Roden 610 Siemens Shuckert D.II 1:32

In the period from March to May 1918 at least 41 aircraft were delivered to the Front, mainly to the elite squadrons of Jagdgeschwader I and Jagdgeschwader II. A celebrated ace, and commander of JG II, Rudolf Berthold acclaimed the potential of the SSW D.III as "unsurpassed", especially in the context of its capability as an airplane interceptor. The SSW D.III went extremely well after enemy intruders at extraordinary altitudes of 5000-6000 meters, and Englishmen and Frenchmen often became easy prey for the SSW D.III.

However, the type was very soon plagued by engine related troubles. After a mere 7-8 hours of normal running the Sh.III displayed the signs of cylinder head disintegration, resulting in complete destruction of the engine. Evidently the engine was very demanding as to the quality of its oil and intolerant of synthetic substitutes, during a time when Germany had great difficulty sourcing the castor oil required for aviation use. At the end of May 1918 all SSW D.IIIs were returned from the Front to the factory for repair. In perfecting the engine a major role was played by the firm Rhenania Motorenfabrik AG, and in due course its durability was tested to at least 40 hours of operation without breakdown.

Modified SSW D.IIIs with the improved engine began to return to the Front in July of that year. They were quite different from their predecessor in the characteristic rectangular form of their tail fin; engine cowling much cut away for the sake of improving engine cooling; balanced ailerons; and other less important differences. Taking into consideration that an overwhelming number of fighter squadrons at that time were already re-equipped with the predominant Fokker D.VII, the subsequent operational career of the SSW D.III was confined mainly to the squadrons of the home defense Kestas.

All things considered, the SSW D.III was one of the most significant airplanes of its time. It may not have gained the same great fame as the Fokker D.VII, which was even mentioned in the articles of the Versailles Agreement, but the SSW D.III was marked down by the Inspection Committees of the victor countries as an "airplane of potential threat" to their own forces, and almost all surviving machines, together with the small quantity of SSW D.IVs which had continued to be built after the war, were completely destroyed in 1919.