Fokker DVII Not Mentioned Specifically in ToV

BarkhornXX · 4 August 2005, 12:14 PM

Yea, that's right, the old saw about the Fokker DVII being mentioned specifically in the Treaty of Versailles is a MYTH!!

Here is a link to the Treaty provisions:

http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/versailles.html

The pertinent articles are 198 - 202. Article 202 states - in part (and this is the important part):
"...all military and naval areonatical material (except some seaplanes) must be delivered to the Governments of the Principal Allied Powers."

This means that ALL warplanes were prohibited - and ALL must be delivered - not just the DVII.

Sorry really to burst that bubble, it was such a good story, probably started by Anthony Fokker himself.

Barkhorn.

StephenLawson · 4 August 2005, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarkhornXX

Yea, that's right, the old saw about the Fokker DVII being mentioned specifically in the Treaty of Versailles is a MYTH!!

Here is a link to the Treaty provisions:

http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/versailles.html

The pertinent articles are 198 - 202. Article 202 states - in part (and this is the important part):..Barkhorn.

Greetings Barkhorn, Its mentioned in the "Conditions of the Armistice" article IV. "...all types of the D.VII...."

Dan_San_Abbott · 4 August 2005, 04:50 PM

BarkhornXX:
The reference to the Fokker D-7 was not in the Treaty of Versailles 1919, it was in the Terms of the Armistice. See Military Clauses of the Western Front. Clause Four. Reads in part, .....1700 airplanes (fighters, bombers) firstly all of the D-7'S and night bombing machines.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

EricGoedkoop · 4 August 2005, 05:39 PM

Conditions of an Armistice with Germany

Quote:

IV. Surrender in good condition by the German Armies of the following war material:

5,000 guns (2,500 heavy, 2,500 field).
25,000 machine guns.
3,000 trench mortars.
1,700 fighting and bombing aeroplanes-in the first place, all D7's and all night-bombing aeroplanes.

BarkhornXX · 5 August 2005, 06:11 AM

Well then, I was correct wasn't I !!??

OK, I spoke too soon -

- and thanks all for pointing out my error.

Now, I did here it stated a number of times as the DVII being mentioned in the Treaty. And thanks to the very knowledgable group here, I now have the real story.

Barkhorn.

EricGoedkoop · 5 August 2005, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarkhornXX

Well then, I was correct wasn't I !!??

Yup - no one can argue with your statement

Incidentally, why does is say "D7's" and not "Fokker D7's"? I don't think there were any other D.VIIs in service, but still . . . .

NC74392 · 5 August 2005, 09:54 AM

Maybe it's because they were built by several different manufacturers. They didn't want the Axis to say: "Here's all the Fokker-built D.VIIs. We'll keep the OAW/ Albatros built ones for ourselves!"

Just a guess...

Dan_San_Abbott · 5 August 2005, 10:54 AM

NC74392:
The machine was called a Fokker D.VII regardless of who built it. There were no other German fighter with the designation of D.VII(D.7).
Blue skies,
Dan-San

rammjaeger · 5 August 2005, 12:07 PM

The conditions for the Armistice were simply not created by aviation experts.
That explains the incorrect designation by the Entente more than anything else.

David_Layton · 5 August 2005, 02:03 PM

I think that the night bomber prohibition was very interesting, in light of Peter Grosz's remarks in Dayton. Pete metioned that the German night bombers that attacked the trenchs were fewer in number than expected, given the constant bombing the allies received from them. What took place is that each bomber repeatedly flew very quick low altititude bombing runs. As a result the allies thought that there were more than the actual 100+ bombers.