Pilot Survival

[jwrich 0]

Pilot Survival During the Great War

 

 

I have been flying OFF for about 6 months and have enjoyed every minute.  I have read a lot about WW I history and the airplanes of the Great War.  Many articles talked about the low survival time for the pilots on both sides.  I decided to see how many men from my home town would be lost flying in the Great War. 

 

        I began with Britain in Dec 24, 1916, flying the Sopwith Pup, then Germany in Dec 24, 1916, flying the Albatros D-1.  As the pilot was killed or captured, I enlisted a new pilot on or about that date.  This continued until the end of the war.  The pilot would be in the same Squadrons or Jasta’s, as airplanes improved some were more difficult than others, Sopwith Camel and the Fokker Dr-1, both produces a higher death rate.  In each case new pilot enlisted into different Sq. and Jasta for more stable aircraft.

 

 

 

        Here are the results:

 

 

                                                                          Britain

 

                                                                        Pilots 28

 

Killed                Captured                confirmed kills                Claims                Missions

  17                           9                                    63                                136                      136

 

 

Metals Awarded

8 DFC total, of which 1pilot received 3 DFC’s, and another Pilot received 2 DFC’s.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                      Germany

Pilots  46

 

Killed                Captured                confirmed kills                Claims                Missions

  26                         20                                    32                                 149                   182

 

 

Metals Awarded

1 Iron Cross

 

 

 

This is very sobering. Most of these young men were 18 to 22 years old.  So young for so much responsibly and the horrors of death and destruction. 

 

 

Rich

[Olham 164]

The losses especially on the British side were terribly high, due to much shorter training time.

The French suffered less losses, and the Germans the least, as far as I know.

But yes, the toll of blood, youth and intelligence was a terrible waste.

And yes, regarded from that angle, it can be sobering to try to fly through the whole war in OFF.

I never managed to survive even only one year so far.

 

So flying OFF for me is a deep bow in the face of the deeds and the bravery of these young pilots.

[nbryant 8]

Excellent information Rich. I have actually just started a similar venture as I wanted to track the length of service of my pilots as well as their accumulative records. So far, much like you, they don't last long even with me being being of the mindset that I can run and fight another day. Much like Olham though I find myself engaged in a melee and spending time trying to save my flight to see if I can get them home which usually costs me.

[Bullethead 12]

...I find myself engaged in a melee and spending time trying to save my flight to see if I can get them home which usually costs me.

 

Never, never, never get tangled up in a melee. That's what you have cannonfodder wingmen for :). Stay on the periphery blindsiding fixated enemies :). Just don't collide with them. That's what gets me more than anything else, with a close second being landing accidents when I'm too drunk :D

[nbryant 8]

I agree, but sometimes I find myself compelled to provide aid when I see one of my poor bastards being peppered by an EA. Still, I must remember my objective............. survive!

[Olham 164]

nbryant: ...sometimes I find myself compelled to provide aid when I see one of my poor bastards being peppered by an EA.

 

Yes, I have that, too. It works better to only do the RIGHT things for YOURSELF first of all - but it may leave you behind with nausea, when you're back safely.

 

Fighting OFF AI is not yet perfect. From what I've read, fighter groups clashed and when they were quite equally strong,

they had a short tango together, but then they assembled agin under the cover of some higher flying comrades, and

turned back home.

In OFF, this breaking up of the fights is not yet simulated - they fight 'till their or your bitter end.

So you can only decide: help your wingmen out and die much earlier,

or follow the Dicta Boelke and do the right things for yourself firstly - but maybe feeling queasy very often.

Creaghorn had once told his method to bring back wingmen AND have a rather short fight:

he attacks only if he is in a perfect position. When his opponent goes down, or the attack failed, he flies away.

When he can get away from the fight far enough to make "Warp" work for him, he uses it very shortly.

That way, all surviving wingmen are back with him, and he leaves "Warp" again and flies back.

A clever solution - I tried it and it worked.

Edited September 28, 2010 by Olham