Another 'what is this' question...

[Hauksbee]

Flying out of Bertincourt, after clearing away a gaggle of Strutters, I did some 'tourist flying' and came across this place. A sharply pointed lake is probably a resevoir, and seems to have a long, straight canal leading to it. Anyone know where I am, and what this is?

Edited May 10, 2009 by Hauksbee

[Bullethead]

That's one of Gawd's teardrops over the whole wastefulness of the war.

[Jammer28]

It probably was randomly generated by the sim and does not exist in the real world. However, next time you can hit pause, hit Z to bring up your coordinates in the upper left hand corner, write them down, go into Google Earth, turn on view grid and have a look see.

[Hellshade]

It's the big "This way to the Bad Guys" sign for those pilots new to the war...

 

/salute

Hellshade

[Hauksbee]

However, next time you can hit pause, hit Z to bring up your coordinates in the upper left hand corner, write them down, go into Google Earth, turn on view grid and have a look see.

And how cool is that? Thanks. Can't wait to try it.

[+Olham]

Just wanted to fool you and say, it's the "Pool of Tears", the Germans at Bertincourt

cried about the quality of the French beer. But now that you look into Google maps...

[griphos]

Hey Hauk,

 

Seeing your post got me noticing I guess, but on my last mission, I flew near the following lake. It's not quite the perfect diamond, but it makes me think that this is the sort of auto-gen lake that the game throws up. This one is near Douai (that's the city you can see beyond it).

 

[Hauksbee]

...but on my last mission, I flew near the following lake...

 

That's the one! It even has the long straight canal leading up to it. I went down and took a closer look, There's a water texture on the canal. Farther down the line there are bridges across it, but where it joins [?] the lake, there's nothing. I expected a dam, or a hydroelectric station.

 

I've heard that the Germans experimented with mobile bodies of water in 1917 in order to re-deploy seaplane units from the coast. This might be one of them.

 

[re:the small arrow. It looks for all the world like your wingman is flying a Bleriot.]

[+Olham]

Here's the only waters near Douai today. Could be that Etang at the right.

[griphos]

That's because of the dinky little bottom wings on the N17! Hard to see, even from the cockpit!

 

I don't think it's the same lake as in your picture. When I viewed it from the same angle as you, it had a very different shape. Here's a shot more like yours:

 

 

Maybe it's the same?

 

I don't think it's the lake in your map, though, Olham. It was much further away. About half way to Cambrai if I remember correctly.

Edited May 11, 2009 by griphos

[Hauksbee]

I don't think it's the same lake as in your picture.

 

Yes, I think you're right. It's not quite the same shape even though they're both pointed at the end..

[Bullethead]

Farther down the line there are bridges across it, but where it joins [?] the lake, there's nothing. I expected a dam, or a hydroelectric station.

 

In artificial reservoirs, the widest point is almost always at the dam, so if the canal/creek comes in at the pointy end there shouldn't be anything there. Water flows downhill, so the ground is lower at the dam and thus when the reservoir fills, the incoming creek is further up the banks there than at the other end. Hydro plants would be at the dam, too, therefore also at the wide end.