RAF_Louvert

. Greetings All, My mapping of the WOFF Flanders area all the way down to St-Quentin is getting close to being done and I am now at the step of placing additional towns on the map. Keep in mind these towns are not in the sim landscape but are being added to the map strictly as points of reference, historical and otherwise. I will be denoting these differently than those towns that do show up in the sim, (and which I have already labelled), so you will know the difference when flying about and trying to navigate with a paper map rather than the in-sim pop-up. Now then, I have a request from you virtual fliers. Please list here in this thread the towns and villages of WWI significance that you would like to see added to the map so that you might have a better idea of how they would 'fit' into the WOFF WWI virtual reality. Don't worry if you're not sure whether they are already on the map or not as I will take care of any such overlap. Thanks! Lou .

. Where's a salt flat when you need one? Go Speed Racer! .

. Greetings All, It has been quite a while since last I posted an update on acquisitions for my WWI aviation library. I recently added several very hard-to-find first editions that came available from the private collection of a retired USAF pilot after his passing. First, a bit about this brave flyer who now soars with the angels: Richard A. Lucas was a member of the US Air Force where he served on active duty for 20+ years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He flew B-24s during World War II, and afterwards flew T-33s, F-94s, and F-86s in various theaters and operations. He was a member of the Quiet Birdmen, the Sabre Pilots' Association, the Retired Air Force Officers Association, and others. He retired from the USAF Reserves in 1984. He passed away on June 3rd of 2013. I never met the man but I certainly do wish I would have. I bet he had stories to tell. To several of his books which now proudly reside in my collection. They are as follows: "Above the French Lines: Letters of Stuart Walcott, American Aviator", Stuart Walcott, (1918 1st Edition) "Granville: Tales and Tail Spins from a Flyer’s Diary", Granville ‘Granny’ Gutterson, (1919 1st Edition) "Head Wind: The Story of Robert Loraine", Winifred Loraine, (1938 1st US Edition) "Norman Prince, A Volunteer Who Died for the Cause He Loved", George Babbitt, (1917 1st Edition) "The Red Battle Flyer", Manfred von Richthofen, English translation, (1918 1st Edition) "War Letters of Edmond Genet", Edmond Genet, (1918 1st Edition) All are in beautiful condition and each now has a prominent place on my shelves. With these latest gems my library has now grown to this: Personal Narratives, Biographies, and Novels "Above the French Lines: Letters of Stuart Walcott, American Aviator", Stuart Walcott, (1918 1st Edition) "Ace of the Iron Cross", Ernst Udet, (1970 English translation, 1st Edition) "Ace With One Eye: The Story of ‘Mick’ Mannock VC", Frederick Oughton, (1963 1st Edition) "Adventure's A Wench: The Autobiography of Charles Veil as told to Howard Marsh", (1934 1st Edition) "A Flying Fighter", E.M. Roberts, (1918 1st Edition) "Airmen O' War", Boyd Cable, (1918 1st Edition) "All Quiet on the Western Front", Erich Remarque, (1929 English Edition) "An Airman Marches", Harold Balfour, (Vintage Aviation Library Edition) "An Airman Remembers ", Hans Schröeder, English translation, (1936 1st Edition) "An Airman's Outings", Alan 