Halberstadt CL IV Fighting Scout
The Halberstadt CL IV was developed to replace the earlier CL II model as a principle ground attack aircraft for the German army, and were organised into Schlachtstaffel (attack groups). First introduced to combat in early 1918 in time for the last great German offensive of the First World War, the CL IV proved to be very successful in attacking Allied positions ahead of the advancing German troops. Equipped with both fixed and flexible machine guns as well as hand dropped grenades and small bombs, CL IV was very effective in this role, but it lacked armor which became necessary as British, French, and later American ground fire became increasingly effective against low-flying aircraft. The CL IV was one of the most sought after targets of Allied pursuit squadrons, but it was able to give a very good account of itself in a dogfight. A versatile machine, the CL IV also did yeoman duty as an interceptor against Allied night bombing raids and served as a night bomber against troop concentrations and airfields near the front lines.
Technical Details
The CL IV had a crew of two, pilot and rear-gunner. It was powered by a Mercedes D III six cylinder in-line, water-cooled engine of 160 hp. It was well armed with one or two 9mm fixed Spandau Machine guns and one Parabellum 9mm flexible machine gun in the rear; anti-personnel grenades and four or five 22 lb. bombs. It had a maximum speed of 112 mph, a range of 300 miles and a ceiling of 21,000 feet.
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Image from: USAF Museum, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, with permission.
Text from the USAF Museum Web site