Having Some Success

[CaptSopwith 26]

So it looks like my Summer Campaign is going well. A while back I asked the members here on the board to suggest some campaigns to fly before I start graduate studies this fall and lose all of my free time. Out of their suggestions, one pilot has survived over 8 hours! The others have all bitten the dust, but Wilhelm Reinhart (a name I usually have a lot of luck flying under) has survived in Jasta 4 for nearly the entire month of March 1917. Bloody April is just around the corner, and the Albatros DII fighter has been a very enjoyable experience - not to mention productive. Reinhart has downed 5 enemy aircraft (unconfirmed means unconfirmed!) and has been in some very exciting dogfights. I've neglected to post about it for a few reasons. First, I was having too much damn fun to write! Second, I started to think I would jinx myself if I talked about an OFF pilot actually living past his first mission! Here's Reinhart's log as of this evening's mission.

[Check Six 2]

CaptSopwith,

 

Good work!

 

I couldn't nelp noticing your claim was witnessed by a Leutnant. If you read the "Witness" line in your claim form before you write over it, it suggests "first name, last name, no rank".

 

Obviously, this did not affect your claim this time (perhaps because you only reocrded one witness), but later on, it may reject your claim because you listed their rank.

 

Just something to think about mate.

[Rickitycrate 10]

Yep, you may have done yourself in. Ya bragger. Good work. Report back.

[Duce Lewis 3]

Good Show Cappy!

And good luck with this pilot

 

One thing I noticed is that your flying hours seem low

8.1 hours in 23 missions averages about 21 min per mission

I average a little less than an hour per mission and I warp alot

A quick check of your log page shows an average of about 33 min per mission

17 hours is tough enough but not getting credit for time flown is criminal

Maybe an install issue?

[CaptSopwith 26]

Good Show Cappy!

And good luck with this pilot

 

One thing I noticed is that your flying hours seem low

8.1 hours in 23 missions averages about 21 min per mission

I average a little less than an hour per mission and I warp alot

A quick check of your log page shows an average of about 33 min per mission

17 hours is tough enough but not getting credit for time flown is criminal

Maybe an install issue?

 

I did some warping on Reinhart in the first few missions, and there are three missions which I aborted in under ten minutes (one was an aerodrome attack with bombers at 15,000 feet and us on the field, so I exited out) - so I think that's skewing the flight time. The rest of the missions have all been short hops near the lines, so I think that's keeping the hours a little low when compared to missions flown. Cheers!

[CaptSopwith 26]

CaptSopwith,

 

Good work!

 

I couldn't nelp noticing your claim was witnessed by a Leutnant. If you read the "Witness" line in your claim form before you write over it, it suggests "first name, last name, no rank".

 

Obviously, this did not affect your claim this time (perhaps because you only reocrded one witness), but later on, it may reject your claim because you listed their rank.

 

Just something to think about mate.

 

You know, I completely misread that in the campaign manager. Somehow I didn't see "no" in front of rank, so I've just been typing it in. I seem to have about a 50% acceptance rate. There was one mission where we pounced a flight of 4 N17's over our own lines and just utterly decimated them but received no credit. I can only assume that because the weather was so horrible and they were downed in the trenches that perhaps that contributed to it. I'll have to remember that in the future. Thanks mate!

[Olham 164]

Good work so far, CaptSopwith - maybe soon your name must be "HauptmAlbatros"?

Wait until you get the Albatros DIII - she will do even nicer in turning (only be careful with dives then).

The theater people say, you must wish something negative to prevent it from getting jinxed.

So I wish you wing- and tailbreak!

Please report, how it is going!

[CaptSopwith 26]

Well, that's what I get for posting about a relatively peaceful, smooth sailing career!

 

After finishing my morning coffee, I decided to take old Wilhelm up for a morning patrol and what do I get? A scramble where we are attacked by an entire squadron of Spad 7 fighters that literally shot every single wingman down! I've never been so tense at the controls of a simulator in my life!

 

After taking off and getting airborne as quickly as I could, I looked up and saw a swarm of tan Spads with British markings (Damn Krumpets!) diving on us at high speed. Worse yet, the bastards waited until we were just airborne, rather than risk strafing us on the field. As we're desperately trying to get some altitude, theses Spads come blasting through us, guns blazing, and immediately take down one wingman, sending his DII spinning into the trees at the end of our own runway! I did everything I could, downing three of them (and they had damn well better be confirmed, their flaming wreckage is literally on our runway!) After 11 minutes of the most harrowing flying I think I've ever done - spent circling, diving, climbing, kicking rudder left and right, evading, and constantly weaving to get yet another determined Spad off my tail all while taking pot shots at anything English that wandered into my Spandaus' sights - I was down to one gun and my plane had been shot up a few times. I was determined that I was not going to die within sight of my own damn barracks! I came in and landed sideways on our field, taxied up to the hangers, and bolted from my DII, running for cover, and for my life! Three of the Spads remained airborne after we gave them all we had, and our ground crews were busy firing away while the English menace continued to circle and strafe the field. I'd like to think old Wilhelm ran over to a machine gun emplacement and gave them some more wrath!

