homepage Forums Air Combat & Civil Aviation Wings: Over Flanders Fields The "DiD Campaign Revival" - Intro, Rules, Reports & Records Chart

Congrats Catknight, using the Fee as a fighter is not so easy !

I also downed Max Ritter von Mulzer some time ago with a DH2 and made a little research on the man. Here is his grave in his hometown Memmingen (Bayern) I worked there for a couple of years, but unfortunately didn't know at the time.

Well done CatKnight!
And thanks for posting that Corsaire. I think it does us well to be reminded of the men bwhind the names. I like the propeller on the memorial.

Mixed fortunes for Augustus Mueller today.

Reconnaisance sortie in area of Beuvry - East of Bethune. Jumped by 2 Ni 16's. Forced to land due to being wounded and heavy damage to the aircraft. He has been hopitalised for 6 days.

But he has been told that he has been tranfered to FS Sivry (Jasta 6)

No flying for me until 3 Jul.

Got your entry Beanie. You will appear in the table on Monday.

Ah, the future Jasta 6 is a unit I am thinking of.
Haven't decided about my transfer yet. Good recovery, Beanie!

Cheers Jim, and thank you - to both you and Olham for making this happen

Since the days of the OFF DiD camapign Jasta 6 in one of my favourite.

As you may know, RAF_Louvert is taking over the assignment of medals. In order to do this he requires to know what aircraft you are flying. So the web survey has been changed so that you can select the aircraft you are flying at the present moment. In the future, as you change squadrons/Jastas and aircraft, the history of your pilot will be kept. All the required aircraft should be in the list as I took the list from the WOFF aircraft directory. Of course, quite a few of the aircraft are not around in 1916 but I put the whole lot in so that the question can be used in future surveys. Let me know of any problems.

I flew two missions today. In the first one, nothing happened. In the second, my whole flight was shot down. I managed to make a landing, though my Aviatik was also damaged.

MFFA 2 is now grounded until July 1. Once again, I'm the only pilot left in the unit.

My Excel sheet shows that ever since I started this DiD campaign on June 17, MFFA 2 has lost eight Aviatiks, two have been damaged, and 16 pilots and observers have been killed, with two wounded. I'm sure the casualties would have been even heavier if I had been able to fly every day.

Jim, your records surveys are getting better and better - thank you so much!

Hasse, you must be the only remaining pilot there?

I'm also grounded until July 1 due to lack of planes.

June 28:

Well, that was.. Hm.

Morning flight was almost an exact copy of yesterday's jaunt. Three machines, this time with I leading, fly over to Ypres and patrol for awhile. I'm still not sure why command thinks FE2.bs are great for patrolling, but so be it.

We head straight for Ypres, gaining in altitude as we go. We never make it. Somewhere around Ballieu I notice 5 dots closing rapidly. From the east. Hm.. I just watch them for about 10 or 15 seconds, and they are definitely coming over to see what we're about.

Time to zoom.

Time to run from the squad of Eindeckers.

If I thought for a moment my wingmates would behave as fighters, I might have risked it even at 3:5 odds - yesterday left me with new found respect for my craft (at least compared to the E.III). No, I don't think this is going to work.

I spin away and dive rapidly for AA range. I'm not far from Balieu Wood/Town/Asylum, so plenty of airfields to choose from if things get too hot. For awhile the extra speed from our descent works in our favor. Two of the E.IIIs break formation and surge ahead. Then I notice one of those two turn back..then the second. I begin to turn to see if maybe I can give him a bloody nose, but the other three, still in formation, take this opportunity to close rapidly. I turn and run some more.

Over Balieu Asylum my mates decide it's time to land and get out of harm's way. I follow along, and just for the kicks I decide to play along and let the waypoints guide me in. I'm beginning my down wind leg run, when I notice one of the Eindeckers is in my way and will intercept me before I can complete the leg.

I abort and begin one of my more normal landings - much steeper flight path, but this person's coming up fast. I'm 500 feet high when the first wild shots pass around me.

Sigh. Well, there's only one. I turn into him, and it's ANOTHER fricking HA. My observer takes a few shots at him as we close rapidly. He turns away .. and I don't dare follow. We're too low, and I don't dare spend the time to climb for altitude with this joker hanging about. The Fee is far too sensitive to get into a turning duel with no room to recover if I spin out. I begin a more circumspect turn, trying to just stay ahead of his guns.

At one point he breaks left when I break right, and I use that opportunity to fly over Balieu Asylum at about 500 feet altitude. He chases me, and that's when the AA lets him have it. He turns away and I let him go.

With my two mates landed, and a squad of Eindeckers flying about looking for trouble, there is no point in trying to go on. I land at Balieu.

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And apparently arrive back in time to try again that afternoon. This time I'm part of a group of five on yet another patrol, this time around the town of Balieu itself. A flight follows us up, then sits over our base as we begin the long flight north.

The long, lonely flight. Driving rain - I don't know if I've seen fiercer in WOFF. Grey skies at 7000 feet, the sun nothing more than a dull orb burning through the mist and not a hint of blue. I'm frankly surprised the meteorologist didn't tell us to stay home.



Because apparently he tells everyone else. I see a grand total of one plane on our entire patrol: A dot far below and moving along the front. It didn't care about (or perhaps see) us, my flight leader didn't care about him, and I was content to practice flying in and out of formation. We completed the entire patrol, then returned home without incident.

I might have been bored, but someone came along and mauled 'A' flight cruelly. Of the four machines in their flight, three where shot down with six men killed.

I'm ready to get out of this deathtrap. I hope my transfer comes through soon.

Sounds like "Bloody April" already - good luck for your transfer, CatKnight!

And that's how we end up with several kills on 2 seaters in 1916. AI Eindeckers routinely follow you home.

Yes, one chased me home but didn't get closer than 150m. I was surprised that he followed me so far across the lines.

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Just caught up with everyone's adventures to date. A wonderful group of reports and pics that went well with my morning cuppa'. Many thanks Gents for sharing them here.

This morning's patrol for Sergeant Burroughs was nearly an ender when he was jumped by seven Eindeckers while escorting a trio of Quirks to the north of Lens. He sent one down in pieces and another spinning OOC before he took some nasty hits and had to dive out of the melee. Landed at Hesdigneul aerodrome and was sent off to hospital immediately where he will spend some time recovering. Won't say how many days, just to add to the realism level of this most excellent campaign, but I will hint that it should be sufficient for Scout_77 to pass me up on the chart. A rather apropos spot to leave off for a while though, exactly 25 completed missions.




Fly smart everyone!

Lou

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Wow, Lou, Despite the hospital time you are doing very well.

Bad luck Lou. I have a long ways to go before catching up to your points score ... cursed by my lower 'medium' activity zone multiplier don't you know

I did just pass 20 hours, and I am pleased with that. I rarely last that long in a campaign. I credit the guy sitting behind me in my Strutter ... he does a good job of watching my back.

Arghhhhh...Basel got wounded. Only 3 days though.

I have a problem in that Anthony Agrayne managed to fly 13 sorties in a Fee and stay alive (with one victory). Then I asked for a transfer to no 24 with DH2s. Now I am scared to fly and my hands shake even if I think of going aloft. What should I do:

a) drink a bottle of whisky or two
b) drink a bottle of rum
c) stand on my head and drink a beer
d) shoot myself in the ear with a service revolver

Just go out and see what happens?