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

Carrick, congrats on "Ace's" promotion Sir!

I don't think there will be any problem with that, other than the fact you have an interminable wait Sir! I wish it wasn't so!!

But it would be a nice vacation in Paris over the summertime. It is a beautiful city. On the pics you can see the outskirts of Paris.

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Pursuant to Army Order 204 the following individual is hereby presented the Wounded Stripe:



Your King and Country thank you for your sacrifice and faithful service.

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So you finally received that one too, as one of the last pilots, Scout.
No congrats to that, but I wish you a full and speedy recovery, Sir!

Don't pour the dark-brown, edged bottle on your side desk out into the toilet -
the label reads "Castor Oil", but it contains some fine single malt whisky,
wich was real hard to get (thank you for your help here, Widowmaker!).

Flight Lt Alex Ackworth - RNAS 4 - Coudekerque - 5 Aug. 1916 (Mission 31)

Some action !

I'm in the morning flight, I take off at 07:15 with Flight Cdr "Madman" Whealdon again, and flight A will follow us with 6 planes. We are sent to the frontline east of Bethune for an artillery spotting.

My leader lives up to his reputation, as soon as we cross the front, instead of carrying out with our mission, he goes down chasing enemy planes. I see him engage two Fokkers, so I decide I can't let him alone and we take one each. While I am fighting with mine, I suddenly hear John firing a few short bursts behind me. The second Fokker is with us, and Cdr Whealdon can't be seen, bad news ! After a few minutes things get worse as two more Fokkers join in ! Luckily we are higher than them so we can stay mostly out of reach.

During the rather long fight we will nevertheless take a few bullets ... John sends two of them down, I get number three and number four prefers running home. I head west, but we are a little low and I take a few more shots from ground units on the way.

My controls get sluggish, I prefer landing at La Gorgue nearby. I am surprised to find Cdr Whealdon is already there and I park my Strutter next to his. Both our planes will need a couple of days work, so we leave them there and get a ride by road back to Coudekerque where I will file my three claims.

This is when we get the bad news : the entire flight A is declared missing. Consequence is that we have to wait for planes and we can't fly until the 8th. Looks like the germans finished their holiday !

Congratulations to all on the medals, promotions and surviving. Stay away one day and there sure is a lot to catch up on!

Thanks Lou for the wound stripe. And thanks Olham for the Whiskey. Only a friend on the German side could have smuggled it in, as I am still in a German hospital. It almost makes the side-trip worthwhile.

Olham;

I see that special train across NoMans land is still running! SHHHH!

Tough luck there Corsaire! Looks like that Whealdon is a gem!

Aug. 4
Sub Flight Lt. Edward Eastwood
RNAS 4
Dawn Patrol: Bomb Railyard at Loos Junction.
All went well, no contact. CO says "Good Job."

Afternoon Patrol:
Bomb enemy front sector NNE Bethune. 5 machines. All went well to target. Over target the whole flight goes for a lone HA at low level. I stay high and watch the show. Everyone scatters so I drop my bombs where I think the target is and circle. I catch sight of one of my flight headed home at low level and follow at about 4000'. I hear Capt. Drury, my Gunner/Observer open up. Crap! I have four on my tail. We start the dance and I send 2 of them down and head home and the other two HA have had enough and do the same. Crossing back over the mud SSE of Foret Imperiel I see white puffs down below. Getting a little closer it is a lone EIII. I check my surroundings and make my attack. I make quick work of him and land back at Coudekerque with one of Flight B. Russell, Ashby, and their observers were killed. CO says "Congratulations."
[video:youtube]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EmsqGcjwDAQ/mqdefault.jpg[/video]

Here is the video that should have been above.

Yea, I know they don't mean anything unless the come from the Supreme High Cammand in DID, CO Lou, but I will take them.

The continuing career of Albert "Mushroom" Ward:




6 Aug 1916 @ 07h25 Recon troop and vehicle movement east of Ypres.

Escort of 6 Nieuport 11’s from RNAS-1 out of Furnes

Winds were 3 km out of the South with dense cumulus from 4000 to 6000 ft.
I lead the flight with Shook, Parsons, and Chadwick accompanying. “a” flight sent one strutter with us. The flight was uneventful and the clouds so dense that visibility was almost nill. Chadwick crashed on return but neither he nor his observer were hurt.

YouTube Video: none taken

6 Aug 1916 @ 16h06 Railyard attack at Loos Junction

Escort of 2 Nieuport 11’s from RNAS-1 out of Furnes.

Hill lead the flight with myself, Shook, Hervey and Huskisson accompanying.
We no sooner took off and reached the outskirts of Dunkirk when my engine began failing. I was forced to land on the road out of Dunkirk. I heard on return that the mission was a failure.

YouTube Video:

MFair;

Congrats on the mission which was full of conflict. Nice Vid of the whole affair.

