Fokker E.III 37/15

[musec04]

Hello All,


An interesting photo of Fokker E.III 37/15 of FFA 62 flown by Max Immelmann at:


https://www.ebay.de/itm/Orig-Top-Fot...kAAOSw8iJeG1YS


I have previously seen E.37/15 described as an E.II so can anyone state wether it is an E.III or an incorrectly marked E.II?


Regards,


Clint

[Bertrand H]

Hi,

When you put the photo in negative we read Nov 1916 in corner left

Bertrand

[musec04]

Hello Bertrand,


Thanks for the reply.


I'm not sure how you turn the photo negative.However, this would be an equally large puzzle as aircraft in the 1916 series did not usually begin before the number 100. Hence E.100/16 is a Pfalz E.II the first E serial for that year.As for the photo as seen non negative I still read E.37/15



Regards,


Clint

[Bertrand H]

Hi Clint,


Attachment 18843

HTH

Bertrand

[Rottler]

Hello Clint,

according to "Fokker Flugzeugwerke in Deutschland 1912-1921" (Peter M. Grosz & Volker Koos) the Fokker E III 37/15 was a modified and renamed E II (contract E.1-85/15).

Regards
Leo

[musec04]

Hello Leo,


Thanks for the response.You have hit the nail on the head. Coincidentally, I at the same time contacted Josef Scott author of Fokker Eindecker Companion and he states also
"that in late 1915/early 1916 all E.II's became E.III's with no physical change because Idflieg decided to use the E.II designation for Eindecker training aircraft".


For any readers of this thread interested in the Fokker Eindecker types both the A types and the E.I to E.IV, I can thoroughly recommend both volumes of Josef Scotts Fokker Eindecker Compendium.


Also, thanks Bertrand for posting the negative image. Sorry but I still think it is /15.


Regards,


Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

Nick

Yes of course it is E.III 37/15. You are quite right!
We are not allowed to see the flip side of the photo, but it would not surprise me if it is one of those turned into a post card.

No need to turn the photo into a negative, the date Nov 1916 is perfectly readable as it is. The only thing it suggests is that the photo was signed during that month by someone whose name I cannot read.

I also have Josef Scott's two volumes and it is perfectly clear that the Germans collected most E.II and E.IIIs together under one designation, E.III, probably during the spring of 1916 (between April and June the number dropped from 13 to 4). Why a few frontline E.II still lingered on as E.II all through the remaining year of 1916 is a puzzle.

Two observations of the photo though. The pilot standing in the cockpit does not look like Immelmann and (if we don't believe the photo is very much earlier) Max Immelmann was already dead (18 June 1916). Possibly the aircraft here belonged to some KeK unit, but that is a bit over my head. A guess really....

Cheers
Stig

[musec04]

Hi Stig,


Josef said that the pilot in the photo is not Immelmann, but he doesn't know who it is.


Regards,


Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Clint

Cheers
Stig