How did the J.I strafe ground targets?

Short answer

With a pair of fixed 7.92 mm Spandau LMG 08/15 machine guns, mounted aiming downward to strafe ground targets. The fuselage sides and bottom were armored with 5 mm chrome-nickel steel plate bolted to the wooden frame. German units began receiving it in April 1918.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Albatros fuligineuxVincent Legendre (CC BY SA), vía commons

Two Spandaus aimed at the ground

The Albatros J.I was armed with a pair of fixed 7.92 mm (.312 in) Spandau LMG 08/15 machine guns, aimed downward precisely to strafe ground targets.

A fuselage lined with steel

Both the sides and the bottom of the fuselage were covered with 5 mm thick chrome-nickel steel plate, bolted directly onto the wooden frame. That plate armor around the crew compartment weighed 490 kg (1,080 lb) and came at a substantial cost in performance.

Adequate engine, quick replacement

The J.I was fitted with the Benz Bz.IV engine, capable of delivering up to 150 kW (200 hp); that choice of powerplant, combined with a considerably heavier fuselage, was chiefly responsible for performance that was marginal at best. During April 1918 Luftstreitkräfte units began receiving the aircraft. By June 1918 the new Albatros J.II had already begun replacing the J.I at the front.