DukeIronHand 8 Posted July 1, 2012 Without breaking out my books (or the internet these days) didn't Squadron 45 return to the Western Front in time to participate in the Battle of Cambrai with "Bomber" Harris as the CO? Or am I suffering a "senior moment"? And nice shots! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_Louvert 101 Posted July 1, 2012 . Duke, 45 Squadron did indeed return to the Western Front, however not until late in 1918 as part of the IAF. So they could not have participated in the battle of Cambrai. As to those senior moments, I feel your pain Sir and ... er ... I ... what were we talking about? . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted July 1, 2012 Fine shots! My biggest fear is, that the AI in WOFF might be similarly "glued on the six" as I guess you are in the Camel, Lou! That would make the second half of 1917 an even nastier time to fly an Albatros in. Not to speak of 1918! ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DukeIronHand 8 Posted July 2, 2012 Did a quick check. Harris was the senor Flight Commander of 45 not the C.O. - at least in September 1917. Plus not the squadron I was thinking of at Cambrai. *sigh* Looking forward to winter so I can start OFF'ing more. Been dying to start my Camel career - got a 70 Squadron pilot ready to go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted July 12, 2012 (edited) THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE ENGAGED ME All alone on one of the occasional "lone wolf" balloon busting missions, I just had reached the lines southeast of Arras, when I noticed heavy German Flak. Four big two-seaters just came over the mud, heading for Douai. The were only a little higher than me, and descending. I identified them as Bristol F2B Fighters - an unpleasant, dangerous foe. So I thought I'd better prodeed on my way to my balloon. But they wouldn't let me go! They all came down to Tango! One approached me and fired, first from his forward MG, then from the observer's twin machine guns. My Albatros got hit - Tac! Tac! Then the British pilot tried to dive away from me in a wide left descending turn. But now I fired after him in my rage - and the tank burst into flames! What a lucky, instant hit! Well, for me it was - the Tommies found themselves in a real hellfire and jumped from the dying craft. Only drawback - all my paused changing of angles and views made OFF crash - and so I got no claims report! Dammit! Edited July 12, 2012 by Olham Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted August 20, 2012 More than a month has passed since I posted my last screenshots. (I have begun with school on 6 August - I will learn Web Design - hopefully...) But today I have resumed my Jasta 28w campaign. We are operating from Wasquehal in April 1917, still flying the Albatros D.II. Today we sighted a new British fighter - the "Scout Experimental", short: S.E.5. The craft seems to be very sturdy, and it is very fast and climbs very well - I'm sure it will make our life here much harder in future, when the pilots know how to fly it perfectly. But today I could shoot one up. The engine caught fire, and the S.E.5 crashed into a little wood. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaptSopwith 26 Posted August 21, 2012 Hi Olham. Just saw that you mentioned starting school. My new semester starts tomorrow morning. Just wanted to wish you the best of luck! PS: I might be making it Germany next month... fingers crossed! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaptSopwith 26 Posted August 21, 2012 Hi All! Just thought I'd share some recent screen shots that I've been playing with in Picasa. These come from a recent career with Wilhelm Roth (The older brother of our beloved Gerhard who flys an Albatros marked up by Olham). Enjoy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted August 21, 2012 They look like very early colour photography; the whole effect is nicely done, Captain. Especially the first pic could well be a war postcard. Good luck with the new semester and the journey plans, Cap! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullethead 12 Posted August 21, 2012 Very nice tweaking of pictures, CS! I'll have to look at this Piscasa thing of which you speak. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_Louvert 101 Posted August 26, 2012 (edited) . Great stuff as always Gents, please keep on snapping those screenies and sharing your stories. Here's a breif update on one of my longer-running OFF flyers. Escadrille Américaine pilot Langdon Alberts was recently promoted to Adjutant, (due to his fine record at the front thus far), and just this last week, (early August, 1916), he was given an N16 to fly. After having the boys give it a good rigging, he had a new personal emblem added to the fuselage as well as fresh camo to the top surfaces, (the kite had arrived in all natural doped linen). Here is a collage of screenshots which document Adjutant Alberts ruining the fine, sunny, late-summer morning of a Bosch Eindecker pilot near the frontlines at Bethincourt. C'est la guerre! . Edited August 26, 2012 by RAF_Louvert not enough coffee Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted August 26, 2012 Great screenshots and a fine new camo you made there, Lou! That emblem of your pilot looks familiar to me somehow, but I can't grab the memory? