These were Albatros, Aviatiks, Eulers, Rumplers, and Gothas.
Early in 1915 appeared the Fokkers, which were one-seated, and new
two-seated machines, Aviatiks or Albatros, which were more rapid, with
the passenger at the rear, and furnished with a revolving turret for the
machine-gun. The German troops engaged in aerostation, aviation,
automobile and railway service were grouped as communication troops
(_Verkehrstruppen_), under the direction of the General Inspection of
Military Communications. It was not until the autumn of 1916 that the
aerostation, aviation, and aerial defense troops were made independent
and, under the title of _Luftstreitkraefte_ (aerial combatant forces),
took their position in the order of battle between the pioneers and the
communication troops. But early in the summer of 1915 the progress
realized in aviation resulted in its forming a separate branch of the
army, with campaign and enemy-chasing escadrilles.
Guynemer was now on the straight road toward aerial combat. Most of our
pilots were still chasing enemy airplanes with one passenger armed with
a simple musketoon.
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