AIRCRAFT COLOURS AND MARKINGS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ERA

Albatros D.II


Ex-work finishes for the D.II ranged from plain varnished fuselages with camouflaged upperwings, to painted fuselages as well. Previously the fuselage was shown as either light or dark stained, some writers now believe that the dark stained fuselages are actually clear-varnished 'yellow' plywood as seen on the the more recent LVG examples below.

Upper surface colours were painted in two or three colours - dark green, light green and reddish brown. LVG built aircraft had very recognizable 'banding' of their camouflage, which may have been either two or three colours. Some aircraft carried these colours over onto their fuselages as seen on D.II 910/16.

Undersurfaces were generally 'sky' or light blue.

National markings consisted of crosses -initially on a white square field, later with a 5cm border. Many aircraft carried mixed cross types.

Datafile Nos 11 and 100 are devoted to the Albatros D.I/II. In addition Dan-San Abbott did a very well-researched article on their colours in WWI Aero No150 - Nov.1995 on which the top views were based.


 


Typical three colour pattern
with ear radiators


Typical three colour pattern
with upperwing radiator



LVG Pattern
with two colours
 


LVG Pattern
with three colours

 

 

Albatros D.II D.1724/16
Ltn Karl Schafer
Kasta 11
Winter 1916/17
Source:


Albatros D.II D.504/16

Kasta 11

Source: Datafile #100

 


Albatros D.II
Ltn Paul Hermann
Kasta 11

Source: Datafile #100

Albatros D.II D.17xx/16
Uffz Walter Dittrich
Jasta 1
-
Source: Datafile No.100


Albatros D.II
Ltn Manfred von Richthofen
Jasta 2
September 1916
Source:


Albatros D.II
Obltn Stephan Kirmaier
OC, Jasta 2
November 1916
Source: OTF 7/4

 


Albatros D.II D.1773/16
Unknown
Jasta 5
March 1917
Source:

 


Albatros D.II D.910/16
Ltn Max Bohme
Jasta 5
March 1917
Source: Datafile No.100


Albatros D.II
-
Jasta 9
Early 1917
Source: Albatros Fighter in Action


Albatros D.II
-
Jasta 14
April 1917
Source:

 


Albatros D.II D.1747/16 ??
-
Jasta 14
April 1917
Source:


Albatros D.II D.1782/16
Vzfw Otto Hebnig
Jasta 14

Source:


Albatros D.II
Ltn Robert Dyke
Jasta 16
-
Source: Albatros D.II Datafile


Albatros D.II
Ltn Eberhard Baier
Jasta 16
March 1917
Source: Albatros D.II Datafile

 


Albatros D.II

Jasta 16

Source: Albatros D.II Datafile


Albatros D.II
-
Jasta 17
-
Source: Albatros D.II Datafile

 


Albatros D.II 520/16
-
Jasta 17
-
Source: Datafile No.100


Albatros D.II
-
Jasta 17
-
Source:Datafile No.100

 


Albatros D.II 1729/16
Ltn Scheller
Jasta 19

Source: Datafile No.100

Albatros D.II
Ltn Wilhelm Leusch
Jasta 19

Source: Datafile No.100


Albatros D.II(LVG) 1071/16
Ltn Josef Jacobs
Jasta 22
March 1917
Source: Dan-San Abbott



Albatros D.II D.1045/16
-
Jasta 23
January 1917
Source: Albatros D.II Datafile

Albatros DII
Vzfw Rudolf Weckbrodt
Jasta 26
-
Source: OTF 4/4


Albatros D.II

Kest 4

Source: OTF 6/3

 

 
Turkish D.II