One of the most successful and best liked of the newly introduced C type armed two-seaters which appeared during 1915 was the C.I of the Rumpler Flugzeug-Werke. At first equipped only with a Parabellum machine-gun for the observer, the armament was later reinforced by the addition of a Spandau machine-gun for the pilot. By October 1916 there were some 250 C.Is and C.Ias in service. They were used as general-purpose types, and when they became outclassed on the Western Front they served in the Salonika, Palestine and Macedonian theatres during the 1917 period. They were also used on training duties in Germany right up to the end of the war. In fact, during 1918 a special trainer version with dual control was developed by the Bayerische Rumpler-Werke. This version was powered with a 150 h.p. Benz engine and did not have a gun-ring installation in the rear cockpit.
Eight new C.Is were transported to Damascus in the spring of 1917 and were to play a big part in the battles which took place that year for Gaza. All enemy troop movements were observed by the Rumplers and the General Staff kept constantly informed. Bombing raids were carried out on Allied cavalry. A total of 10 C.Is were deployed at the Ottoman Armed Forces till the end of the War including the 8 mentioned above.