Jasta 18 Raben equipment

hello, i've been following this forum loosely for a while now but I registered cause I have a question that I cant answer with my own limited knowledge

I did a very nice illustration, that I use as a sig pic on another forum, of a few Jasta 18 planes diving out of the sky. Turned out slick, but I had a mix of three Fokker D7's and one Dr.1. The Dr.1 I illustrated with Raben's insignia, figuring that it was almost certainly historically inaccurate for the Jasta leader to be flying in an inferior machine than his buddies. I just always liked the way Raben's tripe looked so I did it. But what are the chances of that happening? How historically inaccurate is that?

I've heard, not actually read mind you, that Jasta 18 opperated a mix of Fokker D7's and a few remaining Dr.1's up until the end of the war. I've also hearrd that Raben was quite fond of his tripe, "someone said" he preffered it for balloon work. So do you think he kept one of those older tripes in his insignia for his personel use even though his Jasta was being equipped with more modern machines?

As you guys probably have acess to reference material I do not, what are the chances of Raben choosing to fly his old tripe, if he even still had it, instead of his newer D7 with other pilots of his jasta flying their D7's on a sortie? Thanks

[Rick]

Yes, Raben flew a Tripe, and in fact it was turned over to the French after the war. There is an illustration of it in Paul Lehman's Fokker Dr.I book. R.

I know, but would he have flown it when his jasta was already equipped with Fokker D7s?

[Rick]

I suspect yes. Why else was it still in unit markings at EOW? A Jasta wouldn't keep equipment, unless they were using it. Otherwise it would have gone back to the Armee Flug Park. R.

[wingstrutdotcom]

I thought they only had one or two tripes owned by Raben himself. There was a publication "Fliegertruppe #2" (if I recall) which may have some more info on this. I am not at home right now to check.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Raben:
On 28 August 1918, Offz.Stv.Wilhelm Kühne is shot down attacking a US Army Balloon, from the 6th Balloon Company's gunners. L He landed behind the German lines. OFFZ.Stv.Kühne was flying Fok.DR.I.
Ltn. August Raben also had Fok.DR.I 581/17 which was captured by the French after the war was over. This machine has been mistakenly identified as painted blue and white. The correct colors of Jasta 18 were red and white. It has been thought that the two Fok.DR.I machines were retained for attacking balloons.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Wow great,

then I guess the historical accuracy of my illustration is intact if the situation of Raben leading a flight of D7s in an older Dr.1 for balloon busting could have actually happened. Thanks for the help.

[Cigogne]

The Dr.I was flown by a number of German pilots into October, 1918. Jacobs, the best triplane ace, certainly did! It was flown when the cloud conditions were lower and so the pilot could maximize on it's low altitude performance. Jacobs and Raben both flew D.VIIs as well.