They seem quite clear about it being a D-III. Several books agree that Jasta
2 received (borrowed?) two Fokker D-IIIs and one Albatros D-I, on 1 Sept.
1916. Why he did not fly the one Albatros has puzzled me.
Heinz Nowarra, in two different books, says that Boelcke's D-III survived the
war and was on display in Berlin until it was destroyed by Allied bombing in
1944.
According to H.N., Fokker was wrestling with a new design to replace the
venerable E-series, which had lost what techno-edge it had by the summer of
'16.
The D-I was a biplane but similar to the Es in construction. It had an
in-line Mercedes engine (120hp) and did not have very good performance.
Besides, he was having trouble getting Mercedes engines. He was a foreigner,
you know 8-o
The D-II used a very similar airframe, but had the rotary engine like the Es.
In fact, they look like sisters. They even used the old wing-warping method
of lateral control. Alierons came much later.
The D-III was an improved D-II. A bigger 160hp Oberursel engine, I think.
I beleive Wagner and Nowarra's book, _German Combat Planes_ gives an
accounting of how many of the Ds were still at the front at the end of '16.
As usual, the book is at home. I'll look it up tonight and post it.
Later,
-- Micheal S.