Storm Over The Sahara

[+Geezer 3,569]

After a two year break, due to real world distractions, I have recently resumed work on a First Eagles 2 mod - Storm Over The Sahara. The setting is June-December 1940 in North Africa, when Italy declared war on Great Britain and invaded Egypt. At that time, Britain's back was against the wall in the Battle of Britain and had no resources to spare for North Africa. Plus, Italy's aircraft production program was a shambles. The result? Nearly all aerial combat during the first six months of the World War 2 in North Africa employed biplane fighters - monoplanes slowly dribbled into the theater and did not become numerically significant until 1941.

 

In addition to the widespread use of biplanes, there were other similarities to World War 1. Initially, aerial combat took place at the same low altitudes as over the Western Front, and use of radio was spotty - command and control was little different from 1917-1918. Some shots:

 

http://www.slickpic.com/album/ModShots#2392310

Edited October 28, 2012 by Geezer

[33LIMA 972]

Sounds interesting, too little is widely known of Operation Compass and an FE-based mod would be good to see. Gladiators are rather rotund but CR32s and 42s are neat biplanes.

 

The screenies don't display for me tho, all I'm seeing is 'attachment=[filename]'.

[+Geezer 3,569]

 

The screenies don't display for me tho, all I'm seeing is 'attachment=[filename]'.

 

I've been away for some time - I'm still trying to figure out the new system. BTW, are you the same 33Lima that was involved with the old Torch and Monty vs Rommel?. I'm the same Geezer.

[+Geezer 3,569]

Try this link:

 

http://geezer46.slickpic.com/a/ModShots?squared&ref

[FrankTB 14]

Wow that is real cool, have you posted pics on this elsewhere in the past?

[+Geezer 3,569]

Wow that is real cool, have you posted pics on this elsewhere in the past?

 

Yes - a couple of years ago I was fairly active here and at Third Wire forums, but then got busy with real world stuff. IIRC, quack74 contacted me about 18 months ago concerning some WW1 pilot figures I had made - my 3D models were not accessable at that time, but I may be able to find them now. I was able to find an old 3D model of a Morane-Saulnier Type BB - click on link above to view it.

[+whiteknight06604 934]

I remembet the BB very well. I will be looking forward to anything you release.

[+Geezer 3,569]

A few shots of 1940 desert models. The desert war did not really get serious until 1941 - the first six months of the war was fought with obsolete leftovers, operating on a shoestring budget.

 

[Panama Red 22]

These are very nice, hope you or somebody will be able to finish these models.

[+Geezer 3,569]

These are very nice, hope you or somebody will be able to finish these models.

Thanks. They've been sitting on my hard drives for a couple of years, so I'm determined to finish them - though it will take a while. Maybe that will generate enough interest for someone else to get involved?

[+LloydNB 212]

Fantastic work Geezer. I've already done a few skins for the East Africa campaign in SF1. Your models would suit that theatre nicely.

Edited October 30, 2012 by LloydNB

[Gustav 285]

Really nice job Geezer, I love those WW2 forgotten biplanes ; Fiat Cr.32 & CR.42, Hart, Gauntlet and more !

 

I'll follow this topic !

[gambit168 27]

Wow man they look the "mutz Nutz" ,would love to see a Lizzie with that level of detail to, that would be wicked, its a shame there is such great stuff sitting round on HD's for one reason or another , never seeing the light of day, The good thing is ,it dont take long to get back up to speed, & just like plastic modeling it can be very rewarding, "the more you put in the more you get out"

[33LIMA 972]

I've been away for some time - I'm still trying to figure out the new system. BTW, are you the same 33Lima that was involved with the old Torch and Monty vs Rommel?. I'm the same Geezer.

 

Yup Geezer that was me; RL stuff (plus finding out from 'South of Hill 112' that the AI couldn't cope with what the mission editor seemed to indicate was possible) sort-of ended my interest in good old Panzer Elite (tho I may get back into it soon, with PE-X/PE3 having added 'time of flight' at last).

 

Those pics display an impressive Orbat for both sides (tho being ex-PE, you surely MUST have a Matilda for this, somewhere?).

[+Geezer 3,569]

Those pics display an impressive Orbat for both sides (tho being ex-PE, you surely MUST have a Matilda for this, somewhere?).

