Night Flying WW1

[Flyby PC 23]

I know there were night missions flown, but does anybody have ideas about what type of missions these were?

 

 

I'm very curious to know whether night time over the trenches is being re-vamped, something along the lines of MAW. Their flaregun facility made the MAW night missions spectacular, and it got me wondering what the trenches would actually look like at night with the flares and star shells etc.

 

It's not specifically a P4 request, but the flaregun in MAW was just a simple little thing you could build in to a mission as a facility, with a line in the effects file but the effect on the night time ambience over the targer was pure genius. Less convincing perhaps was the altitude the flares reached, but I wondered if anybody had ideas about what the pyrotechnics over the trenches and no-mans land might have looked like in WW1.

 

It's been a long time since I opened up an XML file, but I might have a little tinker with my flareguns in MAW, but wondered whether anybody might know the height flares and star shells might reach, and what type of ordinance they would burn?

[Olham 164]

Not sure wether it was Arthur Gould Lee or Cecil Lewis - one of them described how they had

to fly at dusk. When they wanted to return to base, it was meanwhile totally dark, and they had

to find it first. The ground crew would light cans filled with petroleum or something like that,

when they heard engine sound.

They also had strong lamps, which were shining in a direction opposite from the front lines

over the runway; and also only switched on, when an aircraft approached.

The author once made a landing guided by a light - of a motorbike on a country road!

 

If you never read "No Parachute!" or "Sagittarius rising" - do it! Both books are absolutely great!

Edited April 20, 2012 by Olham

[carrick58 23]

I always wondered How they found their target. For example, Fly East 10 mins then N.E for 6 mins drop bombs then west for by NW for 16 min and they should be over the field ? ( or drop flairs in the target area till they found it ? ( matches)

[nbryant 8]

I always wondered How they found their target. For example, Fly East 10 mins then N.E for 6 mins drop bombs then west for by NW for 16 min and they should be over the field ? ( or drop flairs in the target area till they found it ? ( matches)

 

 

They didn't have XM and GPS?

 

[Olham 164]

In nights with moonlight, you can see a lot from the air - your eyes get used to it, and the moonlight

is often really bright, when there are not too many clouds.

Especially rivers and other water surfaces reflect a lot of light and are helpful for navigating.

[shredward 12]

Most bombing, both tactical and strategic, took place at night from the latter half of '17 on. By 1918, there were night fighter units on both sides.

Cheers,

shredward

[Olham 164]

I couldn't find a real aerial night view, so I faked one from a picture of Dumbarton Castle.

But you get the idea - moonlight has different tone and quality - but it is still light.

 

 

[Shiloh 12]

Just a theory but I'd guess our night vision today is noticeably worse due to the fact that there are so few areas where there isn't almost constant artificial light. During WWI, people likely had much better night vision due to the lack of man-made lights. If any of you have ever camped in the woods for a few days at a time it's amazing how well your eyes will adjust to darkness and become better able to distinguish shapes, objects, etc.

 

Here is an example of how OFF interprets night-flying which is very believable due to the half-moon and the light it casts. I did brighten this up in Photoshop a bit so it actually appeared a little darker.

 

Edited April 20, 2012 by Shiloh

[Flyby PC 23]

I was thinking the illuminations might be nothing to do with the flight itself, but flares over no-mans land spotting for infantry patrols and raids etc.

Edited April 21, 2012 by Flyby PC

[Shiloh 12]

My curiosity got the best of me on this subject and I had to see what fighting might be like at night Over Flanders Fields. It was very difficult at times to pick out the enemy craft and a few times I latched onto one of my own flight before identifying them. It was terrifying at times as you really do lose sight of the enemy but with the partial moon, I was able to see enough to stay active in the fight. Anyhow the action picks up around the 2:00 mark in case you want to give it a look. Enjoy!

 

Edited April 22, 2012 by Shiloh

[rjw 48]

My curiosity got the best of me on this subject and I had to see what fighting might be like at night Over Flanders Fields. It was very difficult at times to pick out the enemy craft and a few times I latched onto one of my own flight before identifying them. It was terrifying at times as you really do lose sight of the enemy but with the partial moon, I was able to see enough to stay active in the fight. Anyhow the action picks up around the 2:00 mark in case you want to give it a look. Enjoy!

 

 

Nice piece of flying Shiloh! It looks hard to track your opponent when he passes into the dark background clouds!

[Shiloh 12]

Thanks rjw! At times I could only see the slightest movement that provided a hint an enemy craft was there. I was completely on edge though with heightened-senses just knowing they could sneak up behind me in the darkness at any moment.

[redpiano 6]

I read at some point that some planes also carried search lights during night missions, this may have only been bombers and two seaters though.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Night flying presented it's own set of problems for WWI pilots, not the least of which was the temporary blindness that resulted from the muzzle flashes of your own MGs when you touched them off. This led to specialized kites such as the Camel with top wing mounted Lewis guns in place of the standard cowl mounted Vickers.

 

 

 

 

I have flown a fair number of night missions in OFF and highly recommend it to everyone here. Gives a whole new perspective to this wonderful sim and the WWI aerial combat experience.

 

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[Shootist 0]

Check this one out http://www.patrickwilson.com/annals/book.html

[carrick58 23]

Nice find

[Flyby PC 23]

WW2 Hurricanes had similar issues with their own exhausts. They had shields fitted to the fuselage so the pilot's night vision wasn't compromised.

[Flyby PC 23]

This thread chimes with other one about the flares. When flying at night, I'd love to see signs of activity on the ground consistent with Very flares and star shell illuminating raiding parties in no-mans land etc.

It's difficult to gauge from written recollections how prevalent these night time pyrotechnics were, but the effect in OFF P3 or (P4 hint hint), scenery would be mind blowing. I don't think it's hard to do, but reckon it'll be hard to get the ambience just right.

Edited April 28, 2012 by Flyby PC

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Flyby, I agree completely. It would be very exciting to see the star shells and such after dark, as well as the occasional small arms fire and lights in and along the trenches. Perhaps in OFF2, eh?

 

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