RAF_Louvert

If you have trouble Olham here they are, just add the "http://" in front of each one and you will be good to go. wmserver.ushmm.org/FilmVideo/RG603352_12112006_1027.wmv wmserver.ushmm.org/FilmVideo/RG603351_12112006_1055.wmv Cheers! Lou

Olham, if you right-click on the above links I posted you will see the entire link address in the drop-down box. Also, these are very large video files and they will take quite a while to download Sir. But they are definitely worth the time to have them in your collection. Cheers! Lou

Hauksbee, you don't even need to do that. Just click on the links in my above post and the wmv videos will launch, then save it to your computer from your default video viewer, (i.e. Windows Media Player, Quick Time Viewer, etc). Cheers! Lou

This really is amazingly rare footage and it's great that it has been posted to the internet for everyone to share. BTW, if you simply right-click on the video player in each link and hit properties, you will see the web address of each film clip, and if you then change the prefix to "http" you will direct link to each file, (basic web file hosting class 101). The direct links are as follows: http://wmserver.ushm...112006_1027.wmv http://wmserver.ushm...112006_1055.wmv If you now click on these the wmv file should launch in your default viewer in it's original size and you can then save it to your computer from there. Cheers! Lou

Which is why you had a few creative Nieuport pilots who where stuck with the Lewis guns come up with work-arounds like this when they wanted more fire power but synchronization through the prop was not a viable option. Cheers! Lou

DING DING DING !!! WILD CARD PHOTO ! The first to correctly identify the object shown, who the manufacturer was, and what purpose the small propeller served will be awarded 2 bonus points. You must be spot on with all answers to win. Good Luck! .

OHO, welcome to the virtual skies of OFF. You have a lot of good suggestions here already, but I am still going to offer one of my own. Fly the two-place Strutter as early as you can. You will not only have your own gun, but a rear AI gunner as well, and you will be going up against the EIII's which the Strutter can very well hold its own against. Add to that the fact that the Strutter is about the most forgiving plane you will climb into in this sim. Have fun Sir, and no matter what you fly you will. Cheers! Lou

Well, after some further reading and studies I believe I've sorted out why the RFC airmen referred to Havrincourt Wood as Mossy Face. The roots of the term begin as far back as the Bard of Avon, and it actually is sexual in nature. Gordon Williams in his work, “A Dictionary of Sexual Language and Imagery in Shakespearean and Stuart Literature”, notes that both the ace of spades and the ace of clubs have been used in English writings of the 16th through 18th centuries to refer to a woman’s nether regions. He goes on to offer examples showing that the term “mossy face” followed as a logical progression in this same style of prose as well, with all three terms ultimately becoming interchangeable. By the late 1800's and early 1900's it was not uncommon for college-aged Englishmen, when playing a game of cards, to call either the ace of spades or the ace of clubs “mossy face”, as a sly nudge back to the earlier sexually oriented works of George Chapman, R. Fletcher, and others. It follows then, (at least to my way of thinking), that our brave, and for the most part college-aged, flyers of World War One when winging their way over Havrincourt for the first time, upon looking down and seeing that large patch of trees that are decidedly shaped as either the ace of spades or the ace of clubs, depending on how you look at it, would quickly nickname the landmark “Mossy Face Wood”. And now you know the rest of the story. Cheers! Lou

Last night while I was again reading through "Cavalry of the Clouds", (this time in search of references to Mossy Face Woods), I came across one of Captain Bott's letters home from the Somme in which he describes the different forms of AA. It is really quite enlightening and rather poetic, and given our recent discussions here on the topic I thought it timely to share it. Here is the excerpt:

The effect is neat stumpjumper, but it does not seem to fit any description of the weapon that I've run across in my readings. BTW, did you see this thread I started about a description of the various forms of AA? Archibald, Onions, and Ghosts Keep up the great effort stumpjumper, it is much appreciated Sir. Cheers! Lou

zoomzoom, I'm a ah...time traveller...yeah...from the ah...early part of the last century...that's right...and I've come here to ah...share vital information with the people of your era...yeah, that's it, that's the ticket. Actually, it's all research, research, research. And when this has wrapped up I will be posting a very long list of links to the many websites and archives I used during this contest. Share the wealth I say. Cheers! Lou

I knew I had copies of some vintage illustrations showing what was involved in "truing up" an SE5 and here they are. Dej, you may want to save a set of these for that special someday. As you can see, the items involved just in a proper rigging job where nearly endless, to say nothing of keeping the engine, guns, and other sundry bits and pieces in good order. Cheers! Lou

Holy schnikee Dej, you gave all the needed info and then some! It is indeed the cockpit of the Vickers Vimy. The two points are yours Sir. And here are the current standings after this last Wild Card photo: Dej, 15 points Olham, 15 points Red-Dog, 10 points Rickitycrate, 8 points Bullethead, 5 points Luftace, 5 points Duce Lewis, 3 points Burning Beard, 2 points rhythalion, 2 points JohnGresham, 1 point Shrikehawk, 1 point TonyO, 1 point zoomzoom, 1 point Cheers! Lou

Enjoy. Flaming Onions, Oh What a Lovely War .