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_Louvert 101 Posted August 26, 2012 . Thanks Olham, I did the camo using photos of original N124 Nieups, and worked from color samples which are generally agreed to be close representations of the WWI paints. And it does not surprise me that the emblem looks familiar to you. Langdon's new personal logo was, with minimal changes, lifted directly from a cigarette ad he'd seen in a German magazine that had found it's way into camp a while back. Check "Novelta Cigaretten" and German graphic designer Lucian Bernhard. . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullethead 12 Posted August 26, 2012 And here I'd been thinking it was the logo of Johnny Walker :). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theultimat 5 Posted August 26, 2012 I really love the camouflage on your wings RAF_Louvert, it looks great. I'd love to join you all up there again, but I'm having hardware issues. But anyway, good job! :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted August 26, 2012 Wow, how sometimes circles close, Lou! Lucian Bernhard made a typeface I really like. And then it was exactly him, who made the superb poster for the big aviation show in Berlin-Johannisthal 1909! Thanks for the hint! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted August 27, 2012 I'm still searching for a pilot to fly a longer campaign with, and today I started another with Jasta 37, flying in April 1918. Ernst Udet is still their Staffelführer, and all aircraft are raven-black. They carry large white numbers, and since I've seen the numbers 1 - 12 being used by historical pilots, I picked number 13. First victim of "Black 13" was this Nieuport. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+elephant 36 Posted August 28, 2012 (edited) Wow nice screens, Cpt.S, Lou and Olham! One little historical trivial info about Jasta 37, Detlev... Except from not flying OAW machines (if not terribly wrong) the pilot's personal symbols were traditionally in black-white (Jasta colours). In the case of all black planes in white. Edited August 28, 2012 by elephant Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted August 28, 2012 Thanks, elephant, but in this case I don't care. I wanted blue rib tape and some colour for this design, and I'm flying it for fun, not for historical accuracy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted August 28, 2012 elephant, after first hesitation I have considered your details about Jasta 37 markings, and changed my skin. I first had attached the colours of Ostfriesland, my homeland - black, red and blue. But since you said the emblems were all in black + white, I now took the white stallion horse from the arms of Niedersachsen, the German Bundesland (state) in which Ostfriesland lies. The last mission was a great success. We escorted 5 Hannover Cl.II, and all of them returned with us. So did my wingmen also. And all that despite the fact, that we got attacked twice, by the best the British could throw at us! I managed to shoot down 2 Sopwith Camel with a white capital "Y" on their wings. On our way back we got engaged by some S.E.5a, and I damaged one, before my ammo went out. My wingmen worked like excellent clockwork. It was all precision. I felt really proud of my black bunch, when we continued without a single plane missing. My five wingmen and I, and behind us the 5 Hannover from FA(A) 256, Marckebeke. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 8, 2012 Jasta 22 had a busy day on 7 July, 1917. The French attacked ground targets everywhere around our base at Vivaise. SPADs went very low for strafing our truck columns; Nieuport 17bis attacked our neighbouring airfield at Chambry. More Nieuports tried to destroy a balloon nearby. A madhouse! But I sent down a Nieuport, and short after him, a SPAD from the "Storks"! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullethead 12 Posted September 20, 2012 "See Paris and die." My new squadron, N.153, just formed near Paris and will be there for a few more days forming up before moving to the front. Because we're too far behind the lines to do real missions on a Nupe's short legs (even though they order us to anyway), I'm just leaving formation and enjoying the sights of the City of Lights. BTW, you can REALLY load up on absinthe there :). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 20, 2012 Seems the 'Champs-Elysées' were much quieter back then - today the Arc de Triumphe is surrounded by an endless circle of cars. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullethead 12 Posted September 20, 2012 Well, the only sign of life I saw in the whole city was a train passing through, but it made enough noise to be heard over my own engine. I think the building with the green domes on the roof is the absinthe factory :). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
