KITS 01/2021

Fokker D.VII Early, 387/18, Oblt. Harald Auffarth, CO of Jasta 29, Aertrycke, Belgium,

October 1918

Flying this D.VII, Harald Auffarth managed to shoot down several aircraft but also experienced one forced landing with it after catching some

defensive fire from the observer of a DH- 9 from 206th USAS Squadron on October 5, 1918. The D.VII survived and Auffarth scored also the

last of his 29 victories with it. According to the photo and Jasta 29 reports the D.VII of Harald Auffarth sported the usual colours of Jasta 29,

i.e. yellow nose with green fuselage and personal marking of white comet insignia on both sides. The upper side of top wing was painted

either green or yellow as a common practice of personal mounts of the Jasta leaders. There is some uncertainty regarding the type of

„lozenge“ fabric used. Although the four-colour variant should be the right one according to the most respected sources, some possibility

of five-colour variant is still open. An alternative set of five-colour “lozenge” decals can be bought separately.

Fokker D.VII Early, 286/18, Vzfw. Willi Gabriel, Jasta 11, Cappy, France, May 1918

Willi Gabriel had just a brief career as a fighter pilot, after he spent most of war flying two seaters. He finally managed to persuade JG I

commander Wilhelm Reinhardt to assign him to Jasta 11, where he started his fighter pilot career on May 17, 1918. Adding 10 victories to

his only one he achieved during his observing pilot career he ran into troubles due to his lack of discipline and was finally “grounded” and

posted out of the Jasta 11 in August 1918. His early D.VII sported very colourful scheme with orange rear end, fuselage stripes and light blue/

orange chevrons on the horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The orange fuselage stripes were painted later. You can therefore choose in which

state You prefer to finish this marking. There is some uncertainty regarding the type of „lozenge“ fabric used. Although the four-colour variant should be the right one according to the most respected sources, some possibility of five-colour variant is still open. An alternative set of

five-colour “lozenge” decals can be bought separately.

46 eduard

INFO Eduard - January 2021