. Initially, due to limited aircraft availability, each Jasta received a variety of different fighter types. The incompatible performance and handling characteristics of these different types inhibited creation of cohesive group fighter tactics at the very time it was so essential to develop them. The adjacent table compares the qualities of the various fighter types being evaluated by the Jastas in the fall of 1916. Although the Fokker E-types were clearly out-classed by Allied fighters, Fokker’s previous success led to high expectations from the fighter pilots. These hopes were dashed as the Fokker biplanes turned out to be mediocre designs with poor build quality. After a number of fatal crashes due to wing failure (five E-types and two Dib}, all Fokker fighters were ordered removed from combat on 6 December 1916, eliminating Fokker as a competitor in the fighter contest for many months. Halberstadt, whose fighters arrived at the front first, took an early lead in the internal competition to supply the next generation of German fighters. The Halberstadt fighters were good performers with excellent maneuverability, handling qualities, and structural strength ~ an essential requirement that the Fokker fighters lacked. The Halberstadt fighters were well-liked by their pilots and were fully competitive with the Allied fighters they met in combat. Their excellent maneuverability and handling and good performance were well matched with the needs of individual fighter tactics. The Albatros fighters had the advantage of more power from their 160 hp Mercedes D.IIl engines; allComparison of German Fi 3 ighter Types of Late 1916 Type Speed ] Climb to 3,000 m Firepower Maneuverability| Strength] Dive & Handling Albatros D.I 175 km/h [15 min. 2 guns Good! Excellent _| Excellent ‘Albatros DI 175 km/h [12.67 min, | 2 guns Good Excellent _| Excellent 175 km/h | 11 min. 2 guns Good Fair Very Good Fokker EI 150 km/h [20 min. T gun Fair Poor ‘Mediocre Fokker EV 165 km/h [15 min, guns Mediocre Poor ‘Mediocre 150 km/h | 15 min. i gun Fair Poor Fair 150 km/h [15 min. I gun Good Poor Fair Fokker DiI 160 km/h [12 min. 2 guns Fair Poor Fair HalberstadtD | 160 km/h [15 min, T gun Excellent Excellent | Excellent Roland DI& DIT 10 min. 180 km/h 2 guns Mediocre Excellent [Excellent ‘Notes: 1. Qualitative comparisons based on specifications and pilot feedback. 2. Halberstadt D.11 (120 hp Mercedes}, D.1I (120 hp Argus}, and D.V (120 hp Argus} all had 120 hp engines and similar performance. The D.II with Mercedes engine climbed to 3,000 m in 14.5 minutes. 3. Roland D.I arrived at the front in very small number 4, Due to fatal wing failures of Fokker E-types (5) and t were withdrawn from combat and relegated to training, Halberstadt production fighters only had 120 hp. The Albatros’s additional power enabled them to mount two synchronized machine guns, a great advantage in combat, doubling their firepower and enabling them to stay in the fight even if one gun jammed, a frequent problem. The Albatros fighters also offered more speed and, with the Albatros D.II and DI, better climb than the Halberstadts The better performance and firepower offered by the Albatros fighters made them more effective for offensive, group fighter tactics than the Halberstadt fighters. The Halberstadts’ better maneuverability and handling gave them the advantage during defensive, individual combat; that is, dogfighting. Oblt. Wilhelm Siegert wrote that on December 22, 1916, a conference was held at HQ, Kofl 1, Cambrai, of the most experienced fighter pilots to discuss future fighter development. Most of these successful pilots had learned their trade when individual tactics were in vogue and wanted a two- gun version of the 120 hp Halberstadt D.Y. Only Manfred von Richthofen, then relatively unknown and the beneficiary of the offensive group tactics taught by his mentor, Oswald Boelcke, wanted a more powerful fighter. The advantages of the Albatros when using offensive tactics had already been recognized by Idfleg’s October 1916 order for 400 Albatros D.lIf fighters, by far the largest German. fighter order to that time. This order was justified by the D.IIl’s later success in combat. slate in 1917, Dll reached the front in early 1917. wo D.Is, on 6 December 1916 all Fokker fighters ‘As related in the first Albatros volume, the Albatros company used sharp business practices and colluded with high-ranking officers in the German Army. So it would be naive to think those factors had nothing to do with the large orders for Albatros fighters from October 1916. On the other hand, of the types available, the Albatros fighters were the hest suited for offensive group fighter tactics. Arrival of the fast Roland fighters did not change that; the Rolands had mediocre maneuverability, poor field of view for the pilot, and the machine guns were not accessible in flight. As a result, they were not nearly as effective in combat as Albatros fighters. All this begs the question of why Halberstadt did not build a two-gun fighter using a 150-160 hp engine? In fact, Halberstadt was the first company to which Idflieg awarded a contract for such a fighter, and the resulting two-gun Halberstadt DIV ‘was powered by a 150 hp Benz Bz.IIl. By the time it arrived at Adlershof for testing in October 1916, the Albatros was already serving in numbers at the front. Idflieg rejected the D.IV due to its “unfortunate choice of cabane design”; no details were given but limited forward visibility was likely the reason. Of course, the improperly close relationship between Albatros and the Army may have precluded a redesigned Halberstadt D.IV from being considered. However, the next month Idflieg ordered prototypes of the exceptional CL.II two-seat fighter that was, clearly derived from the D.IV.14 DI Albatros ‘Above: A prototype Albatros D.I fighter D.384/16 displays its clean, streamlined airframe at the factory, September 1916. It was the first fighter to use the 160 hp Mercedes Dill engine, giving