Halberstadt DII shot two N11 down

[Olham 164]

Sorry, it was too tight to make pics - we had a fight with Nupe 11 from Esc.3 "Les Cigognes" (Storks).

22. August 1916

Five Halberstadt DII from Jasta 1, Bertincourt, engage five Nieuport 11 from Esc.3 - and shot them down!

I found the Halberstadt much more nimble than expected; it turned well with the Nupes, and I could

shoot two of them down!

Anyone else made such experiences?

[Mr. Lucky 0]

I usually fly for J17 near Verdun in Dec. 1916 and I usually get my hat handed to me by the N11's. Mostly a combination of bad weather making situational awareness difficult, being outnumbered and poor wingmen. One on one, I found I can hadle a N11 with the Halb DII.Right now I'm trying J17 in an EIII trying to survive to get the Halb.

[Olham 164]

I choose my Jastas/craft after the season - I hate the bad wheather from November - April,

and so I picked Jasta 1; they get the Halberstadt DII in August 1916.

 

The only time I'd fly an Albatros DII would be September 1916, with Jasta 2.

(If I lasted long enough, I would go through the winter season, of course).

 

Jasta 17 is one I haven't been flying with yet. Are they always at Verdun?

[Mr. Lucky 0]

They are in Verdun for a while then move to the Arras sector in late 1917 I think.

their pilots improve with time. I like to start when I can historically so I experience the good and the bad.

I must say WM's scenery in Alsace is awesome on a clear day. The valleys, rivers, hills, etc.

I would start earlier but there would be no activity, and there's little enough as it is in late 1916.

I also want to experience moving up through technology, because, like you, I love the albatross and can handle most anything in it.

[Olham 164]

If you have a good scenery and lighting, perhaps you can make some screenshots?

The Alsace is an area, I haven't really explored yet.

 

Good to know, you're still an Albatros pilot - we aren't many.

[Hasse Wind 46]

If you have a good scenery and lighting, perhaps you can make some screenshots?

The Alsace is an area, I haven't really explored yet.

 

Good to know, you're still an Albatros pilot - we aren't many.

 

Alsace is great for its different terrain - there are even mountains there and not just flat fields like in Flanders. There are a couple of decent Alb Jastas there, though the quality of the squadrons is generally bad compared to northern sectors. Same can be said of the French escadrilles. Most of the time life is more peaceful there, though in 1918 even Alsace can be busy (and deadly!).

 

I've started a new Halb career in Jasta 1 and am using your great Burgundy skin on my flight. I had a pilot in Jasta 2, but then I noticed they have the Halb only for a couple of weeks, while Jasta 1 has the D.II and D.III for several months. I've found the Halb to be quite the killer if given enough altitude against the Nupes. Visibility is not so great compared to the Albs, and the lack of firepower feels like I'm flying some silly Entente butterfly, but otherwise I've had a great time with the Halbs.

[Dutch_P47M 9]

Great plane this Halby, normaly in RB I always start in a Fokker or Pfalz eindecker (aug-1915 in RB3d) and after the Morane period trying to survive the N11-17 and DH2 waiting for the Halby, but in OFF3 it seems to be impossible for me to survive. So now I'm always trying to start a campaign direct in a Halby!!!

Edited September 18, 2009 by Dutch_P47M

[Bullethead 12]

Sorry, it was too tight to make pics

 

I had the same problem, never being able to get the good action pics, until I broke down and programmed 1 of my stick buttons to pause the game. I used the pinky button, which I usually use to look up, but now that I've got TIR it's been unused. Now I'm able to take pics during the most intense furballs.

 

Anyway, as to the Halberstadt's flying, I've found it to be quite a nice plane and have wondered why so many folks thought it a pig. One of my favorite things about it is that the rudder actually turns it, instead of just yawing it. Otherwise, it just flies nicely and has no vices. And being used to Fees and Pups, I don't find it underpowered. My main dislike is the extremely low dive speed, even when nearly vertical and with full power. It dives so slowly that you can bail out and beat it to the ground . This makes my usual tactic of diving steeply at balloons rather ineffective--even the balloon beats the Halberstadt to the ground. Fortunately in 1916, there's not that much flak to worry about, so you can get lower safely than you can later on.

