Undoubtedly the most famous fighter type to see service on either side during World War 1, the Fokker Dr I was a revelation when it entered service on the western front in 1917. Manfred von Richthofen's JG 1 'circus' was the first Jasta to completely re-equip with the new fighter, and in the skilled hands of its numerous aces the Dr I proved a formidable opponent. The Dr I remained in service on the Western Front until replaced by the superior Fokker D VII in May 1918. Just weeks prior to that, however, Germany's leading ace, the great 'Red Baron', had been killed at the controls of a Dr I.
Undoubtedly the most famous fighter type to see service on either side during World War 1, the Fokker Dr I was a revelation when it entered service on...
Designed in a great rush at the end of 1917 just in time to take part in the German standard fighter competition held in January/February 1918, the D VII easily walked away with first prize. As Germanys premier fighter unit, von Richthofens JG I (led by Hermann Goring in the wake of the 'Red Baron's' recent death) received the first examples of the D VII to reach the frontline in late April. Built to oppose the new generation of French SPAD XIIIs and British SE 5as and Camel fighters, the D VII was arguably the best all-round fighting scout of the Great War.
Designed in a great rush at the end of 1917 just in time to take part in the German standard fighter competition held in January/February 1918, the D ...
Undoubtedly the most famous of any nation's aviation units in World War 1 was the legendary Jagdgeschwader Nr 1, or 'The Flying Circus' as its respectful foes labelled it. Germany's first true fighter wing, it would always be associated with its first commander, the charismatic and revered Manfred von Richthofen. JG 1 was formed in July 1917, and for sixteen months the unit's young pilots in their colourful aircraft battled for aerial dominance of the Western Front. From its ranks emerged many of Germany's most successful airmen, including the Red Baron's brother Lothar; Ernst Udet; Werner...
Undoubtedly the most famous of any nation's aviation units in World War 1 was the legendary Jagdgeschwader Nr 1, or 'The Flying Circus' as its respect...
After struggling with inadequate supplies of aircraft and materiel, the veteran pilots of the Geschwader would go on to enjoy incredible successes against French and American opponents in September 1918. Aces who flew the famous blue-fuselaged Fokkers of JG II included such stalwarts as Josef Veltjens (35 kills), Georg von Hantelmann (25 kills), Franz Buchner (40 kills) and Ulrich Neckel (30 kills). This volume contains many first-hand accounts by these and other notable aces, which reveal the esprit de corps and camaraderie these airmen displayed in their struggles against superior numbers...
After struggling with inadequate supplies of aircraft and materiel, the veteran pilots of the Geschwader would go on to enjoy incredible successes aga...
Volume 53 in this series covered Fokker D VII aces from the four elite Jagdgeschwadern of the German army, and this follow-on volume charts the story of the many aces who flew the famed fighter in other units committed to combat in the final months of World War 1. D VII operations covered the entire Western Front, from the North Sea to the Swiss border. In the latter half of 1918 the Fokker was not only the mainstay of the army Jagdstaffeln, but also the most potent fighter flown by home defence Kests and the pilots of the German navy in Flanders. The D VII easily proved the equal of the many...
Volume 53 in this series covered Fokker D VII aces from the four elite Jagdgeschwadern of the German army, and this follow-on volume charts the story ...
One of the "top picks for specialized military holdings" - California Bookwatch
The Fokker Eindecker (monoplane) can truly be said to have begun the age of fighter aviation. With the development of its revolutionary synchronised system that enabled the machine gun to fire through the propellor, Fokker E I pilots caused consternation in the Allied air services as they began to reap a harvest of victims in the summer of 1915. While the first victory with a Fokker E-type is now believed to have been earned by Kurt Wintgens on 1 July 1915, it was the exploits of Max Immelmann and Oswald...
One of the "top picks for specialized military holdings" - California Bookwatch
The Fokker Eindecker (monoplane) can truly be said to have be...
The Pfalz Flugzeug Werke, located at Speyer am Rhein in Bavaria, was the third in the great triumvirate (along with Fokker and Albatros) of German fighter manufacturers in the Great War. When World War I broke out in 1914, Pfalz initially produced copies of the Morane-Saulnier parasol monoplanes for the German air service. With the advent of the famed Fokker Eindeckers with their synchronized machine guns, Pfalz entered the fighter market with the Pfalz E.I and its successors, all monoplanes which were similarly armed. Though never as as numerous as the Albatros or Fokker designs, the D...
The Pfalz Flugzeug Werke, located at Speyer am Rhein in Bavaria, was the third in the great triumvirate (along with Fokker and Albatros) of German fig...
Nearly every German ace who flew before the summer of 1918 scored victories in Albatros fighters, whose introduction coincided with the development of the famous and highly successful Jagdstaffeln, the first true German fighter formations, which became a critical German air tactic and helped to wrest back air superiority from the Allies. After wreaking havoc in the skies over Arras the Albatros was eventually outclassed by succeeding generations of Allied aircraft, but still remained the most numerous and ubiquitous of all German fighters in World War I, with Albatros biplanes contributing...
Nearly every German ace who flew before the summer of 1918 scored victories in Albatros fighters, whose introduction coincided with the development...
The history of Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel (or Jasta) 18 is one of the more unique and complex of German fighter squadrons of World War I. In fact, the unit could be said to have had something of a split personality. Formed in Flanders at the end of October 1916, the Jasta was first commanded by Oblt von Grieffenhagen, who led it to 35 victories in nine months. In August 1917, the aggressive and demanding Oblt Rudolf Berthold took over the Staffel and brought a cadre of seasoned pilots with him from his former command. Berthold molded his new unit into a dedicated group of hunters, and left...
The history of Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel (or Jasta) 18 is one of the more unique and complex of German fighter squadrons of World War I. In fact, the...
Royal Prussian Jagdgeschwader Nr III was the third of Germany's vaunted fighter wings to be formed during World War 1. Commanded by the Pour le Merite winner and well-respected ace Hauptmann Bruno Loerzer for its entire existence, it was composed of the celebrated Jasta 'Boelcke', along with Jagdstaffeln 26, 27 and 36. Equipped largely with the new Fokker triplane, these four units would play an important role in the Kaiserschlacht as part of the 17. Armee.
As Germany's fortunes waned in the summer of 1918, the aces of JG III nonetheless did their best to stem the tides of British,...
Royal Prussian Jagdgeschwader Nr III was the third of Germany's vaunted fighter wings to be formed during World War 1. Commanded by the Pour le Mer...
