Albatros d.III camouflage - photo analysis - hypothesis

[MG]

Good evening,
first of all happy holidays and happy 2025,
since in the future I would like to make an Albatros D.III (OAW) I would like to study these photos and, through a logical path of analysis and suppositions, propose some hypotheses on the colors. Jasta 31 - German expeditionary force for the Caporetto offensive. The plane was probably photographed in Slovenia in Auritz (Bled) in the period 20 September - 2 November 1917.
From the shadows of the people it is clear that it is in full light. The right half-wing clearly shows the presence of only two colors, the dark color, lilac/violet or dark green connects a little with the tail rudder, the light color could be light green or light lilac. The rectangles at the tail are most likely white, the spaces between one rectangle and the other appear faded, in my opinion they are the result of paint being removed with sandpaper. The devil with horns, tongue and beard could be red as black, I lean towards red. The nose cone that encloses the propeller seems dark, perhaps in the same color as the rudder. The upper wing is an enigma, being an almost horizontal plane it reflects all the light preventing the camouflage from being detected. On the vertical tail plane the serial number is missing further complicating the investigation.






Here are some hypothetical reconstructions that I have produced in the hope of getting as close to reality as possible.

[Borsos]

Hello,

that is an interesting investigation you are doing. I have a little annotation: I do not think the painting on the side of the airplane is a devil. I think this is a <<Krampus>>, a figure that accompanies St. Nikolaus on December 6 in Austrian customs. While St. Nikolaus gives sweets to good kids, the bad ones are punished by the Krampus. Jasta 31, in spite of being a Prussian Jasta, should have heard of this tradition while being transferred to the Austrian front in 1917.
The Krampus is rarely depicted in red colors, but brown or black. See here an Austrian postcard from the year 1900:
https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Krampus

[MG]

Interesting, possible option. In fact I found that it is part of the tradition also in Bavaria and Styria.


Thanks

[MG]

Work in progress

[Brad Cancian]

Great detective work MG and Borsos; I tend to agree with the latter interpretation of the black Krampus and lilac tail. I also think that the spinner should be a dark colour, possibly also black?

One other thing that many folks forget about the earlier Albatros models; the fillet panels in front of the leading edge of the wing and behind the trailing edge of the wing were wood, not metal. They should be the same wooden colour as the surrounding wooden panels. The close up of the cockpit area shows this well; look at the contrast between the small metal brackets on the fuselage and the trailing edge fairing. For some reason this misconception of those panels being metal has persisted.

Cheers!

BC

[MG]

[Brad Cancian]

Perfect!

[NigelR]

Looks very plausible to me, the krampus looks much better. Great scheme!

[Borsos]

Very nice! Yes, the Krampus is very widely known in the Alpine region, also in the area of todays Slovenia where then the Isonzo battles took place.

[certainreasons]

Great scheme! Have never seen this Albatros before - is there a good source for information and photos of the German units fighting in Italy? Also agree with the black Krampus, I remember my Mom telling me that the adult who played Krampus when she was a little girl wore black horns! She wondered why St. Nikolas wore the same shoes as her father! This would have been in Wien in the 30s.

[Edo]

I also like the black krampus best.

as a side note, try Googling ?vipiteno krampus? and have a look at the pictures. It is not the only reppresentation of kramuses you can find, of course, but it is from a region Italy gained from Austria after ww1 and the tradition is still alive today.
As you can see the wear black masks over red robes....  sooooo.... still undecided???

ciao
edo

[MG]

Thanks for all your answers.
I remain faithful to the black color as the most probable. In the problematic research of the colors of the WW1 airplanes we are all perfectly aware that certainties do not exist except in very rare cases, so it is necessary through research of reliable sources, logic, analysis, hypothesis etc., to reach an acceptable compromise.
In my case the problem is the tail rudder and the distribution of the colors on the wings.
That the colors are purple/lilac and light green is very probable (it is always necessary to take into account that the effect of the colors on the canvas and on the wood are different). However the vertical tail plane cannot be black given the disparity with the cross. What disconcerts me a little is that some exclude the presence in the Albatros D.III of the two colors lilac/purple and light green and even the lozenges, while others say the exact opposite. I have been researching the appearance of the airplanes of all the contenders who crossed the skies of the Italian front for years and I tend to give credit to the latter. In general I love a little of all history and I like to approach its various themes objectively and without prejudice, absolutely without the presumption of possessing the truth.
All aimed at building 1/48 scale models!!!!

Ciao 

[WD]

I have had nothing to add to this thread*, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Warren

*Several of my friends and I have tried to get some folks started on Krampus here in the U.S., but no takers unfortunately. 

[MG]

Great scheme! Have never seen this Albatros before - is there a good source for information and photos of the German units fighting in Italy? Also agree with the black Krampus, I remember my Mom telling me that the adult who played Krampus when she was a little girl wore black horns! She wondered why St. Nikolas wore the same shoes as her father! This would have been in Wien in the 30s.

Yes there is information and photos

The following German units reached the Italian front in late 1917:
 fighter units: 1, 31, 39
 reconnaissance units: Flieger-Abteilung 204, 219, 232
 bombing units: kampfgeschwader 4
 artillery observation units: Flieger-Abteilung 2, 14 and 17

Fighter units (Albatros D.III/D.V), the bases were:

JASTA 1
Veldes  September 1917 - 2 November 1917
Campoformido  3 November 1917 - 10 November 1917
Aviano  11 November 1917 - 15 November 1917
Possanerlo  16 November 1917 - 22 December 1917
San Fior  23 December 1917 - 13 March 1918

JASTA 31
Audritz  20 September - 2 November 1917
Udine  3 - 11 November 1917
Aviano 15 - 19 November 1917
San Giacomo 19 November 1917  - 2 January 1918
San Fior 3 January - 13 March 1918

JASTA 39
Lees   1 October - 31 October 1917
Campoformido. 31 October - 13 November 1917
San Giacomo. 13 November - 16 November 1917
Roveredo in Piano (La Comina)  16 November - 18 November 1917
Mareno in Piave (Cervada)  18 November - 23 December 1917
San Fior   23 December 1917 - 13 March 1918

[RedLeader1]

Please note the color & layout of the wings should be referenced to OAW (Schneidemuhl) built airframes not Johannistahl built.