Sorry Rickitycrate, it is not the Handley-Page. But a good guess, and good info on the beast as well. Keep swinging at 'em Sir. Cheers! Lou

You are more than welcome Rickitycrate. And because I know you get the heebie jeebies every time you see I've posted I will justify those feelings for you on this occassion... DING DING DING !!! WILD CARD PHOTO ! The first to correctly identify which aircraft the cockpit shown belongs to, its operational history in the Great War, and its primary claim to fame will be awarded 2 bonus points. You must be spot on with all answers to win. Good Luck! .

Oh, and Dej, I'll see if I can't post a few more of these when you aren't at work. Cheers! Lou

Well I'm very glad that all of you are enjoying this, I know I certainly am. And each time I host one of these I end up learning far more than I ever have participating in one as a contestant. So really, I'm the winner here, I just don't get a nice shiny medal for it. But one of you will. Cheers! Lou

I said it earlier here and I'll say it again, outstandingly informative thread! Thank you all for sharing this info and these pictures. I now have a folder in my computer with copies of all these items. Cheers! Lou

Very good Dej, an ambitious project Sir. As to whether or not five or so aerodromes surrounding Mossy Face Woods qualifies as many, well I imagine that's a relative interpretation. I did find another passage of note while going through Bott's work. He mentions the following: "The flight-commander headed for Mossy Face Wood, scene of many air battles and bomb raids. An aerodrome just east of the wood was the home of the Fokker star, Boelcke. C. led us to it, for it was his great ambition to account for Germany's best pilot." Would this be Gonnelieu Aerodrome which you have shown on your map, or is there another in that area nearer the woods as yet unaccounted for? I referred back to my copy of Boelcke's own notes in "An Aviator's Field-Book" to see if in fact he was in that AO at the time of Bott's writing, and he does mention a telegram he received on September 23, 1915 informing him that he was to be transferred. This would be his move to Metz and his attachment to the Brieftauben-Abteilung Metz, an offensive unit with the strength of four Flieger Abteilungen, later known as Jagdstaffels, (this according to Greg VanWyngarden's book, "Jagdstaffel 2 Boelcke"). Now, it seems to me that a four-jasta unit operating from the same general locale as the five other bases you have shown already would give more credence to Bott's claim that there were "many" Boche aerodromes clustered around Mossy Face Wood. Food for thought anyway. Cheers! Lou

Dej wrote: And when might that be Dej? Inquiring minds want to know.

BTW Dej, if you are interested, here is a digital version of Fred Covin's 1918 "Aircraft Mechanics Handbook". Aircraft Mechanics Handbook It gives a pretty good picture of everything that needed to be done at varying times on these planes to keep the in proper flying order. Cheers! Lou

Dej, I am quite sure they spent many a long day and night nearly rebuilding those kites after just about every mission. James McCudden made it sound like that's what he did when he was a mechanician. In fact, if I remember correctly, he noted that he would often sleep on the ground under the wing of the plane he was in charge of just to be sure he was there with everything ready to go in the wee hours of the morning when the pilots arrived to take off. Cheers! Lou

Oh yes, it definitely does. I have shed more than a few lower wings off my Nieups, and a couple of Albs to boot. Try getting into a good dive with a lot of speed, then pull back slightly while keeping your speed, then shove the stick all the way to the front of the cockpit. Then watch as those wing bits you were so attached to a moment earlier are now fluttering in the breeze over No Man's Land. Cheers! Lou

Very good information on the Alb DIII Luftace, the final point in this round goes to you Sir. And here are the current standings after photo set #7: Olham, 15 points Dej, 13 points Red-Dog, 10 points Rickitycrate, 8 points Bullethead, 5 points Luftace, 5 points Duce Lewis, 3 points Burning Beard, 2 points rhythalion, 2 points JohnGresham, 1 point Shrikehawk, 1 point TonyO, 1 point zoomzoom, 1 point Be ever-vigilant for the next posting. BTW, the Orden Pour le Merite arrived in the mail today and it is beautiful...perfect really. I did notice the seller was mistaken about it having the oak leaf cluster, but since that was reserved for high-ranking field commanders I don't think any of you will miss it as the medal would not be displayed with it in the case of a WW1 aviator, (unless of course he was also a high-ranking field commander at the time he received the honour). Cheers! Lou