Ares Games
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Determining who was flying... non game related

  1. #1

    TocsRetsek
    Guest


    Default Determining who was flying... non game related

    During WWI how did pilots know who they were up against? I mean the allies didn't know who Richthofen was initially or did they. Afterward it was just a matter of finding his plane. Or what about Gunemeyer or Fonck? My understanding is that there wasn't any radio communication. Did they study up on who the adversary was?

  2. #2

    Default

    There is some evidence to suggest that individual planes were readily recognised at times.

    A British pilot, shot down and taken to a German airfield, pointed out a plane displaying a reversed swastika, saying "Oh, we all know him - we call him the lucky bent stick" or something like that - I can't find the reference right now.

    Also, I believe that a number of pilots in Jasta 11 had their fuselages painted red, so that the enemy could not single out MvR - personal colours were carried on the elevators, to tell these planes apart.

  3. #3

    Dom S's Avatar
    Users Country Flag


    Name
    Dom
    Location
    People's Republic of South Yorkshire
    Sorties Flown
    2,081
    Join Date
    Jun 2010

    Default

    Yes - German aces were often known to the British and French as their individual markings made them fairly identifiable. (Usually they wouldn't know who the pilot was, obviously, but would recognise the plane.). The other way around was a lot less common, simply because so few entente pilots had distinctive markings on their aircraft.
    Last edited by Dom S; 05-27-2015 at 15:53.

  4. #4

    TocsRetsek
    Guest


    Default

    This makes more sense to me. Thanks for the feedback.

  5. #5

    Default

    I wonder how much information was gleaned from each others press & propaganda, and if much was gleaned from POW ?

  6. #6

    TocsRetsek
    Guest


    Default

    Now that you mention propaganda... How inaccurate might counts have been made in order to give some individuals more prestige? If you wanted to create support wouldn't you give our "hero" more kills in order to gain backing?

  7. #7

    Dom S's Avatar
    Users Country Flag


    Name
    Dom
    Location
    People's Republic of South Yorkshire
    Sorties Flown
    2,081
    Join Date
    Jun 2010

    Default

    No - the common characteristic of the vast majority of WWI aces was that they ended up dead.... Build up one guy's mythos artificially and you're just begging for a morale crash when he pegs it.... (Leaving aside the friction and bad blood it would generate with your other pilots....) While everyone overclaimed, there's no indication that any side inflated specific pilots' tallies.

  8. #8

    Default

    When Max Immelmann was killed, Oswald Boelcke was snatched away from his unit and sent to the East on an "inspection tour", since losing both great Aces was thought to be too great a blow to German morale.

    After (probably) inflating his OWN score, "Billy" Bishop was removed from front line ops to prevent his possible demise for a similar reason (though some schools of thought have him removed owing to antipathy with his fellow pilots, centred around his 'exaggerated' score).



Similar Missions

  1. Replies: 4
    Last Post: 04-05-2014, 20:19
  2. Not In Any Way _WoW_-Related
    By csadn in forum Officer's Club
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 12-18-2012, 12:58
  3. Vaguely Game-Related Question
    By csadn in forum Officer's Club
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 02-09-2012, 15:12
  4. A little help - Completly not game related
    By ste_marthe in forum Officer's Club
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 07-12-2011, 06:35
  5. What did you get for Christmas? (WOW related)
    By pflanzer in forum Hobby Room
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 01-01-2010, 22:55

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •