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scene to prevent Rösler from damaging or even
destroying the Fokker. The captured pilot initially
refused to talk, but after marching 30 kilometers
and enduring 48 hours without food in the prison
in Châlons, he began to answer questions at
the headquarters of the 2nd Army. Apparently,
it was from this statement that the information
emerged that his unit was a Fokker Kampfstaffel
A, and he took off on a combat flight from an
airfield west of Rethel. However, it seems that
he deliberately provided incorrect information,
as his actual unit was Feldflieger Abteilung 22 in
Vouziers. He claimed that he was not shot down
but had to land due to an ignition failure. Upon
examination of the aircraft, it was found to have
several hits in the wing, one hit in the propeller,
and the fuel tank had also sustained damage
from a projectile. The Fokker was equipped with
a 100 hp Oberursel U.I engine.
Aircraft 196/16 was exhibited in Saint-Mémmie
on April 11, 1916, then the French authorities
transferred it to the air park in Saint-Cyr.
During the summer of 1916, it was located at the
Pau flight school. It was adorned with French
insignia, but during trials at the research facility,
it sustained damage due to a malfunction of the
synchronization equipment. The subsequent fate
of this aircraft remains unknown to me.
There is no further information available
regarding Anton Rösler, again in the case of
this pilot, his name cannot be found in the
contemporary list of losses, which was yet
meticulously maintained. Considering the
scarcity of information regarding both pilots,
the loss of these two closely guarded military
aircraft within two days raises intriguing
questions, to say the least.
I would like to express my gratitude to Messrs.
Ian Boudoulec, Gregory VanWyngarden, and
Reinhard Zankl for their invaluable assistance in
the preparation of this article.
Sources:
CONY, Christophe. Mission sans retour - Le « fléau
Fokker » enfin démasqué! Avions N.237
BAILEY, Frank W.; CONY, Christophe. The French Air
Service War Chronology 1914-1918. Grub Street: 2001
FRANKS, Norman; BAILEY, Frank; DUIVEN Rick.
Casulties of the German Air Service 1914-1920. Grub
Street: 1999
GRAY, Barry; HENSHAW, Trevor; DAVIS, Mick; KELSEY,
Mike. De Havilland DH2 and the men who flew them.
The Great War Aviation Society: 2022
HERRIS, Jack; SCOTT, Josef. Fokker Aircraft of WWI
Volume 2 Eindeckers. Aeronaut Books: 2021
MÉCHIN, David. The WWI French Aces Encyclopedia
Volume 3 Coudouret to Fonck. Aeronaut Books: 2021
RACINE, Olivier. Jacques Tournadour d’Albay (1885-
1963) - Médecin militaire et photographe dans la
Grande Guerre. ECPAD: 2012
RYHEUL, Johan. KEKs and Fokkerstaffels; Fonthill
Media Limited: 2014
VAN WYNGARDEN, Greg. Early German Aces of World
War 1. Osprey Publishing: 2008
In this photo taken on May 30, 1916, a delegation from the Russian Parliament inspects Fokker E.III 196/16 (serial no. 488) at the air park in Villacoublay. Photo: L'Argonnaute
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