My first SUCCESSFUL scramble mission!

[Winston DoRight 3]

After 48 hours of flight time and 2 resurections (one for mysteriously coming out of pause while I answered the door, and the other for an equally mysterious explosion right after coming out of warp) I finally completed a scramble mission without getting shot down or forced down.

 

My strategy this time was to get my crate (Alb DVa) off the ground quickly and climb at 1000 fpm until I reached 2,000 ft altitude. I then turned around, ordered my wingmen to attack and then closed the distance to the nearest Camel. It seems thay had a hard time shooting my flight on the ground, they all hadn't taken off yet, so two of them survived and gained enought altitude for a dogfight. They seemed to ignore me maybe thinking the taxiing Albs were easier targets.

 

 

We got all 5 Camels, my 3 kills were fast and furious. I would get a few hits on whichever Camel I could then evade the ones trying to get behind me. A few more hits on another then break off to evade again and survive. Soon I began to see the messages at the top of the screen that I had gotten a kill. Then another. Soon it was 1 on 1, my 2 remaining wingmen and me and the last 3 Camels. I got mine and this time watched him crash into the trees below. I then helped out my wingies a bit, but they actually got their kills this time. Must have been rookie Camel drivers?

 

Looking forward to the next scramble to see if this was luck or if this tactic will work again? I think I'll go out for a pint now.

[Olham 164]

You sure deserved the pint, Winston

But yes - sometimes it goes like easy meat, and another, it's sheer hell, and ended short and hard.

Your tactics were good, as they worked, but be prepared, that in another scramble, they MAY care

for you earlier - or even regard you as THE primary target.

 

So, in addition to this tactics, a supreme rule is: never feel too sure to know, how it can be won.

Have fun!

Olham

[Hasse Wind 46]

Wow, that's quite an achievement! 3 Camels in one mission.

 

I'm not very fond of scramble missions, especially when the attackers are using such deadly planes as Sopwith Camels. Trying to fight them effectively is quite difficult at low altitudes, Fokker Dr.I is probably the best plane to use against a Camel in that kind of situation. Haven't really concentrated in Albs yet except testing them in QC, but I know from experience that Pfalz D.IIIa's vs. Sopwith Camels in a scramble mission = plenty of shot down Germans...

[zoomzoom 2]

Scrambles are my favorite missions. The key for me is to stay really low, just above the tent/hangar tops. Keep an eye skyward so nobody dives directly on you on the first attack, if they do, jink or quickly turn under them to prevent them having a direct shot at you. Once they are on the deck with you its simple. Keep turning and flying as low as possible and repeatedly drag them over your fields machine gun nests. Simply circling the perimiter or even in the vicinity of the hangars will do this nicely. Its ok if they are tailing you, just keep as low as you can and stay ahead of them. The ground fire will eventually down them, or, damage them sobadly you can then turn and finish them of one by one. I usually get 3-5 kills on scrambles as 120% realism.

 

ZZ.

 

PS. Winston, that is an impressive accomplishment on your Scramble mission....congrats. You really did pull off a feat there, because everytime I've ever tried to gain altitude while being bounced from above on a Scramble takeoff, we got badly mauled.

[Guest British_eh]

Interesting approach. I wait perhaps two minutes, and then do the same, fly away from the hornets nest, get some altitude, and then pick a fight away from the pack. It usually works, although if you're vastly outnumbered, it may be safer to get lots of height and wait for the odd one to pursue you. Great dogfight, where you using Labels or Tac?

 

Cheers,

 

British_eh

[Winston DoRight 3]

............where you using Labels or Tac?

 

TAC yes, labels sometimes (I'm amazed at how many times I shoot down some of the same Aces).

 

Last night I had another scramble but didn't fare too well on this one. This time swooping down on us while we were trying to get our engines started were 2 flights with 5 Camels in each. I lasted less than a minute this time. One of them flamed my engine or fuel tank when I was hardly off the ground. Previously their 5 against our 4 was a fair fight, but this time 10 of them against 4 of us and well.... it just wasn't destined to last long.

 

I barely got my flaming kite back on the ground, hitting a tree in the crash-landing, but I lived and no hospital this time!

[Bullethead 12]

I NEVER do scramble missions. Taking off while your airfield is being strafed was tried by a few fools in real life, and they pretty much all died horribly before leaving the ground. What most folks did was sit in dugouts until the enemy was leaving, then perhaps go after them. Or not.

 

A real scramble mission was taking off under no threat against inbound enemies many miles away who were reported by whatever early warning system you had at the time. Plenty of time to get altitude before the fight. If that's what scramble missions were, I'd have no problem with them.

