[1] A prototype was first flown in 1917 and proved to be fast but difficult to handle but because of the urgent need for fighters the D.I entered production.

A further development was the D.III which had balanced ailerons on both wings and a more powerful 230 hp (170 kW) Hiero 6 in-line engine.

(D-Fliks were small general-purpose units, capable of short-range reconnaissance, bombing, defense and artillery-spotting duties, consisting of 4-5 aircraft, both single-seat fighters and twin-seat observation/light bomber types.)

Hunting - were fighter units, having an official complement of 18 aircraft, something that very few had in practice.)

[2] Several Austro-Hungarian aces used this aircraft, among them Kurt Gruber, Roman Schmidt, Karl Teichmann, Godwin Brumowski, Benno Fiala Ritter von Fernbrugg, Franz Gräser, Karl Nikitsch, Frank Linke-Crawford and József Kiss - who was killed while flying a D.II on May 24, 1918.