Question about Combat Reports

[BigAl56 0]

So, if I shoot something down, and then get to the screen to fill out a combat report, what do I do, if I can't remember my wingmen's names? Will it make a difference if I make up a name for the witness? Does anyone have any experience on this?

 

Thanks.

[Morris 2]

Dear BigAI56,

 

Yes, you do need to provide the correct names without RANK in the witness box.

I use to write down the names but you can copy the names of ur flight during the first page.

 

Steps (press windows button on keyboard)

 

 

• copy the names
• open notepad
• paste the names and put them in one line
• COPY the names again -without (wingman or any rank)
• Start the mission and kill enemy aircraft
• after a successful mission go to witness box and past the names.
• finished.

Enjoy

 

m

[BigAl56 0]

Thanks for the info. that one had me going crazy for a while.

 

Dear BigAI56,

 

Yes, you do need to provide the correct names without RANK in the witness box.

I use to write down the names but you can copy the names of ur flight during the first page.

 

Steps (press windows button on keyboard)

 

 

• copy the names
• open notepad
• paste the names and put them in one line
• COPY the names again -without (wingman or any rank)
• Start the mission and kill enemy aircraft
• after a successful mission go to witness box and past the names.
• finished.

Enjoy

 

m

[Creaghorn 10]

So, if I shoot something down, and then get to the screen to fill out a combat report, what do I do, if I can't remember my wingmen's names? Will it make a difference if I make up a name for the witness? Does anyone have any experience on this?

 

Thanks.

 

i, for my part, note the names of the flight into my cellphone like a sms. so the names are always there and i just add or remove the names if necessary. others write them down somewhere on paper.

usually, when shooting one down, i look around if some of my mates are with me. if so i activate labels for a second just to check who he is. i don't write down everybody of the flight into the claimform, only the ones near me. additionally i mention observers from nearby balloons or if over the trenches or an airfield i mention ground units.

if i'm over enemy lines and there is nobody of my mates near, than i simply note "none" as witness. the chance to get it confirmed is low, but it happened nonetheless to get it confirmed despite having no witness.

[Olham 164]

Welcome to OFF, BigAI56

 

Now, my first comment is nasty: a pilot, who doesn't even know his wingmen by name,

is either hopelessly green, or he doesn't care about others.

You should care for them, help them; try to bring them back alive - cause you need them.

 

I use a Chinese red/black note book for my different Jasta and Squadron carreers, and

note everyone there.

I have one vertical row with the ace names (they may also be witnesses sometimes),

and a second with "my" pilots; both with numbers before the names.

 

For the next sortie, I just write "Fl 1: 2, 3, 5" (flight one), and "Fl. 2: 1 - 4, 6, 9 (for example).

 

Please send me a PM with your town and country/state - I'll add you to the "OFF Forum Pilots

Maps" then. Stay aloft!

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Welcome to the OFF skies BigAl56. I use an "old school" approach very similar to Olham's for recording needed info. However you choose to do it, the more information you can collect and keep track of before heading out on your missions the better off you'll be when it comes time to fill out those combat and claims reports. Those brass hats are sticklers for details.

 

Now then, I'll have two fingers of Balvenie and a black-and-tan thank you very much.

 

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

.

[Dej 17]

A welcome to the OFF skies from me too, BigAl56. There are some as find the claim form filling a bind, and for such as these there is the option to turn it off in the Workshop. For others, such as meself and these good gentlemen who've stepped up ta offer ye advice so far, it enhances living in the character of your pilot.

 

But the style of a man's play is his own to find, so give it a go both ways and in-between.

 

Now, I'm normally a rare one for the drink meself, but if ye've a mind and the brass, a large Midleton if ye please. Sláinte mhaith!

[BigAl56 0]

Does anyone know, how long does it take for a claim to be confirmed or denied?

[Olham 164]

I think, between 5 - 10 sorties. Some seem to get totally lost - no confirms nor rejections - burocracy.

 

Important: never use semicolons in your report - those reports don't work.

Write your wingmen names with no ranks, like:

 

James Miller, Donald Ellis, Charles Beauford

Edited July 17, 2010 by Olham

[BigAl56 0]

A welcome to the OFF skies from me too, BigAl56. There are some as find the claim form filling a bind, and for such as these there is the option to turn it off in the Workshop. For others, such as meself and these good gentlemen who've stepped up ta offer ye advice so far, it enhances living in the character of your pilot.

