Volunteers needed for DiD campaign.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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It would be my pleasure to serve as Commander for the Allies in this little soiree, provided there will be no issues with me being gone for a day or two from time to time. My work schedule has me on the road a couple of days a week on average, but I should be around nearly every Sunday coming up for a while.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

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[Baldric 42]

Sounds great Olham, thank you!

 

 

FA(A)250------> 17 hours/5 confirmed claims-------->Jagdstaffel 6

 

 

 

As to names, I wouldn't worry about incorporating forum nicks into a name as Siggi has the Campaign KB set to include your forum nick beside your ingame name anyway, and any posts people make about their pilots will have the forum nick attached. I'll go re-make Rolf Meyer as a Leutnant (thats one of the wifes ancestral family names-- originally Untreimeyer[sp] which got changed to Meyer on arrival in Canada just after WWI, alongside Schultz and Holt relations from my fathers family).

 

 

[Siggi 10]

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It would be my pleasure to serve as Commander for the Allies in this little soiree, provided there will be no issues with me being gone for a day or two from time to time. My work schedule has me on the road a couple of days a week on average, but I should be around nearly every Sunday coming up for a while.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

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Pip pip and jolly good egg SAH!

[Blue781 0]

Sound great.. Think ill give it a try, although im not quite sure how long my pilot will be lasting though.. ;)

 

and of course i will be flying for the dark side...

 

Cheers

[Ras 0]

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Names, assignments, plane allotments?

 

We best steel ourselves lads, it is only too obvious the dastardly Hun are preparing for a massive offensive come the 5th of November. We Allies are going to want to give back more than we get, which means every man jack of you better be prepared! I expect each of us to get in extra gunnery practice as well as formation flying, and take-offs and landings. So help me if I see anyone nose his kite over trying to aloft or alight I’ll kill ‘em myself, provided the wreck hasn’t already done us the favour! No time for slackers or daydreamers. Keep your wits about you every second you are in the cockpit, and work that neck swivel of yours as if your bloody life depends on it, because it does! There’ll be plenty of time for back pats and chest puffing when we’re all safe and sound back at camp, and we can drink to each other’s good fortune and brag all about ourselves then. But when we’re flying our minds best be in our work. Remember, this is for King and Country, and for the sweethearts and mothers back home.

 

Rule Britannia! Up the Kaiser's!

 

HIP HIP, HURRAH!

 

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Does this mean we have to limit our "indulgence of a little cognac" before a flight to ward of the effects of the castor oil, Cap'n? Rest assured we'll look just like this group.

 

[Olham 164]

Hauptmann Mahlow,

FA(A) 250, Wasquehal 26. Oktober 1916

 

An alle Offiziere

 

Intelligence reports of a British Strutter squadron, where the newcoming pilots want to

become good fighter pilots and aces just like we do. And that they want to have a kind

of competition going between usand them. They have now got a new commander, who

called them to their duties in a - well, let me say, in a gutter snipe manner, with all the

vocabulary used in such environements. They didn't even stop from insulting his majesty,

the Kaiser himself!

Well, we are gentlemen, and want to behave like such. We shall not answer them with

bad words and behaviour, right? But I don't mind at all, if you shoot them down as soon

as you see them anywhere in your range.

Furthermore the intelligence report said, they are doing starts and landing training.

On craft like theirs, that seems to be necessary. We have better things to do.

 

I want you all to do some fighting training in your DFW. Treat them, as if they where an

Albatros. Learn to fly in the best way for your rear gunner to fire at them.

When they are below right, bank right to open the gunner's range. When they come from

behind and low, turn, or climb, to expose them to your gunner.

And follow your attacker's moves in mind. Learn to feel, where he will go - and be there

already. Once they pass your craft or attack from your front, try to hit them with your own

forward gun. And always fly as the pilot, never the gunner. You must do the intelligent

flying. The man in the back is the better gunner.

 

As you're not so agile, you will have to learn good long range and deflection shooting.

Learn to feel, where your tracers go - and then use that feeling! Fire at the point, where

the opponent will be, when the bullets arrive. Let them fly into your bursts, destroy them!

