Fokker Scourge - The Fokker Scourge

The Fokker Scourge

Leutnants Otto Parschau and Kurt Wintgens were the pioneers in introducing the Eindecker to combat service in the late spring and early summer of 1915, and with Wintgens scoring his first three aerial victories in the first two weeks of July 1915 (unconfirmed on July 1 and 4, first confirmed victory on the 15th, all over Morane-Saulnier L two-seaters) the period of the "Fokker Scourge" began.

By late 1915 the Germans had achieved air superiority, making Allied access to vital intelligence derived from continual aerial reconnaissance more dangerous to acquire. In particular the relative defencelessness of Allied reconnaissance types was exposed. The first regularly scoring German ace pilots - notably Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke began their careers at this time.

The number of actual Allied casualties involved was relatively small compared with the intensive air fighting of 1917-18. The deployment of the eindeckers was less than overwhelming - the new type was issued in ones and twos to existing reconnaissance squadrons - and it was to be nearly a year before the Germans followed the British in establishing specialist fighter squadrons. The eindecker was also, in spite of its advanced armament, by no means an outstanding aircraft.

Nonetheless, the impact on morale of the fact that the Germans were fighting back effectively in the air war created a major scandal in the British parliament and press. The aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps in France, especially the British Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2, were widely described as Fokker Fodder.

Fortunately for the Allies two new British fighters were already in production which were a technical match for the Fokker.The F.E.2b and the D.H.2 were both "pushers" and could fire forwards without gun synchronisation. The F.E.2b reached the front with No 20 Squadron in January 1916 and the D.H.2 in February. On the French front the tiny Nieuport 11, a tractor biplane with a forward firing gun mounted high on the top wing above the arc of the propeller, also proved a match for the German fighter when it entered service with Escadrille N.3 in January 1916. With these new types the French re-established air superiority by the closing stages of the Battle of Verdun and the British in time for the start of the Battle of the Somme, and the "Fokker Scourge" was effectively over.

Synchronised guns nonetheless quickly became the norm. Later versions of the Nieuport, as well as most new Allied fighters, were fitted with them for the rest of the war.