WAR

from the beginning of 1917 a warning system had gone into effect for the
benefit of the German fighter squadrons. Called the Flugmeldedienst, or Flight
Report Service, it had been evolved from the suggestions of many experienced
squadron leaders. Its organization was perfectly simple: all aeroplane sightings
along the Front were reported by telephone to a central station at Corps headquarters.
The telephone duty officer there contacted the telephone duty officer at
the appropriate Jasta, and the Jastajiihrer, or Squadron Leader, decided what
action was necessary. It was thus impossible, in principle, for Allied machines to
cross the lines without being intercepted.
By the spring of 1917 over 30 Jastas had been formed and more were on the
way. The Albatros fighters dominated the scene, replacing Fokkers and Halberstadts
in many squadrons. The newest version of the Albatros, the D III, was
available now in considerable numbers and, as it represented a considerable improvement
over the D I and D II, it was a dangerous adversary. The wings had
been thoroughly redesigned and now appeared in a sesquiplane or half-wing arrangement,
the lower wing being the "half-wing." As with the Nieuport, the
lower wing was so narrow it
could be connected to the upper wing only by a "Vstrut"
arrangement. The upper wing was given a marked rake at the tips and
relocated closer to the fuselage to improve manoeuvrability and view, respectively.
The Mercedes engine was souped up by increasing the compression ratio and an
extra 10 horsepower was obtained. The D III weighed a trifle less than the D I
and D II and, while it was no faster, its rate of climb was much better.
With the Flugmeldedienst , superior equipment, and a rapidly growing fighter
force, the Germans decidedly held the upper hand in the spring of 1917. They
had one other factor working in their favor, although it was not an advantage that
they had consciously contrived. With the exception of Nieuports and Spads borrowed
from the French, the British were flying aeroplanes that had been obsolete
since the autumn of the year before.
Albatros D 111