Olham

Good report, Baywing! Don't know for the Strutter, but when they have the gun mounted on a ring, they can move it to one side, and fire almost down behind themselves. Almost no dead angle.

Jasta 15, Bonneuil Ferme, 26. April 1918 Oberleutnant Wolfram "Wolf" Mahlo Standing in front of my mirror this morning, I looked into a stranger's hollow eyes. Couldn't sleep well after yesterdays escort mission. Almost got killed by a mad SPAD pilot; he wouldn't let me out. If Richard hadn't jumped in at the last moment... Just made it over the lines. What are we painting our Albatros for so beautifully - the next day, there are holes in it. Lifting my razor blade to my chin, I notice my hand is trembling. Calm down, man! I do my best, but cut myself. Pressing the Alaun stick on the spot, I feel, something bad may happen today. I taunt myself. Sometimes helps, to get into the boots. We take off into low, slate grey clouds. April should be my time; it's my birth month. Thoughts of home. Anna in her white gown - on a meadow with daisies - can almost hear her laughing... Over the front line, south of Villeselve field, we encounter 4 SPAD XIII. This time, we're not outnumbered. And this time, I'll pay you back, boys! I order split and attack, and climb a bit more before the clash. The helter skelter begins! All nervousness is gone. I'm the mad Wolf now, hunting for the kill! Hook up behind a SPAD and give him such a good burst, he pulls up vertical and explodes! Ja! Ja! Ja!!! This is our day! Quick check now. I must be at some 3.000 Meter. I'm the highest flyer - everyone has "travelled downstairs". I can see a SPAD attacking Gussendorf's plane, and must hold myself back, not to break up my wings by my dive. Werner turns fine, the SPAD can't get behind him, but keeps trying. And you don't even notice me, you fool! He get's a full shower of hot lead, and breaks away! In the same moment, I'm hit. I really feel the tackles in the airframe, and a hot, sharp cut on my left cheek. So much for the fool! I pull round so hard, that my Albatros stalls for a moment. While tumbling through the air like a leaf in the wind, the SPAD zooms past me, but collecting hits. I see many white puffs, and pieces coming off. Just when I caught up my crate, Richard von Marchlewitz zooms past me, still after the SPAD. He is literally shooting it to pieces; the pilot must have been dead, before it hit the ground! Now there's only one SPAD left, chasing our new man, Erich Steiner. I jump on it, but can't save him anymore. Flying through the smoke of his crash, I almost ram the SPAD from behind, firing 300 rounds into his plane. He tries to pull away, but must have lost most of his manoeuverability. In a wide right turn, he get it all. Continuing the turn, descending, he get's a last burst. He slams right into the soil. I fire a green flare and circle, and after a while, three Albatros are coming towards me. What a touching moment! On returning, I look around me. Even in this weather, the landscape looks wonderful now. I wipe my cheek, and my hand is sticky red. So what! Looking over my shoulder, I see Mannheim and Gussendorf to my right, and von Marchlewitz to my left. He waves to me with his boyish grin, and I wave back. What a fine wingman he is. Always there, when I need him most! I'll open my best Cognac with him, when we're back at Bonneuil Ferme.

What do you mean with: ...probably wrong ? Do you get your claims confirmed or not? But I see - I won't get anything out of you (Lol!) And it's not so, that I didn't get mine confirmed - my best pilot so far had 7 confirmed, and 12 claims.

Yes, BirdDog Wings of Glory, Dawn Patrol, and Flying Corps - back then, it was outstanding. I still have them somewhere.

No, I think, not. But my wingman got carried away so far, he became a white spec on TAC. With my damaged plane, I wouldn't try to join up with him again, but just made it over the lines. for an emergency landing. My plane lay on the left wing in the end, but didn't burn fortunately.

That is something that always annoied me in the videos: player pilot gently drifting around the scene, shooting an Albatros here, and another one there; and in between the two, sipping from his thermosflask. No Albatros veteran, and certainly no ace, would have flown on in gentle soft curves, playing the perfect turkey for your pleasure. When a Nupe gets behind me, my manoeuvers will be immediate and abrupt changes of direction; even if you could follow, you'd find it hard to hit me. If they managed to change that, this patch must be a great improvement! I haven't installed it yet, but will today, and I don't know if I will enjoy it, but it sounds like this is getting closer and closer to the real desperate situations, even good pilots died in...

Wikipedia was useful again here. "The Krupp 75 mm guns were later supplied with an optical sighting system that improved their capabilities, but these sorts of systems were not deployed by other forces." Here's the full site about Anti Aircraft Combat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti_aircraft...bat#World_War_I

Harder? You liked it harder? Oh me oh mine! I find it difficult enough already, to survive more than seven sorties, man! But well, to look at it realistic: why shouldn't AI fly as clever and dangerous as we arm chair pilots do, eyh? (I hate reality!!!) (Lol!!!)

