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

One thing I noticed when checking it out in a non-DiD mission is that it only affects B-Flight, not A-Flight. This can be disadvatageous if A-flight isn't at the hotspot/mission objective area when B-Flight arrives there.

We could have used A-Flight on combat patrol.

I believe that because it's use changes when B-Flight arrives at a mission area that the intended EA may not be in place yet. I've no way to prove this, just my guess

Yeah, definitely. Well, it's good that it's not a beaming command;
maybe useful for tricky two-seater missions though, where you are alone anyway.
But then I can always leave my course anyway - with or without waypoints.

When I'm flight leader I don't always fly the route presented in WOFF. I do print it out for reference. Sometimes the WOFF route takes us over places, like a series of EA airbases, that I'd prefer to avoid.

Its only my personal opinion, but I find auto-pilot has some unappealing results, whether for video-shooting or for flying large chunks of your mission

What makes a video interesting to me is to see how the person is flying the plane, where the pilot looks, how he maneuvers the machine. If I know that I am just watching the computer fly, then the video is no longer nearly as interesting to me. In fact, I probably wouldn't watch a video of auto-pilot flying because I can watch the computer fly an airplane anytime on my own computer. Again, that's only my interest and probably some other people love to watch videos with interesting views obtained with the help of auto-pilot.

If we use auto-pilot to help with difficult tasks like maintaining formation or navigating or whatever, then there is no hope to learn to do these things on our own, no hope to improve our skills, and no hope to experience more of the real WW1 experience. It's a chicken and egg thing. If I use auto-pilot because I find these things too hard to do, then I will always find these things too hard to do because I use auto-pilot.

+1 !

From what I always understood from OFF and WOFF, there is no such thing as "intended EA" as they don't spawn with en event trigger. The squadrons in the zone have missions assigned and fly them the same wether you're there or not.

1st combat flight of Bernd Guth

Just a few impressions on a recce mission for those arty guys.





full flight returned safely after 1.4. hours............

Bernd lost his virginity, but, to be honest, when he discovered those spots far away, he nearly lost his nerves, just to recognize, its the top cover flight.......

Flight Lt Alex Ackworth - RNAS 4 - Coudekerque - 28 July 1916 (Mission 26)

We received a couple of Strutters over the weekend and the ground crews have been busy getting them ready to fly. After some rest, we take off this morning at sunrise (5:11) for a railyard bombing in Roulers. We are five planes led by Flight Cdr Whealdon and we will receive the reinforcement of three DH2s from RFC 29 in Abeele. Weather is beautiful and the sky is clear with some little clouds.

We get to the frontline with our escort and cross over. The railyard is some 10 miles inside enemy territory. As we get on the enemy side at 6000 feet, we fly over a Drachen and get a warm welcome from the flak defense around it. Gee, they get up early !

Then we fly over Rumbeke airfield where we can spot a bunch of planes landing, not one of them seems to notice us. Two miles further we drop our bombs on the railyard and turn around. No sign of enemy patrols in this early morning hours !

As we get back to the front, Cdr Whealdon seems to have forgotten about the Drachen because we fly over it again and get the flak goodbye. This time a shell burst between him and me and his plane is hit, because he breaks left and flies away, probably to try to land on the good side. Being number two, I become leader and I take everybody home to Coudekerque. After landing we are glad to hear Cdr Whealdon has landed his plane with only light damage in the country, and is on his way to the airfield.

Augustus Snodgrass
Sgt, Rfc
70 Sgn

July 29th 1916.

1001 Hrs;The Adj posted me to a 6 a/c Bombardment mission to Vimy Rail Spur. Intell suggested that a Ammo Train was parked there. Flew as #6, spotted a full Jasta ( 10 a/c) circling around Vimy. The Jasta split up into 2 flights and my flight attacked. I endeavored to go on to target but got boxed in by 2 Hun machines. Everyman for himself,pickeled the bombs and got 11 shots off before the Vickers Jammed. I dove under the e/a and my rear seater fired 8 rds. No Hits. But soon we were free and clear.