 

gezeichnet: J. Mahlow, Staffelführer

[Olham 164]

Oh, welcome on the "dark side", Blue! We need every good man!

[Blue781 0]

Oh, welcome on the "dark side", Blue! We need every good man!

 

glad to do my part... fuur zeee kaiserr

 

 

Blue781

[Hasse Wind 46]

Leutnant Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Roeder reporting for duty, Herr Staffelführer!

 

 

(I don't mind doing some of those English landing & take-off practice manoeuvres though - I'm not that familiar with the DFW yet!)

 

 

 

[Blue781 0]

'Stubling through the door of the briefing room'... Yawn... Leutnant Wilhelm Von Konigstein Reporting in as ordered

[Baldric 42]

"Leutnant Rolf Meyer reporting for duty, mein Staffelfuhrer"

 

[77Scout 3]

Ready to go. I am very excited to start this campaign...makes your pilots life seem that more real and important to protect.

 

I will start doing some prep...making good paper maps of the area around Wasquehal and maybe flying a few training flights in the DFW (a machine I am unfamiliar with so far).

 

I will do my best to get through and do the required recon and bombing of enemy targets when assigned. No shirking here. Can't trust those Brit flyers to do the same...they will probably just do sightseeing flights to Paris to get their 17 hours (77Scout ducks and runs for cover ).

[Siggi 10]

Ready to go. I am very excited to start this campaign...makes your pilots life seem that more real and important to protect.

 

I will start doing some prep...making good paper maps of the area around Wasquehal and maybe flying a few training flights in the DFW (a machine I am unfamiliar with so far).

 

I will do my best to get through and do the required recon and bombing of enemy targets when assigned. No shirking here. Can't trust those Brit flyers to do the same...they will probably just do sightseeing flights to Paris to get their 17 hours (77Scout ducks and runs for cover ).

 

Oi, we heard that! You bloody Bosche wallah!

[Baldric 42]

Ready to go. I am very excited to start this campaign...makes your pilots life seem that more real and important to protect.

 

I will start doing some prep...making good paper maps of the area around Wasquehal and maybe flying a few training flights in the DFW (a machine I am unfamiliar with so far).

 

I will do my best to get through and do the required recon and bombing of enemy targets when assigned. No shirking here. Can't trust those Brit flyers to do the same...they will probably just do sightseeing flights to Paris to get their 17 hours (77Scout ducks and runs for cover ).

 

 

That gives me a cunning idea...tea time practice over the Ardennes, a trip to the Alps, home to Schliersee...its all coming to fruit m'Lord...yes..Plan 17... "The Grand Imperial Turnip-Sausage Plan"

[Olham 164]

Hahaha, Scout, you DO envy them for Paris being on their side, eyh?

Wouldn't we fly there too, if we had it on ours?

 

Baldric, thanks for bringing up the "Imperial Turnip & Sausage" Plan, which,

I believe was developed directly by his majesty, der Kaiser, himself!

(Now, if you could perhaps draw me an inofficial copy of yours - I think that

I accidently misused mine on the latrine. This must remain a well kept secret

between you and me, okay?)

 

"And now for something completely different!" (please imagine me doing an

impersonation of John Cleese, with his funny way of speaking):

"I have shot a first Nieuport down 15 minutes ago, and I must say, it was great fun!

That DFW is a wonderful bomber! My men turned a whole railyard to ashes with their

well droppedaimed bombs, while mine - ah - went somewhere else, to be honest -

maybe the latrine.

But I couldn't bear to be without any contribution, and strafed the railyard with my

forward MG - and I - ah - destroyed to crates (big boxes!).

After landing, I let my men go to town, and that's why I won't get this claim confirmed

ever. I couldn't remember their names and wrote "Wing1, Wing2" and so on.

Oh, and, the Nieuport 11 I have claimed, was in fact a Nieuport 16, as the review of

the mission showed. Damn, I was soooo close!

 

But seriously now: it is pretty difficult to identify other aircraft in Full DiD.

