iveness , ▁ 2 4 ▁Squadron ▁claimed ▁some ▁ 7 0 ▁vict ories ▁by ▁November ▁at ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁ 1 2 ▁of ▁its ▁own ▁plan es ▁and ▁ 2 1 ▁pil ots ▁killed , ▁wounded ▁or ▁missing . ▁Ar ound ▁this ▁time , ▁Haw ker ▁developed ▁a ▁ring ▁guns ight ▁and ▁created ▁a ▁cl amp ▁and ▁spring - clip ▁device ▁to ▁hold ▁the ▁Lewis ▁in ▁place ▁on ▁the ▁D H . 2 . ▁He ▁also ▁designed ▁she eps kin ▁bo ots ▁that ▁reached ▁to ▁the ▁upper ▁th igh , ▁known ▁as ▁" f ug - bo ots ," ▁which ▁became ▁standard ▁issue ▁to ▁combat ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁fro st b ite ▁at ▁high ▁alt itude . ▁ ▁By ▁mid ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁R FC ▁policy ▁was ▁to ▁ban ▁squad ron ▁command ers ▁from ▁oper ational ▁flying , ▁Haw ker ▁included . ▁However , ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁make ▁frequent ▁off ensive ▁pat rol s ▁and ▁reconna issance ▁fl ights , ▁particularly ▁over ▁the ▁Som me ▁battle fields . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁year ▁wore ▁on , ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁introduced ▁far ▁more ▁pot ent ▁f igh ters ▁to ▁the ▁front , ▁starting ▁with ▁the ▁Luft stre it k rä fte ' s ▁first ▁bi plane ▁f ighter , ▁the ▁single - gun ▁armed ▁Hal ber stadt ▁D . II , ▁and ▁shortly ▁there after ▁the ▁even ▁more ▁advanced , ▁tw in - g unn ed ▁Al bat ros ▁D . I , ▁rapidly ▁making ▁the ▁D H . 2 ▁ob sole