'Contact' Bott, (1917 1st Edition) "An Aviator's Field-Book", Oswald Boelcke, English translation, (1917 1st Edition) "An Explorer in the Air Service", Hiram Bingham, (1920 1st Edition) "A Poet of the Air", Jack Morris Wright, (1918 1st Edition) "A Rattle of Pebbles: The First World War Diaries Of Two Canadian Airmen", Brereton Greenhous, (1987 1st Edition) "Beyond the Tumult", Barry Winchester, (1971 1st Edition) "Black Fokker Leader", Peter Kilduff, (2007 1st Edition) "Cavalry of the Clouds", Alan 'Contact' Bott, (1918 1st Edition) "Cloud Country", Jimmie Mattern, (1936 Pure Oil 1st Edition) 3-volume set "Days on the Wing", Willy Coppens, English translation, (1931 1st Edition) "Death in the Air", William Heinemann, (1933 Edition) (famous faked aerial photos) "Double-Decker C.666", Haupt Heydemarck, English translation, (1931 1st Edition) "Eastern Nights and Flights: A Record of Oriental Adventure", Alan 'Contact' Bott, (1920 1st Edition) "En L'air!", Bert Hall, (1918 1st Edition) "Extracts From the Letters of George Clark Moseley", (1923 1st Edition) "Fighting the Flying Circus", Edward Rickenbacker, (1919 1st Edition) "Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps", James McCudden, (1918 1st Edition) "Flying Corps Headquarters 1914-1918", Maurice Baring, (1968 1st Edition with supplementary notes) "Flying for France", James McConnell, (1917 1st Edition) "Flying Minnows", VEE Roger, (1935 1st Edition) "Flying Section 17", Haupt Heydemarck, English translation, (1934 1st Edition) "Flying With Chaucer", James Norman Hall, (1930 1st Edition) "Go Get 'Em!", William Wellman, (1918 1st Edition) "Granville: Tales and Tail Spins from a Flyer’s Diary", Granville ‘Granny’ Gutterson, (1919 1st Edition) "Guynemer, Knight of the Air", Henry Bordeaux, English translation, (1918 1st Edition) "Head Wind: The Story of Robert Loraine", Winifred Loraine, (1938 1st US Edition) "Heaven High, Hell Deep", Norman Archibald, (1935 Signed 1st Edition) "High Adventure", A.H. Cobby, (1981 Edition) "High Adventure", James Norman Hall, (1918 1st Edition) "Horses Don’t Fly: A Memoir of World War I", Frederick Libby, (2000 1st US Edition) "I Flew for the Lafayette Escadrille", Edwin C. Parsons, (1962 1st Edition) "Immelmann: The Eagle of Lille", Franz Immelmann, English translation, (1930 1st Edition) "In the Clouds Above Bagdad", J.E. Tennant, (1920 1st Edition) "In the Teeth of the Wind: The Story of a Naval Pilot on the Western Front 1916-1918", C.P.O. Bartlett, (1994 1st Edition) "Into The Blue", Norman MacMillan, (1929 1st Edition) "Jagdstaffel 356", M.E. Kahnert, (1939 1st English Edition) "Kitchener's Mob", James Norman Hall, (1916 1st Edition) "Letters From a Flying Officer", Rothsay Stuart Wortley, (1928 1st Edition) "Letters From a World War I Aviator", Josiah P. Rowe Jr., (1987 Edition) "Malaula! The Battle Cry of Jasta 17", Julius Buckler, (2007 1st Edition) "Memories of World War 1", William Mitchell, (1960 Edition) "My Experiences in the World War", John J. Pershing, (1931 1st Edition) 2-volume set "Night Bombing with the Bedouins", Robert Reece, (Battery Press Edition) "Night Raiders of the Air", A.R. Kingsford, (1939 Edition) "Nocturne Militaire", Elliot White Springs, (1934 Edition) "No Parachute", Arthur Gould Lee, (1970 1st US printing) "Norman Prince, A Volunteer Who Died for the Cause He Loved", George Babbitt, (1917 1st Edition) "Open Cockpit: A Pilot of the Royal Flying Corps", Arthur Gould Lee, (1969 1st Edition) "Rovers of the Night Sky", W.J. 