German Aircraft used on Russian/Balkan fronts 1917

[YavorD]

Originally Posted by Gregvan

Hello All,

... the same old familiar photo of Max Immelmann in his Fokker E.I in Fl. Abt. 62 on the Western Front - not Bulgaria at all.

Greg

Thank You very much!
Would you be so kind to comment Eindekker photos on page 6 (9-cylinder) and page 23?

Yavor

[Cigogne]

The Rumpler and Friedrichshafen aircraft used by the Germans and turned over to the Bulgarians mentioned by agblume were based at Varna and consisted of:

1. Single-seat Rumpler 6B1 types w/ 1 synchronized LMG 08 machine gun.
2. Two seater Friedrichshafen FF33e (three-bay) w/ FT (transmitter) for observation
3. Two-seater Friedrichshafen FF33h (two-bay) armed w/ rear gun and capable of dropping bombs.

As for Romania, the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter was built in much larger numbers by the French and as such the Strutters supplied were most likely French-built variants for the most part. Photos would show the differences between them whether French licence-built or British built.

Also, in the Balkans photos show that German Jasta 25 flew the Fokker D.II, Halberstadt D.II, Roland D.II, and Albatros D.III fighters over the course of late 1916/mid-1917. Some of the pilots that flew with this unit and on the Balkan front in Macedonia were: Hptm. Burkhard, Bodo Freiherr von Lyncker, Otto Brauneck, Gerhard Fieseler, Rudolf von Eschwege, Otto Könnecke...

The Bulgarians units flew the following:

Two-seat reconnaisance/observation/bombing:

Albatros B.II, C.I, C.III, C.VI, C.VII,
LVG B.II
DFW C.V
Otto C.I
Armstrong-Whitworth FK3 (1 captured example)

Single-seat fighter aircraft:

Fokker E.III (three examples)
Roland D.II (Pfalz-built)
Roland D.III
Nieuport 24bis and 24/27 (three examples were captured through force landing and flown operationally before their engines wore out or they were lost in accidents.)

[Gregvan]

Hello Yavor;

As for the photo of the Fokker Eindecker on page 6, yes, it has a 100 hp 9-cylinder Oberursel. I cannot remember ever seeing this photo before, and I cannot confirm or deny that this was one of the "three Fokker E.IIIs delivered to Sofia for the defence of the capital." The spinner seen on the propeller is seen on very few Eindeckers.

Sorry I can't say more.

Greg VanWyngarden

[YavorD]

Thank you very much rammjaeger, Gregvan and Cigogne!

I viel a little bit guilty provoking you to dig out a lot of information i am not ready to comprehend now.

Actually i am pursuing the technical aspect of the history of aviation - design, production and operation of the aircraft. So my pet project now is to compile a list of aircraft operated by Bulgarian army before and during WWI, as well as a small data base with technical data of these airplanes (fighters first, of course!).

I have a lot of questions just poping-up in my mind.

Why Sofia was felt so important durung September 1915? As i found somewhere in this forum three Fokker Eindekkers with pilots and staff were 6 to 7 % of the type inventory.

Where i can find a reliable source for Roland (Pfalz) D.II and D.III data?

regards,
Yavor

[rammjaeger]

I think an enemy air attack - by Serbs/Frenchmen (or the offically neutral Romanians) - against Sofia could not do many material damage but it could cause damage to the image of German and Bulgarian military and help the pro-Russian or anti-German political groups in Bulgaria. Therefore it was necessary to establish an air protection.

Also the leader of Feld-Flieger-Abteilung 69 - Hauptmann Kurt Müller from Kamenz in Saxony, called "Locken-Müller" (in fact he was a "skinhead") - had to send two of his airplanes to Sofia to protect the capital of Bulgaria. He also got order to re-organise the bad-supplied Bulgarian aviation service. He was able to establish a good relation to his Bulgarian brothers in arms - partly because he could communicate in Russian language - but he died in a crash near the Iron Gate when he was ordered to fly to the head quarter in October 1915.
His German successors did never get the same good contact again.

VBR
Rammjaeger