Bang goes another pilot

[Olham 164]

My best pilot Wolfram "Wolf" Mahlo just got captured.

We spotted a flight of 4 SPAD XIII deep below, attacking an army camp.

Easy prey, I thought, and led my flight downwards.

When we levelled with them, one SPAD was badly shot up by ground fire,

she fell like a stone. That should have been my warning!

Cause they were now heading home; the lines were already close. Fast as they are,

we found it hard to catch up with them. When I saw in the map, that we were above

the line, I turned round, to remain over our territory - only to get heavily shot at.

I checked the map, but was right - we had returned over our territory!

The shooting went on though, and I was so terribly hit (splinters flew around me),

that I had to introduce an emergency landing.

But they kept firing from all guns like mad.

"This is an Albatros, you mad b*****s, you stupid m***********s;

bunch of idiots!!!"

They really made it into a crash landing! Could I have walked, I would have run right

over there, to clobber them...! Jesus!!!

But now came the strange part. On exit, I was told, I was now captured and a POW

for the rest of the war!

After that, I have switched AA gunnery back to "normal" (better than "not normal!")

and have sworn myself: never shall I cross the front lines again below 2.500 feet.

Dammit! Mollusks!! Brainless like bread!!!

 

PS: Wish I could say: Look, another kill. But this SPAD was also killed by FLAK, short

before I could shoot it up. These AA men really are a pain in the a** today!

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Well that sucks Olham, and I can feel your pain a bit Sir. My DiD pilot Nels Albertson had to make an emergency landing on what he thought was his side of the lines, but such was not the case. I was informed that he had been taken prisioner as well. However, I was then told that after five months he escaped. So, I will re-activate him after an appropriate amount of RL time has elapsed.

 

So, who is Wolf Mahlo's replacement going to be Olham?

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Hasse Wind 46]

What an unfortunate end to your promising career! And just as you thought you had it all worked out... the fortunes of war!

 

AA is very dangerous, especially at low altitude. It seems those FlaK guys were a bit too excited that day. Maybe Wolfram can write a complaint to their CO through the Red Cross?

 

I must remember to try to land as far away from the front as possible if I'm ever in a similar situation. Best to stay away from the poor bloody infantry... The only really bad experience with AA fire I've had was the death of my most successful pilot due to a direct hit from a shell. It was an infuriating experience.

[Hellshade 110]

I feel your pain Olham. I lost one of my allied pilots to ground fire too. I swooped down on a very low flying Albatross to finish him off, and I did. Bad decision for me. He was the last life I took, besides my own. Too low over the front lines after he spun in, the ground fire erupted with staggering ferocity. If it had been night, I still would have been able to see clearly from all of the tracer fire directed at, and hitting, my plane. My SE5a filled up with lead faster than a circus dwarf fills up on beer. Down I went hard on the wrong side of the lines and that was the end.

 

Realistic AI gunfire is brutal. I even have video of me chasing after a Spad XIII (with my bosche pilot, of course) and as he flys low over the ground, tracer fire hits him near head on and his plane just explodes, stealing my kill! I tell you, someone needs to let those buggers down below know that they have their own war to fight and leave us fellows up in the sky alone. I'm with you though. I decided I'm not dropping below 1000 feet anywhere near the front. I'd rather lose the kill than my life.

 

Does anyone know what altitude machine gun fire actually kicks in at?

 

Hellshade

[Olham 164]

Louvert: So, who is Wolf Mahlo's replacement going to be Olham?

 

We repeat history, right? So I'm lucky - I can repeat Wolfram "Wolf" Mahlow (this time with a "W", as a difference).

 

Hasse Wind: Maybe Wolfram can write a complaint to their CO through the Red Cross?

 

Wellllll - the Red Cross, you say? I don't think, it was against the Geneve Convention, that enemy ground crew fired at me. Lol!!!

 

Hellshade: ...chasing after a Spad XIII (---) and as he flys low over the ground, tracer fire hits him near head on and his plane just explodes, stealing my kill!

 

Well, this is NOT a reason to complain, really. I mean, they took an enemy plane out. That's their goddamned job! (Lol!!!)

[Rick Rawlings 138]

Yeah, realistic ground fire seems anything but... more like Annie Oakley trench fire! I keep it at normal after forced landings on three ground strikes in a row with just one pass over the trenches! I also wondered if the AA that explodes around enemy flights over our territory could ever miss and hit me. Well, it can. I took a near hit from my own AA a few weeks ago and was lucky to bring it down in one piece! My grandfather told me that they had night-time curfews in WWII and no allied planes were allowed to fly over after dark. He said that one night he heard the easily recognizable whine of a mustang passing overhead and then, much to his dismay, the sound and fury of a whole series of AA batteries lighting him up, so, unfortunately, friendly fire happens even in the air!

 

RR

[Olham 164]

Yes, of course!

Yesterday, I followed an R.E.8, I had already damaged. It got separated from the rest,

but it was fast underway; could hardly get closer with my Dr.1. We came over a town,

and Flak really had a go after the two-seater. It was mad to follow it - I could have been

blown to pieces any second (but made it, and downed the poor blighters).

 

And for the machine gun ground fire: they could move those guns much faster than an

AA gun. So, when you're really low, and many keep firing art you, you will probably

collect some severe hits.