Sopwith Camel vs Fokker Dr I: Western Front 1917–18

84 Pages·7.472 MB·English

by  Jon Guttman, Jim Laurier(Illustrator), Harry Dempsey(Illustrator)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR ANO ILLUSTRATORS
A resident of Leesburg, Virgmia, JON GUTTMAN 1s research director and
contributing wfller for Wetder Htstory Group. Specializing in World War I aviatiOn,
he has previously written eleven titles, including the popular Balloon Bustmg
Aces ofW orld War I in Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces senes
HARRY DEMPSEY has been passionate about World War I avtat1on for over
30 years, having produced the most tethnica11y accurate artwork on the subject.
Harry completed the plane profile illustrations in this volume
JIM LAURIER is a nat1ve of New England and lives in New Hampsh•re_ He attended
Pater School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, from 1974-78, and since he
graduated wrth honours, he has been workmg professionalllj in the field of
Fine Art and Illustration. He has been commissioned to pa1nt for the US Air Force
and has av1at10n paint1ngs on permanent display at the Pentagon. Jim compleled
the digital artwork in this volume as well as the cover art
MARK POSTLETHWAITE is a teadingaviat•on ar1ist and currently does all the cover
artwork fortheA•rcraft of the Aces and Combat Aircraft senes for Osprey
F\lblishing. Mark completed the battlescene painting in this volume
SOPWITH CAMEL
FOKKER Dr I
Western Front 1917-18
JON GUTTMAN
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CONTENTS
Introduction 4
Chronology
Design and Development 10
Technical Specifications 24
The Strategic Situation 34
The Combatants 39
Combat 49
Statistics and Analysis 71
Aftermath 76
Further Reading 78
Index 80
INTRODUCTION
Amid rh~ ongoing quNr for ~~ri:alsuperioriry during World \X1;u ], tvo'O aircraf1 rypcs
acquired a mt":I.SU~ of l:asring my1hic f:amr above :md ~yond rhtir acmal
achir.·c:mc:ms. Borh ror;ary-<"ngintd !ighttrs. rht Sopwith Gmt'! :md rhe Fokker Dr I
rripl:.J.nc were rd:~.tivdy slow for their time, bur were regarded as the mmr
man~U\'1'-oJbJC" m;achines 10 achit>'C ptoducrion during thC' Connie!. They WC'I'C aJso
tht dusic p:~.ir for a tighr, ~tnly mnchtd dogfight at d~ qu.mers.
In actuality. rhC' Ctmtl's st:atus 2S h:~.ving scorn! thC' most •·ictories of an)' single
fighter during rhc w:ar i~ brgdy founded upon all-!oo-fmj_uenr 0\"t"td;aiming on the
p;tn of iu pi lou and 0\'Ctc~iring on rhc pan ofits squ:adrons. Me:anwhilc. rhc Dr l's
imp;act on rht' .aerial snuggle ~s ddaytd by urly accide11U due 10 poor qu:~.liry
control. and sub~ucntlr handicapped by th<" chronic St"izing up ofit.s rotarycngin~:
during th.. summ~:r of 1918-which, fonunatdy forth~: G~:rmans, coincided with th~:
~:m~:rgenc<" of a 5Upc'rior 5UCC:<".»>r, the Fokkcr D VII.
Noncthdess, both ac"roplancs oo:;cupy legitinm<" places in th~: history of combat
aircraft d~:. ..~ lopmcnl. The Camd w~ Britain's first production fight~:r with twin
mach in~: guns, while tht' Fokkcr triplan~: has tht' ironic distinction of being th~: first
production fighter in history with a caruilev~:r wing $tructur~: that did away with
cxtrrnal bncing. and mad~: the monopbnc pr:.tctical.
In th<" years following World Wn I, thco two fighter,;' aclllal historical ntcorits becalll('
enshrouded in myth. primarily thanks to theiraJSOCiation with tht most familiar nmlt'
to emerge from the conflict -Manfrtd. Freiherr von Richthof~:n, imniOrtalizt"d to
posterity as th<" Red Baron. Th~: fac:~s ne that at the end of August 1917
von Richthof~:n, who was th~:n tht' high~:st $COring a~ of th<" wu ~nd commander of
Jagdg<"S<"hw.ad~:r (fightrr wing) I. ~lso known asJG Ito th<" Grrmans ~nd th<" 'Flying
Cir~:us' to tht' British. became the first pilot to T<"Ct'i,·r a Fokk~:r uip\;me. Soon after
ukingddi•rryofhis Dr I, •-on Riththofrn also OO:=t< the first pilot to claim a •·i.:::tOI)
with it. t-lrwrm on to raise his tally to SOon 20April1918. his final victim) !King Ttwb<Dlhl<svw.lkf>r~
thr lut tv.-o ofr ight Sopwith Gmds th~t fdl10 his guns. bloKlhoadte,FMoiUritt<.aDtoI1d1N1a4n·hVt d
J'hr rKlCt J~~·. during another run·in v.ith No. 20? ~n. Ropl Air For.:::r (RAF). !klthtdde<sollheDI~
•·on Rkhthofrn w:u killcJ while pursuing~ Gmd behind AlliN linn-tithrr by Pw<lelolfr~e.t~~~horl.
