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Thread: Albatros C.III early version

  1. #1

    Default Albatros C.III early version

    The observer, who occupied the rear cockpit, was armed with a single 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun. (This would be -/B.) Some C.III aircraft were fitted with a gun synchronizer and a single forward-firing 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LMG 08/15 machine gun. The C.III could also carry a bomb load of up to 90 kg (200 lb) in a small internal bomb bay.

    from another source

    Originally designed with the single flexibly mounted machine gun, soon gets fixed forward firing gun as well - one of first German C class aircraft to carry such a gun.

    The first twelve C.IIIs were recorded at the front in December 1915, and the type increased in importance throughout 1916, reaching a peak of 354 aircraft at the end of August. There were still 320 in use at the end of the year but the numbers fell quickly during 1917 and were in single figures by the end of the year. The aircraft remained in use on secondary fronts after being withdrawn from the Western Front. The Albatros was also used in small numbers by the German navy.


    The date of when the Germans started giving the pilot a machinegun is eluding me. Need help.

    I really like WoG selection of this 2 seater. A -/B version makes it great for early 1916.

  2. #2

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    This modelling site has a load of info John including this line
    "The introduction of the E Types in the form of the Fokker E.I and Pfalz E.I fighters with a synchronised forward firing machine gun immediately changed the configuration of the C types which could now have a synchronised forward firing Spandau for the pilot. This arrangement was incorporated in the next generation of C types and among the best was the Albatros C.III introduced in late 1916"
    Maybe they meant 1915. Anyway, it prompted me to look into the Windsock file on the C.III - nothing obvious there but a C.III 1388/16 captured by the French (28Jul16) was armed with a synchronised forward firing machine gun, it was a batch of 30 ordered from Albatros in April 16 as far as I can make out so it makes me think that would be the latest date they ordered it so armed, as literally hundreds had been ordered between Dec15 & that date the chances are that they would have been so armed too. Nothing conclusive but it looks like the decision came in early 16.
    Last edited by flash; 08-26-2016 at 08:34.

    "He is wise who watches"

  3. #3

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    Looking at my reference books, I have not come across a definitive date for fitting a synchronized forward firing gun to the Albatros C.III but I reckon that it must have been about midway through 1916. A similar thing happened with the Roland C.II's, which entered service about April 1916. They at first only has the flexible rear gun but later in 1916 had a forward firing gun. I imagine that many German two-seaters would have been retro-fitted with a forward firing gun as the mechanisms became available.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Naharaht View Post
    Looking at my reference books, I have not come across a definitive date for fitting a synchronized forward firing gun to the Albatros C.III but I reckon that it must have been about midway through 1916. A similar thing happened with the Roland C.II's, which entered service about April 1916. They at first only has the flexible rear gun but later in 1916 had a forward firing gun. I imagine that many German two-seaters would have been retro-fitted with a forward firing gun as the mechanisms became available.
    Looks that way to me also.



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