 

But the style of a man's play is his own to find, so give it a go both ways and in-between.

 

Now, I'm normally a rare one for the drink meself, but if ye've a mind and the brass, a large Midleton if ye please. Sláinte mhaith!

 

I don't touch the really hard stuff anymore. But I am still a big fan of Woodpecker cider.....when I can find it.

[Hellshade 110]

Does anyone know, how long does it take for a claim to be confirmed or denied?

 

Usually about 2 days after you die.

 

Hellshade

[BigAl56 0]

Usually about 2 days after you die.

 

Hellshade

 

That figures.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

AAAAAAAA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAA, AAAAAAAAAA HA HA HA !!!

 

 

 

Truer words ne'r spoken, HS.

[Olham 164]

[BigAl56 0]

Fortunately, I didn't have to wait to die to get 5 of my 8 claims confirmed. But it did take a while. They even gave me a medal, the Iron Cross. Odd thing, didn't specify whether it was 1st or 2nd class, but it looks like the 2nd class version to me, hanging from a black and white ribbon. Now I've got another claim waiting to be confirmed, a balloon that I had at least 3 witnesses for. :) I guess we'll see how long that one takes.

[Olham 164]

Congratulations. BigAl ! It would be second class, cause you will get another IC,

before you get the "House of Hohenzollern", and then, with 20 confirms: the "Blue Max".

If you still live by then...

Take all the care you can. Claims will come enough. Give it time.

Early death ends it all.

[BigAl56 0]

Congratulations. BigAl ! It would be second class, cause you will get another IC,

before you get the "House of Hohenzollern", and then, with 20 confirms: the "Blue Max".

If you still live by then...

Take all the care you can. Claims will come enough. Give it time.

Early death ends it all.

 

Yup, been there, done that. What's the deal with the DiD campaign? Is this offline or online, and what are the requirements? I tried looking through the thread regarding it, too darn many pages for me to sift through for the tiny details.

[Olham 164]

It's offline; we fly either "Krauts" or "Crumpets" side - only one pilot at the time being.

Here is the link to the "Full DiD Campaign Killboard"; you'll find the rules there, and

when you click on the pics, you see the squadrons/Staffeln to enlist in.

 

http://quaero.unm.edu/~justin/off/did/

 

You fly, when you can - no "every day duty". But you must always fly on the same date back in WW1, that we have today.

So, if you started today, you would start on July 21st, 1917. If you can't fly for several days, you need to advance time for

your next sortie, until it correlates with the current date.

On both sides, you have to fly a two-seater, before you can transfer to the fighters.

 

German side, you begin in FA(A) 250, Menen, flying a two-seater - the D.F.W. C.V - for recon and bombing missions.

The man to help you there, is Hasse Wind, our long-time two-seater pilot, and a nice chap here on the forum.

You can change to the fighters after either 17 hours, or after getting 5 kills done.

The two-seater needs to be done only once. Should your pilot later fall, or become a POW, you are allowed to start

another one right with the fighters.

German fighter Staffel is Jasta 6. We are currently based at Bisseghem.

 

If you decide to join the German side, the current time-frame in the enlistment for FA(A) 250 is from 1. April - Novermber 17.

Now, before you have to click "advance time a hundred times, I can show you how to change the date.

For the Crumpet side, RAF_Louvert would be your commander - another good member here. So make your choice, when

ready, and give me or RAF_Louvert a sign, okay?

Edited July 21, 2010 by Olham

[BigAl56 0]

Ok, I found two links on the site someone needs to edit. They're the ones that say "Axis Fighter Squadron" and Axis Bomber Squadron" when the mouse is hovering over them.

 

Of course, there's a question about referring to the Krumpets as "Allied fighter/bomber squadron" Should be Entente, but I suppose we know that, just as we also likely know that Axis should be Central Powers instead.

[Olham 164]

You're right with every point, BigAl - Lothar, in case you read this: could you change those bits?

[BigAl56 0]

Congratulations. BigAl ! It would be second class, cause you will get another IC,

before you get the "House of Hohenzollern", and then, with 20 confirms: the "Blue Max".

If you still live by then...

Take all the care you can. Claims will come enough. Give it time.

Early death ends it all.

 

Well, so much for THAT campaign. Went on a Railyard raid, in the process had my tail shot up, crashed and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. Final tally, 9 confirmed, 3 pending. Oh well.