I admit that I have marked the railyard via TAC for my wingmen - does anyone know,

if they would have also attacked it without a target marker?

 

Here are pics from our coming skin. I only made the wooden tone darker redbrown.

And I tested the colour bands on the sides. Which do you prefer - the black/orange

or the torquoise/white band?

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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To all Officers and Pilots of 3 Wing, RNAS:

 

Well, well, it seems we’ve raised the hackles of a few of the Kaiser’s best across the mud at a Fritzie two-seater squad not far from us. According to several private communiqués intercepted earlier today it would appear they are preparing to have a go at us. Seems they didn’t take too kindly to my previous comments about their own dear Willie and now they feel retribution is in order. Jolly good, I say! Let them do their best and we’ll return it to them in spades, (shirking indeed). The British Empire bends a knee to no one, and most certainly not to that mustachioed prince of Prussia, even if he is a grandson to our own dear Queen Victoria, God rest her soul.

 

Now then, standing orders until November 5 will be…PRACTICE! As I stated before: practice gunnery; practice all aspects of flying, take-offs, and landings; and practice your aerial fighting tactics. Remember that your Strutters are in no way inferior to the Boche scouts you’ll come up against, especially if you work together with your wingmen. And don’t get too cocky if you happen across enemy two-seaters as they are more of a threat than the enemy scouts in our sector. Try to maintain good situational awareness and don’t get fixated on any one target. Keep your altitude and work the enemy lower, and do NOT follow him down no matter how juicy a target he presents. It is likely a trap and if you fall for it you will end up the one low in the fight with Hun scouts buzzing above you like a swarm of angry bees. Fly and fight smart, complete your missions if at all possible, and do your utmost to get yourselves back home. Strategic retreat is the best option if the only other option is to remain in the fight and die. A well-timed withdrawal is a much better use of the King’s property than chasing glory and losing not only your life but the Crown’s aeroplane to boot.

 

Alrighty lads, final order to post for the time being. I expect each and every one of you to be in the Officer’s Mess at 6 bells of the Dogs every evening, (unless you are out on patrol), at which time I will buy the first round and we will drink a toast to Number 3 Wing! Which brings me to one more bit of business. What say you all that we stick with this Wing right on through after our B/R stint? We’ll be getting the Pups and the Camels as things progress, and they are both fine machines. Here’s to Tommy Sopwith and all his wonderful works of art!

 

Respectfully,

 

Capt. W.L. Elder

#3 Wing

Royal Naval Air Service

 

 

 

 

 

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[Olham 164]

Don't know why I had no claim form for the ground hit?

[Olham 164]

Hauptmann Mahlow

FA (Artillerie) 250,

Wasquehal, den 26. Oktober 1916

 

An alle Offiziere!

 

Our intelligence was able to provide us with copies of the orders, our opponents where

given by their Squadron leader (see above).

I want you to read them. The British are military experts, and you will learn about their

strategic thinking and tactics, and some of it is the same for us. So read them, please.

 

Weitermachen!

 

J. Mahlow

Hptm. Mahlow, Staffelführer

[Baldric 42]

Either colour strip is fine for me, Olham. The orangey yellow is a bit turnip-like

[Olham 164]

Hauptmann J. Mahlow

FA(A) 250

Wasquehal, den 26. Oktober 1916

 

An alle neuen Piloten!

 

This is the most important information for each and every new pilot in the Staffel:

the Dicta Boelcke.

I want you all to copy it for yourself, read it, learn it like a poem, until it is part of

your thinking, and even part of your unconcious. It may save your life.

 

DICTA BOELCKE

 

1.Try to secure the upper hand before attacking. If possible, keep the sun behind you.

 

2.Always continue with an attack you have begun.

 

3.Only fire at close range, and then only when the opponent is properly in your sights.

 

4.You should always try to keep your eye on your opponent, and never let yourself be deceived by ruses.

 

5.In any type of attack, it is essential to assail your opponent from behind.

 

6.If your opponent dives on you, do not try to get around his attack, but fly to meet it.