 

That's one hell of a way to start your morning. I've attached Reinhart's claim sheet. You should enjoy his write up on the second page - Wilhelm's tone is just slightly more agitated this morning compared to his usual accounts of combat in the air!

Edited July 30, 2009 by _CaptSopwith

[Olham 164]

Tch! - English bastards? They are only doing their side of the job, so don't call them bastards.

Crumpets, maybe. Yes, Crumpets sounds okay to me.

 

Wouldn't you say now, that our little Albatros DII is quite a "stabile" little lady? Which other

craft would have carried you on for so long, eyh?

Edited July 30, 2009 by Olham

[CaptSopwith 26]

You're right Olham, but it is pretty easy to get a little fired up and angry when you're being shot at by half a dozen enemy planes all while trying to take off!

 

So the second patrol of the day wasn't much better than the first! Reinhart and his trusted wingman, Max-Wilhelm Lammertz joined August Nitzsche on a patrol behind friendly lines when we attacked a flight of Sopwith Triplanes. I must admit, I'm surprised by how well the now aging Albatros DII fighters cope with the much more nimble Tripes. Unfortunately, while I was zipping around in the dogfight, I must have had a collision with someone as my right wing took some massive damage. Thankfully, with liberal use of the rudder, I was able to keep fighting for a few more minutes. Looking around for a friendly field to land at, I started to work my way out of the dogfight. One Tripe, however, noticed and wouldn't let me out of his grasp; firing away at me until my scout was well and truly shot up. Control wires damaged, nearly no elevator use, and a damaged engine left me to limp at ground level back to the nearest field I could find. Thankfully we were over our own lines, a definite advantage to flying as a German (as we usually patrol our lines and wait for the enemy to come to us). I sat down my scout, which was then written off in the debrief. I think this is the third plane now that Reinhart has lost to enemy fire!

 

A little tip, if you're being attacked and you can get low enough fast enough, try tree hopping. Weaving in and out of the trees seemed to deter the chasing tripe from completely shooting me down. Then again, it might have been more luck than strategy. What was it MvR said? If I survive this war, I will have had more luck than brains?

 

Reinhart lives to fight another day, though I'm beginning to question my choice of posting about his career - the war has become much more serious since my post last night!

 

PS: Here's a screenshot of Reinhart's shot up Albatros DII. That was quite the interesting landing!

Edited July 30, 2009 by _CaptSopwith

[Rickitycrate 10]

If I may suggest, when undertaking a scramble mission delay your take-off. The enemy will give up much of their altitude advantage and also disperse from their formation. Let them come down and seperate. I know it is hard to do but patience in this circumstance will payoff.

[zoomzoom 2]

If I may suggest, when undertaking a scramble mission delay your take-off. The enemy will give up much of their altitude advantage and also disperse from their formation. Let them come down and seperate. I know it is hard to do but patience in this circumstance will payoff.

 

 

An interesting point Rickety, and one which may bear some sort of patch and or upgrade in the future. This regarding your relative safety on the ground. This is really not particularly accurate, but I have experienced it as well, where once you land at home field, enemy Ac quit firing on you. Whereas if you were sitting in your AC during an airfield attack in reality, thats THE LAST PLACE you want to be, as the enemy AC should be strafing the hell out of the planes on the field, whether you are in them or not. The motto there should be take off early....or not at all....before they can get you under thier guns. Now this well may be due to the AA fire keeping them at bay....but it would be interesting, especially on scramble missionsor airfield attacks, to see enemy AC attempting to shoot up the AC on the field more, as they would have in real life. Also for them to come in low and fast as well(instead of always dropping in from on high), make a few passes..(historically correct) then leave as quickly...instead of just milling around there indefinately.

 

ZZ.

Edited July 30, 2009 by zoomzoom

[zoomzoom 2]

sorry....oops redundant post...hit the wrong button.

 

ZZ.

Edited July 30, 2009 by zoomzoom

[Olham 164]

CaptSopwith, as long as we destroy three or more enemy craft, we may write off one of ours for that.

Yes, the Albatros DII can cope even with Tripes; and wait till you get the DIII - from Wasquehal, I have

clobbered so many Tripes and Pups by now, I should have earned the "Blue Max".

