Friedrichshafen G.IV Bombers

According to the Windsock Datafile on the D.III series some 150+ D.IIIb and D.IV bombers were ordered (IIRC). Does anybody know:

1. How may of the D.IV bombers actually produced?
2. How many if any D.IV bombers were delivered to operational units?
3. Are there any known units+serials of operational D.IV bombers? (I know... it's a long shot )
4. Can anybody reccommend a good book on WWI German bombers?

Cheers
SR

[Ransom E. Olds]

The German Giants by Haddow and Grosz is excellent, but it is limited in its coverage to the Riesenflugzeuge. Ransom

[Taz]

rabbit- Alex Imrie's German Bombers of World War One is one good small book.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...n=bombers&x=28

The Harleyford book Reconnaissance & Bomber Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War is another.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...&x=45&sortby=2

Thetford and Gray's German Aircraft of the First World War is another good source.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...d+Gray&y=6&x=7

Taz
Terry phillips

[Jim]

There is some interesting information in this discussion relating to the G.IV:

FDH G.IIIA (Daim) 1048/18?

Thanks for the book list and the link. I have been looking for information on the G.IV for quite a while but without much success and that thread is a small gold mine.

According to Dan, in that thread:

We know Fdh.G.IV (Daim) 1074/18 was built before the war ended,(Date unknown) it was captured and displayed in London at the Crystal Palace.

Does anybody know under what circumstances it was captured? That statement sounds like 1074/18 *might* have seen frontline service. Also would this be a picture of 1074/18 after capture?

Also, I have a German book that claims 48 G.IV and 38 G.IVa bombers were built and that some were shipped to Bogohls 1 and 2.

[Jim]

I believe that photo is not a Friedrichshaven G.IV but rather a G.IVa. The compound empenage (box-kite shaped double tail) was used on the IVa while the standard empenage (single verticle fin tail) was used on the G.IV.

In that old thread, Dan San was opining on whether the Friedrichshaven G.IIIa from which my dataplate came from could have seen front-line service. My dataplate is from 1048/18 and he was offering thoughts about how long it would have taken to get it shipped from the factory to the air park where it was set up and test flown before being sent to a front line unit. His thinking was that it was kind of iffy. If 1048/18 was iffy, then I would think that the G.IV that was captured and put on display in London which was serial number 1074/18 would be much less likely. He does mention the G.IV prototype that was built in 1917 though. I'll let Dan San chime in here though as he is the bomber expert - not me.

Originally Posted by Jim

I believe that photo is not a Friedrichshaven G.IV but rather a G.IVa. The compound empenage (box-kite shaped double tail) was used on the IVa while the standard empenage (single verticle fin tail) was used on the G.IV.

True, the P.u.W. bomb under it's belly kind of makes that obvious, which should have rung some bells in my head . Any idea when or where this photo was taken?

Originally Posted by Jim

In that old thread, Dan San was opining on whether the Friedrichshaven G.IIIa from which my dataplate came from could have seen front-line service. My dataplate is from 1048/18 and he was offering thoughts about how long it would have taken to get it shipped from the factory to the air park where it was set up and test flown before being sent to a front line unit. His thinking was that it was kind of iffy. If 1048/18 was iffy, then I would think that the G.IV that was captured and put on display in London which was serial number 1074/18 would be much less likely. He does mention the G.IV prototype that was built in 1917 though. I'll let Dan San chime in here though as he is the bomber expert - not me.

I pretty much figured it was a long shot but being an eternal optimist I had to ask. Using the word 'captured' causes it to sound like 1074/18 was shot down and captured in tact as opposed to it being.... ummm.... 'obtained' from the German government as a 'war-reperation' under the terms of the treaty of Versailles.

I'm interested in finding out if any of these Fdh G.IV/IVa bombers ever reached operational units and the same incidentally goes for the Gotha G.VII-IX series. I keep finding hints and claims (like in that German book I mentioned) that a few reached the front before the armistice but never any photos or information on which units operated them.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Gentlemen:
The photograph in post 5 by Savage-rabbit is not a G.IVA, it is a Fdh.GV.
Blue skies.
Dan-San

[Taz]

Dan-San- Nice to have the master at work, old friend.

Taz
Terry Phillips

[Jim]

Thanks Dan San! Do you know the answer to Rabbit's interesting question as to whether any FDH G.IV or G.IVa bombers (or even any G.V) were ever operational during the war?