Scourge: Fokker E.I. Eindecker 1915

Fokker E.I Eindecker 1915

The Prototype by Fokker, with machine gun attached to the nose.

On 18.04.1915, Garros was downed by ground fire, though some sources reported that he had experienced a clogged fuel line, and was forced to land behind German lines. In those days, fighter pilots were instructed to burn their planes if they ever found themselves stranded on hostile territory, however Garros failed to destroy his before being taken prisoner by the Germans. Upon capture, Garros, the gun and the armoured propeller were sent to Doberitz, near Berlin for evaluation by the Inspektion der Fliegertruppen (Inspectorate of Flying Troops). Anthony Fokker, a Dutch aircraft manufacturer who owned a factory nearby was summoned to inspect the Morane L, and was ordered to duplicate it, specifically the machine gun mechanism. 48 hours later, Fokker presented an aircraft in which the firing rate was directly controlled by the rotation of the propeller. This synchronization ensured that the bullets would be fired through the empty spaces between the propeller blades.

Fokker flew the German prototype to demonstrate the effectiveness of his integrated mechanism. As he was flying, he found a French Farman two-seater biplane and manoeuvred towards it, ready to attack. Flying closer to the bewildered French crew who were watching him approach from the rear, finger on the trigger, Fokker abandoned his mission. Returning to the Douai flying base he told the Germans that they would have to do their own killing. He was merely an inventor who wanted to prove that his invention worked, and would not kill. The Germans then sent Lieutenant Oswald Boelcke to be trained on how to manipulate the gun and the plane, and soon after he flew off for the Western Front, headed for Berlin. Lieutenant Oswald Boelcke became the first German Ace recorded, and was known as Father of Air Fighting Tactics.

Due to his success, the synchronized machine gun received overwhelming response and was incorporated into the Fokker E.I. The Fokker Scourge had now begun.