Areodromes... how close to the front?
Just how close were the aerodromes to the front lines? Were they within eyesight? IE, my next big project, being a No-mans land map... I was thinking of placing two aerodromes on the map, one for each side... but not sure if it was historically probable to have them so close to the front lines...
Most of the Aerodromes were back of the lines outside of artillery range. That being said, Jasta 11 often landed a "field" just several miles behind the lines in order to have a faster response time. MvR talks about this in his book.
I'm not sure what Ares' NML map is going to look like, but if I was making one, I'd make it a little lopsided. Meaning, I'd have NML and the trenches fairly close to one side. The large side would then have some strategic elements on it like a true aerodrome, supply depot, etc. The small side would be enough for missions that require one to get back to their side of the lines.
I wouldn't have thought they would be that close John - if you can see it then you can shell it and most arty pieces had ranges up to 5,6,7 miles, some had double that so I guess the fields would be several miles behind the lines for safety.Originally Posted by LingSter
Sapiens qui vigilat... "He is wise who watches"
then I guess a no-mans land map should not have the aerodromes on it.
I'd love to see (and buy) this one.
A geomorphic NML usable with the three already existing would be a win-win.
And if you get two like this and put the trench ends opposite each other we get an double map with a trench line in the middle, sounds good to me
Can't speak for WWI, but I know in WWII 9th Air Force (the Tac Air boys) tried to keep their strips within 100 miles of the front line--I have engineering drawings for their standard airstrip designs, and I'm working on trying to replicate them as a Ground Target card.
Then there was Korea, where at one point the tac-air crowd could bomb and strafe targets just by flying around the pattern....
Yeh, but the Pusan Pocket wasn't were I'd like to be based in the fall of '50
Sign me up for one of those, if you get it done
Karl
It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus
In the High Altitude line, you'd probably only be getting a card; in the Medium Altitude series it might actually be a 3d airstrip complete with a few itty-bitty parked planes and 3d revetments. True 1/200 or even Low Level 1/300, at 5000' runway you'd need an entire table... possibly a room.
In 1/1200, a full runway would be a skosh over 4', 1/700 a dash over 7, about 16'8" in 1/300, and perfect plane match in 1/200 25'. And that's for an airstrip big enough for just a single Fighter Group, 75 hardstands pluss a 200'x600' apron for transient aircraft. A strip built for a Bomb Group would be even bigger...
Neither did anyone else -- but it wasn't as tho' they had a choice, did they?
Just like Cyril LEROY Verdun mats (3 parts) that are supposed to be produced by Ares Games, maybe next year for the 100th Verdun battle aniversary.
The city of Verdun with Meuse river on south part, central part includes several forts (Douaumont, Souville, St Michel, Belleville), no man's land on north.
On A point, airships depot and buildings
On B point, an aerodrome
A) point : airships depot and buildings
B) point : an aerodrome
Last edited by monse; 04-16-2015 at 23:59.
Airfields on the edge of No Man's Land is probably unrealistic unless it is a former airfield which was over-run during an offensive. We lost several during the great German offensive of 1918.
As for artillery range, as a commander you would want to keep your airfields out of field-artillery range at least. No Allied airfield was ever truly out of artillery range after the Germans deployed the Paris Gun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Gun
This had a range of about 75 miles but was only ever aimed at Paris itself.
I just read in "Naval 8, A history os No. 8 Squadron R.N.A.S." that once they were 3 1/2 miles behind the front. A German attack did indeed shell them. The attack happened on a badly fogged in day and they could not fly the machiines away to safety. The CO ordered the men away and had the planes destroyed as troops from the front were falling back in disarray.
But if not a unique event, it should at least be very rare, as others have already pointed out.
I read in one of my Ospreys about a German Jasta which was "rolled" by a creeping barrage of Allied artillery - can't recall which one though!
Given the accuracy of that gun, good luck even hitting an aerodrome.
Karl
It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus
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