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BUILT
D.1996/16, Lt. Hans-Georg Edward Lübbert, Jasta 11, La Brayelle, France, March 1917
This attractively colored Albatross D.III was
a personal mount of Edward Lübert during
his service with Jasta 11. According to the
interpretation of the black and white photographs,
the aircraft most likely bore a yellow and blue
fuselage livery, with the order of colors being
reversed on the left and right sides, as well as
on the rudder and vertical stabilizer. However,
the serial number was left unpainted on the
wooden base on both sides. Lübbert was
wounded in combat with this aircraft on March
6, 1917 (shoulder gunshot wound) but managed
to land it and Manfred von Richthofen flew it
back to the unit. The Red Baron also borrowed
Lübbert’s aircraft on March 17 and scored his 27th
kill with it. Less than two weeks later, on March
30, Lübbert was shot down and killed, but he did
not fly this aircraft on that occasion. It remained
with the unit until May 11, 1917, after which it was
used by Lt. Rudolf Hohberg of FF(A) 263 for photo
reconnaissance purposes. Edward Lübbert was
nicknamed Kugelfang (bullet catcher), as there
was perhaps not a single engagement from which
his aircraft did not bring some sort of damage.
On the D.1996/16 there are patches of shots-
through of the vertical stabilizer clearly visible.
INFO Eduard
101
April 2024