The descriptions of a "butcher blue" and a "black" Fokker are probably indications that some German pilots were already painting their Fokkers in their own colors, though photos of such aircraft are
extremely rare. Maybe it's worth pointing out that
Josef Jacobs had his Fokker D.II 541/16 (which originally exhibited a very pale appearance) painted dark blue so it would not "shine so brightly" - an early attempt at camouflage.
Other, much less reliable information comes from a number of English, French and American newspaper reports from 18 June 1916, which erroneously stated that the great Boelcke had been shot down by the French airman Roger Ribiere. One article in The
New York Times stated, “A Fokker painted
yellow and of the type known to have been piloted by Boelke (sic), who also wore a large yellow muffler, was shot down by Ribiere two days ago between the German and French trenches near Verdun.” This certainly wasn't Boelcke, but the description of a yellow Fokker is of interest. This was contradicted on June 20 by Victor Chapman, who believed that he had fought Boelcke and received a scalp wound. Again, The
New York Times reported: “Mr. Chapman added that his assailant was flying a black machine which coincides with American accounts of Boelke (sic)….Americans say that Boelke’s (sic) aeroplane is black with a huge skull painted under each wing. This, they think, is a deliberate attempt to unnerve the opponents upon whom he swoops.” While there is absolutely
NO evidence that Boelcke ever flew a “black machine”, it was a common belief among the Americans of the Lafayette, as well as some British and French airmen. The infamous Bert Hall wrote that he encountered “Captain Boelke” (sic) who flew a Fokker that was black with white crosses.
The great French war-artist Henri Farré painted at least one scene which included a Fokker Eindecker, and it exhibits a yellowish appearance in his painting. It's unlikely he ever encountered any Fokkers personally in his flights over the lines, but he was a careful artist who discussed such encounters with many other French airmen. He attempted to get things right.
Here's a detail from one Farré painting.
The British DH2 pilot and ace Capt. R H M S Saundby (later AVM Saundby)created many wonderful paintings of aeroplanes in flight and in combat, which were later published in the book "
Flying Colours" in 1918. He painted the German aircraft he encountered with particular care and wrote about their colors. The described the early Aviatik two-seaters in July 1916 as "white which showed up distinctly against the brown and pock-marked ground." He only painted one Eindecker, but it is shown as a slightly yellowish gray color with crosses on white fields - distinctly different from his depiction of the "white" two-seaters. He depicted a later two-seater as green and specifically stated "The white paint of July is gone, and succeeded by a green that blends in with the ground."