[catch 81]

I love 'em. As soon as you hit the airfield get that engine on and move it ! Don't wait for your wingmen or the engine to warm up or postulate the futility of war. Just get on with it ! I've always been able to, at the very least, get my crate into the air (albeit if not by much at times lol) before the tracer starts flying. And once in the air, if you're smart and not hugely outnumbered, the chances of survival are very good.

 

I agree if you're targeted on the ground you're deadmeat baby. So avoid it.

[Siggi 10]

I've had only one scramble mission, and that was in my current career (German). I had half a mind to jump straight out and 'run for the dugout', but curiosity got the better of me. I'm glad it did, because after twenty-odd minutes of wondering what the hell was going on I found all the Tommies up at around 6000ft, in Strutters (?). I'm not sure they were even targetting my field, the review showed tents destroyed at a neighboring one as best I could make out.

 

As for my procedure (imagining a bunch of scouts making a beeline straight for me), I got about 20 feet off the deck and flew through the trees at full-throttle for about two klicks, before turning around in a climb (and thinking "eh?! Where are they then?").

[Creaghorn 10]

A real scramble mission was taking off under no threat against inbound enemies many miles away who were reported by whatever early warning system you had at the time. Plenty of time to get altitude before the fight. If that's what scramble missions were, I'd have no problem with them.

 

at least 50% of my scramble missions are against two seaters. i don't use tac, so i really have to look for specks like it was in real. so on a scramble whilst starting the engine i search the sky for enemy formations. i like both scramble types. against scouts, the mess, the ground troops shooting, flak, smoke trails and spinning out of control everywhere, looks like a hornets nest.

but even more against two seaters. i like the thrill of stalking them, count their numbers, waiting for one getting a bit seperated. I usually try to get higher then the formation, but out of shooting range. then dive on them, still out of shooting range and take the momentum and energy pulling up, filling their belly with lead.

by the way, i really love the hardcore dm. now it's really perfect for me. no planes made of styrofoam anymore, but still the amazing effects. thank you all devs for making everybody happy .

 

p.s. i take it as realistic as possible. so on a scramble when there is alarm, everybody is running out the mess, and dressing with their furs and coats, throwing their cigars away, there is no time to tell the mechanics, please empty my fuel tank to 20% to be more manouverable. you take your aircraft as it is.

[Siggi 10]

p.s. i take it as realistic as possible. so on a scramble when there is alarm, everybody is running out the mess, and dressing with their furs and coats, throwing their cigars away, there is no time to tell the mechanics, please empty my fuel tank to 20% to be more manouverable. you take your aircraft as it is.

 

But it could be a plane that's not been re-fuelled since returning from it's last flight. Roll a die for that.

[Creaghorn 10]

But it could be a plane that's not been re-fuelled since returning from it's last flight. Roll a die for that.

 

great idea, but if you roll a die for fuel, you should also roll a die for ammunition. depending if and how much you used on your mission before.

when i had to crashland or my aircraft is riddled too much with bullets, i usually skip one or two sorties, depending if it was a dawn patrol or how much time is between the next mission. so your idea is also great. adds immersion.

[Siggi 10]

great idea, but if you roll a die for fuel, you should also roll a die for ammunition. depending if and how much you used on your mission before.

when i had to crashland or my aircraft is riddled too much with bullets, i usually skip one or two sorties, depending if it was a dawn patrol or how much time is between the next mission. so your idea is also great. adds immersion.

 

I should think in that case that if you'd been in combat earlier you should roll a die to determine if your plane has been serviced at all. If you get a "No" (low fuel, low ammo) you should run for the dugout. If you get a "Yes", go with full tank.

 

If you've not been in combat earlier just roll for the fuel.

[Creaghorn 10]

great idea siggi,

i've got another question. does anybody know if one can get leave? i didn't live long enough to find out. what i did when starting as a two seater pilot or gunner, when deciding to switch to a fighter squadron, i pushed the date in the pilot dossier one or two month (pilot training in berlin). the same one can do when going to leave. but does it go automatically when being 6 month at the front? that would be cool.

[Olham 164]

MvR and his crew never did "scrambles" - they regarded it being suicide,

to roll over the field with an attacking Squad above them. Sounds familiar, eyh?

 

Has anyone tried the old trick: to wait, until everyone tangles, and then go up?

[Creaghorn 10]

MvR and his crew never did "scrambles" - they regarded it being suicide,

to roll over the field with an attacking Squad above them. Sounds familiar, eyh?

