BUILT

Lt. Ernst Udet, Jasta 4, Beugneux-Cramoiselles Airfield, France, June 1918

Jasta 4 received the new Fokkers D.VII on June

13, 1918. All these were license-built OAW aircraft.

Immediately, a new unit marking, consisting of

black-painted noses, wheel covers and struts,

was introduced. This marking was certainly inspired by the black fuselages of Jasta 37. Udet was

named the acting commander of Jagdgeschwader “Von Richthofen” on June 18, and although he

only held this position for one day, it was probably

enough to mark his plane in a more recognizable

February 2023

style. The fuselage was supposedly fully painted

red, possibly as a reference to Udet’s previous

service with Jasta 11. The wings were striped in

red and white. The number of stripes is usually

thought to be higher than we portray here, but the

famous photo of this plane is heavily retouched.

Close inspection reveals that only the stripe going

through the right-wing cross is original. By comparison with another photo, shown in a TV documentary, we have our interpretation of the upper

wing stripes layout. The aircraft did not survive

long, as it was lost on June 29. At 7:40 a.m. over

the village of Cutry Udet attacked a French Breguet, but the observer returned fire and managed

to rip the steering lines of Udet’s Fokker with his

fire and Udet had to bail out from the uncontrollable aircraft. The nose and wheel covers may

have retained the black Jasta 4 unit colour or they

were painted red as well. Available photos leave

the possibility of both these options.

INFO Eduard

87