BHAHII Missions and Campaigns

[CastelEtzwane 23]

My Aussie pilot participated in a pre-dawn airfield attack. Vision was good because of cloudless skies.

 

[CastelEtzwane 23]

From pilot's log: 'We took off in total darkness. Once inside enemy lines, we were bracketed by search lights. We located the AF but unfortunately my bombs hit nothing. Then I saw a line of 8+ Albatrosses taking off one by one, and latched onto one which had become airborne for about 10 seconds before. Hit him many times before he finally spiralled down and crashed near his airfield. Then I flew away, once again bracketed by a searchlight. Airfield ground fire was lackluster.'

[CastelEtzwane 23]

'My flight however, was by now nowhere in sight. So I flew back towards British territory. Flying west and after crossing over to inside our lines, I spotted a ragged line of 3 ac flying low, heading east at 600 ft intervals. I swung down to investigate and discovered that the ac I had swung in behind was a V-strutter. I pursued it for several minutes before catching and shooting it down. Later spotted lone Albatross stragglers four more times but was unable to close and engage.'

Upon landing back at my aerodrome I learned that I was the only one of our four-man flight to return. It appears the Albatross formation we surprised followed my flight back and engaged them later, with discouraging results. This was the second time in a row that I avoided a massacre because I had become separated from the main formation whilst engaging the enemy. My flights continued onward without me only to be later decimated by a numerically superior foe.'

 

 

Edited July 16, 2021 by CastelEtzwane

[Rick Rawlings 136]

Nice! I always advance time on those missions as I can never see anything. Maybe my gamma is too low or the room too bright...

[Rick Rawlings 136]

Rother Nought

3 Sqn. RNAS

Sept, 1916

 

We were informed that the German ace Wintgens was shot down the other day. A bit of good news for us, but it is still sad to see such a pilot go West. Today we were up on an afternoon scramble as enemy craft were spotted headed our way! We got up and I immediately began climbing without waiting for the others, knowing that height and an easterly track would be crucial in catching the huns. Sure enough, they bombed our field as I climbed...but it is a long way back to the lines and I caught them! I was able to take out two of the three Germans before my engine gave out with the oil line shot away. I made a dead stick landing and put in two claims, which I hope will be credited as they crashed only a few miles away...I

 

 

[TROOPER117 146]

Good shooting mate... and a fine landing with a damaged crate to boot!

[Rick Rawlings 136]

[Rick Rawlings 136]

Rother Nought

3 Sqn RNAS

Oct. 1916

Near Dunkerque,

We lost Sam Atherton the other day. He went down when he was hit by Archie dog-fighting too low near a Hun balloon. My promotion to full Lieutenant put me in charge of our flight. I took Ash and a couple of the newer boys out to clear the way for our Strutters to bomb the Loos Junction rail yard. The plan was to go down to Lens and turn North, drawing the attention of any enemies in the area and the Strutters would be able to fly directly in. We caught a flight of three huns directly over Lens at about our altitude. As there were four of us, I liked those odds. They were either Fokker biplanes or the new Albatros scouts, which have not come close enough for me to get a good look at.

 

Made a claim for 1 driven down, 1 down in flames. Went off to Loos Junction afterwards but couldn't find the Strutters or anyone from my flight but bomb damage was visible. Got back home to find everyone back safely.

[TROOPER117 146]

Nice mate... Those Fokkers don't like it up em!

[Rick Rawlings 136]

Thanks! They can still soak up a lot of lead, though!

[jerhear 50]

New wingman to babysit.  He's another one who comes with a victory but no claim.

Gotten him through a few missions now.  Had to pull a Drekmann from Jasta 4 in a Dr.1 off his tail in the last scrap.  He got someone and made his first claim, I think it was one of the other Fokkers.  Nursemaded him home with a chewed up wing.

[Rick Rawlings 136]

Yikes! That's chewed up and spit out! Are you exclusively watching the one guy or helping out the whole flight. I have another vid to upload tomorrow and I'm finding it very difficult to keep track of everyone, or even any one plane!

Good luck!

[jerhear 50]

I've got Leibermann highlighted when in a fight.  There's no way I could track him otherwise.  I don't really have time to help anyone else, he's a little agressive.  He actually should be following me as my wingman but he doesn't, they very seldom seem to except that they usually join up with out after a fight.  Independent lot!

[Rick Rawlings 136]

Rother Nought

3 Sqn RNAS

Nov. 1916

Near Dunkerque

Took Ash, Randulph and Matheson across the lines in what has become the routine: Clear the area, draw the fire so the Strutters can sneak in and bomb:

 

[CastelEtzwane 23]

17 hours ago, Rick Rawlings said:

Took Ash, Randulph and Matheson across the lines in what has become the routine: Clear the area, draw the fire so the Strutters can sneak in and bomb:

I swear your videos take the cake for being the most cinematic WOFF productions around. Smooth as silk and great at showing the viewer what is happening.