it good performance while carrying two synchronized machine guns. The exhaust was routed above the wing. hen it arrived on the Western Front in late August 1916 the Albatros D.I was a significant advance over existing Allied fighters. Key features that made it so formidable included the first use of the powerful and reliable 160 hp Mercedes D.IIL engine in a fighter, fitting two synchronized machine guns, and the strong, streamlined semi-monocoque fuselage constructed of wood frames covered by a thin plywood skin. The result was a compact, robust, streamlined fighter of very good performance and firepower that was easy to fly. The speed, climb rate, diving speed, and firepower of the Albatros D.I were all superior to the performance of the DH.2 and Nieuport fighters that were the best and most numerous Allied adversaries and that gave the Albatros immediate technical superiority. Together with the Halberstadt and Fokker biplane fighters that had arrived slightly earlier, Albatros appeared at the front just in time to help supply the first specialized German fighter units with fighters. The first 16 Jastas, formed in September and October 1916, were primarily equipped with those types and some leftover Fokker Eindeckers. Eventually the Albatros demonstrated superior performance and combat effectiveness over these competitors and consequently was built in much greater numbers. The combination of specialized fighter units with aggressive unit tactics developed by ace Oswald Boelcke and the new Albatros fighters enabled the German air service to quickly establish air superiority. However, the Allies had so many more aircraft than Germany that they were able to perform their reconnaissance and artillery-spotting missions despite the increasing losses to the German fighters. ‘The Albatros D.l design did have room for improvement. It used conventional wood and fabric wing construction typical of the time, the high- mounted wing and cabane strut design obscured the pilot’s field of view, especially upward to the1S ‘Above: This side view of unarmed Albatros D| D.384/16 gives another view of its clean lines, broken only by the ear’ radiators on both sides of the fuselage. The upper wing was mounted high above the fuselage, giving the pilot a good field of view directly forward but obscuring his vision upward. The exhaust is not the production standard and the upper ‘wing cutout is small, The elevator does not yet have aerodynamic balances used on production fighters. Tune, Lens insignia are applied over white backgrounds to improve contrast. This aircraft was assigned to Lt. Spitzhoff of Jasta 5.16 in Se mvc ek v Es Above: Albatros D.| flown by Lt. Dieter Collin of Jasta 2. This is the aircraft later flown by Prinz Fr rich Karl von Preussen after decoration with the death's head insignia of his Hussar regiment. The water header tank and placement of gauges/ mirrors on the cabane are in the same positions when later flown by the Prinz. Lt. Collin rose to command Jasta 56 and scored 13 victories before being KIA on 25 July 1918. front, and the ear-type radiator installation was problematic. The ear radiators created significant drag and when leakage occurred from solder failures or combat damage, allowed water to drain from the engine's cylinder head, quickly resulting in overheating and engine seizure when it occurred. In fact, the widespread problems with ear and side radiators in different aircraft types resulted in Idflieg banning them from all German combat aircraft on 10 November 1916. However, Idflieg’s order did not affect aircraft already built or in advanced stages of construction, and some manufacturers continued to use them for some time. The Albatros also had a high wing-loading compared to the light, rotary-powered Allied fighters, giving a wider turning circle. The more agile Allied fighters used their maneuverability to defend themselves from attack, whereas the Albatros used its superior performance to attack when desired and to disengage when in an inferior tactical position. The slow, stable Allied reconnaissance planes found themselves at a severe disadvantage when attacked by Albatros fighters and their losses spiked. After 50 production D.I fighters were built, production shifted to the improved D.Il, Meanwhile, the D.1 was adapted with floats and larger wings and tail surfaces as the Navy's W.4 floatplane fighter. Facing Page, Top: The Albatros D. flown by Lt. Karl H Initially, Albatros fighters equipped one new unit, Jasta 2, and partially equipped Jasta 10. The first 16 Jastas were initially equipped as follows: Jasta 1: Halberstade D.IT & D.IM fighters, followed by Fokker D.I. Jasta 2: From mid-September equipped with Albatros D.1 and Boelcke’s D.I. Jasta 3: Halberstade DI & D.lll. Jasta 4: Halberstadt D.UI, D.IM, & D.V from. September 1916 thru December 1916. Jasta 5: Halberstadt Dl, D.IIl, & D.V from September 1916 to April 1917. Jasta 6: Fokker E.IVs initially, later Albatros DI and Halberstadt fighters. Jasta 7: Fokker E-types. Jasta 8: Fokker D.IL Jasta 9: Fokker E.Mlls and E.IVs inherited from Fokkerstaffel days. Albatros D.IIs in Feb. 1917, Jasta 10: Original equipment upon foundation ‘was four Fokker E.1Vs, two Albatros D.lls, two Fokker D.lls, and a Halberstadt D.IL Jasta 11: Halberstadt D.I1, D.IM, & D.V from September to April 1917. Jasta 12: Fokker D.l and D.lls. Jasta 13: Unknown, Jasta 14: Fokker Ds. Jasta 15: Fokker D.lls and D.Ills. Jasta 16: Fokker E.l, E.IV, D..and D.Il. rich Otto Battner of Jasta 2n ts original markings. Buttner was shot down in this aircraft on 16 November 1916 and made POW by Capt. G.A. Parker and Lt. H.E. Hervey of No.8 Sqdn, RFC while flying a BE.2c. The Albatros D1 was serial 391/16 and the "Bion the fuselage was Bittner’s personal marking. This aircraft was one of the DiI prototypes; production D.l fighters had serials D.421/16 through D.470/16.Right & Below: The Jasta 2 Albatros Di flown by Lt. Karl Bittner after capture and with British markings applied over the German national insignia. Itwas assigned British capture number G.1.For performance evaluation a pitot airspeed indicator was added to the upper starboard wing, Interestingly, Bittner’ individual markings were ally left intact.18 ‘Above, Below, & Facing Page: Additional photos of Albatros D.