Thanks Mr Wiggins.

Intelligence has reported that enemy saboteurs are building an advanced Armor Car Near the Lines. We will have to be on our toes.

http://youtu.be/R3Igz5SfBCE

Squad: RNAS-4
Aeroplane: Sopwith 1.5 Strutter No. 674
Name: Flight SubLt. Dudley Doorite
Observer: Lieutenant Eric Askew

Date: 05 August 1916
Time: 6h56m
Duty: Artillery Spotting east of Ypres
Lead: Flight Lt Parker

Hostiles Encountered: About 3 EA Fokker Eindeckers

Narrative: Flight of four took off at 6.56, weather mostly cloudy with cumulus clouds. Escorted by 2 French Nieuport 11s in a fine show of interservice cooperation.



Over the lines E of Ypres we encountered at least three Eindeckers at about 6,000 feet. I quickly came behind one and fired several bursts tearing fabric. He fell, but recovered. At least one EA circled behind me, but between my observer and a wingmate he was too busy to fire. I turned into him, as did a third aeroplane and we chased him to the ground in no man's land.

Lost contact with all FA and returned to base.

Claims: None.


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I never knew what 'empty skies' meant until I turned off the labels. (Doorite's flying under 'A' rules.) Time and time again I finish a dogfight just to wonder where everyone else has wandered to.

‘Stand at ease Basel. Sit down, I have some bad news for you.

You’ve not been with us very long but I’m going to miss you anyway. I just received this telegram from wing and it is my sad duty to inform you of the sudden passing of your mother. ‘

Basel sat, his eyes looking out the window. ‘when?’

‘A few days ago I’m afraid. Seems she was stalking around the woods when a pack of dogs caught her and mauled her to death…. A Foxhunt you see, terrible way to go I hear. You have a few weeks leave to settle the Den and such. I’m very sorry Basel, and I know no words can ease your pain. Here’s your travel orders including a bus ticket to Lord Trenchards Estate where your mother lived. Good luck old Fox.’

And so with that, I have to finally pack up my PC and move over to Trier. Will be some weeks before I can fly again etc… Wish all other DID pilots a good time till then.

Led

MFair, the orders in WOFF DO of course mean something to us - even if we'd have
to struggle much more, until we REALLY get them in the campaign.
So, congrats to your DSC - and now let's discuss the drinkies!
(Poor little lonesome Einie...)

Good demonstration of a road landing, Robert!
It shows so well, how you were able to avoid any fences that way.

Interesting reports again, everyone.
CatKnight, your picture implies that they did leave you instead of escorting you?

Lederhosen, you will be excused for being absent - the little fox should have the time
to say goodbye to his mother, and get her burried decently.

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Another great batch of adventures Gents, as always. Lederhosen, you will be missed Sir. Hope the move goes well and you'll be back in the WOFF skies soon.

Captain Burroughs will be out of the fight for a while as well. What had begun as a routine morning patrol of the front lines turned into a rather epic aerial battle. Artemus was leading Lieutenants McKay, Andrews, and Tidmarsh over towards Douai and all was going well until a very cheeky pair of Roland C.IIs bounced them from on high at Monchy-le-Preux. McKay, who was trailing at the time, turned on the lead attacker and looked to be doing well when his Airco suddenly began belching black smoke and he dropped out of the fight and headed home. That left Captain Burroughs and his two flight mates to deal with the enemy duo. It was going quite splendidly for the King's Own when no less than six Eindeckers came swooping into the fray! Things got very fuzzy after that with planes of both camps zipping about every which way. Artemus sent one of the Rolands down and saw it crash into No Man's Land. He also managed to send two of the Einies spinning out of control before the remaining Roland swung in front of him allowing the Hun gunner to do his worst. Despite being wounded Captain Burroughs fought on, sending his attacker limping off to the east trailing smoke. He did the same to one of the two Eindeckers that were still left hanging about at that point before he himself had to turn for home as well. He looked about for the Lieutenants and spotted them both off to the west already making the return trip. His wound did not appear to be life threatening and he was not losing blood, and despite his kite running a bit rough he chose to fly back to Bertangles, a wisp of grey smoke trailing behind him. By the time he'd landed and was helped out of his mount the left side of his neck and upper shoulder were throbbing to beat the band and he was taken immediately to the infirmary. The doctor patched him up, informing him the bullet had passed through the meat just above his left clavicle, grazing the bone as it did so, and it was going to take a fair amount of time before he would be flying again due to the amount of damage to the muscle and tendons. So, it's a fortnight's rest and recovery for Captain Burroughs. On the upside, all the members of his flight made it back to camp relatively unharmed and their combined tally was five enemy kites either destroyed or sent down OOC. All-in-all, in the grand scheme of things, it went well.




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