The static stable and manoeuvrable aircraft was alongside with the Fokker D.II, one of the main reasons for the allied loss of air superiority over the Western front of Germany. Like its predecessors, the D.II was equipped with two forward-firing LMG 08/15. They were introduced in October 1916; in January 1917 214 D.II were in service. In January 1917 production of the Albatros D.III started, which replaced the D.II at the beginning of the year 1917. In May of this year only half of the D.II´s were in service and in November 1917 only 20 Albatros D.I and D.II were operational.