'Night-Hawk' Harvey, (Vintage Aviation Library Edition) "Sagittarius Rising", Cecil Lewis, (1936 1st US Edition) "Sopwith Scout 7309", Sir Patrick Gordon Taylor, (1968 1st Edition) "Stepchild Pilot", Joseph Doerflinger, (1959 1st Edition) "That’s My Bloody Plane: The World War I experiences of Major Cecil Montgomery-Moore, as told to Peter Kilduff", (1975 1st Edition) "The Balloon Buster: Frank Luke of Arizona", Norman S. Hall, (1928 1st Edition) "The Diary of a P.B.O.* * poor bloody observer", Frank J. Shrive, (1981 1st Edition) "The Escaping Club", A.J. Evans, (1936 Edition) "The Flying Poilu", Marcel Nadaud, English translation (1918 1st Edition) "The Red Battle Flyer", Manfred von Richthofen, English translation, (1918 1st Edition) "The Red Knight of Germany", Floyd Gibbons, (1927 1st Edition) "The Spider Web", T.D. Hallam (P.I.X.), (1979 Edition) "The Way of the Eagle", Charles Biddle, (1919 1st Edition) "Up And At 'Em", Harold Hartney, (1940 1st Edition) "Victor Chapman’s Letters From France", John Jay Chapman, (1917 1st Edition, signed by his father) "War Birds; Diary of an Unknown Aviator", Elliot White Springs, (1926 1st Edition) "War Flying in Macedonia", Haupt Heydemarck, English translation, (1936 1st Edition) "War Letters of Edmond Genet", Edmond Genet, (1918 1st Edition) "Whom The Gods Love", Lewis C. Merrill, (1953 1st Edition) "Wind in the Wires", Duncan Grinnell-Milne, (1918 1st Edition) "Winged Peace", William Bishop, (1940 1st Edition) "Winged Victory", V.M. Yeates, (1934 1st US Edition) "Winged Warfare", William Bishop, (1918 1st Edition) "With the Earth Beneath", A.R. Kingsford, (1936 1st Edition) "With the Flying Squadron", Harold Rosher, (1916 1st Edition) History, Reference, and General Interest Books "A World Undone: The Story of the Great War 1914 to 1918", G.J. Meyer, (2006 Edition) "Air Aces of the 1914-1918 War", Bruce Robertson, (1964 Edition) "Aircraft of World War I, 1914-1918", Jack Herris & Bob Pearson, (2010 1st Edition) "Aircraft of Today", Charles Turner, (1917 1st Edition) "Aviation in Canada 1917-18", Alan Sullivan, (1919 1st Edition) "Bristol F2B Fighter: King of Two-Seaters", Chaz Bowyer, (1985 1st Edition) "Capronis, Farmans, and Sias: U.S. Army Aviation Training and Combat in Italy With Fiorello LaGuardia 1917-1918 ", Jack B. Hilliard, (2006 1st Edition) "Colliers New Photographic History of the World War", (1917 Edition) "Color Profiles of World War 1 Combat Planes", Giorgio Apostolo, (1974 1st Edition) "Decisive Air Battles of the First World War", Arch Whitehouse, (1963 1st Edition) "Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War", W.M. Lamberton, (1964 Edition) "Flying The Old Planes", Frank Tallman, (1973 Edition) "Fragments From France", Bruce Bairnsfather, (1917 1st Edition) (Great War cartoons by the master of the genre) "German Air Power in World War 1", John H. Morrow, Jr., (1982 1st Edition) "Heroes of Aviation", Laurence La Tourette Driggs, (1919 1st Edition) "High Flew the Falcons", Herbert Molloy Mason Jr., (1965 1st Edition) "High in the Empty Blue", Alex Revell, (1995 1st Edition with author's signature card) "Historic Airships", Rupert Holland, (1928 1st Edition) "History and Rhymes of the Lost Battalion", L.C. McCollum, (1929 Edition) "History of the World War", Francis March, (1918 1st Edition) "History of the Great World War", Rolt-Wheeler and Drinker, (1919 1st Edition) "Italian Aces of World War I and their