We Need AARs!

B

Bullethead

Guest
C'mon, you all with P3 already, let's hear some tales of derring-do, even if they are abject failures. Those of us who haven't gotten it yet are the LEAST curious in the audience. Think of the OBD team! They're sitting there chain-smoking, drinking themselves blind, mainlining meth, slapping their family around, kicking their dogs, and otherwise showing the stress of wondering how their baby came out. But all they're getting is "I got it, I haven't got it yet, how do you do this?", etc.

This whole thing is about realism, about BEING THERE. So do like they really did. Join a squadron and go out on an OP before you even know how to fly your crate. Don't sit there trying to figure everything out and honing your skills. There's a war on! You're needed at the front NOW! Go be Fokker fodder, be a statistic in Bloody April, but TELL US ABOUT IT.

Please? I've got a bottle of rum here that I'll split with you for your trouble ;).
 
Does it rain here EVERY day? Seems so as Matt Boyd, Matt Osland, Matthew Jen, and myself, Gary Patricks, walk over to our plane after briefing this morning. It's another day of milk runs, this time to knock down any spotters we can over the German's trenches in Sector 3. I also find out my wingman, for some unknown reason, has been given LEAVE so i'm saddled with a greenhorn this run. At least munitions has loaded up 8 rockets per ship as I requested, so we can save our guns for any wayward Albatrosses we may come accross.

Takeoff was uneventful, at least my group all made it into the air in one piece, and the trip to the front lines was without any drama. Locating my 1st observation ballon I signaled the group to attack and kept my altitude to provide cover for any enemies that may approach. Unfortunately my wingman went with them thinking my hand signals were for him, have to have a word with him about that. The ground fire was intense and one plane was smoking slightly but they pressed the attack. I watched as the baloon burst into flames and plummeted to the earth, carrying two souls with it. Two less gerrys to fight later as far as i'm concerned. I signaled the group to rejoin and I led them to a second observer I found. This time I went in first, guns blazing and rockets flying. Once again the ground fire was murerous and I took several hits, looks like they may have knocked one of my cylinders right off! As I looked back at the balloon sailing to the ground in flames I saw a steady flow of smoke.. it didn't look good. Time to head home!

It was only a 40 mile trip and I figured the Camel could make it so I started to slowly claw skyward to give myself some room to glide should it come to it. About then I feel something warm.. it's blood. Caught one in the thigh and didn't even feel it as I was so concerned about the bullets ripping into my engine. Only 20 miles to go now, and what could go wrong. Two Albatrosses, that's what. I try and zoom by and signal the group to help me but one of them would have no part of it. He could see my ship was wounded and came in for the kill. All I could do was stand and fight, hoping one of my wingmen would take over for me. Sputtering and coughing, the Camel held her own and I got the advantage. I put round after round into the big Albatross but it required me to pull as hard as I could with full rudder just to stay with her. I pulled one last time and squeezed the trigger.... just as I passed out from loss of blood.

God Save The King!
:ernae:
 
Brilliant! Thanks for that. I'll put you up for a posthumous MM :). Here's your rum, BTW :friday:
 
Bullethead,

I've just flown several missions. My first one, with a DH-2 ended in disaster. I was in a turn fight with an Albatross D.II and stalled out in a turn too close to the ground - Dirt Nap. Second flight was in a Dr.1 and I was way behind enemy lines, so I decided to end the flight early. Click ESC, End Flight, get notice that I'd landed behind enemy lines and was captured. Well, that's new!

Third and fourth flights were with an Albatross D.Va with Jasta 1. This is where I really got to see what this thing can do. I flew the first mission which was a patrol friendly lines mission. I flew for about 20 minutes and enjoyed the scenery - the clouds, even on slider 2 are amazing and alive. The ground is much, much more detailed. and the aircraft are amazing inside and out. My squadron is painted in natural plywood with horizontal black stripes and lozenge camo wings. However, during the mission we were joined by a squadron flying yellow and black D.Vs. No enemy action in this mission, which was fine with me, I was getting used to the new, improved, and much more unforgiving flight model.

Second mission with Jasa 1 was an airfield strike. Made our way to the field, which was only about 15 miles away and strafed a bunch of tents with my three Jasta-mates, joined in with the yellow/black fellows again. On climb out I saw a blip on the horizon and signalled my wingman to come along. He started to, but apparently got lost in a cloudbank on the way. Anyway, it turns out that I'm up against a couple of SPAD XIIIs with a red comet logo on the side. One of them disappears into a cloudbank, too and now it's one on one. I come in from his 8 O'Clock high and take a turning, high deflection shot, squeezing off a few rounds. Puffs of brown smoke. I hit him! I continue my left turn into him and he pulls a climbing right turn into me. Horizontal Scissors, brilliant! We continue to adjust position, reversing and climbing. I pull a modified barrel roll/high yo-yo and drop in on his six. Several more short bursts and more brown smoke puffs. He pulls nose high which causes me to throw in full back stick and full left rudder to avoid a collision. Miss him by what must be inches. I circle back around, having lost sight of him. Finally, I see him at my two O'Clock, very low. I circle overhead and watch him skim into the trees and burst into flames! Got one. Try to find my wingman, but he's nowhere to be seen. With no other real option, I return to my airfield come in for a perfect floating landing, cut the engine and go to the ready room. I there have to fill out a claim form giving details of my mission. The only line I couldn't fill out was the visual confirmation of another pilot. Don't know if it'll get confirmed, but I know I got him.

Now, about that rum...:friday:
 
Nice AAR's! Keep 'em coming guys.

It'll be alittle longer before I can pony up the cash for P3. Wife seems to think P2 is good enough for awhile and see's no rush to spend more money on my "hobbie".:angryfir: Some people just don't understand!

Oh well, I'm still having fun with P2, but I'll get the cash sooner than she thinks. Muhahahaha!!!
 
Thanks for all these AARs - keep 'em coming.

Seeing as Australia is the 51st state of USA then surely we must be next in receiving BHAH.
 
My first flight was in a Halberstadt DII with Jasta 2. We are tasked with escorting a flight of two seaters to bomb and enemy railyard. We make the rondezvous, and proceed to the target. We are just about to pass over the front when I spot a flight of 3 Neuports very low on our side of the lines. They are just circling at tree top level, they might as well be trailing streamers that say "Shoot me please!" I figure the two seaters can take care of themselves for the few minutes it will take to dispatch these silly Frenchmen. I order my flight to attack, and we each dive on a seperate enemy. Boelcke would be proud.

I got a good burst into my target and he begins smoking, a good start to the fight. We start to turn tighter and tighter. The Neuport is yo-yoing like crazy, and I can't keep on his tail. The Halberstadt handles like a pig on the deck, and I am bleeding airspeed trying to get into firing position. I am able to plink him a few more times, but with each shot I am firing at about a 90 degree angle to my targets top wing which is not ideal. I am getting impatient, and when I have an opportunity to pull in on the Neuport's tail, I apply too much rudder and stall out. The last thing I see is a beautifully rendered tree rushing toward me.

In retrospect in was foolish to engage the more nimble Neuport in a turning battle on the deck. I squandered my altitude advantage. If this was a fight in WWII era planes, I would have used boom and zoom tactics to maintain altitude and would have killed my targets easily. But with one MG in a slow, poorly climbing crate I don't know if this is an effective tactic. Probably the most prudent option would be to ignore the enemy flight, as they were no threat, and keep to my escort mission. I got greedy, and ended a budding pilots career.
 
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