Constructed in the spring of 1916 at the Hansa Brandenburg aircraft works, this aircraft type was built from June 1916 at the Austro-Hungarian Albatroswerke Vienna, later renamed Phönix Flugzeugwerke, and was thus the first proper fighter aircraft in the service of the aviation troops.

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The relatively short period of use at the front from January 1917 onwards, is partly due to the flight behaviour of the aircraft, but also to the inadequate training of the pilots, poor armament and above all the rapid development of more modern types. However, these aircraft were flown in training operations until 1918, with only about 120 machines being built.