That was quite a lot of good action - but what was the day's tally ? What did Nought's flight have to report ?

[CastelEtzwane 23]

My Aussie Camel pilot got a bit too bold and after achieving 10 victories, and took on a formation of DFWs by himself. Usually he manages to separate one of the two-seaters from the flock and then work it over until it crashes but this time all 5 DFWs remained resolute and held formation. He ignored this and bored straight in a second time, drawing fire from 3 DFWs at once. The rear gunners seriously wounded him, and though he broke off and flew quickly home, he was done in by a loss of blood + a too hasty landing.

Then started another Camel campaign in the same area during the same time period. He got to 19 victories and won a ton of medals, all in April 1918, but met his end when he tried following a certain Fokker DVII once too many times in a zoom climb at 300 ft. The third zoom ended in a nasty spin from which he did not recover. RIP.

Am now trying yet another Camel campaign (Bentley variant this time), starting this time in July 1918. Goal is for him to last until the Armistice or at least get 30 victories. But it doesn't look good. He gets his victories, but the boys from Jasta-5 (Fokker DVIIs) are very good and seem to have his number. The last two missions they have shot his machine up so much he has force-landed, once behind the lines.

His Camel's good luck talisman hasn't been of much help.

 

[Rick Rawlings 136]

1 hour ago, CastelEtzwane said:

That was quite a lot of good action - but what was the day's tally ? What did Nought's flight have to report ?

Sorry! (Love the new Camel's paint scheme, BTW...) I have easy claims on and the game said I got two, but l only felt comfortable with the one two seater seen going down, so that is what I put in for. It was confirmed. No other claims from the rest of the flight but everyone got back safely. As you may have heard during the video, the Strutters were able to sneak in and drop some bombs and did some damage, so we got a successful mission on top of that...

[Rick Rawlings 136]

Rother Nought

3 Sqn. RNAS 

Dec 1916

Title says it all. Fortunately, I always have a back-up career waiting in the wings, and I'll swing back around again with a Rother Nought III sometime in the future...

[Rick Rawlings 136]

John Rockitt

94 Aero

April, 1918

Near Toul

They say that greatness in the Nieuport line of scout aircraft often skips a generation. The N11 was a beaute, the 16 a dog and the 17 sublime. After a good showing with the N27, the 28 is looking like it is in the dog category... Doesn't turn that well and will stall if you look at it funny. It's reasonably fast, but that doesn't matter as you end up leaving your wing fabric behind if you go too fast anyway...

Well, at least Winslow and Campbell are making a go of it, picking up a hun shot down for each of them! I did manage to get one today, despite my poor old crate; the Albatros pilot was even worse than me! Heaven forbid i run into one of those tri-planes flown by the old Richthofen himself, I shall be done for!

 

[TROOPER117 146]

Strangely enough, when it came to the transition from N28's to Spads, there was quite a bit of opposition from American pilots who didn't want to swap!

[Rick Rawlings 136]

They can have them! More SPADS for MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

[Rick Rawlings 136]

John Rockitt

94 Aero

April, 1918

Near Toul

Caught one the other day:

The rounds went clean through but I was losing a lot of blood and had to put down in enemy territory. Fortunately, I don't speak German and was therefore able to quickly escape! I swear these two-seaters (or anything else) are going to be the death of me!

 

 

*the alternate title for this video was "Gunsight? What The Heck Would You Want A Gunsight On Your Plane For, Son?"

[Rick Rawlings 136]

John Rockitt

94 Aero

May, 1918

Near Toul

Glad to be back! Everyone thought I was dead and sold off my stuff to pay for beer, which of course I could not blame them for... Eddie Rickenacker, you know, the race car driver? He himself set up a collection to get me restocked. Nice guy! Anyway, eager for some payback, I joined a flight over lines for an airfield attack:

 

[Rick Rawlings 136]

John Rockitt

94th Aero

May, 1918

Near Toul

Well, it seems I was a bit premature in my concerns about being shot down by Richthofen. I heard he was killed while I was a prisoner, being himself shot down by a man named Brown, flying a Sop-with Camel. I told the Major that they could give me a Sop-without Camel if it would get me out of my Nieuport...he failed to see the humor of it...

Anyway, I must be getting better as I brought down a Pfalz the other day, and sent another one running. Maybe some of those German pilots have it worse than me. And the Sopwith Strutters I landed next to yesterday? They didn't want to hear any of my complaints about the ol' N28...

 

[TROOPER117 146]

I see you met some of the 'sponge' Pfalz machines... they soak up the firepower!