Intercept Missions (always a fail?)

[77Scout 3]

Hi Guys: When I have intercept missions (enemy plane spotted by ground observers, intercept), we never seem to intercept the enemy plane/flight. My flight leader dawdles through the 'climbing spiral to height', then dawdles off to 'waypoint one' (purpose?) then finally dawdles back to the search area.  All this wastes time and we always seem to miss the intercept. Is this just me, or are some of you actually having successful intercept missions? Do you have to cheat and do an 'air start' to make these work realistically? Any insight would be appreciated!! 

Edited November 1, 2021 by 77Scout

[jerhear 50]

An intercept mission will not allow you to air start so that's out, unless that has changed since I was last on the Campaign.

If you are leader you can take off with your boys and after gaining, lets say, 1000 feet or so, take off in a straight line in the direction you expect the enemy to take on return, roughly West usually.  If you're not using labels, as I often do, because I'm a Farb at heart, try to keep them in sight and climb in their direction, you will usually catch them just before or a little after they cross the lines.  You may even catch them trying to land, which is always a great advantage.

 

Jb

[Burning Beard 14]

I think it just depends on where and when you are.  I have flown a couple of these recently (in campaign) and have run into enemy aircraft.  Sometimes they are just two seaters but not always.  You are just as likely to run into a large flight of fighters, they are very similar to patrolling the lines except you usually orbit in one area for a given amount of time.  If you are using the flight instructor it will tell you how long and at what altitude you are supposed fly.

[+VonS 1,424]

We usually manage to intercept at least half of a flight - if the other fellows get too close to the lines we (I and my AI flight) often don't follow them across the lines. Depends also on wind speed and direction, and how fast the enemy's machines are, and what their starting alt. is. I also usually assign my pilots a veteran role, and at least at the Ltn. level - when signing them up. Rookies and novices have to follow the leader always - the AI leader is another can of worms entirely because they may evaluate differently at times and not pursue an enemy flight, etc. Lots of variables at work. Also, if you are in a crate with a poor(er) climb rate, the enemy flight may be too far away to pursue by the time you climb high enough.

Cheers all,

Von S

[CastelEtzwane 23]

My experience is that my pilot can usually spot an enemy formation (i.e., some dots) flying very high (sometimes almost overhead) as my AI flight leader putters about. This enemy formation will disappear after about 10 seconds if you don't leave the formation and climb after them. And sometimes the AI flight leader spots them after awhile and follows my pilot. And once in awhile the AI flight leader is on the ball and spots the enemy right away and then leads the interception.

Sometimes my pilot never spots anything.

Seems like a lot of times the enemy's target is your home aerodrome so be careful when landing !

[Janzen 5]

Generally my experience has been no successful interception 99% of the time if led by the AI flight leader.  If you are the flight leader then you’ll have the company of your flight mates who will follow you to chase the Hun intruders. Most of the time the raiders are to high to track down, climb up to and engage successfully with your flight.  It’s next to impossible to climb, reach and engage the Aviatiks, Rumplers etc especially in a DH2, BE-12 or other slow climbing scouts.  On those scramble missions in late 1916 I’ve had some luck chasing and catching enemy raiders in a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter, DH2, & BE-12’s if I split from my flight early as they are forming up and head east to where you think their return flight path would be.  I’ve seen Archie puffs shooting at the raiders and guide my self in that direction as they fly east over our Observation balloons, Munitions Factory’s, Army camps, Train Yards & airfields.  By the time I get to their height which is usually 10,000+ ft either just over or well inside enemy lines.  More often than not, near or over their airfield. So since I made all this effort to chase them I stupidly attack solo engaging one that is separated from the others in his flight so I don’t get cross fire from the other rear gunners. I try to make my attack from low, behind and below as the aircraft is circling at height to land at its airfield.
 

I’m lucky to get a good burst or two of Lewis or Vickers from less than 100 yds from my initial attack getting some decent hits until the rear gunner becomes aware and starts lasering in and getting hits on my crate with that pin point Parabellum gun. (And that’s with the rear guns set at less accurate on in the workshop) It’s a crap shoot of whether I bring down one of those intruders.  It normally doesn’t end well with either my fuel tank punctured & leaking fuel, engine damaged or I get wounded.  It’s the price I pay for my foolish endeavours chasing the enemy over the lines & I get and accept this.  I find once you are flying a SPAD VII, Sopwith Pup, Nieuport 17, 23 etc the odds improve slightly attacking alone but you still have to be very careful of that rear gunners return fire.
 

Now is it just me or has anyone had some nasty encounters on Scramble missions where Roland CII’s are involved attacking you and your flight after dropping their bombs on your airfield? After Intake off with my flight just clearing the airfield they dive down and aggressively engage every aircraft we have airborne.  No breaking for home either, oh no even hugely out numbered.  It’s not uncommon for these devil may care Roland pilots to engage and dog fight anywhere from 6 to 8 of our aircraft.  Kudos for them though! Mainly all getting destroyed but taking 2 or 3 of us with them.  At times it appears that all target just my aircraft at one point, and not because  my aircraft stands out by colour or emblemed up or am an outstanding pilot. Far be it from that.  This is on every Scramble mission where Rolands are involved or generally when I encounter them either attacking an enemy airfield where they happen to be in the area.  
 

I find the Rolands will engage and chase you down, more so than any Halberstadt, Fokker, or Albatros scout I’ve encountered.  Heck I’ve attacked an enemy airfield in a 24 Squadron career with DH2’s or BE-12’s of 19 Squadron where 3 Rolands scrambled during our attack and took on all 5 of us.  Like a pitbull they just won’t let go! They chase you down until you cross the lines then break off..maybe!  Don’t get me wrong it is a great challenge to fight off the Rolands & dog fight them but their pilots appear to have more than their fair share of aggression & more at times than the other scout pilots.  Cheers! 

[Rick Rawlings 138]

Yes to the Rolands! A thousand deaths are not enough for Rolands!

[Janzen 5]

Lol..I concur Rick!! Cheers to their aggression! Death to the Hun Invaders! Cheers!

[shredward 12]

Roland pilots are just wired a little differently, and I'll leave it at that !

    Cheers,

        shredward

[77Scout 3]

On 06/12/2021 at 4:18 PM, Janzen said:

Generally my experience has been no successful interception 99% of the time if led by the AI flight leader.  

Thanks, that basically confirms my original post suspicion that the intercept missions don't work very well as currently configured. The enemy is far above you (basically straight up over your airfield) so it basically becomes a 'nothing' mission ... fly then land. Hopefully some day this might get modified such that an intercept mission is tied to an appropriate target such as an enemy two-seater doing recon or artillery spotting over the frontlines. My understanding is that such missions were common, phoned in by ground spotters.