 

Has anyone tried the old trick: to wait, until everyone tangles, and then go up?

 

 

depends. scrambling nearby two seaters they did often. about scrambling scouts i don't know. but they often (especially jasta11) were sitting in flying clothes, drinking coffee and smoking cigars with ready machines and were waiting for a phonecall or any sign of inbound aircraft.

there is one story when MvR was sleeping in his bed, when there were enemy aircraft spotted near them. while he was sleeping, all other pilots already had breakfast and were ready. he jumped out of his bed, put his flying clothes on, whilst all others already went up scrambling the enemies. he was the last one who went up, chased one, shot him down and landed again and immediately went back to bed. the others went up first, and came back last, without shooting anybody down. they didn't even know he also went up. they only saw his red plane beeing not at the same position as before. they were a bit embarrassed because they started first, and landed last without scoring, and their leader went up last, came back first, already sleeping again when the others arrived.

[Bullethead 12]

MvR and his crew never did "scrambles" - they regarded it being suicide, to roll over the field with an attacking Squad above them. Sounds familiar, eyh?

 

It is suicide. Back in my MMOFS days, my favorite thing in the world was being over an enemy airbase filled with a bunch of idiots trying to take off. I'd get in a traffic pattern with my buddies and we'd just circle around taking turns strafing every fool who appeared on the runway. Their wheels would rarely last long enough to leave the ground. We'd each get half a dozen kills in what we called a vulchfest. But then some idiot bomber pilots on our side would come along and blast the airbase, spoiling our fun because then the enemy idiots could no longer take off :(.

 

In all my 15-year MMOFS career, I only got vulched 2 or 3 times. I had more sense than to try to fly from a capped field, having many times gleefully illustrated what happens to those who try. I'd fly from somewhere else, even if it meant spending 10 minutes getting to the action, even back in the long-ago days when played for $5/hour instead of a low monthly fee.

 

Has anyone tried the old trick: to wait, until everyone tangles, and then go up?

 

I've only played 1 scramble, when I 1st got OFF, before I knew what it entailed. I thought it meant go intercept something inbound some distance away. When the screen cleared and I found myself being a vulch victim, I thought, "You've GOT to be kidding!" But this was back when I played from the lowest rank didn't question orders, no matter how absurd, and I didn't even know how to END FLIGHT yet (hadn't had a need--always died), so I went with it.

 

Several tactical gambits flashed through my mind. Sitting on the ground didn't appear to be an option because I was taking hits while my motor was starting. And I was unable to sneak away for speed and altitude because a couple of badguys followed me down the runway. I soon found myself in a low, slow, lamed Albatross in a sky full of angry Nupes, so my flight was nasty, brutish, and short.

 

After that, I swore, NEVER AGAIN! Every time I go to the briefing room and see it's a scramble, I just back out of OFF completely, restart the game, and come back to find a different type of mission. I spent 15 years avoiding being vulched, and I ain't gonna change now :)

[Creaghorn 10]

glad to see you back, geschosskopf :-).

 

if you skip scramble missions, honestly, you miss something. usually, if there is an alarmstart, in real they would at least know if they are twoseaters or scouts before starting. the scramble missions with two seaters are great and very realistic. so i would suggest, because you do not know whats expecting you, right at the beginning, to use your radar to identify if scouts or not. if there are two seaters, go get them, if scouts, leave the mission. i like both scenarios, so i don't mind, but this should be the only time in any mission, where using radar is allowed for the purists.

[Olham 164]

For a phase of learning, I even went a bit further (shameless, the purist says):

 

I had TAC on, marked the first white spec (they are still white often, as they fall

down on you from some 12.000 feet - my plane always breaks up, when I try that!)

 

Then I pressed F4, until I got a view of the enemy plane. Now, with button for "next target",

I could switch through them all. Now, I knew plane type and number of enemies.

Nothing, I shouldn't have known (them AI pilots know I'm down there, too).

Helps a lot. Just for learning.

[Winston DoRight 3]

Sure, reality would dictate that there's no time to tell the mechanics to empty out fuel or add or remove ammo, so I just take whatever the fuel loadout was from my last mission and that's usually less than 100% anyway. My ammo is always 100%.

 

Now it seems my sucess rate is directly related to the number of enemy planes attacking at once. If the number isn't more than 7 or so (1 flight of 5 and another of 2) I can survive and even get a bunch of kills. Anything along the lines of a 2 to 1 advantage in the enemy favor and I'm not going to last long considering the skewed altitude and energy factors.