started a new Fokker E.III career

[Waldemar Kurtz 1]

so I started this pilot, Harald Beyer, with FA.62 flying Fokkers in June of 1915.

 

our first mission is an arty-spot with 7 machines. I figured this should be a milk run.

 

I usually use warp because time is something I don't have a lot of-- but the game wouldn't let me do it. when I put on the TAC display the sky was literally full of machines. there had to have been at least three large clusters of aircraft in the air at any given time. I was surprised. we're talking June of 1915! it's like I could have thrown a dart in the air randomly and hit a British plane!

 

in less than 15 minutes we got attacked by four Bristol Scouts. we started shooting them down because we outnumbered them. just when it looked like we had them all mopped up ANOTHER four Bristol scouts dive in and attack us. then, after a mix of anti-aircraft fire and dogfighting drives them away. I find a Bristol on my tail. my wingmen all promptly abandon me. I can't shake this guy. so I decide to keep putting my crate into tight right-hand turns. eventually I see a balloon about a mile away and fly towards it. this last Bristol finally gets turned into shrapnel after a direct hit.

 

so I start climbing towards the lines and see a solitary Fokker chasing three BE2c and decide... this is the first time I've seen a friendly in ages, so I better stick with him. this guy chases those BE2c forever and does absolutely nothing. I got frustrated. I close up and send one of the BE2 down in flames. then I shot down another one that was forced to land. then damaged the other with all of my remaining ammo. I'm out of ammo. so I figure, time to get out of there. I hit the warp button hoping it would send me back to our assigned recon point because I'd still like to complete the mission objective. but, no, my wingman (it turns out he was one of my wingmen because EVERY time I warped it would put me back next to this guy). so, I figure, I'm stuck, let's just fly back home in real time. and THEN we bump into a flight of 4 Bristol Scouts escorting 4 BE2c. of course the scouts jump on us. I dive away as fast as I can and two guys go after me. the other two go after my wingman. I spend a 10 minute escape scraping over tree tops and flying right through a massive artillery barrage at 200 ft off the ground before those bums gave up. then, I warp... silly me, because I had hopes that after 60 minutes of the sky raining angry British aircraft that I could be done!

 

no such luck. it warped me right back with my wingman, 12 miles behind enemy lines and in the middle of an enemy formation. by this time I'd been playing a long time. I'd already done a bunch of music writing at the computer and my eyes were getting tired. I just said "screw it! I'm going quit right here... in the air, over enemy lines"

 

and it said I got capture-- fine. but then it said I escaped. apparently my pilot escaped in a short period of time. because as of June 3rd, 1915 I was able to rejoin my squadron. I put in a claim for 4 Bristol Scouts and 2 BE2s and we'll just have to wait and see if they got confirmed or not.

 

I really, really wanted a milk run mission-- I haven't put a lot of hours in on OFF since before the holidays.

 

I don't play Dead is Dead rules. even if I fly invisible cockpit with nearly all of the graphics set on their lowest possible setting I'm still getting frame rates as low as 8-12 fps in combat during campaign play (especially on this mission). I can't afford to upgrade this machine so it'll have to do. my only rule is that if the pilot dies he's as good as dead. and I keep all of the highest difficulty settings on. besides which, having the flak on it's deadliest settings makes it easier for me to spot enemy machines.

 

whew! I hope the next mission is easier. I'm glad I made it out alive.

[Morris 2]

Dear Waldemar Kurtz,

 

It sounds like the beginning of a dream campaign.

 

m

 

[Rickitycrate 10]

Sounds like a lot of fun. Have you selected "always lead" in the Workshop?

[Waldemar Kurtz 1]

Sounds like a lot of fun. Have you selected "always lead" in the Workshop?

 

 

not yet. but it sounds like I should!

 

thanks for the advice.

[Waldemar Kurtz 1]

finally resumed this Fokker career. it was a non-stop roller coaster of violence and death. it also lasted a mere 6 days!

 

I met at least four or five machines on every mission. by the time I died I had ended up with 19 enemy machines shot down. (the last were made just prior to my Fokker being blown apart by a direct hit from some sort of artillery shell. I just heard a loud crunching noise and my Fokker nosed down with no response to the flight controls. I cut the engine and tried pulling up, but it was useless. it slowed me down to a mere 55 mph, but when you're at 2000 ft, and heading straight into a forest-- the odds are against you surviving!

 

which is funny because my flight members nearly killed me twice! I was about ready to finish off an advesary when I suddenly felt bullets striking my plane. I began losing fuel and the plane was responding poorly. I dove away and saw two Fokkers hammering my previous victim while I had to ditch my plane! the second time it happened in much the same way, but I was able to dive away without too much damage and make it home safely.

 

by the time I died 11 claims had been confirmed while 5 had been rejected for lack of evidence (these were scored WAAY behind enemy lines near Chocques and at Armentierres, so that only made sense) there were still 3 claims pending confirmation when the pilot died. I also made 2 "posthumous" claims which were naturally rejected.

 

surprisingly, I found that it was pretty easy to shoot down enemy machines. of course, I've already spent hours in both the BE2c and the Bristol Scout so I know exactly what their weak points are. 18 claims in 6 sorties is pretty spectacular for June of 1915. I also managed to help several of my wingman to score a couple of victories as well. I'd fly straight and level to lure a Bristol on my tail. then go into a high right-hand yo-yo. then level out at a lower altitude. the Bristol would then turn on my tail, and I'd go into a slight climb and "lean" to the right. this would force him to slow down and stay on my left side to make any sort of attack. he'd bled off considerable speed by this point, so it was child's play for my wingman to get on his tail and send him down in flames. three of my wingmen scored 2 victories in 6 days with this technique. it's not something I'd try with any other British machine-- but with the Bristol they can sit right on your tail at 50 ft and as long as they're directly behind you there's nothing they can do! Nieuports are a whole different kettle of fish, though!

 

he was decorated with the Iron Cross 1rst and 2nd Class. although since my pilot died, I believe they don't show up on his flight-log in the pilots menu.

 

I suppose it's terribly unhistorical, but many of the kills were gained from high-deflection gunnery from above or below my adversaries. deflection shots are your friend!

 

the advice of always leading the flight helped out tremendously! it improved the overall efficiency of my flight by something like 300 percent! so thanks.

[Olham 164]

Wow, Waldemar, 11 victories in the wing warper - that's quite an impressive success!

Makes me want to try it again.

I am mostly an "Albatros driver", but one day I want to try and follow Udet's footsteps

(not quite the right picture for a pilot).

 

Try and open his log another day. Sooner or later, the medals will appear again.

What will be your next craft?

[Waldemar Kurtz 1]

Wow, Waldemar, 11 victories in the wing warper - that's quite an impressive success!

Makes me want to try it again.

I am mostly an "Albatros driver", but one day I want to try and follow Udet's footsteps

(not quite the right picture for a pilot).

 

Try and open his log another day. Sooner or later, the medals will appear again.

What will be your next craft?

 

 

I figured since I got 11 victories I'd pick the Nieuport 11.