Blue?,or not blue?

Could someone please help me settle this once and for all,was Ltn Augustine rabin's Fokker Blue,and White, or Red, and White,like the latest Evidence tell's us,I mean who's realy to know,Back in the early 1900's there was only B&W photo's so who could realy tell ,These are just guesses than right?or where there still survivors who flew in Jesta 18 that give accounts of what the correct color's were.

AJ

[Russell Smith]

Originally Posted by BlackFalcon1918

Could someone please help me settle this once and for all,was Ltn Augustine rabin's Fokker Blue,and White, or Red, and White,like the latest Evidence tell's us,I mean who's realy to know,Back in the early 1900's there was only B&W photo's so who could realy tell ,These are just guesses than right?or where there still survivors who flew in Jesta 18 that give accounts of what the correct color's were.

AJ

Hi BlackFalcon. Jasta 18's (Jasta Rabin) colors were indeed red and white.

russ

Russ doe's jesta Rabin mean Rabin's squadren?

AJ

[Gregvan]

Hi,

OL, first off, let's spell things correctly. Leutnant der Reserve August Raben was commander of Jagdstaffel 18 from late March 1918 until nearly the end of the war. Thus the Jagdstaffel was informally known as "Jasta Raben" of "Staffel Raben," etc. The unit colors were indeed vermilion red noses (except for a white radiator shell on the D.VIIs, or cowling on Raben's Dr.I, or spinner on the Albatros and Pfalz) back to the cockpit, red upper surfaces of the wings (usually) and a white rear fuselage and tail surfaces. The black raven symbol was also part of the Staffel livery, but in some cases it was in different color(s) (Raben, of course, used a white raven on the red background).

The blue and white notion was first proposed in the early '60's, based on an Allied intelligence interrogation of a German PoW who lied to his captors about the "Raven Squadron" - and it refuses to die out, as solid model manufacturers continue to go with it, and a blue/white Dr.I profile keeps popping up. However, there is NO DOUBT whatsoever that the aircraft of Jasta 18 in mid-to-late 1918 were red and white. This is attested to by:

1) British reports on the captured Fokker D.VII of Ltn d R Hans Schultz (G/2Bde/14)

2) Statements made by an ex Jasta 18 pilot in the early 1960's, recorded by Alex Imrie

3) Numerous combat reports by British and American airmen who encountered Jasta 18 Fokker D.VIIs in combat.

I could go on and on. They were all red and white, including Raben's Fokker Dr.I.

Greg VanWyngarden

FIRST OF ALL I'm new to this I'm going on what I heard,Secondly,I realy wish I was as smart as you seem you think you are,THIRD It's good to know a least one person know's everthing there's is to know about WWI

[EricGoedkoop]

Whoa there, Cowboy.

Greg is giving it to you straight - and you couldn't ask for a better source. He's a leading authority on the subject (no foolin' - look him up) and he's not the sort to give anyone a hard time or talk out his backside.

The rest of us aren't nearly as polite or reasonable.

I totaly understand,no problem not looking to burn any Bridges,it just seemed to me that he came on a little strong that's all it was a misunderstanding,I'm looking to make friends, and I want to learn to build Models,actully what he said was very interesting, and I did learn something,sorry Mike!! please teach me more, please feel free to email me anytime.

Regards
AJ

[Ross_Moorhouse]

Anything to do with German Airservice WWI published by Osprey has Greg's name against it.

Who is Mike?

[Gregvan]

Hi Blackfalcon1918,

Sorry if I came on too strong. I didn't mean to. I'm a schoolteacher, so I'm kinda anal retentive about spelling. "Raben" is German for Ravens, thus the association. As for the rest of it, I just wanted to point out all the evidence that red and white is correct.

Again, my apologies. Welcome to the forum.

Greg

[EricGoedkoop]

See?

He's a gentleman and we all love him for it.




Makes the rest of us look bad.

REAL bad.