homepage Forums Air Combat & Civil Aviation Wings: Over Flanders Fields Deep Immersion DiD campaign -- Player Instructions (UPDATED 28 Nov 2018)

The great leap forward is upon us. I'll be dropping three or more days at a go. I've numbered them so you won't skip ahead by mistake or if you want to let them accumulate and really settle in.

À la Recherche du Temps Perdu - Part 1 of many


1 June 1917
54 Squadron RFC
Flez, France



0550 hrs. Escort 3 RE.8s from RFC-52 on a bombing run 2 miles E of Cambrai. Mac, Nobby, Charley and Sutton. At the rendezvous point near the Étang de Bihécourt we found the Harry Tate’s along with 6 of the Baron’s Men!

Down low. We caught them flatfooted!!


I led B-Flight down. A-flight followed, and the slaughter began.



On my second pass thru I caught an all red one and put a good 30 rounds into him before zooming past and back up. He fell out of control followed closely by another Pup.


The day was not without losses. I couldn’t see who it was.


Diving in again, I latched onto another red Albatros, its fuselage ringed with a fat grey band.



I must have hit him. He stopped jinking after the second burst. Another 20 rounds and the Hun exploded right in from of me! Bits of Albatros torn away floated in the air as the burning torso of the fuselage fell to earth rolling over and over. An awful sight.

The squadron office was joyful chaos, everyone talking at once, replaying the events of the fight. Uncle was just off the phone with a battery commander near Hervilly/ Montigny Ferme aerodrome. Burr was the man on fire. He managed to dive and extinguish the flames before making a forced landing nearby, singed but not hurt badly. The Harry Tate’s all returned safely.

The afternoon show was a mass rush as we cleared the field ahead of a Hun bombing raid. All aircraft got away safely. No damage. I could see the bombers high above, escorted to the lines with bursts of Archie.

Four empty chairs in the Jasta 11 mess tonite! Four! Nobby and Sutton got one and Foster recorded his first kill. A festive mess tonite.

I got to talking with Pixley. He mentioned he’d be returning to Canada after the War. This was a surprise.
“I went there with the Shooting VIII in school. Lovely place, Ripper.”
‘Did you?” I asked. “In that awful old school of yours. Harrow was it? No that’s not right. Charterhouse?”
“Hear hear!” cried Pope.
“That will be quite enough of that, Pope,” replied Pixley, looking wounded.
Uncle was shaking his head nearby, looking dejected as well. “Oh that’s just unkind, Ripper.”
“I remember now. Rugby!” I said triumphantly.

Both Uncle and Pixley’s faces fell as one. Uncle put hand to forehead and massaged his temples, muttering “oh dear, oh dear, oh dear,” then recovering his composure he lowered his neat whiskey by a good inch and turned to me.
“This simply won’t do. We have renamed you, and now it seems we must see to your education as well.”

“Pay attention, Ripper,” said Pixley. “There will be a test later. Now, repeat after me…

“Rugby may be more clever,”
“Harrow may make more row,” Uncle intoned in turn.
“But we'll row forever,” sang Pixley
“Steady from stroke to bow,” returned Uncle.

Together they rose in full voice for the last lines.

“And nothing in life shall sever,
The chain that is round us now,
And nothing in life shall sever,
The chain that is round us now.”




2 June 1917
54 Squadron RFC
Flez, France

0450 hrs. Line Patrol over Bullecourt. Ominous grey thunderheads but only light rain. We chased a two-seater East but lost him in the clouds. No other e/a sighted.

1320 hrs. Barrier Patrol SE of Arras. Reports of heavy activity on that sector. Raining steadily. Visibility poor, flying conditions miserable. I lead Meissner Grevelink Nobby and Foster. On the southern outskirts of Arras, we ran into the Jasta 11 crowd again.



This time they held the advantage
A-Flight dropped down and leveled the odds a bit.



I dodged the first attack then reversed onto the Hun.
Meissner joined the fight and we drove the Alb lower. After a minute of this the Hun ran for his lines with the two of us in close pursuit. Meissner’s Pup was running fast today.



He caught the Alb and shot him down in flames.
Gathered Nobby and the three of us headed back over to friendly territory. Crossing No Man’s Land we spied an Albatros returning home and gave chase. A6215 was running a bit rough today. Nobby shot out ahead and ran down the Hun while I covered.



Nobby fired one short burst then waggled his wings and broke off. Gun jammed?


I fired and 60-70 rounds from longer range and got him smoking.



I closed and after a short burst…another explosion! I barely dodged the wreckage as it flew over my left shoulder. I’ll never get used to the sight of the aeroplane just flying apart like that. Jarring, every time it happens.

Both Albatri confirmed. I now have 17. The pilot in yesterday’s combat was Georg Simon.
The songbook is here! Cinquante-Quatre arrived today complete with Grevelink’s wonderful illustrations. We spent the night in song. Oh that syncopated fire control…





3 June 1917
54 Squadron RFC
Flez, France

0445 hrs. A late night with all the songs but I felt good this morning, not having had much to drink. With Foster Mac and Ackers we returned to the rail yard at Avesnes le Sec junction. My rockets set the sheds on fire but after 100 rounds my Vickers jammed, and I couldn’t get the round clear. Thankfully there were no Huns about or on the return trip. We left the rail yard somewhat the worse for wear and returned to Flez for a proper breakfast.

Major Horn is off to hospital to have his knee fixed. He’s never been the same since he wrenched taking cover from that night raid at Chipilly. It locks out at random times and he can’t fly safely. Strugnell will assume temporary command when he returns from leave. We’ll be in good hands there but it also means our most experienced flight commander is flying a desk.

1315 hrs. Line Patrol from Old Mossy Face SE to the Cambrai road. Stumbled on a two-seater. I finally got into good firing position below, but my gun jammed after 70 rounds.


Hyde came charging right in and put him down.

The DFW fell out of control. Good old Milford!
Unfortunately, the Hun passed through the solid clouds and nobody saw him crash.

We’d just finished reforming when 3 high Albs overflew the formation then attacked.


I mistimed a reverse and paid dearly. Spandaus hammered A6215.

Controls slow to respond, well-ventilated canvas flapping, I put the nose down toward the nearest cloud and ran. The Hun didn’t follow. I thought about setting down at the advanced landing ground near Longavesnes but in the end I nursed the Pup home to Flez.

In the end nobody saw the DFW fall. No crash, no claim. Squadron rule.

Sutton led C-flight this morning and all six of them got in on an Albatros. Not sure how that’s going to play out up at Wing, but it made me happy to see the M.C. suffixed to Pixley’s name on the report.