Last Blast of the Summer

[CaptSopwith 23]

To go out with a bang.

 

Hi gents. Well the summer has blown by me faster than ever before. Between spending time with the girlfriend and readying myself for grad school (oy the loans! Is there a student discount available for those future add on packs? ) I'm nearly out of time. In a few months I'll be buried up to my eyeballs in work, all while going to school in the middle of nowhere. So before the fun ends and I'm back dealing with papers and reading assignments, can the experienced OFF'ers here give this old RB3D hand some great campaign suggestions. Which squadrons, which planes, and which dates? I want to go out with a bang - lots of combat, lots of stress, and hopefully a good challenge.

 

Thanks in advance. I'm sure I'll be posting here frequently once the fall comes and I need some MA History stress relief. Cheers!

[Hasse Wind 46]

If you like flying for France, Escadrille 3 (the famous Storks) is always a good choice for somebody wanting to see plenty of action with good wingmen. I've had the most fun with them in the latter half of 1916 when they rule the skies with the Nieuport 17.

[Olham 164]

Hi, Capt.Sopwith

My best DiD pilot is flying an Albatros DIII from Wasquehal, with Jasta 28w, since May 1917,

and I have encountered and shot down the aces Arthur Rhys-Davies, Raymond Collishaw,

William Mel Alexander, Earle Hayne, Alfred William 'Nick' Carter, J S T 'Joe Fall, Richard Pearman

Minifie, Roderic 'S' Bregeut Dallas, Cyril Burfield Ridley, Samuel M 'Kinky' Kinkead, Anthony Allen

George Spence, and (????) Fullard. They flew Pups, Triplanes and Nieuport 17 Lewis.

No "Foncking" - it's true and all in one campaign. The only problem: you'd have to fly German side.

 

If you want to fly Allied side, I would choose the area Arras-Douai, and a Triplane, May 1917 or

later. Perhaps you make it to the Camel?

 

I wish you as much fun as possible - all that book work sounds horrible - and stay aloft!

Olham

 

PS: Hasse Wind: in the latter half of 1916 when they rule the skies with the Nieuport 17. Who ruled the skies in later 1916?

Not in my area with my Jasta 2 pilot flying an Albatros DII - we usually shredder those butterflies!

Edited July 1, 2009 by Olham

[Vasco 3]

Try any German squadron driving Albatrosses at the beginning of Bloody April- and crank the settings in workshop up to give maximum air activity.

 

If you're lucky you may not run out of ammo during the missions! :yes:

[OvS 8]

Try any German squadron driving Albatrosses at the beginning of Bloody April- and crank the settings in workshop up to give maximum air activity.

 

If you're lucky you may not run out of ammo during the missions! :yes:

 

Jasta 1, mid-1918... will put you in the Northern Flanders area flanked by Jasta 2, Seafrosta II, and quite a few tangles with RFC22 56 and 40.

 

I lasted a few weeks, but got sniped by an SE5a from 22 that snuck up behind me at close range. I was too busy giving his sqaudie the business... and never saw the wingman behind me. Great tactics by the AI!

 

OvS

[shredward 12]

22 Sqn RAF - an SE cunningly disguised as a Biff lol. Those puke-green/poo-brown Krumpet krates all look the same

[Hasse Wind 46]

PS: Hasse Wind: in the latter half of 1916 when they rule the skies with the Nieuport 17. Who ruled the skies in later 1916?

Not in my area with my Jasta 2 pilot flying an Albatros DII - we usually shredder those butterflies!

 

Hah! I have a pilot in the elite MFJ I in December 1916, flying the Alb D.II. I admit I've shot down a few Nupes too. MFJ I is based at Mariekerke and we always have to fly in the terrible North Sea weather. But the scenery is beautiful, and all those dogfights going on over the coast.

 

Cpt. Sopwith, the year 1918 is great for any country if you want to see plenty of action, but the real challenge in those days is to fly in a German Jasta and go up against overwhelming odds.

[Olham 164]

Hey, never tried any MFJ or SEEFROSTA - over the coast you say - should feel like home.

But then I remember the wheather in Ostfriesland. As you say: mostly nasty.

Perhaps I try them, but in May - should be nicer.

[CaptSopwith 23]

Thanks for the great suggestions gents! I went ahead and set up a campaign pilot for each squadron you plugged. And so far, the results have been deathly!

 

My Jasta 28w pilot, flying in Bloody April, met a rather grisly end on his very first mission, after downing three Sopwith triplanes no less.

 

I was flying a combat air patrol behind friendly lines when we encountered several large flights of British aircraft (I'm still getting used to the notion that I shoot at the roundels, not the crosses!). Three flights - one appearing to be an escort mission with some RE8's, and two other formations flying nearby providing additional cover to the escorts - were filling the skies around our patrol area. Being the flight leader, I decided to take out one of the cover flights, rather than risk being bounced by two escort flights at once if we went for the bombers.

 

The flight attacked beautifully and broke up the formation of British planes in a hurry (do we call them Krumpets on this side? Oh yes, I suppose we do!). I was using the normal DM at the time (I've since installed Hardcore to ramp up the difficulty). It didn't take much to down the first tripe; one good burst was all I needed to send him spiraling out of control. The second tripe ended in much the same way; going into the vertical, stalling slightly, and falling right into my sights.