Got one planned, along with an A.13 and M11/39. In the fullness of time.....

[+Geezer 3,569]

Now that I've figured out how to post shots on a thread (thanks Steven1918), I thought I'd add a few that depict the flavor of that "forgotten war." There were some monoplanes, but most of them were first generation with wooden/steel tube structures and fixed landing gear. Only a handful had all metal structures and retractable landing gear. The flavor (and the combat) was more like the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39.

[Hansa 12]

The ground models are great too, they will be an excellent addition

 

[+LloydNB 212]

Geezer

Are both turrets on the SM 81 retractable? If only the ventral turret is, have you linked to the gear up command?

 

With the SM 81, Ca 133, Ro 37bis, SM 79, CR 32 and the CR 42 we would have almost all the Italian aircraft in East Africa. I've just pulled out my copy of Chris Dunning's Courage Alone and got quite exited at the possibilities. Add a few early British aircraft to what we already have - the Vincent, Wellesley, Hartbeestes and a Ju 86 for the South Africans to fly - and we're almost there.

 

Ah, the Italians also used the giant SM 82 to deliver replacement fighters and the South Africans used the Vickers Valentia.

[+Geezer 3,569]

Geezer

Are both turrets on the SM 81 retractable? If only the ventral turret is, have you linked to the gear up command?

 

With the SM 81, Ca 133, Ro 37bis, SM 79, CR 32 and the CR 42 we would have almost all the Italian aircraft in East Africa. I've just pulled out my copy of Chris Dunning's Courage Alone and got quite exited at the possibilities. Add a few early British aircraft to what we already have - the Vincent, Wellesley, Hartbeestes and a Ju 86 for the South Africans to fly - and we're almost there.

 

Ah, the Italians also used the giant SM 82 to deliver replacement fighters and the South Africans used the Vickers Valentia.

The SM.81's dorsal turret was retractable, but I don't know about the ventral turret. My guess would be "probably."

 

I've also started the Bristol Bombay - I don't think it was used in East Africa, but it was used as a night bomber/transport in Libya. I've also gathered reference data for the Vickers Valencia, which was used as a night bomber/transport in both theaters. The SM.79 is nearly complete, but I have not given any thought to retractable landing gear in FE2 - maybe just have the gear snap up and down?

[+whiteknight06604 934]

I don't know if this is a help but if you add a "strike fighters" aircraft that has retractable gear to FE the gears work fine with the Auto pilot but there is no way to manualy raise or lower them that I have found.

[+LloydNB 212]

The Bristol Bombay flew with 216 Squadron in both East Africa and Iraq. I only have record of one sortie in East Africa - a bombing run on Zula on 4 August 1940 on the way back to Heliopolis (Cairo) from Aden.

[+Geezer 3,569]

I don't know if this is a help but if you add a "strike fighters" aircraft that has retractable gear to FE the gears work fine with the Auto pilot but there is no way to manualy raise or lower them that I have found.

Thanks for that input. It sounds like the SF code for retractable gear was not completely removed from FE? When I get around to "modern" aircraft - with retractable landing gear - I'll ask TK if it is possible to manually extend/retract landing gear in FE2.

[+Geezer 3,569]

The Bristol Bombay flew with 216 Squadron in both East Africa and Iraq. I only have record of one sortie in East Africa - a bombing run on Zula on 4 August 1940 on the way back to Heliopolis (Cairo) from Aden.

Heh - you have better reseach material than I do for East Africa. I'll keep that in mind as I transition to the early WW2 stuff.

[Panama Red 22]

Geezer:

Be very careful about asking TK to do anything with FE2. The reason is if you have seen what he has done to SF2 over these past couple of years (locking down files, micro-stutters, etc) it would be better that he just leave FE2 alone.

 

On top of that, TK has already said that FE/FE2 is not a money maker and thus does not plan to put any more time/money into the product.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Panama Red

[+Geezer 3,569]

Geezer:

Be very careful about asking TK to do anything with FE2. The reason is if you have seen what he has done to SF2 over these past couple of years (locking down files, micro-stutters, etc) it would be better that he just leave FE2 alone.

 

On top of that, TK has already said that FE/FE2 is not a money maker and thus does not plan to put any more time/money into the product.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. It wasn't high on my list of things to do - it just fell off the page!