The Albatros D.III followed the successful D.I and D.II series which was introduced in August of 1916. It utilized the same semi-monocoque plywood-skinned fuselage which incorporated an improved aerodynamic fuselage, but adopted a sesquiplane wing arrangement broadly similar to the French Nieuport 11. It was powered with a Mercedes D.III (170 hp) six-cylinder liquid-cooled engine which was one of the most powerful engines available at the time, allowing for speeds of 109 miles per hour.