 

Target number three became a problem. After peppering him several times, I found he was still air worthy and trying to fight. I followed him into a climb, which I had done several times already with great success. As he climbed, his plane yawed to the left and I hosed him with my twin spandaus (It's nice having two guns for a change!). That broke him; fire spewing out, canvas and wood showering everywhere. I tried to kick left rudder to break away but as I did, I stalled and as my Albatros DII hung in mid air, the Triplane rolled and fell right into me, killing us both and bringing an abrupt and embarrassing end to a promising career.

 

So on to the next!...

Edited July 2, 2009 by _CaptSopwith

[OvS 8]

My Jasta 28w pilot, flying in Bloody April, met a rather grisly end on his very first mission, after downing three Sopwith triplanes no less.

 

WOW! You got three? I have yet to get one of those damn things. It's the only plane I want to run from no matter what Alb I am in. I hate them!

 

OvS

[Olham 164]

Jasta 28w, Wasquehal, 7. April 1917

Oberleutnant Werner Mahlo

Stellv. Kommandeur

 

An alle Offiziere

 

Zu meinem tiefen Bedauern muß ich Ihnen mitteilen, daß unser neuer Kamerad,

Leutnant Tunkmit, heute im Luftkampf gefallen ist.

Er hatte bereits zwei englische Spowith Dreidecker abgeschossen, als er mit dem

dritten englischen Flugzeug kollidierte. Der darauffolgende Absturz endete tödlich.

Wir haben eine unerschrockenen Kämpfer verloren, der sicher noch so manchen

Abschuss erzielt hätte - wir alle bedauern seinen Verlust zutiefst.

 

Hochachtungsvoll

Lt. W. Mahlo

 

Hey, Capt.Sopwith

Perhaps it was enough to make you fly with two Spandaus more often? The Albatros

is not the best German fighter craft, though it was very good at the introduction of

both DII and DIII. Please try the early DIII - a pleasure; and better view even.

If you want an extremely deadly turn fighter, pick the Dr.1 next time. And the perfect

overall killer craft is the DVII.

 

BTW: I translated the name Sopwith directly; to sop = eintunken; so you became

Lt. Tunkwith (Captain would have been 'Hauptmann', but you where new there).

Enjoy your fights and stay aloft!

Olham

[Olham 164]

OvS, join us in Jasta 28w - we need every good pilot. Best join us in May,

when we have the brandnew DIII for you - fun and Tripes guaranteed!

[CaptSopwith 23]

WOW! You got three? I have yet to get one of those damn things. It's the only plane I want to run from no matter what Alb I am in. I hate them!

 

OvS

 

Well... two and a half is more like it. The third was only really downed after being rammed by my plane and sending us both down in a tangled, broken heap.

 

I tell ya, those lead shooting skills from my RB days really help pay the bills. And they're killer in Call of Duty 4 (people still can't figure out how I can lead and kill a target across a map with a G3+red dog sight lol).

 

Ahh Red Baron II, was there anything you couldn't do?

[CaptSopwith 23]

Son of a...

 

Well, my Jasta 28w pilots just don't seem long for this world. I fired up a second pilot in the same unit and time as his short-lived predecessor and didn't have much luck.

 

We took off on our first patrol, the weather was pretty bad; heavy overcast and gray. We circled the field and climbed to altitude, ready to start a combat air patrol behind friendly lines. We finally started heading out towards our first waypoint when I noticed three dots about 2,000 feet over us. With the amount of flak heading towards the formation, I had a hunch they weren't friendly and decided to climb and investigate. In a few moments I realized I had a flight of 3 British Fe2b's heading towards our home field. Rather than risk them bombing our own aerodrome, I decided to chase after.

 

Ten minutes of tedious and careful climbing and coaxing to get my Alb DII to altitude with the Fe's I closed in to attack. Finally I clamped down on the trigger and blasted the first plane right out of the sky. I'm not sure how, as I just installed the hardcore DM (I'm guessing it's not as hardcore as the DM in P2 was... I've been flying normal this entire time). I put all of the rounds into the engine and gas tank and sent him down with less than fifty rounds fired. Plane number two went in much the same manner; kick rudder right, fire, and down goes my second victim, also on fire.

 

And once more, plane number three proved to be my undoing. Closing range I opened up on him, filling him with at least a hundred-fifty rounds. Only this Fe didn't want to go down. I kept firing and noticed he had suddenly slowed and I was closing on him with alarming speed. I shoved the stick forward as the Fe - originally a few feet over me, started rushing earthward. I think you can see how this is going to end. The Fe slammed into my scout, killing me, destorying the Fe, and sending us both to earth in a broken, bloody, mangled mess.

 

I sat at my desk and face palmed for the second time in two days...

 

There was a time, a lifetime ago, when I used to be really good at this. My German pilots, though, just seem to be a tad klutzy.

[Olham 164]

Perhaps you are just much more a turn fighter. Try Jasta 6 then, Lieu-St.-Amand, when they get the

Dr.1 (or a bit later, when you prefer good wheather).

The Dr.1 is the hell of a turnfighter. But it is an instable craft - that means, it reacts immediately to

any stick moves - gotta be learnt a bit. But then you don't have to fear anyone.

In that crate, 4 Camels versus you and 1 wing, or 6 S.E.5a versus you and 1 wing, is EQUAL.

 

Good late Albatros DVa and DVa 200: Jasta 9, Vauxcerre, July 1918 - nice landscape, good wheather,

and almost only SPAD XIII - you should be able to smoke them like cigarettes.

 

Stay aloft, and blue skies! Olham

Edited July 3, 2009 by Olham