| 391/16 flown by Lt. Karl Bittner after capture and with British markings applied over the German national insignia. The ear radiators fitted to all D. fighters and early-production Dil fighters are clearly visible. The aircraft was repainted as shown and its serial was added as shown on the facing page, ‘apparently after formal evaluation started: at this time Bittner’ personal markings were over-painted. The D.l was a clean, robust aircraft that was the initial production type of a very famous fighter family.1920 Albatros D.I Albatros D.I 391/16 in its original markings as flown by Lt. Karl Bittner of Jasta 2. Albatros D.1 391/16 in British markings as flown at the First School of Air Fighting at Ayr. Albatros D.I as flown by Lt. Dieter Collin of Jasta 2.25 Above: Albatros D.1391/16 flown by Lt. Karl Bittner after capture and now serving in British markings at the First School of Air Combat at Ayr Right & Below: Two views of Albatros D1 391/16 crashed while serving in British markings at the First School of Air Combat at ‘Ayr-This crash ended the colorful career of D1 391/16.Above: Albatros D1 436/16 ready for take off. The ‘camouflage on the wing upper surfaces is visible. Only a single production batch of 50 D1 fighters, serials D.421/16 through D.470/16, was ordered before production was shifted to the improved Dil. Aircraft 0.344-348/16 are thought to be the initial DI prototypes. In June 1916 Idfieg ordered 12 Albatros fighter prototypes, 0.380- 391/16; 0382/16, D384/16, D.385/16, D.390/16, and D.391/16 are known to be DiI fighters. 0.386/16 was a Dill prototype and 0.38/16 was a Dilll prototype. : See NOR ee Above: Albatros D.! 446/16 ready for its next mission. It wears tactical number"7” and a dark painted rudder. Below: Albatros D.| fighters of Jasta 2 at Bertincourt with the unit tent hangars in the background, mid-September 1916.Right: Five brand new Albatros Di fighters of Jasta 2 at Bertincourt shortly after their arrival, mid-September 1916. The right-most aircraft with the Unique water header tank in front of the first cylinder, was flown by Lt. Dieter Colin, and later by Prinz Friedrich Karl von Preussen who would be shot down while fying it. 23, Above: Albatros D.I fighters of Jasta 2 ready for take off Below: Albatros D.I fighters of Jasta 2 ready to take off on 28 October, 1916. This was the mission during which Oswald Boelcke was killed in a mid-air collision with Lt. Erwin Bbhme during combat with DH.2s of No.24 Squadron,Above: Albatros D! 390/16 of Lt. Otto Walter Hohne of Jasta 2 takes off with other Dl fighters behind him ready to go. Hohne was wounded in action on 10 January 1917. After recovering from his wound he commanded Jasta 59 and then returned to command Jasta 2 on 26 January 1918. He was not able to lead Jasta 2 to its former success and was replaced by Karl Bolle on 20 February. He scored six victories and survived the war. Facing Page, Top: Albatros Dill 2051/16 in the middle and Rumpler C.1C.4633/15, atlleft. In the right background is the Albatros Di fighter with skull and cross- bones insignia often flown by Prinz Friedrich Karl von Preussen, crown prince of Prussia. Facing Page, Bottom: A closeup of the middle photo reveals a more detailed view of Prinz Karl's Albatros D1 and its markings. The aircraft was painted light ‘gfeen with the black and white Death's Head insignia on both sides of the fuselage and the spinner. Left: Lt. Wolfgang Giinther of Jasta 2 models his flight gear in the “fearless aviator” pose for the photographer with his brand new Albatros D1! as a backdrop. ‘brand new aircraft was a good reason for a photo.‘Above: Manfred von Richthofen walks toward the photographer with a Albatros D.lll 2051/16 behind him and Rumpler C11C.4633/15 at left. In the right background is the Albatros Di fighter with skull and cross-bones insignia often flown by iedrich Karl von Preussen, crown prince of Prussi Li aor26 Above: Prinz Friedrich Karl von Preussen, crown prince of Prussia, in his Albatros DI starting his take-off. Rights Described as the “strange green Albatros” of Prinz Friedrich Karl von Preussen by Hptm. Adolf Ritter von Tutschek, the details ofthe aircraft and its markings are well shown in this views Itconfirms the skull motif was also painted on the white spinner.aT. / Pring Friedrich Har! von PreuBen | in seinem selbstkonsiruierten Hampilugzeug, mitt dem er abstirgie und | | | | | schwerverwunde! in Gefrngenschaf? geriet E Sly ee se ‘Above: Postcard of the photo on the facing page of Prinz Friedrich Karl von Preussen taking off in his Albatros Di Below: The Albatros D.| of Prinz Friedrich Karl von Preussen, crown prince of Prussia, after capture. On 21 March 1917 the prince was brought down in no man's land and was mortally wounded trying to escape back to German lines.28 Albatros D.I & D.I Albatros D.1 446/16, Albatros D.II flown by Off.stv. Rudolf Weckbrodt of Jasta 26, early 1917. Weckbrodt scored two victories before being KIA on 14 October 1917 while attacking an RE8 in Albatros D.V 636/17. Albatros D.II flown by Lt. Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen of Jasta 2, Autumn 1916. Later known as the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen was the leading ace of the Great War. Albatros D.II flown by ObIt. Stefan Kirmaier, Kirmaier assumed command of Jasta 2 after Boelcke’s death. After scoring 11 victories he was KIA on 22 November 1916 by DH.2s of 24 Sqdn,29 Cope a3 8 - , ae . Cate iio ; ee bin 2 Above: Albatros D.ll 460/16 with dark-painted rudder rests in front of an airship hangar, perhaps that at Metz. Compared to the D1 above the upper wing of the Dill is much lower and in line with the pilot's eyes, which improved his field of view.Above: An unarmed prototype Albatros Dill at Johannisthal airfield. The Dil had a different cabane structure than the Dl, ‘enabling the upper wing to be lowered near the pilots’ eye level, giving the pilota better field of view forward above the horizontal. After armament was fitted and serial applied, this airplane was delivered to Obit. Oswald Boeleke at Jasta 2 as 386/16. The Albatros DiI seen directly behind the Dillis the one that would be flown by Lt. Dieter Collin and Prinz Friedrich karl von Preussen as confirmed by the water header tank in front of the fist cylinder and unique to this aircraft. ihe Albatros D.ll was a refinement of the DI developed to address some of its shortcomings. In particular, the cabane structure was redesigned to improve the pilot’ field of view forward and upward, the upper wing being lowered to just above the pilot’s eye-level. Although early production D. fighters retained the drag-producing ear radiators of the DI, the ear radiators were later replaced in production by the Teves and Braun airfoil-shaped radiator that fit flush in the upper wing. In other respects the D.II was essentially identical to the DJ, and German production increased to 275 fighters, of which 75 were built under license by LVG. These were initially designated LVD D.ls but the designation was rationalized to Albatros D.II[LVG) ‘The Dill arrived at the front very soon after the D.l and continued its success, the increased quantity available forming the backbone of the new German Jastas. The immediate success of the Albatros fighters in combat impressed Germany's Austro-Hungarian allies and license production of the Albatros D.II and later D.IM was expedited for the Austro-Hungarian air service; details are given in that section. Right: This early Albatros Dil retains the bulky ear radiators installed in the D1. Later Dill aircraft had airfoil radiatorscolor and the upper surfaces were camouflaged. The national insignia were applied over white squares.32 Albatros D.IL Albatros D.1I(LVG) D.1071/16 Kobes flown by Lt. Josef Jacobs of Jasta 22, Vauz Aerodrome, March 1917. Jacobs went on to command Jasta 7, score 48 victories, and be awarded the Pour Ie Mérite. Albatros D.II D.1729/16 flown by Lt. Scheller of Jasta 19. Scheller scored four victories and survived the war. Albatros D.II flown by Vzfw. Karl Khler of Jasta 9, Leffincourt Aerodrome, February 1917. Albatros D.II of Jasta 9, Leffincourt Aerodrome, February 1917.‘Above: Sometime in January 1917, Lt. Kralewski stood his Albatros Dill fighter on its nose at Jasta 4's Xivry-Circourt airfield, Here Kralewski stands with his Albatros in the background, An airfoil radiator located centrally in the upper wing replaced the earlier ear radiators. Right: Kralewski stands at center with his Albatros Dilin the background, Left to right: Werkmeister (Chief Technician) Albrecht, anaval officer, Lt. Otto Neumiller, Kralewski, ace Wilhelm Frankl, Jasta 4s paymaster. In the right background isa man about to tug ona rope attached to the plane's tal to lower it to the ground,34 Stills from the Bufa film of Jasta 9 these are stills from the Bufa (Bild und online at www.filmportal.de. Sequence: An Film Amt-Picture and Film Board) film automobile carrying pilots of Jasta 9 trundles taken during a visit to the airfield of fasta 9 on to the airfield along the flight line and at Leffincourt to film newsreel footage for a \ pulls up to the camera. The pilots clamber film titled Ein Kampftag an der Champagne out of the Benz touring car and walk to where (A Combat Day on the Champagne) taken the Staffelfishrer, Obit. Kure Student, is on 25 February 1917; it is now available waiting to give them their pre-flight briefing. Top & Middle: A Benz staff carrolls onto the flight line. The cars bringing pilots from their living quarters to their waiting aircraft. ‘The mechanics have been busy priming cylinders and carbutettors, checking coolant levels, and warming the engines. The car pulls up and the pilot's clamber out. Bottom Row: The pilots walk to Staffeffdher Obit. Kurt Student who waits to brief them prior to the mission. ‘The mian in the center of the group, Lt. Wemer Junge, failed to return from this mission; having been severely wounded and dieing of his wounds the next day. The Albatros Dl with the crossed swords emblem is believed to have been the aircraft flown by Vefi. Kari KOhler and Lt. Werner Marwitz. The crossed swords insignia shows that choice of personal markings was expanding away from the basic letters and ‘numerals originally used.35 ‘Above and Below: The pilot briefing ends and the pilots man their machines, get strapped in, and prepare for takeoff. All aircraft are fitted with mud guards to keep mud and debris from being flung into, and breaking, the propellers. Below and Right: The plot ofthe first Albatros inthe line with the checkered marking shoves the throttle forward and begins to take off, wth the assist of the propeller blast the pilot immediately raises the tail off the ground, Below and Right: Either Marwitz or Kohler take off next and the film crew captures it from a different angle. Again, the ‘camera catches how responsive the tailplane was in lifting the tail off of the ground.6 This Page: Jasta 9 star turn Lt. Hartmut Baldamus peers over the wing of his aircraft as the engine slowly idles. He is looking for the ground crewmen to pull the chocks so that he can take off ‘After Baldamus having motioned to them, the ground crewmen grab the ropes attached to the chocks and pull ‘them from infront of the wheels wi Baldamus watches, leaning out of the cockpit to make sure the chocks and crewmen are out of the way. Baldamus throttles up and the aircraft pulls forward while the grounderew act {as wing walkers to help maneuver the aircraft into takeoff position, Lt. Hartmut Baldamus was a rapid scorer who, by the beginning of April 1917 had achieved 15 confirmed victories and was nearing Pour le Merte territory. He was killed in action on 