[Barkhorn1x 14]

An interesting point Rickety, and one which may bear some sort of patch and or upgrade in the future. This regarding your relative safety on the ground. This is really not particularly accurate, but I have experienced it as well, where once you land at home field, enemy Ac quit firing on you. Whereas if you were sitting in your AC during an airfield attack in reality, thats THE LAST PLACE you want to be, as the enemy AC should be strafing the hell out of the planes on the field, whether you are in them or not. The motto there should be take off early....or not at all....before they can get you under thier guns. Now this well may be due to the AA fire keeping them at bay....but it would be interesting, especially on scramble missionsor airfield attacks, to see enemy AC attempting to shoot up the AC on the field more, as they would have in real life. Also for them to come in low and fast as well(instead of always dropping in from on high), make a few passes..(historically correct) then leave as quickly...instead of just milling around there indefinately.

 

ZZ.

 

Not so sure that your conclusions are as valid to WWI as they are for WWII. I can't really recall a very effective airfield straffing mission in the Great War. First of all they were not all that common (probably more common in BHAH than in real life). Secondly, twin rifle calibre weapons are just not that effective against ground targets - as opposed to, say, a battery of 8 .50 cal. high ROF guns on a P-47.

 

Finally, I don't see Rickitycrate's advice as being unrealistic (although it does go against a typical human nature response = SCRAMBLE) as it takes advantage of the natural disorganization of enemy a/c after the first sweep.

[Olham 164]

Yes, Rickity's advice works. When you are flight 2 and wait, flight 1 will start anyway.

So the fighters will come down on them, and very soon, all fighting will end almost at

treetop level. When you start now, they can't zoom at you so fast anymore.

But beware! Sometimes, some of the fighters will remain high up - have an eye on them!

[Duce Lewis 3]

The motto there should be take off early....or not at all....before they can get you under thier guns.

That's my motto too

HA don't tend to dive immediately

This allows a chance to made a high speed run away from the airfield, shallow climb angle

Unfortunately, the wingies don't get the concept even though I encourage them with the Rejoin Command

They lallygag and get bounced often

I always feel it's my duty to support the wingies

Usually have to turn 180 and race back the other way

Speed is the key

Only thing worse than getting caught low is to get caught low AND slow

[Revthought 0]

So it looks like my Summer Campaign is going well. A while back I asked the members here on the board to suggest some campaigns to fly before I start graduate studies this fall and lose all of my free time. Out of their suggestions, one pilot has survived over 8 hours! The others have all bitten the dust, but Wilhelm Reinhart (a name I usually have a lot of luck flying under) has survived in Jasta 4 for nearly the entire month of March 1917. Bloody April is just around the corner, and the Albatros DII fighter has been a very enjoyable experience - not to mention productive. Reinhart has downed 5 enemy aircraft (unconfirmed means unconfirmed!) and has been in some very exciting dogfights. I've neglected to post about it for a few reasons. First, I was having too much damn fun to write! Second, I started to think I would jinx myself if I talked about an OFF pilot actually living past his first mission! Here's Reinhart's log as of this evening's mission.

 

As a graduate student, I assure you... you won't lose that much free time. ;-)

[CaptSopwith 26]

As a graduate student, I assure you... you won't lose that much free time. ;-)

 

 

So what are you studying Revthought? I'll be working on an MA History degree for the next few years.

[Revthought 0]

 

So what are you studying Revthought? I'll be working on an MA History degree for the next few years.

 

I am a PhD student in Political Science at a University of California campus. I suppose I should edit what I said earlier, if you're like me--and you might not be pursuing an MA--and the school pays you to get your degree, you won't have any less free time.

 

If, however, you continue to work a real job in addition to school, you're free time might evaporate... just a little. :yes:

[zoomzoom 2]

In essence, I agree with you Bark. Small calibre ammo will have essentially little or no effect on buildings etc on an airfiled, and the tactics outlined with the way the game is currently configured surely will work. My statement is however, that if this is the case, why are fighter aircraft then sent on so many airfield attacks in the Sim. I'm not complaining mind you, just contemplating a further tweak towards historical accuracy. From what I have read, and for the reasons outlined above, it seems that when these airfield attacks occur, they should focus on attacking AC on the ground, because as we just outlined, shooting up buildings, unless they are full of ammunition, will have little or no effect. Historically in WWI it seems that airfield attacks by fighters were mostly focused on the AC on the ground to disable them, and were done in low and brief passes to hit and be gone before a defense could be mounted. (I am not confusing this with WWII). The only thing that would change this tactic would be the ability to mount small bombs on the fighters, as WAS occaisonally done in WWI, and this would make a more extended attack, and one that focused on hangars and sheds as well more feasible. I'm not saying its bad the way it is......just could be made better. A combination of all of these tactics would be really neat, including the ones already in place...as you'd never know what to expect.

 

ZZ.