| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/04359 |
| Collection type | Technology |
| Object type | Aircraft component |
| Maker |
Morell, Wilhelm |
| Place made | Germany: Leipzig |
| Date made | pre 1916 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Aircraft Tachometer : German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte)
Description
Dial face from a German aircraft tachometer marked "4" TO "16". The face is white with black numerals. 97 mm dia. On the reverse is written "Fokker No.863. Brought down by a British aviator at Flers, Somme, Nov 29, 1916." There also appears to be pencilled "1833" that may be original German.
History / Summary
An extract from "the Sydney Mail" of 14 February 1917, reports the recovery of this dial face from an aircraft by Corporal Arvan Pritchard A.I.F. "it is a speedometer dial and pointer [actually it is a tachometer] of a Fritz Fokker which was brought down by one of our aviators behind the front line on the Flers front on the Somme. Naturally i was amongst the first on the scene. The plane was smashed to pulp, also the aviator. It was one of Fritz's latest, having been made in September 1916; 863 was the number."
If 863 was the Werke Nummer (construction number) of the machine, then it fits with known Fokker numbers. W/N 861 was Fokker D.I 216/16. Therefore this machine would have been Fokker D.I 218/18.
Gefr Michaelis of JS12 was shot down and killed over Guedencourt on 22 November 1916 in Fokker D.I 218/16. It seems possible that this is from D.I 218/16, if the location fits. (Research by R Zankl).