In the early part of 1917 the German Albatros D-II and its successor, the D-III, were the best performing aircraft on the Western Front and gave the Central Powers a distinct advantage over the Allies.

The arrival of the French Nieuport 17 changed this situation and the Albatros Werke Companybegan work on a new fighter. The D-V appeared on the front-line in the summer of 1917. Although similar to the Albatros D-III, it was given a slightly rounder fuselage, greater streamlining and a larger engine. By the time the Armistice was signed in 1918 there were 928 of these aircraft being used by the German Air Force.