Aircraft", Roberto Gentilli, Antonio Iozzi, Paolo Varriale, (2003 1st Edition) "Land and Water" Magazine, (entire April through September 1917 series, hard bound, ex-library copy) "Ludendorff's Own Story", Erich Ludendorff, (1919 1st Edition) 2-volume set "Marine Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War", Heinz J. Nowarra, (1960 Edition) "Naval Aviation in World War I", Naval Aviation News, (1969 1st Edition) "National Geographic" Magazine, (entire 1918 series, hard bound, ex-library copy) "New England Aviators 1914-1918: Their Portraits and Their Records", (1919-20 1st Edition) 2-volume set "Reconnaissance & Bomber Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War", W.M. Lamberton, (1962 Edition) "Rhymes of a Red Cross Man", Robert W. Service, (1916 1st Edition) "Schlachtflieger! Germany and the Origins of Air/Ground Support 1916-1918", Rick Duiven and Dan-San Abbott, (2006 1st Edition) "Source Records of the Great War", (1923 1st Edition) 7-volume set "The Air Defence of Britain 1914-1918", Christopher Cole and E.F. Cheeseman, (1984 1st Edition) "The Fighting Triplanes", Evan Hadingham, (1969 1st Edition) "The First War Planes", William Barrett, (1960 Edition) (the one that started it all for me) "The Great Air War", Aaron Norman, (1968 Edition) "The Great War", George H. Allen, (1919 1st Edition) 5-volume set "The Great War in the Air", Edgar Middleton, (1920 1st Edition) 4-volume set "The Imperial Russian Air Service, Famous Pilots and Aircraft of World War One", Alan Durkota, (1996 1st Edition) "The Lafayette Flying Corps", by James Hall and Charles Nordhoff, (1964 Kennikat Press limited edition two-volume set) "The People's War Book and Atlas", (1920 1st Edition, signed by Lt. Col. William A. Bishop) "The Sky On Fire: The First Battle of Britain", Raymond H. Fredette, (1966 1st Edition) "The Story of a North Sea Air Station", C.F. Snowden Gamble, (1967 Edition with supplementary notes) "The United States in the Great War", Willis Abbot, (1919 1st Edition) "The U.S. Air Service in World War I", Maurer Maurer, (1978 1st Edition) 4-volume set "The War in the Air", Raleigh and Jones, (1st Edition) 9-volume set including map cases, (originally in the military library at Whitehall; my personal Jewel of the Crown) "The Western Front from the Air", Nicholas C. Watkis, (1999 1st Edition) "Time-Life Epic of Flight", 23-volume set, (not old and not strictly WWI but still a lot of good info and photos) "True Stories of the Great War", (1918 1st Edition) 6-volume set "U.S. Official Pictures of the World War", Moore and Russell, (1924 1st Edition) 4-volume set "1920 World Book Encyclopedia", (entire set with addendums, great for cross-referencing in a contemporary context) Instructional Books "Aeroplane Construction and Operation", John Rathbun, (1918 1st Edition) "English-French War Guide for Americans in France", Eugene Maloubier, (1918 Edition) "Learning to Fly in the U.S. Army", E.N. Fales, (1917 1st Edition) "Lewis Machine Gun 'Airplane Type' Service and Operation Manual", (1918 Edition) "Manual Of Rigging Notes Technical Data", (1918, possible reprint) "Practical Flying", W.G. McMinnies, (1918 1st Edition) "The Art of Reconnaissance", David Henderson, (1916 1st Edition) "Technical Notes: Royal Flying Corps", (1916 1st Edition) "Science of Pre-Flight Aeronautics", (1942 Edition) "Self-Help for the Citizen Soldier", Moss and Stewart, (1915 1st Edition) So many books, so little time. Cheers! Lou .

