"My dear Fokker"

Text: Jan Bobek

Illustration: Adam Tooby

Cat. No. 8419

Fokker monoplanes had become a significant challenge for their opponents since the summer of 1915 thanks to their synchronization device, which bolstered the highly aggressive behavior of their pilots. Fighter aces flying monoplanes such as Wintgens, Boelcke, and Immelmann became synonymous with what British adversaries termed the “Fokker Scourge”. However, Fokker's superiority was seriously challenged in the spring of 1916 with the introduction of new fighters like the Nieuport 11 and Airco DH.2.

One of the airmen who experienced this transition period was Josef Jacobs. In August 1914, at twenty years old, he enlisted in the air service. After training with FEA 3, he was assigned to Feldflieger-Abteilung 11 in July 1915. From December 1915 onwards, he piloted the Fokker A.I (A210/14) and the E.I (63/15) equipped with an 80 hp engine. In January 1916, he conducted several training flights with  63/15, and on 13 January, he engaged a pair of enemy aircraft. He attacked one of them from a distance of 100 meters. Subsequently, his target rapidly descended in a spiral near Choisy-au-Bac, though the victory was not confirmed. He encountered the enemy again on February 1, 1916. Once more, he was not officially credited with a victory, yet it appears that the French indeed suffered a loss during this encounter. Reportedly, it was a Caudron from Escadrille C 28, and its crew, Sgt Joseph J. Hiriat and Sgt René Jean, were taken prisoner after crashing between German trenches.

In late February, Jacobs' Fokker was equipped with a new 100 hp engine. However, in early March, this machine suffered an engine fire during a dogfight with a Farman crew. Fortunately, he managed to land in time to extinguish the fire. Another life-threatening incident occurred on 13 March. While pursuing a Caudron, Jacobs' Fokker was thrown off balance by a gust of wind. The aircraft plummeted tail-first, its engine died, and its springs were broken. Despite the damage, Jacobs eventually regained control and performed an emergency landing in a freshly ploughed field, causing his Fokker to flip over onto its back. It was later revealed that the “gust of wind” was actually caused by a German anti-aircraft shell that narrowly missed Jacobs.

During that period, Jacobs was also piloting the new Fokker E.III (608/15), and on March 1916, he successfully downed an enemy balloon. However, his victory was apparently not officially  recognized, and Jacobs did not mention it in his diary, which was unusual given the meticulous care with which he maintained it. Nevertheless, the balloon was indeed destroyed, belonging to the 66° Cie d' Aérostiers, and the observer, Sgt Armand Legube, sustained injuries.

By the end of March 1916, several fighter monoplanes were detached from FFA 7, 11, and 39. From 1 April, a provisional Fokkerstaffel West was established at La Ferme du Faux. Jacobs joined this unit upon his return from an extended leave in early May. Upon joining the new unit, he was reunited with his 608/15 machine, which he affectionately referred to in his diary as “my dear Fokker”. He had used this term previously, suggesting that he may have been flying 608/15 since February 1916 with FFA 11.

 With this aircraft, he also achieved his first confirmed victory by shooting down a Caudron G.4 of Escadrille C 30 on May 12, 1916. Although anti-aircraft gunners attempted to claim the victory, only Fokker machine gun hits were found in the wreckage of the Caudron. Furthermore, Jacobs' claim was corroborated by a French airman, MdL Hulin, after he was captured the following day.

Jacobs received a new aircraft, a Fokker E.III (339/16), on 9 June, but flew it only until 16 June when the engine was damaged due to a lack of oil. Therefore, the situation depicted on the box art by Adam Tooby regarding this machine is rather hypothetical. Subsequently, Jacobs flew with his old 608/15 until 8 July. It appears that on 1 July, he attempted to attack an enemy balloon with this Fokker, but due to propeller damage, the attack was unsuccessful. The E.III 339/16 was back with a new engine on 8 July. However, by August 1, 1916, Jacobs was transferred to another aviation unit, much to his displeasure. He returned to his original unit, FFA 11, on 1 September.

For more detailed information on Jacobs and his service on Eindeckers, I recommend referring to the publications “Blue Max Airmen Vol. 20” by Lance J. Bronnenkant and “KEKs and Fokkerstaffels” by Johan Ryheul. Additionally, Jacobs' diary, with comments by Stephen Lawson, can be found in Cross & Cockade International Vol. 27, No. 2.