~nothrr Gmd llown by Gnadi~n Xt' Capt A. Ito>• Brown, orb~· Australi.tn ground ""*""G<Hfi~Foi<~
luxotovp.s~. nF Dorr d I taandde sC. acmomelr ninti othnl.:". tpl owpi.usdluom m fr;m~•ooruyr.n lin B )rpoiwtrn o, fsc n~1l0irnrg rtchcer md:. tSnS·iicd rdntrcdr $tthhrolopnr~m-Mc.~.~Hr,lIl.I<,ol.llld,l.oh,wa,"rf\'.om to"te- "£
suggesting that the bullrt th~t kille-d thr Baron more likely ame from thr ground. (fntYanWIJ"P'Mnl
1\5 ift h~t w;JS not cnough. thc ~nugglc bcty,ccn ~ d..)hing '\\'orld 'JO;..r I flpng~cc'
~nd ~ an~in mi tripl~ll( .,..~ br:.mdni into the Amcri~~~~ ps~·~he through the nostotlgic
fanta.sics of 3 cmoon dog. pcriodia.lly solllring fonh in his 'Sopwith Camel'-or :u
IC';l.St on the roof of his doghou~-ag::~.itm the 'Blood} Red Baron' in Chotrlcs M.
S<:huln's .:omic snip fhmuts.
Besidn 'Snoop)' and the Rcd B~ron', Bri10ns, who rend to remember World
Wu 1 beuer th~n do their Amerian cousins, hotve the addition~! le-gend of the
48-victory acc 'X'erner Vos.s, thc second Gcrnlotn to fly a Fokkcr triplanc. "'hose death
on 23 Scptcmbcr 1917 c-ameafi:er asp«~xubr tcn-minute fight. mostly alone:. against
a flight comprising .some oft he bcst fight.-r ptlou in thc Royal Flying Corps (RFC).
A5 far as the British a~ concerned. \'0» and thc Fokkn uiplome achicvcd as much
Capt.t.tttuRoyB•ownof immortality in dath as did \'On Richthofcn, even though his adver&lrin th~t doty \\'<:~
"o.209SqniW's~ flying SE 5n, nor Oamcls.
Sbth:Kuaotmdtltec~wte>ontrrtsoM~a•~t,nBoieniSn&o. .po wrrnth 'X1~Irn Ia a "v'<i~aY·t ipoons o:ttelirvitt"y. Tis hined perbictee'd o tofs tuhcnhc r ltm~nedmsb rf.onrc kct,t phionwg~ ·gct:rn.t 'risa lt ihmatc rmcsot ricn pWcooprlldc
~$\et'lthKUeO.ted\'IC!Of\lo remember the f.tbln thotn the f.tcu. 1\5 is so often the CISC.', 3nyonc imcrcttcd cnough
la~1rtltAoehpel<rer• ldw9'1rnY8l.-brRdn>a~dtulr'nlrat..f-.e.W.'l,lo kne d tmoo dne:livner cirnctsot itnhge. truthJ behind the lc-gcnds might find thcm less simplc, but pcrh3p$
~rtoflflelledhron Whcn thc Gr~t W.u broke out in arly August 1914, thc acroplotnc h~d alrt"ady
Jeterrd.alt.houf;tlthe see-n iu fint US<t in the r«onn.D~nce and bombing rolct, bur by the end ofA ugun thc
ftU_r<,rAl'n!tKprtwraat.raqnc..r,o.u..n dfirt f1i9n1t5 o tonef mthpc uF ootkt kxcrrio Etl Ic.o wmibtoht t1 0hrontdc horcocnuizrctdc di.n tWerirtuhp tthere gecmare rthgoetnt cseto ipnp tehdc isrsu mmmoCtcThi noef
MthlehGeIr'fnmoati1eK~~I'tSidtMf!nHrHo f gun from firing whenever :t propdler bladc wu in front of thc muule, thc quat for
l~ftlan) comrol of the skid over th(C frontline bc-g:a.n in dcadly arnnt. Whott followcd wu
Photocrlf'l'led"'""'I""~A
tGC~r-.Dorlald•nllnoon,
New_...wy.onl4fftll""'!l
19?4. ()~,.,... Coi"'Le 8ouh~oer.
fO<~ofHo.209Sqnltl.f:
posnbnodel~•nfor>tof
!he Red bron's ~~ cornN•.
~LeBout•oer•~
C.-latuppertT~t
[O>ItlnDonaldColltct.oon
'n1JonGun"''n]
a ~~ion offightcT :,oc:roplanes. r.tnging from the progrcssi\·dy refined 10 rhe r.tdiCl.l
and even biurrc, all mc:am to gcr the advannge in pcrformancc and firepower o•·er
thdrad•·erurics.
The Camel w.H in 1he progrcssi\·e cu~ory. with a pedigree 1hat could be tr.tced
back to the Sopwith Tabloid r.tcer of pre-y,';lr 1914, and rc:~dily ~n in iu marrial
prcdeccs.son, the I~ Struner, Pup and lfiplane. Apart from its twin-gun arrangemenl,
Strucrur.dly the Gmd w.u quite oonserv..uiv.:--a wir.:--brac.:-d .,.,voJ and can\';U biplane
rypial of iu tim.:-.
The Fokker Dr I. on the other hand, .,.,~ primarily built 10 utisfy a requirement
drawn up in r.:-action-one might well uy 0\'C'n.:-aclion-10 the pcrform<~.nce of
the .:-<~.rlit"T Sopwith Triplane, yet iu wood box ami levu wing cellules represented the
suucruraltrtnd of1 he fuwre. For .all that, though. circumsunccs. riO( :.~11 ofw hich wert
una•·oidabk. doomed the Fokker lriphne to :.1 limited production run and a mere
thrcc'-momh period ofS tr.lt~ic prominence, wh.:-r.:-;u 1he earlier Gmel would outlut
it and rcm:ain a mains1ay of Bri1ish air power righ1 up to the Armis1icc.
Significantly, rhe IWO fighters would tll«t mosr often amid the lan significant
Gtrman bid to win tho:-wu. known as o;, K4iln1(h{4d, f!mpcrial Battle'). Th.:-rcin,
roo, would lie the myth of rheir playing d«ili\·e roles in the pivotal strugglt,
disproponionarcrotheroles thcyanuallyplayed