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

Wulfe - Blast those hamfisted Ramflieger! Dreadful news about poor Grey going West. He left us far too soon. Knowing zippo about the Aviation Militaire I was very much enjoying your well-crafted narrative. Hurry back!

Carrick - Candy cane Albatri, Green Tails, the Baron's men and now Green Tails again! Thorpe is getting his money's worth against the cream of the Luftstreitkräfte. Tough break on the Unconfirmed Kill. Next time you must have... you know the rest of it. Well done all around. Love the ground strafe of that convoy. Shame you expended all your bombs on that blasted marshaling yard. As always, superb pics.

Lou - Nice to see Freddy and Nurse Lizzie reunited. I'm glad somebody is getting on with the fair sex in a drama-free fashion. What beckons for these two?

Fullofit - Ziggy continues his meteoric rise. Most clever getting those DFWs as bait. Nasty shock about Hess, and on Christmas Eve too. I was worried there with those Christmas day SPADs dropping in, and in vile conditions to boot. Tough to see much with all that sleet. Very well done. A fitting gesture to add Hess' green band. It seems Oliver and Ziggy are on parallel paths, each starting to take greater risks. Ziggy was sure rolling the dice staying on target with that trailing Frenchie/Franzmensch. As for that railroad landing, Mein Gott! most fortunate to emerge unscathed.
Given his fame, will HQ finally forgive Ziggy his transgressions and offer him the Jasta? Good luck with the new pup.

Raine - Mac continues his climb. Twenty-three now! Congrats. Loved the sartorial description and what a score with the new flying coat! Oliver is still waiting for his sealskin gauntlets from Astoria to make their way over. Most evocative description of the frozen landscape of the salient, and the very merry Christmas for the Squadron and locals. Calvados is just the thing for a winter singalong. Goodness knows what mischief young Stephane will be drawn into.



À la Recherche du Temps Perdu - Part 52 of many



1 December 1917
56 Squadron RFC
Laviéville, France

Awake a full hour before Harris brought my tea and biscuit at 6 o’clock. An extra-large whiskey before retiring last night as has become my custom of late. No memory of my dreams but sleep proves less restorative with each passing day.

7.45 Dawn Patrol of our lines between Monchy-le-Preux and the Bapaume-Marcoing road. Maybery, Turnbull, Harmon, Woodman and Roy. Heavy cloud layer at 8500 feet. Patrolled at 6000 for three circuits then climbed above the clouds. No e/a sighted after 2 hrs.

Patrols no longer bring their knife-edged state of agitation and alertness. I miss the nervous energy and mental sharpness. Now, it’s the waiting that weighs most heavily. Tedious waiting. The bag doesn’t help as it once did. I’m getting careless. Huns hit me these past few patrols where before they never even got in a position to fire. I watch the new men’s backs more than my own and go chasing into trouble. That path has only one destination.

Only the morning patrol today. Lunch and carousing in Albert. I was certain I saw Pixley amongst a group of pilots and ran halfway across the street to greet him before I realized it was another man. His companions regarded me oddly then moved on.

Mac salvaged a red spinner from an LVG he brought down and fitted to his machine. He’s claiming an extra 3 mph at 10,000 feet.

Yesterday’s Albatros confirmed. Woodman, who was the SE fighting low over Epinoy had seen my Hun crash and Wing endorsed his confirmation. One Hundred three.


2 December 1917
56 Squadron RFC
Laviéville, France

9.00 Morning escort of 3 R.R.8s from RFC-13 to bomb targets east if Monchy-le-Preux. Clearer weather but strong winds from the East building in force as the patrol went on. Proceeded to target at 10,500 feet without incident. Once the Harry Tates were safely back across the mud we patrolled over the Bapaume-Marcoing road.

Attacked 3 V-Strutters south of ProNville. After going twice roundwith a most determined adversary, I dove across the circle and landed a burst from 80 yards. I may have hit the pilot as the Albatros ran east and made few attempts to evade me. My second burst was from 40 yards.


The pilot slumped over and the Albatros went straight down out of control.

Circling to collect the flight as the other Huns dove away east,


a single Black Tail dropped down.

His long-range volley caught my left top aileron as I broke. When I reversed, he was already diving away for safety.

