BOXART STORY

#8113

The

Albatros

with stars

The artwork featuring the duel between the

black and white striped German aircraft

and the French Spad appeared on the cover of the Albatros D.V kit in the ProfiPACK

edition in 2002 and became one of the most

iconic illustrations in Eduard's history.

It was created by our friend Martin Novotný,

who tragically died on June 12, 2009. Martin

created a series of beautiful illustrations

for Eduard, characterized by his distinctive

style and flair for history and aviation design.

When the kit was first released, the black

and white striped machine was attributed

to Oblt. Bruno Loerzer, commander of Jasta 26. This pilot achieved 44 victories during

World War I and became commander of Jagdgeschwader III and holder of the prestigious Pour le Mérite order. Before World

War II he was Kommodore of JG 53, shortly

after the outbreak of the war he became

commander of the II. Fliegerkorps and

in 1940 was awarded the Knight's Cross.

In recent years, the interpretation of the

pattern of this Albatros has shifted. It is

highly probable that its pilot was not Loerzer, but the Bavarian officer Lt. Dannhuber.

He is sometimes listed as Xavier Dannhuber, but in contemporary documents

his real name is recorded as Franz Xaver Dannhuber. Sometimes his first name

is even written in the archaic form Haver

instead of Xaver. When he died in Hamburg

in 1960, his name was listed on the funeral

notice as Franz Danhuber. The family did

not forget to mention that he was a Knight

36

INFO Eduard

Text: Jan Bobek

Illustration: Martin Novotný

of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern

with Crown and Swords.

Dannhuber was born on January 27, 1891,

in Gars am Inn, Bavaria. Before WW I he

served in the Königlich Bayerisches 1.

Infanterie-Regiment “König” and Kgl. Bayer. 3. IR “Prinz Karl von Bayern”. After the

start of the fighting, he was assigned with

the rank of Unteroffizier to the newly established Ersatz-Bataillon in Munich within

the Kgl. Bayer. 1. Reserve IR. He went to the

front with this unit as soon as August 1914,

but soon fell ill and did not get to the front

again until September of the following year.

In July 1916 he began his flying training

and at the end of October he was assigned to Kampfstaffel 35b within Kagohl 6.

In February 1917 he was promoted to the

rank of Leutnant and began fighter training

on 8th May. After its completion on 25th

May he was assigned to Jasta 26, whose

commander at the time was Oblt. Bruno

Loerzer.

Since June, Jasta 26 fought in Belgium

mainly against British and Belgian airmen. But there were also clashes with the

French. An example of this was Loerzer's

successful engagement on August 16, 1917,

near Langemarck, when he managed to

shoot down a Spad from Escadrille SPA

3 “Cigognes”. Just a few days earlier, on

August 12, 1917, Dannhuber had scored his

first kill, claiming the destruction of a British balloon at Vlamertinghe. On the morning of August 17, he than achieved his first

aerial victory over enemy airplane as he

managed to shoot down an FE.2d of No. 20

Sqn. RFC near St. Julien. The Canadian pilot Lt. W. H. Joslyn and his Scottish gunner

were killed. Joslyn had seven victories

to his credit, including the five-victory ace

Lt. Alfred Ulmer of Jasta 8.

A second enemy ace fell victim to Dannhuber on October 1, 1917. South African Lt. Robert Hugh Sloley of No. 56. Sqn. RFC fell in

a dogfight between twenty German fighters

and a group of SE.5 and Bristol Fighters.

The legendary James McCudden watched

Sloley's SE.5 circling amidst four Albatros

scouts with the black and white markings

of Jasta 26. One of them was Dannhuber,

who got 25 yards behind the British machine and shot off its tail surfaces. The helpless Sloley spinned to the ground near

Westroosebeke, Belgium.

A week later, on October 9, Dannhuber

managed to shoot down yet another ace.

In an afternoon engagement at Zonnebeke,

he claimed a Spad, in fact a Nieuport XXVII

of No. 1 Sqn RFC piloted by Capt. W. T. V. Rooper, who had eight victories to his credit.

Dannhuber brought his tally up to ten kills

in October 1917 but had to be hospitalized

at the end of the month and was assigned

to Jasta 76b in mid-November. In mid-January 1918 he took command of Jasta 79b,

but a month later he was injured in a crash

and did not enter combat with this unit until early October 1918, when he achieved his

eleventh and last victory.

July 2022