[Olham 164]

I have a pause button at the stick, but still it was too intense, as I wasn't used to the Halberstadt enough,

and fighting Nupe 11s was very tough.

 

The rudder works great cause the Halberstadt has not tail fin, but only a turning rudder, like the Dr.1.

[Guest British_eh]

Hi there: I'll have to try the Halber, as it gets a good rating by Bullethead, except of course for the dive speed. Many aircraft, only had/have a dive speed ~ 15% higher than ther cruise speed. The Camel's dive speed is reputed to be ~ 130 mph, while the Dr.1, at 140 mph. Design, wieght, struts, wiring, and rotary engine cowling, all add to friction and reducing terminal speed, vs. the SE5 and the Spad, with the inline engine, and added weight.

 

Cheers,

 

British_eh

[Olham 164]

Well, you CAN dive in it - to me that is quite something, cause from my Albatros DIII and DV,

I'm not even used to do steep dives AT ALL. They would break up in mid air.

That fight against the Nupes showed me, that, flown right, she was a much better craft in her

time, than the Pfalz was in it's (later) time.

[Mr. Lucky 0]

If you have a good scenery and lighting, perhaps you can make some screenshots?

The Alsace is an area, I haven't really explored yet.

 

Good to know, you're still an Albatros pilot - we aren't many.

 

Herr Olham,

I have enclosed a photograph for your perusal. It was a crisp,clear autumn day (Oct. 1916) over my home field of Frescaty about 5 miles northwest of Metz. I apologize for the poor quality, but I'm sure you understand how difficult it is to operate a camera while trying to fly an EIII!. I even dropped a plate somewhere, I hope it didn't land in the commander's sauerbraten. I was forming up my flight for a balloon defense mission and the view is looking to the south.

 

On the very left you can see the Mosselle river valley trailing off towards Nancy. In the center running across the photo is the hollow where the road and railroad from Metz to Verdun is located. Also, the hills in front form a ridge that runs south between the Moselle valley and the broad Meuse valley to the west, where the north-south front lines are located. On the very right is the farm house on the hill that overlooks the northwest end of our field. The farmer's wife takes in laundry from the bordellos in Metz and on a clear day, you might catch a glimpse of some frilly underwear hanging on the line. I will try to get some better photos as the weather and time permit as this only scratches the beauty of the terrain down here. If you'd like, I can even mention to the commander that you might like to visit for a few days and fly a few missions. Unless that photo plate did land in his lunch, in which case, I'd better avoid him.

Your obedient servant

Flieger Johann Perrmann

 

 

I do have to say that the job WM has done on this scenery is phenomenal. I can't imagine a simulator being more realistic. It is almost exactly like the forest and farm fields I used to fly around in Ohio. I'm running with scenery and terrain set on 2 and the ground detail set on medium in workshop.

[Olham 164]

Thanks for the report, Flieger Perrmann!

An EIII in October 1916?!? Isn't that almost like suicide?

Jasta 17, eyh? I may come for a look for a week - but Eindeckers are not really my cup of tea.

When do you get the Halberstadt, or even the DII?

[Mr. Lucky 0]

You're quite welcome. Word has filtered down from idfleig that we are due to receive Halbs in late October. If I can hang on for the next 30 days or so, it should be exciting. I'm flying VERY conservatively and picking my battles carefully. Word also is spreading that we'll re-organize from our KEK to something new. I hope that means the other fliers get better. Right now, they fly like they've got cranial rectumitis. Fortunately, the frogs seem to be sleeping and have largely left us alone. We're the stepchildren of the air force down here in the Vosges, so I'm sure we'll get the new Albatross when everyone else is refitted.

[Olham 164]

Yes, in such areas or times you may be able to collect many hours of flying time.

Later, you can still become a hunter or a butcher.

If you should ever come into a beautiful scenery with great "mountain light",

please send a picture with your crates on to the screenshot section.

I love to see where and how everybody is flying.