German Aircraft used on Russian/Balkan fronts 1917

Being an Austro Hungarian fan,I find myself being more and more drawn to the eastern conflict. I know the Austrian aircraft used but I have very little knowledge of the German types in service. I presume that they would for a time have been the lesser or older planes Albt D11, Rolands, some Fokkers etc, but I m not sure.
Is there anywhere I can find out. ALso the Bulgarian and Romanian types used.
Thanks in Adv

[agblume]

Hello gsoutham, There were many different German types which saw service in Russia and the Balkans: AEG B,C and G types; AGO C-types; Albatros B, C and D-types; Aviatik C-types; DFW B, C and R-types; Fokker D and E-types (but not D.VIIs); Friedrichshafen G-types; Gotha G and WD-types; Halberstadt CL and D-types; Hannover CL.IIs; Hansa-Brandenburg W-types; LVG B and C-types; Otto C.Is; Pfalz A, D and E-types; Roland C and D-types; Rumpler Taubes, B, C, G, 4B, 6B and G.IIs; Sablatnig SF.5s; SSW D.Is and R.Is; and Staaken R.IIs.

The Germans supplied Bulgaria with Albatros B.Is and C.IIIs; DFW C.Vs; Fokker E-IIIs, LVG C.IIs; Otto C.Is; Roland D.IIs and D.IIIs, while a Bulgarian naval aviation unit at Varna was supplied with Friedrichshafen 33e's and Rumpler naval fighters.

Romania had no aviation industry of its own, so the French supplied them prior to the war (28 August 1916) with Breguet 4s, Maurice Farmans, Morane Saulniers and Voisins. During October 1916 Romania received Nieuport XIs, Maurice Farmans and Caudron G.4s. During November - December 1916 a French Aviation Mission arrived and over several months supplied Romania with Nieuport fighters of several types, Farman F.40s, Breguet Michelin bombers and Caudron G.4s.

Hoping this will encourage further research on these lesser known fronts.
Please visit www.Warchron.com which is my website about the Russian and Romanian Fronts in WWI. Regards, agblume

[crankcase]

I have also read that twenty Sopwith 1 1/2 strutters were delivered by Britain to the Romanian govt. (source: JM Bruce, British Aeroplanes 1914-18). I don't know if these were the same types that the RNAS, stationed in Macedonia, flew to Romania before the fall of Bucharest (agblume?). I have a photo of a 1 1/2 strutter in Romanian markings flown by Marcel Dragusanu, who completed a long-distance bombing raid (Salonika-Bucharst- Constanta-Galati, 840 km) in July 1917.
crankcase

[agblume]

Hello crankcase, Thanks for reminding me about the six RNAS airmen who flew from Imbros Island, and three from Mudros Island, in the Aegean Sea to Bucharest during October - November 1916. They delivered six Nieuport XIs and three Henri Farmans. Thanks also for reminding me about the long distance flight of pilot Sublocotenent Marcel Dragusanu who served with the French in Macedonia and flew from Salonika over Bulgaria to Romania in May 1917 on a Sopwith Strutter. He joined ESC.N.10 on 18 July 1917. I believe that the delivery of 20 Sopwith Strutters to Romania took place during the period when Romania was compelled by military necessity to seek a cessation of hostilities in early December 1917. The Sopwiths saw no active service until sometime after November 1918 when Romania regained its freedom and began forming new aviation units. Cheers, agblume

[YavorD]

According to:

Air Power of the Kingdom of Bulgaria, Part II, Sofia 2001 (FARK OOD, No ISBN!!) by Dimitar Nedyalkov (Bilingual, Bulgarian/English)

"Three German-crewed Fokker E80 (E.II/III - both variants are mentioned) fighters arrived on 27 September (1915, my assumption) to amplify Bulgaria's modest aircraft stregth. They vere basically intended to defend Sofia from air attack and train Bulgarian fighter pilots. They arrival coincided with the official start of tuition at the Aeroplane School."

Reportedly all three operational during July 1916 at Bojurishte airfield.

There are three good photographies showing both 7 and 9 cylinder rotary engine (reported as Gnome but probably Oberursel), as well as 7.9 mm machine gun, reported as Parabelum (pictures show two variants of the aiming device).
No aircraft markings visible except two colour canted ribbon on the fuselage right-hand-side on a 7-cylinder machine.
A german army officer is shown on the same picture with an oval patch "62" above left elbow.

Any hints about aeroplane type, serial numbers, unit?
Regards,
Yavor

[rammjaeger]

62?

Feld-Flieger-Abteilung 62 was transferred from West to Eastern Front (Russia) in mid-June 1916 but not to Balkans.

After Immelmann´s (he left FFA 62 on 13 June 1916 and died on 18 June) death Boelcke had to take a leave and to travel around. I think he could have had a badge with number 62. He visited a lot of locations and units in the Balkans area and the Ottoman Empire. So I assume your German pilot is the master - Oswald Boelcke - himself.

Can you see or identify his face?

By the way I write that without a check of my files - so I could be in error.

VBR
Rammjaeger

[YavorD]

Originally Posted by rammjaeger

62?

...assume your German pilot is the master - Oswald Boelcke - himself. ...

VBR
Rammjaeger

I can not confirm.
The photo is almost exact left side profile. Kind of field uniform with a bit of decorations (I dont now anything about uniforms, WWI in particular).
Iron Cross is present. Another fixture exactly below the Iron Cross.
I can not scan this part til Monday.

Regards,
Yavor

[rammjaeger]

In fact Oswald Boelcke visited Bojuriste (Boelcke spelled Boschurischte) on 3. August 1916 p.m. He was accompanied by Hauptmann von Steinwehr.
Boelcke mentioned Hptm. Petroff, the leader of aviation school and wrote the school was in its beginning.

[Gregvan]

Hello All,

The photo Yavor refers to is, I assume, the one on page 7 of "Air Power of the Kingdom of Bulgaria" Volume II. While many of the photos in this excellent book do indeed show Bulgarian aircraft, this one is 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.

The figure of the airman at right with his "62" arm patch is, as far as I know, unidentified. The fellow seated in/on the aircraft cockpit is definitely Immelmann.

Greg

[Taz]

gsoutham- Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War I by Peter Grosz, George Haddow, and Peter Schiemer spells out both the indigenous and foreign aircraft flown by A-H in WW-I. I highly recommend it since it contains dozens of really excellent photographs from Peter Grosz' and other's collections. There is a companion volume on Austro-Hungarian aces by Dr Martin O'Connor, as well, with more excellent photographs. A bit expensive, but both are worth it.
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...Hungarian&x=67

Taz
Terry Phillips