Results: 1 Hun E-111 claimed. Losses: B flight 1 forced down Pilot and gunner Wnd. 1 Dest all killed.
A Flight 1 Dest crew presumed Killed.


upload a gif

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Major Hawker called his newest Captain into his office today and told him it was high time he had his ID photo updated to reflect his latest rank along with showing off the ribbons the King had seen fit to honour Burroughs with. The Major observed that the young man's original photo made him look more like a boot boy than an experienced pilot and ordered him to attend to this embarrassment posthaste.

Done and done! Now then, it's off to the officers' mess for an extended night of drinking and celebration.



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Nicely done Lou. A master forger (er..ah..) artist at work! If I need a new passport I know who to see!

July29, Dawn Patrol.
2 machines for this flight. Recy front lines near Diksmuide. I lead our flight to target with no contact. Lots of our chaps in the air. Lost sight of Newbury before heading home and have no idea what happened to him. Returned to field. On approach my oil pressure goes to nothing and I cut the engine and glide to a fine landing. Report is that Newbury and his Observer were both killed in a crash. No details.

July 29, Afternoon Patrol.
3 machines. Bombardment spotting southeast of Messines. CO says this is a special assignment. Make target without incident. No contact, no archie, no nothing. This is a fine day. Head back and land without any trouble at 1500 hrs. I believe we have time to make a trip into town and see the ladies. Hope our spotting did the chaps in the trenches some good.

Flight Lt Alex Ackworth - RNAS 4 - Coudekerque - 29 July 1916 (Mission 27)

Today is afternoon mission for me, another railyard bombing with Flight Cdr Whealdon. Weather still beautiful, escort by 3 Nieuport 11 from RNAS 1 in Furnes. Target is Loos Junction north of Lens.
Same procedure as yesterday, except we're flying higher (10500 feet). Bombs on target for everyone, no opposition in sight, too high for the flak to be precise this time and all make it home for the five o'clock tea.

Corsaire;

I find it interesting how similar your mission targets and objectives in RNAS-4 are to mine in RNAS-5. Nice screen shot with all of you lined up astern. Must be going in for the bomb run.

It does seem problematic Mfair, having seen the view from the tail gun.
However I do wish the fool would tell me "No shot!" or some form of "hey, give me a clean shot" haha.


Looks like we're right around the same hours. Neat stuff.

Good luck to you sir!

-Jenks

Congratulations to your promotion, Captain Burroughs!
Maybe you get the photos redone AFTER the celebration, Lou - your pilot
might be looking much older then...

The continuing career of Albert "Mushroom" Ward:




30 Jul 1916 @ 05h03 Bombing Rumbeke aerodrome

Shook lead the flight with Mesurier, Soar, Parsons, myself, and Chadwick accompanying. “A” flight sent Hervey to follow. We had scattered cumulous and very good visibility for the run. No enemy craft were encountered. The bombing was a success.

YouTube Video:



30 Jul 1916 @ 12h50 Bombing of enemy front lines North of Ypres.

Escort of 6 DH. 2’s of RFC-29 from Abeele

Mesurier lead the flight with Soar, Hervey, Parsons, myself, and Chadwick accompanying. “A” flight sent Shook, Hill and Huskisson to follow us as followup bomb run. No enemy aircraft encountered and bombing run was a success.

YouTube Video:

Unfortunately WOFF doesn't allow for formation change during the flight. Line astern being the best one for bombing, I choose this formation for bombing missions with escort. Unfortunately this is a bad formation for defense if we get jumped on the way.

I wondered if you had made the formation selection. It would be handier if you could issue a command to change formation for bombing as you approached the target. Autopilot does this automatically but there is no command I am aware of to allow you to do this manually while in flight.

I didn't find it either. In Rise of Flight I was used to have a spread out formation for the flight and change formation for bombing run to line astern, then re-change it ater regrouping for the return flight.