14 April 1917 due toa mid-air collision with a Nieuport, which also crashed for Baldamus’s 18th victory. ee ae37 Top Left and Rit ‘camera angle Baldamus' Albatros lunges forward gathering speed. Almost immediately the tail raises off the ground. Right Middle: After landing Hartmut Baldamus exits the cockpit of his, Albatros Dill and jumps to the ground. Bottom Right: A relieved Lt. Baldamus walks away from his Albatros Dl after another successful flight and landing.MP hese photos were also taken by the Bufa during AL their visit to Leffincourt and some of the pilots in the film are shown here in posed portraits taken by Bufa photographers for distribution to card manufacturers or newspapers Above: Staffelfdhrer Obit. Kurt Student in his Albatros Dil, Below: An Albatros Dil Facing Page, Top: Li. Hartmut Baldamus gives the photographer a steely glare from the cockpit in this view. Below: Lt, Hermann Pfeifer poses for a photo in his, Albatros Dil. Pfeifer was serving with Jasta 9 at the time of this photo and scored 11 victories. He was killed testing a captured Nieuport 17 on 20 May 1917. Jasta 9 had an affinity for captured Nieuports; at least three are known to have been flown at the unit.39 | Beutnant Pfeifer | siner anferer hekannteflen Rampfflieger40 Albatros D.II Albatros D.II D.1724/16 of Lt. Carl Emil Schaefer, Kasta 11, Morchingen Aerodrome, January-February 1917. Commanding Jasta 28, Schaefer scored 30 victories and was awarded the Pour le Mérite before being KIA on 5 June 1917 in combat with FE.2ds of 20 Sqdn. Albatros D.II D.504/16 of Lt. Franz von Scheele of Kasta 11. Albatros D.II D.910/16 fldwn by Lt. Max Bohme of Jasta 5, Gonnelieu Aerodrome, March 1917, Béhme was shot down and made POW on 4 March by Lt. Pearson, 29 Sqdn., and Lts. Graham & Boddy, 11 Sqdn. His aircraft was given British captured ID G.14. Albatros D.II D.910/16 after being repainted by the French during evaluation at Villacoubly after being turned over to France by the British.BRE oe 3 as ‘Above: Albatros DillOAW) 910/16 flown by Lt. Max Bohme of Jasta5, after being downed 4 March 1917 by Lt. AJ. Pearson ‘f No.29 Squadron, RFC and Lts. Graham and Boddy of 11 Squadron, RFC. It was assigned British capture number G.14, Below: Albatros D.l(OAW) 910/16 during evaluation at Villacoubly, France. Ithas been repainted ina ight finish, perhaps silver, with French markings, and an auxiliary strut has been added to support the tailplane. A French propeller was fitted. This aircraft had the later production airfoil radiator that eliminated the drag-producing ear radiators originally used.Above: Albatros Dill fighter of Jasta 19 wearing black and white fuselage stripes being manhandled into its hangar to repair a damaged landing gear.43 . ee ‘Above: Albatros D.l{OAW) fighter flown by Lt. Knappe of Jasta 14 wears white chevrons with dark borders on top, bottom, and both sides. Interestingly, this OAW-bullt aircraft had LVG-style wing camouflage; were the wings replaced? Below: Albatros D.I(OAW) D.501/16 of Jasta Boelcke undergoing scrutiny from a group of men. This aircraft had been flown at times by then Lt. Manfred von Richthofen and Adolf Ritter von Tutschek who both flew with the unitiin late 1916/early 1917 before being promoted to command units of their own, namely Jastas 11 and 12 respectively. Ironically, von Tutschek would replace Richthofen’s mentor and friend, Paul Henning von Osteroth, who had been one of von Richthofen’s pilots during his time as an observer.44 Albatros D.II Camouflage Variations > ‘Typical Albatros D.IL three color pattern with cross fields and ear radiators based on D1 491/16, ‘Typical Albatros D.II three color pattern with cross fields and airfoil radiator based on D.II 386/16.Albatros D.II Camouflage Variations 45 The characteristic ‘banded’ pattern as applied to LVG-built Albatros D.II fighters, shown here are both two-color and three- color versions.‘Above: Oblt, Oswald Boelcke, Commanding Officer of Jasta 2, in front of what was presumably his Albatros Dll of Jasta 2, October 1916. Below: Albatros Dill aircraft of a Jasta, perhaps Jasta 2, in the snow. These conditions were very rigorous for wooden airplanes covered in fabric, to say nothing of the pilots flying unheated aircraft with open cockpits.‘Above: Manfred von Richthofen in front of what was presumably his Albatros Dull of Jasta 2, Lagnicourt airfield, November 1916, Left to right: Obit. Stefan Kirmaier (CO), Lt. Hans Imelmann, Richthofen, and Lt. Hans Wortmann. Below: Obit. Stefan Kirmaier, Commanding Officer of Jasta 2 after Boelckes death, and an Albatros Dill of Jasta 2.Ibatros fighters of an unidentified Jasta; the fighter on the left is Dll 0.1743/16. Another Dillis second in line an« the third fighter in line is a D1; the rest of the fighters appear to be Dills. \Ibatros D1 D.1712/16, formerly of Jasta 17, being serviced. Below: Vzfw. Wilhelm Anton Seitz of Jasta 8 poses for a photo with his Albatros Dil. Seitz was later promoted to Leutnant and given command of Jasta 68. He scored 16 confirmed victories and survived the wer. Above:49 Above: Vefiv. Hugo Stéber of Jasta 16b shows his Albatros Dallsome love, Stéber shot down three aircraft before being wounded in action. Right: An exuberant Jasta 16 pilot puts his Albatros Dil through its paces.50 ‘Above: Rudolf Berthold of Jasta 14 in Albatros D.ll 1717/16 with its engine running ready to take off. A rack of flare cartridges is located on the side of the cockpit and an over-sized windscreen has been fitted, Below: Rudolf Berthold in Albatros Dill 1717/16 at Jasta 14’ airfield. Berthold went on to score 44 victories; he was awarded the Pour le Mérite and survived the war only to be murdered by radicals soon after the Armistice.Above: Lt. Emil Schaefer in his Albatros D1 1724/16 of Kasta 11; he scored 30 victories and was awarded the Pour le Mérite. Below: Albatros fighters of Kasta 11 with Schaefer's Dill 1724/16 at left. Schaefer was KIA on $ June 1917 in a Dil52 ‘Above: Ths photo was taken during