For ze Fazerlant!

*Gasp!*

I had a go on the Syndicate server last night, but it was still running the 'Vintage' missions from Sunday, where in they're extra-realistic, based on specific battles, with accurate aircraft lists and enforced squadron skins (ie if you take off from a certain Airfield you have a certain Aircraft paint scheme.)

Unfotunately the current map was some 1918 setting from down south, meaning you could either be French, American, or German.

Naturally I decided to pick the lesser of three evils, and, safe in the knowledge that I wouldn't run into any brave British or Belgian chaps, jumped into mein Fokker!

(Apologies for my terrible German accent. )

'My head hurtz fierzley, I do not know if it iz from ze schnapps or from ze bandage, ze doktor sayz I should net mix ze two, but it iz hard net to drink efter a day like zis! I should hef died four timez in zis patrol, but still I survife!

I vez ze rear men ef a flight ef four Fokkers, our duty wez a simple patrol along ze lines south ef ze aerodrome, und zo down ve vent, patrolling east to vest along ze bloody line until I saw mein leader turn schzarply to ze left - I het fallen out ef formation, and vaz unable to see his komandz, but zen I found myzelf unter attack from an enemy abofe und behind - from ze sun!

By ze time I had my vitz about me und het koched my schpandauze ze enemy vas already abofe me, an American Nieuport! I turned scharpley to avoit hiz next atteck, vitch was vide - his trazer fire harmlezly flyink pest my cockpit.

By now I het regrouped viz ze rest ef mein flight, und cut count at leazt four enemy craft, vich het attacked uz from abofe - four of zem against four ef uz, Flak bursting all arount - may ze superior piloten take ze day!

I picked out my man from ze melee - a Nieuport wiz a vite shtreamer, ze flight leater perhapz - I chazed after ze Ami, firink at him from afar az he tried to extend avay - zis forced him to noze down to try to ezcape - zo I alzo nozed down unt fired my schpandauze- being revarded by a stream of vite from his engine, as he dofe down out ef sight.

Breakink eff my etteck I zen saw anozer American latched onto von ef my comrades, und zo I dofe down to azist him, gettink behind ze Ami unt firing into his rear, zen turnink wiz ze lez maneuverable Nieuport until I waz able to fire a long burst unt raked his tep ving - efter vitch he shpun down out ef sight - a kill fer sure!

Lefellink out I zen fount myzelf alone in ze skies, or zo I thought - zearchink around I could zee anozer Fokker below, und anozer craft high above me - but nosink near, und zo I began to het beck norz tovardz our linez - ven zuddenly a burst from behind! Anozer Nieuport - verdammt! - Whoz dem fool idea waz it to paint our Fokkerz red unt vite anyvay?! Mein top left ving is schretted - I eaze eff to try to save ze rest ef ze ving - I must lend as soon ez pozzible or all iz lost!

I hef heard much talk zat ze Americans do net fight by ze same code az ve Europeanz, zat zey are Cowboyz unt Gangschterz - I vill not hear of zis! If it ver zo I vould not be allife today! As I waz sitting zer, defenzelez in mein crippled Fokker I saw behind me anozer Nieuport difink down upon me - I firet a flare to try to get azzistance, I vaz defenzeless - it took all my power just to keep my creft flyink shteady - I knew zis, und so did ze American - he continued to dife upon me until he vas nearly in firink range - zen zuddenly he broke avay! Unt flew back up to ver he het come frem - I should hef died, but ze American let me go.

I continued driftink tovards ze German linez, it took full aileron unt rudder just to keep my aircraft shtable - I could net turn to ze right, und if I turned to ze left my ving would drep unt I vould likely spin unt cresh! How wez I to lent? Worze - I wez now driftink over a large forrest - vat to do?

Ze matter vaz taken out ef mein hantz howezer, ven mein engine vinally died - heving been damaged by ze first Neiuport vitch het bounzed me from ze sun - mein Fokker waz Kaput! - I fell helplezzly down into ze treez - catching my veelz in ze top of von tree, unt smashing ze side of my vingz into ze trunk ef anozer - slidink down ze tree until I smashed into ze grount! My Aircraft a wreck - but amazinkly I survifed wiz nozink more zan a bash to ze het!

Returning home I vound zet I hef been creditet viz ze dowing eff two American Nieuportz, but I know zet I shoult hef died many timez zis day, yet I survife - for ze rest ef my dayz I vill neffer forget zat American flyer, und ze debt ef Honour zat I must repay...

- Leutnant Rikertsohn.'



I don't know what a WWI Dogfight would have really been like, but I like to think it would have been something like that, calm routine patrolling - sudden attack twisting melee - fighters everywhere, burning aircraft, tracer fire, pick out your man - chase him down, one on one, fire into him, break off, find yourself alone in the skies, the battle ended as suddenly as it began, who won? Who knows - only heading back to base, counting the claims and seeing who survived will tell who won the day.

And someone remind me to check my high six more often.

Exzellent tale and vid Mj. Seeing the game when it can be that pretty makes me want to at least have a stab at it. Btw How dies th eformation your with know what their mission is going to be ? or did u just tag along ? Also it looks as if its a bit hard to tell if your a smoking due to damage as all the planes seem to trail a nice oily signpost ?

Google translate didn't recognise any of that.

I'm sure it was a good tale of daring and mishap. I'll watch the vid when I'm not at work!