[WWI] Fw: [CCI] Albatros colours

[Marlon Schultz]

Hello all ,

        I read  the query regarding Albatros D.III 636/17.

    Fliegerabteilung 300 received two Albatros D.III fighters around the 
middle of June 1917.

      The pilots of these two aircraft being Oblt. Gerhard Felmy and  
Ltn. Schmarjie.  Felmy being considered the most skilled and gentlemanly 
pilot on either side of the lines in Palestine.

     On Aug 4 1917  Ltn.  Ross Smith of 67 (Australian) Sqdn. flying Be 
12a A6329  engaged in combat at 4,000 feet with a Rumpler C.1
( which  Smith identified as a Albatros type) and an Albatros D.III .

      We believe Ltn. Schmarjie was the Albatros D.III pilot as a 
intercepted transmission reported Schmarjie had crash landed. The 
Schmarjie Albatros ' serial is unknown.

      The other  FA 300 Albatros is noted as being taken over by a Ltn. 
Dittmar after Oblt. Felmy went home to Germany for medical treatment. 
Ltn. Dittmar was the pilot of Albatros D.III 636/17 when it was forced 
down by a Bristol Fighter flown by Ltn. R.C. Steele ( a farmer from 
Birch Creek , Saskatchewan , Canada )  of 111 Sqn. RFC on the 8th of 
October 1917. 

       In the Aug 4 , 1917 combat here is the part of Ltn. Smith's 
description regarding the colours of the  Albatros D.III  flown by 
Schmarjie.

     "Returning to the formation, second H.A. was encountered, a single 
seater with 1 or 2 guns firing forward. It had a yellow fuselage, and 1 
dark green wing and 1 dark brown, on top sides. We met nose on and I got 
in about 20 rounds. H.A. made a right hand turn, under my wing, and went 
straight off towards Sharia. Both H.A. used very distinct tracers. "

This is a reply from Dan Abbott which he sent me  a number of years ago 
regarding D.III 636/17.
 
     " The first two Albatros D.III fighters that served with FA 300 
(D.III 636/17 and an unknown aircraft) had a single radiator and were 
built at the Johannisthal factory.  Albatros D.III 636/17 had it's upper 
wing painted dark green from it's left tip to between the 2nd and 3rd 
passed the cutout/ pale green to the right wing tip. Both lower panels 
dark green.tailplane  to the left tip rib dark green /  pale green to 
the right tip rib \ dark green. The fuselage and fin would be in a 
natural wood finish with pale grey-green metal parts, spinner, struts 
and wheel centres.   The rudder would  be clear doped linen with the 
Albatros factory decal applied.
National insignia in all eight positions. "
       
      I hope this is of help.

                                    Marlon Schultz