the Buf flming of Jasta9 activites on 25 February 1917-The Caudron G4is shown in the background of the film and also taking off, but appears not to have made the final cut. Marwitz and Kohler Albatros Dill with the crossed swords motif on the fuselage flanks is seen here with one of those pilots. (NARA Photo Collection) ‘Above: This unidentified early-production Albatros Dll appears to be in good condition despite being captured. Below: Albatros D.l1 0473/16, the second production aircraft, under new management. This aircraft was presented intact to the British when the pilot ran out of fuel behind the lines near Abbeville on 3 May 1917. Assigned captured aircraft number G32, twas sent to England for fight evaluation.Above: Albatros Dill 1713/16 of Kest 4b (which later became Jasta 84 in 1918) retains the early ear radiators despite being an aircraft of the third (and last) Albatros production batch. Offstv Leim, who commanded the unit, is in the cockpit and the ground crew also pose for their portrait. Below: Albatros DiKLVG) 1076/16 of ZAK3 (Zentral Abnahme Kommission, Abteilung ZAK 3) after being rebuilt in 1918. The painter has incorrectly repainted the serial as D.1076/17. The ZAK was responsible for managing the repair and recycling of damaged aircraft and accepting all aircraft from manufacturers; this Dil was used by the ZAK as a communications aircraft54 Albatros D.II Albatros D.II D.1747/16 of Jasta 14. The white bird was the personal insignia of the unknown pilot. Albatros D.II of Jasta 14. The white bird was the personal insignia of the unknown pilot. Albatros D.II of an unknown unit with the Imperial Battleflag as an insignia. Albatros D.II of Kest 4b, Freiburg Aerodrome.‘Above: Albatros Dil with Imperial Battle Flag insignia, unit and pilot unknown, Right: Unidentified late- production Albatros Dil with airfoll radiator. Below: Albatros Dil at left and Dill in the center showing their common fuselage design and different radiators and wing cellules the Dilat left retains the older ear radiators.56 Albatros D.II Above: Albatros D.lll of Offz.Stv Julius Buckler, Jasta 17, possibly 0.2033/16. The ‘V-struts' of the D.lll were a prominent. Identification feature. Buckler was a very successful fighter pilot, scoring 35 or 36 victories and surviving the war despite having earned the Golden Wound Badge for being wounded five times in battle. He reached the rank of Leutnant, became Staffelfuhrer of Jasta 17, and was awarded the Pour le Mérite after achieving 30 victories. the Albatros fighter series reached its peak with the DIL The D.IIl combined a sesquiplane wing cellule inspired by the Nieuport with the engine, fuselage, and tail of the earlier D.1 and D.Il. The Teves and Braun airfoil-shaped radiator position initially followed that of the late production D.II, in the center section of the upper wing, Later the radiator was moved to starboard to improve the pilot’s view forward by moving the coolant line. Based on tests and analysis of captured Nieuports, Albatros designers created a new wing cellule for the DIL. The wing span was increased and the chord decreased, especially in the much narrower lower wing. The increased span and reduced chord gave a higher aspect ratio to the wings, which reduced induced drag (drag induced by creation of lift}. The very narrow chord lower wing also improved the pilot’s field of view downward. The greater aerodynamic efficiency improved speed somewhat and significantly inereased the climb rate. As an added bonus, the D.III looked more impressive than the D.I and D.ll with their squared-off wings. The Albatros D.II was the best fighter at the front when the superior Albatros D.III started arriving in late 1916, and by March 1917 the D.IIT was the most numerous German fighter at the front. By the end of April 1917 there were three times as many Dill Aghters at the front as D.lis. The D.Ill made a significant impact on the air war and by April its affect was traumatic. Allied losses in April 1917 ‘were so high the month became known as “Bloody April” in the REC. Some RFC units suffered more than 100% casualties that month; one ground ‘machine gunner arriving at an REC squadron wondered why everyone was so dispirited; the next day he was shot down during his first day of combat. The impressive results achieved by the Jagdflieger in April 1917, when the Albatros D.III was the main German fighter at the front, sowed despair in the RFC and complacency at Idflieg. Such an ascendancy, based on superior technology and excellent training and tactics, could not last against enemies with the world-wide resources available to the Allies, and it did not. During the month of the REC's blood-letting over the front, the first new- generation British fighters appeared, the SE.5 and Bristol Fa, powered by advanced V8 (SE.5 and V12. (F2a) engines. Both engines were quickly developed to deliver more power, resulting in the SE.Sa and Bristol F2b with even better performance. In fact, the performance of these two fighters was so good they were in first-line service at the Armistice.‘Above: An unarmed Albatros Dll prototype. The Dall used the same fuselage and tail structure and the same 160 hp ‘Mercedes Dill engine and two Spandau machine guns as the earlier D. and Dil coupled with a new wing cellule inspired by the Nieuport. The new wing improved climb and maneuverability atthe cost of structural weakness of the single-spar lower wing, something that had not been a problem with the earlier D1/D.lI wing design. Below: Albatros Dill photographed at the Fokker works. There are multiple views, i interested in what his competitors were doing ‘The robust Sopwith Camel arrived in June 1917; its performance was similar to the Albatros but it was more maneuverable in a dog-fight and more robust, and like the Albatros it carried two synchronized guns. Ironically, the Albatros’s finest moment came just as better Allied fighters were arriving. Idflieg was caught flat-footed, it did not fully grasp