 

7.When over the enemy's lines, never forget your own line of retreat.

 

8.Tip for Squadrons: In principle, it is better to attack in groups of four or six.

Avoid two aircraft attacking the same opponent.

 

[ Here you find more detailed instructions to each point: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicta_Boelcke ]

 

Our opponent's aces have also made rules - here are the rules by Edward Mannock:

1. Pilots must dive to attack with zest, and must hold their fire until they get within one hundred yards (90 m) of their target.
2. Achieve surprise by approaching from the East. (From the German side of the front.)
3. Utilise the sun's glare and clouds to achieve surprise.
4. Pilots must keep physically fit by exercise and the moderate use of stimulants.
5. Pilots must sight their guns and practise as much as possible as targets are normally fleeting.
6. Pilots must practise spotting machines in the air and recognising them at long range, and every aeroplane is to be treated as an enemy until it is certain it is not.
7. Pilots must learn where the enemy's blind spots are.
8. Scouts must be attacked from above and two-seaters from beneath their tails.
9. Pilots must practise quick turns, as this manoeuvre is more used than any other in a fight.
10. Pilot must practise judging distances in the air as these are very deceptive.
11. Decoys must be guarded against — a single enemy is often a decoy — therefore the air above should be searched before attacking.
12. If the day is sunny, machines should be turned with as little bank as possible, otherwise the sun glistening on the wings will give away their presence at a long range.
13. Pilots must keep turning in a dog fight and never fly straight except when firing.
14. Pilots must never, under any circumstances, dive away from an enemy, as he gives his opponent a non-deflection shot — bullets are faster than aeroplanes.
15. Pilots must keep their eye on their watches during patrols, and on the direction and strength of the wind.

It is a most important part of strategy, to understand how your opponent is thinking.

So please copy these too. And read them, until you know them by heart.

[Hasse Wind 46]

But seriously now: it is pretty difficult to identify other aircraft in Full DiD.

I admit that I have marked the railyard via TAC for my wingmen - does anyone know,

if they would have also attacked it without a target marker?

 

That's the whole beauty of flying DiD - it puts you as close to the real situation as possible. The first thing I did when I got OFF was to turn off the labels - it completely kills the immersion for me to see those flying blocks of text up in the sky! Without labels, you really have to get close and take full advantage of the flak bursts to spot enemy aircraft, you won't recognize them miles away.

 

I'm not an expert bomber, but what experience I have tells me you have to order your wingmen manually to attack the target if you want to see any results. And unfortunately you can't give the orders without TAC. But most of the time you can fly without it.

 

Here are pics from our coming skin. I only made the wooden tone darker redbrown.

And I tested the colour bands on the sides. Which do you prefer - the black/orange

or the torquoise/white band?

 

The black/orange is better. It symbolizes the powerful Imperial German turnip industry much better than turquoise. Who needs gay Paris with its debauchery and bad wine and music when we have all the turnips we can eat, and then some?

 

Edit: Forgot to say the skin looks great!

Edited October 26, 2009 by Hasse Wind

[Olham 164]

Baldric and Hasse Wind - one could think, you are doing surreptitious advertising here for turnips.

Are you running a turnip farm or a company for canned turnips?

 

Hasse Wind: Who needs gay Paris with its debauchery and bad wine and music...

 

Well-lll - it's not so much the music, not the gay, and not even the wine, that would attract me there.

[Hasse Wind 46]

Baldric and Hasse Wind - one could think, you are doing surreptitious advertising here for turnips.

 

When the war is over and we have won, the whole of Europe shall know the taste of turnips! Buahahahaa!

 

(As you probably know well, the turnip joke comes from Black Adder and the great character of Baldric.)

[Siggi 10]

I think it might be a good idea for Olham and RAF Louvert to maintain seperate non-flying personas for the purposes of command (have seperate ones for your flying pilots), to safeguard the RPG continuity?

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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I was wondering about that very thing myself Siggi. It would serve to keep fixed leadership figures throughout a campaign that is likely to see a lot of personnel changes.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

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