Edited July 25, 2010 by BigAl56

[Olham 164]

Regarded realisticly, 9 confirms are very good for a WW1 pilot. POW - not so good.

Not many German pilots got captured - mainly because they operated defensively

on their side of the line.

I don't think, that fighters had to fly much ground attack, and you must not do them;

you can always click "advance time" and get another mission; more historically

correct.

 

I rarely fly railyard attacks, and if I do, I do them mainly at the beginning of a carreer,

when there isn't so much to loose yet. Airfield attacks slightly more often, but I make

only one or two strafing passes and then return. And I only attack fields close to the

lines. If we should get Schlachtflieger, such missions would be their task.

 

Sometimes, by the way, the announcement is "You got captured, but escaped after

19 days". Then you're lucky and can take up your duties again.

[BigAl56 0]

Regarded realisticly, 9 confirms are very good for a WW1 pilot. POW - not so good.

Not many German pilots got captured - mainly because they operated defensively

on their side of the line.

I don't think, that fighters had to fly much ground attack, and you must not do them;

you can always click "advance time" and get another mission; more historically

correct.

 

I rarely fly railyard attacks, and if I do, I do them mainly at the beginning of a carreer,

when there isn't so much to loose yet. Airfield attacks slightly more often, but I make

only one or two strafing passes and then return. And I only attack fields close to the

lines. If we should get Schlachtflieger, such missions would be their task.

 

Sometimes, by the way, the announcement is "You got captured, but escaped after

19 days". Then you're lucky and can take up your duties again.

I hadn't considered that. Will have to in the future. It does seem to me, sometimes that flying as the German, specially in early war that we get too many flights that take us over the enemy side of the lines.

 

I'll remember that, next time I get a mission that takes me across the lines.

 

At least I survived the war.

Edited July 26, 2010 by BigAl56

[Olham 164]

Yes, and that's quite something with 9 victories. Much better than Lanoe Hawker's faith.

 

When I must cross the lines (for escort duties for example), I always make sure I know,

where my lines are, and the shortest way back. Also, I come in with some good altitude;

rarely below 9.000 feet. If fighters attack my recon flight, I remain at the level of the recon

craft; I defend them, but never chase after enemies, when they try to lure me down.

When my craft is hit, I break off, or climb and advise my wingmen from above the fight.

 

I used to try to save everybody. When my wingmen dived with the Nupes, I followed to

fight them out. I sometimes succeeded, but often enough, I fell or got captured.

I can't do that anymore (it's hard to overcome that helping reflex in our nature) - if my

wingmen don't follow my orders, they have to fight it out themselves.

I am trying very hard to fly it, as if it could cost my REAL LIFE - like Creaghorn does it.

It may look more egotistic, but your life comes first - to be able to fight another day.

[BigAl56 0]

Yes, and that's quite something with 9 victories. Much better than Lanoe Hawker's faith.

 

When I must cross the lines (for escort duties for example), I always make sure I know,

where my lines are, and the shortest way back. Also, I come in with some good altitude;

rarely below 9.000 feet. If fighters attack my recon flight, I remain at the level of the recon

craft; I defend them, but never chase after enemies, when they try to lure me down.

When my craft is hit, I break off, or climb and advise my wingmen from above the fight.

 

I used to try to save everybody. When my wingmen dived with the Nupes, I followed to

fight them out. I sometimes succeeded, but often enough, I fell or got captured.

I can't do that anymore (it's hard to overcome that helping reflex in our nature) - if my

wingmen don't follow my orders, they have to fight it out themselves.

I am trying very hard to fly it, as if it could cost my REAL LIFE - like Creaghorn does it.

It may look more egotistic, but your life comes first - to be able to fight another day.

 

I usually try to fly as though my REAL life depended on it, at least, once I get the hang of things. :)

 

I thought about the DiD campaign, decided against it, as I have so much going on now, I'd likely forget to submit a report or something, or I'd end up skipping several days, due to my other interests. However, I did start a campaign following the general rules of DiD, in FFA(A) 250. Either someone screwed up on the flight characteristics of the DFW, or I'm a real wonder on the stick. Went on a bombing mission, bombed the target....I think. (Bombs hit an air raid siren and a hangar) Then got engaged in a dogfight with several Nieuport 17s. I ended up putting in a claim for 2 of them. It's gonna be interesting to see what happens next.