. Jim and Olham, thank you for your recommendations, I have them on my wish list. Another significant gap that exists in my library can be filled by the definitive work on the subject, "The Belgian Air Service in the First World War", and I am hoping to add this book to my shelves sometime this year. Mr_Dirt, library cards are free, but you will have to find your own way to Minnesota to take advantage of it. .

. I never thought I would ever see such beautiful water in a CFS3-based sim. WOFF is great, but AnKor's mod raises the visuals beyond anything I would have imagined possible in this old engine. To say "Well done!" does not even come close to the kudos that should be sent your way. You deserve a medal Sir. Many, many thanks. Lou .

. Dicta Boelcke for WOFF Italicized text is Boelcke’s original analyses, regular text is the WOFF exegeses. Eins Make sure you attain a position of advantage when in air combat (speed, altitude, numerical superiority, position), before you attack. Fly from out of the sun. Make sure you attain a position of advantage when in air combat (speed, altitude, numerical superiority, position), before you attack. You can use the clouds as cover: if you can’t see the AI they can’t “see” you, with the caveat being that the AI’s virtual eyesight is better than your real world eyesight. Zwei When you start an attack, prosecute it to the end. When you start an attack, prosecute it to the end, unless you begin to lose the position of advantage as outlined in the first dictum. If you see the tables are turning it is best to retreat earlier rather than later, using your remaining advantages to break away from the fight. Drei Fire the machine gun at close range and only when you have your opponent well in your sights. Fire the machine gun/guns at close range, within 50 yards or less, and only when you have your opponent well in your sights. Avoid deflection shots unless you have practiced them as they are a waste of ammo. Vier Go after the opponent from where he cannot see you. Go after your opponent from where he cannot train his guns on you. If you are fighting a single-seat scout, attack from any angle that allows you to fire on him without him being able to fire on you. If you are fighting a two-seater, either get directly below him and fire into the underside of the plane, (1st choice), or dive in from either side keeping the opponent’s wings between you and the gunner, (2nd choice). It is key to keep some part of the two-seater between you and the gunner as he cannot fire through his own plane. Fünf In any form of attack, it is required to approach the enemy from behind. In single-seater attacks, it is best to approach the enemy from behind. In two-seater attacks, it is best to approach the enemy from directly underneath. Sechs If you are attacked by an opponent diving on you from above, do not try to dodge the attack, but turn into and toward the attacker. If you are attacked by an opponent diving on you from above, do not try to dodge the attack, but turn into and toward the attacker. Using some rudder to sideslip your plane can throw off your opponent’s aim while still allowing you an accurate shot. Sieben If you find yourself over enemy lines, always keep an eye toward your own direction of retreat. If you find yourself over enemy lines, always keep an eye toward your own direction of retreat. When you have lost the advantage, (as outlined in the first dictum), make your retreat early and fly to the cover of your own lines, balloon positions, airfields, etc. Acht For squadrons: The principle method of attack is to fly in groups of four to six aircraft. When the fight scatters into single battles, make sure that not too many comrades fall upon any single opponent. For squadrons: The principle method of attack is to fly in groups of two to six aircraft. When the fight scatters into single battles, make sure that not too many comrades fall upon any single opponent. If you are the flight leader use your key commands to assign targets to your flight members but do not be surprised if they ignore you and attack whomever they so choose. You will have to watch for overzealous pilots in your flight who will dive in front of you as you engage an opponent, and be ever alert for possible collisions. In WOFF it is usually safer in a furball to single out an opponent along the edges and drag them away as you fight them, this will minimize and/or eliminate the above noted risks. Fly Smart! Lou .

. I still stop in from time-to-time but RL has kept me away from not only this forum but WOFF/OFF as well. I did just have a week off and have been able to get in some excellent stick time in the EIII challenge that was started in the SimHQ forum. But apart from that what little free time I've had has gone towards working on my Flanders map project. I too find it sad that our old home drome here has become nearly abandoned. I did try to spark some renewed interest around our old digs right after WOFF was released by posting a new edition of the BOC Illustrated News and reposting the original BOC Club roster and such, but it seems the glory days have indeed passed us by. Ah well, c'est la vie mes amis. .

. Greetings All, Hope everyone's Christmas was merry and bright, I know mine was. With the time off for the holiday I've been able to get a good way along on my Verdun mapping project and I am posting a test version of what I have so far for those who might like to give it a go. Just right click and save the jpeg image, then resize as needed and print it out. Or, if you're like me and you run a second computer and monitor, simply pop it up on that screen and use it as your 'in cockpit' map. Keep in mind it is still a work in progress so there will likely be a few adjustments to be made, but I've flown quite a few missions so far using it and it is very close, and quite easy to navigate by. Now that I have the system down for doing this extensive type of mapping I will be expanding this one to cover the entire Verdun region. But one step at a time. Let me know what you think ... and enjoy! Update : Map Completed 2-21-2014 .

