Author Topic: JASTA COLORS Vol. 2: What's up now with Prince Friedrich's Albatros???  (Read 988 times)

Offline Borsos

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Hi all,
since I received my copy of Jasta Colors 2 this morning, I couldn't put it down for even a second: It is simply amazong and early aviation history or markings respectively of the 1916 to mid-1917 period is exactly what I am mostly interested in.

Eternities ago I had started to do research on the green Albatros D. I (385/16) that was flown by Diether Collin and later by Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia. Friedrich is a fascinating person by the way, as he's the son of Friedrich Leopold of Prussia, a real thorn in the ar** of the imperial family. Leopold drunk way too much, spend way too much money and didn't miss a blunder. Kaiser Wilhelm II. finally declared him legally inaccebtable and took his children, Friedrich among them, off to the army. Friedrich, also enfant terrible just because of his father's behaviour and never having any chances to get on the Imperial throne, kept with sports (football, tennis, ...) and became a successfull competition rider. In WW1 he led a FFA, but loved to play with the big boys and liked to hang around with the pilots of Jasta 2 who finally handed down an old Albatros D. I to him that finally became his destiny: He was shot down on March 21 1917 and, wounded in the foot, tried to reach German lines when he was shot in the back by a still unknown Australian soldier (maybe Sergeant Robert Henry Tuff from the 13th Light Horse Regiment), but he was also taken to a hospital. Although Friedrich already seemed to be on the way to get better (he even wrote letters home), his wounds became infected and he passed away some days after being captured. A fair amount of sources are kept by the Australian War Memorial, first hand reports on the events of March 21, one of Friedrichs letters written in capture shortly before his death and much more. A truely fascinating research!

However, in spite of a huge amount of sources and pictures regarding Friedrich and his Albartos, several questions are still unanswered. So when I opened Jasta Colors 2 I was especially happy to see D. 385/16 discussed in detail on pages 153 to 162! What a relief, I thought, now all the mysteries could have been solved...

I finally get to my point here:

1st: It's been a question for a very long time if the background of Friedrich's skull and crossbone symbol was black or red. Schmäling and Leckscheid state this color now being definitely red -- but why? I just don't understand...

2nd: It's also been a question for a long time if this very machine which, in short, was painted yellow and later on green, retained its camouflaged wings or if the upper surfaces of its wings were also painted green. Now we have photographic evidence that show Collins green Albatros with wings that are painted a solid color -- obviously in fact green (p. 158). But on the other hand, on p. 161 there are pictures that show D.385/16 after its capture without doubt with two-toned upper wing surfaces! What could be going on here? The famous photo of 385/16 in Arras shows it with dismantled wings -- so were the wings replaced with camouflaged ones after its capture?

Is there anybody here deeper in this question on D. 385/16 or has an idea how to explain these issues? It is not that I couldn't live with inconsistent sources and historical questions that need to be open to debate until the end of tome - I am just caught by that very question. And there's a Roden Albatros D. I that is  still waitinmg to be finished in Friedrich's colors (or Collin's yellow? I just don't know at the moment)...
Thanks in advance

Andreas
"Deux armées aux prises, c'est une grande armée qui se suicide."
Barbusse.
"Ein Berg in Deutschland kann doch einen Berg in Frankreich nicht beleidigen. Oder ein Fluß oder ein Wald oder ein Weizenfeld."
Remarque.

Offline WD

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Re: JASTA COLORS Vol. 2: What's up now with Prince Friedrich's Albatros???
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2023, 04:11:11 AM »
Andreas,
             Thanks for bringing this up as this a/c is one of my favorites that I want to build one day out of my 1/72nd Roden kit. I was excited about the book before, but even more so now. Hmmmmm, those wings, that does present a quandry now, doesn't it?

Warren

Offline Umlaufmotor

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Re: JASTA COLORS Vol. 2: What's up now with Prince Friedrich's Albatros???
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2023, 05:08:57 AM »
Many thanks Andreas for the info regarding the publication of the book. I've been waiting for it for some time (I also have a D.I "in the garage") and now I would have completely lost sight of the fact that the book is there.

Servus
Bertl

PS.: Maybe we will see each other again at a modeling exhibition.  ;)

Offline rhwinter

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Re: JASTA COLORS Vol. 2: What's up now with Prince Friedrich's Albatros???
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2023, 06:15:35 AM »
Off topic, sorry! But, esp. Bertl and Andreas: Where, that is, at which modeling events/shows/exhibitions do german WW1 aircraft modeling fans meet? Although I know that we are few: No matter where I go, I seldom even find a WW1 plane model exhibited… 🙁
Grüße! Richard

Offline Borsos

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Re: JASTA COLORS Vol. 2: What's up now with Prince Friedrich's Albatros???
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2023, 01:48:57 AM »
Andreas,
             Thanks for bringing this up as this a/c is one of my favorites that I want to build one day out of my 1/72nd Roden kit. I was excited about the book before, but even more so now. Hmmmmm, those wings, that does present a quandry now, doesn't it?

Warren

Same here, Warren. I think I fell in love with the D. I when I saw the cover of Windsock Datafile no. 100 for the first time, but I was finally lost when Roden released their 1:72 kit. The boxart is so stunning (it even found its way into Jasta Colors 2!).

Many thanks Andreas for the info regarding the publication of the book. I've been waiting for it for some time (I also have a D.I "in the garage") and now I would have completely lost sight of the fact that the book is there.

Servus
Bertl

PS.: Maybe we will see each other again at a modeling exhibition.  ;)

Great to read from you, Bertl! I came across this book by a post from James: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13581.0
 I was thinking and rethinking how to find again all the stuff I read in preparation for building my Roden D I, but now I remembered that I only have to look at flugzeuforum.de, where everything is there :-)
Oh yes, I'd hope they would continue the show in Fürstenfeld. But hopefully we come across at another show again! At the moment I am not as active as normal because me and my wife became parents again in december. But I'll be on the road again!

Off topic, sorry! But, esp. Bertl and Andreas: Where, that is, at which modeling events/shows/exhibitions do german WW1 aircraft modeling fans meet? Although I know that we are few: No matter where I go, I seldom even find a WW1 plane model exhibited… 🙁
Grüße! Richard

This is so true, Richard! I loved to go to Fürstenfeld Bruck, but this show sadly isn't any more. I hope they would start again... Another great spot is Ried im Innkreis on the Bavarian-Austrian border, a great show where many modellers from all over southern Europe meet. But the problem is always the same: Biplanes are a rare sight. In Summer I will got to France, in Alsace there's an exhibition.
I used to face this problem )the lack of biplanes) by bringing a friend with me: Michael also loves building biplanes so we are at least two :-) But normally I don't see more than two or three WW1 planes. In Ried it is always a pleasure to meet Frank (bughunter) and Cloé Plattner, so there's always much more WW1 stuff to admire.

Best regards,
Andreas
"Deux armées aux prises, c'est une grande armée qui se suicide."
Barbusse.
"Ein Berg in Deutschland kann doch einen Berg in Frankreich nicht beleidigen. Oder ein Fluß oder ein Wald oder ein Weizenfeld."
Remarque.