Corgi AA38311 Fokker DR1 Triplane Werner Steinhauser

Fokker Dr.1 564/17, Ltn WernerSteinhauser, Jasta 11, Jagdgeschwader 1,Cappy Aerodrome, France, 21st April 1918 -Last combat sortie of the Red BaronFlying one of the six Jasta 11 Fokker Dr.1 fighterswhich climbed away from Cappy Aerodromein the mid-morning of Sunday 21st April 1918,Werner Steinhauser was beginning to develop intoan extremely gifted aviator under the guidance ofhis inspirational Commanding Officer, Manfredvon Richthofen. When he initially joinedthe unit in early 1918, he only hada solitary observation balloon victoryto his name, but now that he foundhimself in the company of some ofthe Luftstreitkräfte’s most gifted fighterpilots, he began to show real skill andpoise during combat situations andas a consequence, his victory tallywas increasing. Flying alongsidevon Richthofen in his owndistinctively marked personalFokker Dr.1 fighter on the morning of the 21st April,Steinhauser would be involved in the intense fightingwith the Sopwith Camels of RAF No.209 Squadron whichultimately resulted in the death of his mentor. The famed‘Flying Circus’ never really recovered from the loss of vonRichthofen and from this date, an ever increasing numberof Allied fighters in the air at any one time would resultin the loss of the majority of their most successful pilots.Going on to score a further six aerial victories after thisfateful day, Werner Steinhauser would himself be shotdown and killed near Neuilly on the 26th June, just threedays before he would have celebrated his 22nd birthday