Fokker E.III Eindecker
The Fokker Eindecker (monoplane) fighters were pioneers in the field of aerial combat. The World’s first aeroplanes armed with a true synchronised machine gun system, their early success rates in the hands of Germany’s fledgeling fighter pilots gave the Allies grave cause for concern. As a result, a new breed of warrior was born – the fighter ace. Until counter-measures were forthcoming British parliamentarians investigating the RFC’s shortcomings referred to their ‘defenceless’ airmen as ‘Fokker Fodder’; the situation remained virtually unchanged from mid 1915 to early 1916. Dutch engineer Anthony Fokker’s monoplanes were not outstanding designs but their revolutionary armament gave them an unassailable initial advantage.