the dynamic nature of the factory battle for technical superiority nor appreciate the rapid growth potential \dicating that Fokker was very of the V8 and V12 engines. Basking in the comfort of Albatros technical superiority, there was nothing better available when the Allies leaped ahead. Another warning sign was that, for the first time, the Albatros was starting to suffer structural problems. This was due to the Nieuport-type sesquiplane wing cellule and the weakness of the narrow, single-spar lower wing. Unknown to the Germans, the Nieuport fighters had also sufferedAbove: Dill 0.636/17, which served with Flieger Abteilung 300 Pascha, is shown here after being captured in the Middle East. The wheels are replacements from a British aircraft; the originals were damaged in towing it back to the British squadron. The additional over-wing radiator, visible in the photo below before capture, has been removed, from lower-wing failures before the Albatros DI _and the Albatros’s greater diving speed further with its similar wing design arrived at the front. The aggravated the issue. Worse was to come with the greater weight of the Albatros compared to the light, arrival of the new D.V, where the problem will be rotary-engine Nieuports contributed to the problem, discussed in more detail. ‘Above: Albatros Dill 0.636/17, shown serving with Flieger Abteilung 300 Pascha prior to capture, was a standard Dill and shows why the twin radiator solution was needed. The inadequate cooling of the standard radiator setup is demonstrated here by the ad hoc addition of a box-type radiator, commonly used on two-seater aircraft, fitted above the wing,53) Above: Albatros Dill cutaway drawing showing its internal structure which it shared with the DV and D.Va. The fuselage structure was essentially identical to the earlier D! and Dil, although these two types had two-spar lower wings so the wing root structure was somewhat different. Below: This front view of an Albatros Dill shows its clean lines and attention to streamlining. The propeller was made by Axial as indicated by the Axial decals.‘Above: Beautifully decorated and maintained Albatros Dill fighters serving with Kest 1b. Below: Albatros Dill fighters of Jasta 30. The closest aircraft was flown by Obit. Hans Bethge, the commanding officer. Berlin native Bethge was an excellent fighter pilot and leader who scored 20 victories before being killed in action on 17 March 1918, Bethge had been nominated for the Pour le Mérite but it had not been approved before his death.or ‘Above: Colorized version of a well-known photograph of Albatros Dill fighters of Jastas 4 and 11 at Roucourt airfield. The second aircraft was the all-red “Le Petit Rouge’ flown by Manfred von Richthofen. Below: Richthofen’s red "Le Petit Rouge” seen in a rare view taken at Lechelle in March-April 1917. Though marred, this photo reveals rare details not seen in other views, namely that the top wing was over-painted with a thin coating of red dope subduing the white cross surrounds while the upper surfaces of the lower wings appear in the normal two or three tone factory finish, Edy Libbbert’s half yellow/half blue Dill appears in the lineup second from the right.62 Top: Lt Joachim von Bertrab poses with his black-painted early Dill with white crosses. Above: Uffz.Otto Rosenfeld of Jasta 12s seen with a newly delivered Albatros Dill Left: Jasta 12 adopted black as a unit color following the death of Hptm. Osteroth upon the arrival of Hptm. von Tutschek. Rosenfeld is seen with his now black painted Albatros DillAbove: Hptm. Martin Zander, Fuhrer of Jastaschule at Valenciennes, flew this shiny dark (red?) Albatros Dall marked with the letter “Z'under the lower wing surfaces, Mudguards were fitted to protect the propeller from debris. Right: The red eagle marking with light yellow/ orange highlights was derived from a Fokker weapons advertisement. Below: Lt. Harald Auffahrt often used a comet marking as his insignia. Was this one of his aircraft?SE Fig a Re | a ie Above: Lt. Hermann Habich poses with elegantly-marked Albatros Dll (OAW) 5129/17 of Jasta 49. H Se sea : = ee . cae x ne 2 ages mer ‘Above: Albatros Dill D.2090/'16 flown by Lt. Fritz Jacobsen of Jasta 31 (at right). The large windscreen is unusual, as is the plate over the machine gun mechanism.Above: Albatros Dill .2140/16 flown by Lt. Paul Erbguth of Jasta 30. His personal markings include his initial in ted and a white rudder with black outline, Right: This view shows the upper wing details of an early Dll,including the 1916 style national markings on the large white squares. The Teves & Braun airfoil radiator is mounted centrally The radiator would, in later batches, be moved to starboard to protect pilots from scalding water ifit was punctured. Below: An Albatros Dill of Jasta 20 that force-landed in Holland is the center of attention for the local Dutch citizenry.66 Above: An Albatros Dill displays its distinctive lines. Below: Friedrich Altemeier of Jasta 24 shows the cameraman how itis don this high-speed pass in his Dill‘Above: Albatros Dull .767/17 was from the last production batch ordered from the main Albatros factory in March 1917; it is shown here in plain factory finish before any personal markings were applied. Lt. Oskar Seitz of Jasta 30ssits in the cockpit. ‘Above: Albatros Dll 0.767/17 after Lt. Seitz’ personal markings were applied. Those markings included his red initial for his last name and the blue and white Bavarian rauten (lozenge) colors on the vertical tal.68 Albatros D.III Albatros D-III flown by Lt. Josef Veltjens of Jasta 14, March-April 1917. The arrow was Veltjens’ personal insignia. He survived the war with 35 victories and was awarded the Pour le Mérite. Albatros D.III of Jasta 28, Wasquehal Aerodrome. Jasta 28 had yellow horizontal tail surfaces with a black chord-wise stripe.Albatros D.II 69 Albatros D.I(OAW) flown by Off.stv. Johann Dierle of Kest 4b, Freiburg Aerodrome. The colors are not known; above shows it painted