B54 pulled to port with the torn control surface and the strong winds made for sluggish handling. Landing at Laviéville was more exciting than usual but I got down without damage. Fielding-Johnson made a forced landing with a damaged engine. Three others, all new men, crashed on landing. Only Harmon was injured. His SE went over, and he smashed up his nose and broke his jaw. For my one Hun, 56 Squadron lost four aircraft and one pilot.

Three new pilots in as many days. R. J. Stewart, who arrived today, will join A Flight when he’s flown at least 5 hours.

Albatros confirmed. One hundred four.



3 December 1917
56 Squadron RFC
Laviéville, France

10.00 High winds continue. While B and C flights conducted distant offensive patrols, A flight would attack ProNville aerodrome. Freezing rain and sleet. Bitterly cold. Not even Clarissa’s silk-stocking cap was any good. I lost feeling in my face and ears before we passed through 5000 feet. Mercifully, the weather cleared as we crossed into Hunland.


With no Huns in sight, 56 Squadron gave ProNville a good pummeling.

High dots circled overhead as we egressed to the south of Riencourt. In sequence they came storming down. All save one made a single firing pass then continued east at full throttle. I caught the trailing Purple Albatros.


“He dropped then from the chariot and his armor clattered upon him.”

Raging sleet once we crossed back over the mud into Allied territory. Dicey landings, no crashes.

Harmon’s replacement, A. V. Blenkiron MC arrived today. He came out with RFC-23 in the Fall of 1916 as an observer. With No. 25 Sqn he was shot in the thigh but managed to stand and shoot down the offending Hun in flames. For this action he was awarded the Military Cross. At last, a new man with some experience!

Wing confirmed the Purple Hun. One hundred five.



4 December 1917
56 Squadron RFC
Laviéville, France

7.45 Dawn Patrol again over enemy lines from the Peronne-Cambrai road to Mont St. Martin Aerodrome. Maybery, Turnbull, Woodman and Roy.


Roy in jeopardy! A short burst from range saw the Hun break off and dive away.


His comrade took full advantage of my good deed...


... but followed me too far into my break. I barrel rolled up and behind him.
South of Riencourt he fell, clawing the dust in his fingers.


2.45 Late afternoon attack on Eswars aerodrome. Weather abominable on our side of the lines – snow, then mixed sleet and freezing rain. Skies oddly clear as soon as we crossed the mud. Went in low and fast. No e/a sighted.


Direct hit on the Kasino! Prost!


"And now the shining light of Helios was dipped in the Ocean
trailing black night across the grain-giving land."


British weather greeted us at the lines. Landed numbed and frozen.



5 December 1917
56 Squadron RFC
Laviéville, France

7.45 Dawn Patrol of our lines between Bullecourt and the Bapaume-Cambrai road. Maybery, Turnbull, Woodman and Roy. Stewart and Blenkiron went out on practice patrol with McCudden. Fielding-Johnson stood in for them to round out A Flight.

Icy weather this morning. Excellent visibility. Five Albatri at the lines.


I flew through the pack then reversed onto a white-chevroned Hun.


Ignoring my presence, the Alb put F-J in a spot of bother.
A burst to the engine discouraged the Hun from further mischief.

I pressed home the attack, landing another 40 rounds from close. The Albatros fell out of control. I resisted the temptation to follow. Formed with F-J and latched onto another Boche who led us a merry chase toward Riencourt.


Two short bursts from 80 yards sent him over.

I lost sight of him for some time against the misty, grey landscape but eventually spied him making a forced landing south of the aerodrome. The Alb hit roughly, shed a wing then cartwheeled to a stop.

Low on ammunition, I led the flight home.


2.30 A Flight's mission for the afternoon - the Vimy Rail junction. Same group as this morning. A high 2 seater at the lines heading west was the only e/a spotted.

Leading the way through heavy ground fire I landed my bombs on the larger storage sheds. B54’s canvas thrummed like a drumhead as the bullets danced through the fabric. A Flight followed and rendered Kaiser Bill’s marshaling yard hors du combat.


Roy was last in and scored a direct hit on an ammunition store.

Boche gunners found the range and Archied us ferociously all the way to the mud.

The Huns dropped a message confirming what we already knew: Cawson is dead. Nothing about Dodds’ fate yet. The evening dispatch rider arrived much frozen but bearing confirmation of my last 3 claims. One Hundred eight.