Are these selfmade skins, Stump? Cause, then you may post them in the skinning department, too? The overall torquoise Albatros (Croneis ?) looks most interesting to me. Keep them coming!

I should think, they had something like that, UncleAl - I mean, they had planes, subs and Zeppelins! But in the artillery, I saw another method, what you can do, when you're not sure about the target distance. You just use different loads in the cartridges. So, one granade bursts at 7.000, the second at 7.500, and the third at 8.000 - one of them may hit you with it's shrapnels.

Thanks, Maeran and Ras For the time, I think, Wels was right. I should have given the briefing a better close look; cause there you read 12h 23 for time. Thanks, Maeran and Ras For the time, I think, Wels was right. I should have given the briefing a better close look; cause there you read 12h 23 for time.

Rickity, here are two of my TrackIR profile curves, just for comparison.

This was a very special order, I was given today (great idea, Winder & team). I had to protect and bring back my wingman, who had a special camera for aerial photography on board, as the two-seaters couldn't come. This time, I fought like a mad wolf, although we were outnumbered. Our three Albatros D Va stood against 5 Camels. But we kept them so busy, that one of them hit the deck in a tight turn fight. My wings shot another one down; and I did so, too. The last "crumpet" was a tough pilot; we went up and down and around like on a fun fair, but I hit him again and again, and he couldn't get behind me. My last burst blew pieces out of his upper wing; but when I tried to turn away, he swayed round and rammed my lower left wing. After that, he crashed. I crawled home with a "beaten Wolf", that always wanted to lean over to the left. Stick tough right; damn tricky to change direction carefully; I just made it over the mud and made an uncomfy landing - but made it!

Here's some gunnery pics from the last three days. Seems I've become a specialist for sawing off wings.

I made my own version of "Bloody April" some 15 minutes ago, in 1916. Our flight two consited of 4 Albatros DII. Right after take off, I spotted 5 FE2b from RFC-11, and 2 BE2c from RFC-8. We climbed up to them, while they seemed to approach our home field. It was like shooting ducks with a pumpgun. Within 4 minutes, I had four of the FEs down. I got hit myself, but not badly. What a satisfying way to end this day!

No, Pol, I did not request clues. I want to know, how British or American pilots write "north-east, northeast, N/O" or time and date: is it like WELS 8h 45; or like my 08:45 h, or different? It would be only fair to clear at least that, what native English speaking people already know.

Sounds so good for the Halberstadt, that I'll start a campaign with it, too.

Were's that kill board?

Right, Rickity and Siggi - I'm still the unpatient "want to reach MvR's tally" type. Maybe that's what killed Werner Voss, an excellent pilot, but maybe not as cold blooded as MvR. And as for the luck you need, Siggi: here's apicture of Ernst Udet after a fight. You know, he survived the war. But how close - death had kissed him on the cheek already... (This was posted in the old forum, but some may not have seen it. And before the debate about the strange look of the holes starts again - it looks very much, as if someone had rolled up white or yellow paper and put it into the holes, as if to make them more visible; or not to count them twice. I have Udet's book, so I could see it better there). Sorry for you, Griphos - all sounds so serious, the way you did it; and he had a good kill tally. Yes, it must have been terribly hard to survive; and I repeat again, what some ace has said: "On a long enough timeline, your chances to survive this, drop towards zero."

Then, one of the zigs or zags was wrong, Jim! Lol!!!

Hi, Siggi - you may be right there. I always try not to think about hitting the pilot. After all, he would be as much a young man with so much to yet experience, and some mother's son; as I was. I'd be most lucky, if everyone would make and survive crash landings; just to be able to jump into another crate and try it again (as we can do). Well, at least for the aces, that is so. Hey, Rickity - no one said, TrackIR would make it easier. It's just more immersive. But you can also get lost in so much to see now. Take care!

Hahaha!! I think, I would have looked for more fools to down with so much ammo! You must have hit the right parts like aileron cables. I had that with SPADs twice - they rolled over like a washing machine drum, and pulled hard into the mud. Always a great show to watch!

Really, Hoghead? Well, I'll give the Halberstadt another try anyway. But the better forward view and the two guns are very strong arguments for the D II. And the D III - believe me - is much better than the Halberstadt! You will just need some flying experience on it, as all Albs are a bit heavier than Halbs or Nupes. But once you know how to handle them, they are excellent fighter planes.

Right, JohnGresham; but I know, it still feels great to achieve so many kills in that short time, eyh, CJ?

Just shot down two BE2c. Now I'd like to know, how to write the right things. My report reads: 1 BE2c RFC-8 craft hit and destroyed at 08:33 h, near Lens. 1 BE2c RFC-8 craft hit and destroyed at 08:45 h, south-east of Lens; south of Haubourdin airfield. Do you "crumpets" write "south-east" or "southeast", or maybe "S/E" ? And how would "south-southeast" be right? Is it better to name cities or airfields - or as many locations as possible? Thanks in advance. Olham