with the green and mauve colors used on the wings, below shows it in green and brown. Albatros D.IIl D.2244/16 flown by Lt. Heinrich Biissing of Jasta 5, July 1917. Biissing claimed six victories, two of which were confirmed, and was killed 10 May 1918 while testing an Albatros D.Va. Albatros D.II(OAW) 3210/17 of Ltn.d.R. Werner Hafner of Jasta 57. Hainer was KIA in this aircraft on 13 March 1918.7o Albatros D.III Camouflage Variations ‘Two typical three- color patterns as applied to Johannisthal- built D.Ills. These colors were a light Brunswick green, dark green, and reddish brown. Undersurfaces were in light blue. Rudders were in either CDL or one of the upper-surface colors. Use of the reddish-brown color led to some aircraft being mistaken for enemy aircraft, and a switch to dark green and lilac was ordered on April 12 1917. It is unknown if any Johannisthal- built D.Is were delivered in lilac/ green but some OAW examples surely were.Albatros D.I1I Camouflage Variations 71 Colors of the D.IN(OAW) were also similar with the earliest examples being delivered in two-color sprayed patterns — initially reddish-brown and green. These were changed to Lilac/ green after the use of reddish-brown led many aircraft to be mistaken for those of the enemy, and a switch to dark green and lilac was ordered on April 12 1917. The difference in orientation of the colors on the tailplane between OAW and Johannisthal can be noted. The second batch of OAW D.Ils (D.2362- 2561/17) had five-color printed fabric on wings and tail surfaces. Interestingly, many of the earlier aircraft in this run exhibited a mix of painted and printed components as stocks of the former were used up.‘Above: Albatros Dill warming up for take-off. Facing Page, Top: Albatros Dil D.1996/16 flown by Lt. Rudolf Hohberg of Flieger Abteilung (A) 263. This Dll had been fitted with an automatic strip camera for photo-reconnaissance. The underside was painted alight color, probably light blue, apparently to reduce detection from the ground. The fin appears to be patched. ‘Above: Albatros DilllD.1729/16 flown by Lt. Scheller of Jasta 19. Scheller was credited with four victories.Right & Below: Albatros Dill 2096/16 Vera after capture by the French. Vera was flown by Lt. Friedrich- Wilhelm Wichard of Jasta 24 and was brought down on 21 April 1917. This aircraft was subsequently shipped to the US and this photo of the aircraft on the takeoff run was possibly taken at McCook Field in the US. 7374‘Above: Ht. Franz Walz wrestles with a Syrian bearin front of anagel neu (factory fresh) twin-radlato Albatros DiINOAW). Watz became the leader of Fieger Abtellng 304b and was awarded the Pourl Méite during his sevice there, Ss) Left: Closeup of Albatros Dill 2174/16 showing an ad hoc double-decker radiator installation. Because of these cooling difficulties and the resultant feedback from the pilots and mechanics, the next series of Dill aircraft they received would be fitted with twin radiators and required plumbing. Itisa tribute to the creativity of the mechanics and ground crew of these units who worked so hard to find solutions to keep the aircraft in the ait Facing Page: The hot climate of the Middle East required addition of a second radiator as shown in these photos of Albatros Dll(OAW) fighters serving there with Flieger Abteilung 300, At bottom ist. Emil Meinecke, who was credited with six victores inthis emote theater. ibatros Dll D.636/17, (left) and 2174/16 (right) of Flieger-Abtellung 300 Pascha were standard Dils fitted with single airfoil radiators when they were shipped to Palestine. The cooling properties of the standard single radiator setup left much to be desired inthe desert heat. The ad hoc solutions of the mechanics to resolve these problems are seen here in both of these aircraft.76 Albatros D.IIT Albatros D.II(OAW) 3237/17 of an unknown unit in 1918 insignia photographed in Swiss hands. The colors of the nose, band, and shield are assumed. Albatros D.IIl(OAW) 3237/17 after the fuselage and tail were over-painted in Swiss markings. The ‘wings retained their German markings. The colors of the nose, band, and shield are assumed. Albatros D.III D.636/16 of Fl.Abt. 300 ‘Pasha’ in Palestine. A second, leading edge radiator has been installed in the field to provide additional cooling. Albatros D.II1 D.2174/16 of FI.Abt. 300 ‘Pasha’ in Palestine. A second radiator has been installed by unit mechanics above the upper wing to provide additional cooling.Albatros D.III 77 Albatros D.III D.2219/16 flown by Lt. Gerhard Bassenge of Jasta Boelcke. Bassenge scored 7 victories and survived the war. Albatros D.III flown by Lt. Friedrich Kempf of Jasta Boelcke. Kempf scored 4 victories and survived the war. Albatros D.IN(OAW) flown by Vzfw. Pinkert of Jasta 25 in Macedonia. Checkerboard colors are assumed. Albatros D.IIT AKD3 of the Turkish Air Service, 1918.Above: Albatros Dill 1729/16 tactical number'13'of Jasta 21 with a dark and white band around the fuselage has an auxiliary strut between the leading edge of the lower wing and the forward interplane strut. The single-spar lower wing introduced on the Dill significantly weakened the wing cellule. The problem was not the static strength, which was tested and found to be sufficient, but the dynamic characteristics. The problem was flutter, a dynamic structural problem not understood at the time. During high speeds, and aggravated by high-G loading, the lower wing would twist around the single spar, and this twisting motion would quickly oscillate back and forth and could tear the lower wing off the aircraft, a catastrophic failure that was often fatal. The auxiliary strut was an attempt to strengthen the wing cellule against twisting and was an improvement but not a complete solution. The more streamlined D.V had an even weaker attachment of the lower wing spar to the fuselage and was even more susceptible to this problem. Above: Albatros Dill under test mounting an airspeed indicator on the left interplane strut.