Actually Robert, I did make a good spy, (or 'intelligence gatherer' to use von Baur's preferred term), for four years in the USAFSS. All declassified now of course, but back in the day it was deadly serious and secret stuff. .

. Wonderful personal back stories Wayfarer and Olham, many thanks for sharing them with us here. In many ways they are reminiscent of my own beginning interest in WWI aviation. .

. He sounds like an Intrepid fellow I must say. .

. Correct on all counts corsaire31, well done Sir. .

. My turn, eh? OK then, thinking caps on, though I think this will be an easy one so you won't need them on too tight. The aeroplane shown in the photo below was built in the hundreds during its numerous 1917-18 production runs. In its various forms it was fitted with a variety of rotaries including, but not limited to, the 60 kW and 82 kW Gnome and the 60 kW Le Rhône. Identify the aeroplane in question, it's designer, the company that produced it, and it's primary area of operation during the war. GO! .

. I believe the prop being located between the obs/gunner and the pilot is about as unusual as it gets, and I did note that, or are you referring to the odd choice of the Vickers gun on this particular bus? .

. The SPAD A series is one of the strangest aeroplane series to have seen service in the Great War, IMHO. The obs/gunner sat ahead of the prop in the "pulpit". The particular bus you are showing corsaire31, an A.4, was manned by 2nd Lt Bashinksy and 2nd Lt Huber of the Imperial Russian Air Service, 19th Corps Detachment, and on 6 September 1916 they downed a German 2-seater, accounting for the first victory scored with an SA in the IRAS. Olham, I am actually home this weekend. Woo Hoo! .

. What do you mean Robert, it's right on the way to Lake Winnipeg from where I live in Minnesota ... sort of. And, it's not far from former RCAF Station Gimli where an Air Canada 767 had to make an emergency landing back in the 1980's when it ran out of fuel. But that's a story for another time. .

. I've been to his historic home on Main Street in Stonewall. I get around. .

. Oh, I know this one and in fact the county I live in bears the same name as the Canadian hero in question. But I'll let someone else take this one. .

. hee hee ... all this talk of Bishop has reminded me of another thread from some time back: http://combatace.com/topic/66958-ot-hurry-your-chance-to-own-a-piece-of-mvrs-red-dr1/?p=516574 .

. Back from another week on the road and glad to see this quiz is still going strong. Robert, your 'forgotten' ace is William "Billy" Barker. With 50 victories to his credit and more decorations than I can recall at the moment he is hardly forgotten in my book and would serve as a much better Canadian WWI flying hero than the other "Billy" who has held that spot since the Great War. .

. Outstanding corsaire31, correct on all counts Sir! .

. Adger, Nungesser served with four different squadrons during his time in service so he is not the ace we are looking for. Better luck in the next round Sir. .

. Alrighty then, this French ace served in the infantry before the war. In 1915 he applied for and was granted transfer to the French Air Service and after being brevetted was eventually assigned to combat duty where he flew with the same escadrille until his death. He shares a certain claim to fame with Belgian ace Willy Coppens. He was also quite famous before the war for an entirely different ability than flying. Give this French flyer's full name, the escadrille he served with, his finally victory tally, what he had in common with Coppens, what he was famous for before the war, and what his personal emblem was on his Nieuport 17. GO! Oh, and to Adger's question about the discrepancy in Oxsmith's victory tally, I am quite sure von Baur is correct about he and his son's totals being combined by those not realizing it was two different pilots with the same name. .

. I'm surprised no one has provided the answer for this one yet, but what the hey, here goes. Captain Robert "Oxo" Oxspring flew the Pup with both 54 Sqn and 66 Sqn. He had a total of three confirmed victories, (two with 54 and one with 66), so technically he is not an ace but a brave flyer none-the-less. His son, also Robert Oxspring, was an ace in WWII where he accumulated 13 1/2 victories flying the Spitfire. An interesting note on Pup A673 shown in your screenie Adger, after it served in 54 Sqn it was reassigned to 46 Sdn where it was shot down by Jasta 12 on 16 September 1917. .

. That's IT Adger! He was the first poster child for the original "Got Milk?" ad campaign. .