99 years ago in Italy - Barker and Hemingway

[Angiolillo]

William George Barker, whose Sopwith Camel is the plane with most victories in all WW1, was just arrived on the Italian front in 1917 when, on Christmas Day, he took off with two other pilots for an unauthorized flight. Ignoring the tacit truce that was respected by Italians and Austrians in that holy day, they attacked the airport of Motta strafing hangars, planes and people with incendiary bullets. They also dropped a cardboard sign: “To the Austrian Flying Corps from the English RFC – wishing you a merry Xmas.” Then they did not come back directly to their base - they stopped at the Italian airfield of Istrana to have their planes repaired from AA holes, so that their own officers would not know what happened.
Austrians and Germans were so offended that at 9 the next morning they sent 25 bombers and 15 fighters against the Istrana airport, thinking it was the base of RFC Camels. Their efficiency was probably not at best for what they had drunk for Christmas. At least 15 Italian Hanriots and 3 British Camels reacted. Italian second ace Silvio Scaroni was among them and records everything in his diary. A second wave at 1 pm came with surprise and was stopped. Austro-Germans lost 11 planes, while Italian losses were Hanriots bombed on the ground.
In The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Ernest Hemingway (an ambulance driver on the Italian front in WW1) remembers the episode: "Barker had flown across the lines to bomb the Austrian officers’ leave train, machine-gunning them as they scattered and ran. He remembered Barker afterwards coming into the mess and starting to tell about it. And how quiet it got and then somebody saying, 'You bloody murderous bastard.'”

[Carl_Brisgamer]

William George Barker, whose Sopwith Camel is the plane with most victories in all WW1, was just arrived on the Italian front in 1917 when, on Christmas Day, he took off with two other pilots for an unauthorized flight. Ignoring the tacit truce that was respected by Italians and Austrians in that holy day, they attacked the airport of Motta strafing hangars, planes and people. They also dropped a cardboard sign: “To the Austrian Flying Corps from the English RFC – wishing you a merry Xmas.” Then they came back to their base and asked their mechanics to keep quiet about that.
Austrians and Germans were so offended that at 9 the next morning they sent 25 bombers and 15 fighters against the Istrana airport, thinking it was the base of RFC Camels. Their efficiency was probably not at best for what they had drunk for Christmas. At least 15 Italian Hanriots and 3 British Camels reacted. Italian second ace Silvio Scaroni was among them and records everything in his diary. A second wave at 1 pm came with surprise and was stopped. Austro-Germans lost 11 planes, while Italian losses are Hanriots bombed on the ground.
In The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Ernest Hemingway (an ambulance driver on the Italian front in WW1) remembers the episode: "Barker had flown across the lines to bomb the Austrian officers’ leave train, machine-gunning them as they scattered and ran. He remembered Barker afterwards coming into the mess and starting to tell about it. And how quiet it got and then somebody saying, 'You bloody murderous bastard.'”

There is an account of this action in the Osprey "Sopwith Air Vanguard" book pp. 43-44.

I was going to write up a scenario for the mission but the Germans used DFW 2-seaters and AEG G.IV twin engine bombers.

Could you please put a good word in to add them to an upcoming set Andrea?

[Angiolillo]

We definitely need them!

[Carl_Brisgamer]

I think I'll write it up anyway and use a Gotha G.V and Rumplers as stand-ins.

[Angiolillo]

Great idea!

Actually, last year the WASP and Associazione Ludica Apuana - two great clubs organizing wonderful scenarios, as the 99 planes Midway - put together an Istriana table:

https://www.wargamespezia.org/le-att...og-massa-2015/



Here a photogallery taken at the Play convention:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/107655...7651916466155/

Here the pdf with their rules (in Italian):
http://www.wargamespezia.org/app/dow...f?t=1428846401

Here the preparatory discussion, in Italian too but IMHO worth to be seen just for the pictures (a scenario on the ambush to Yamamoto was in preparation at the same time):
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...12-Aprile-2015

I think we need also some hangover rules for the Germans, even if there are none in the pdf.

[Carl_Brisgamer]

I think we need also some hangover rules for the Germans, even if there are none in the pdf.

Just make them all rookies for the first five turns - until they sober up!!

[Boreas]

Nice!

[gully_raker]

Thanks for that Andrea!

[flash]

The Caught With Their Pants Down scenaris I wrote for Mission 13 of OTT would fit the bill for Barker's attack, then play the reciprocating Carl creates.
Christmas carnage !

[Carl_Brisgamer]

The Caught With Their Pants Down scenaris I wrote for Mission 13 of OTT would fit the bill for Barker's attack, then play the reciprocating Carl creates.
Christmas carnage !

Working on the Battle of Istrana tonight. It will come in two parts, the morning raid and the afternoon raid.

[Naharaht]

The DFW 2-seaters and AEG G-IV's would definitely be good additions to the range of planes available.

[flash]

Working on the Battle of Istrana tonight. It will come in two parts, the morning raid and the afternoon raid.

Look forward to seeing that Carl.

[Angiolillo]

100 years ago today. Merry Xmas everybody!

[THECCRICH]

That was a really cool Christmas Story Andrea thank you and Merry Christmas...

It makes me think of the ground troops playing soccer in no man.s land on Christmas day.

They would have also been disappointed at the sound of combat on Christmas Day.

'You bloody murderous bastard

I would have had to agree with that Airman...

Thank you again for everything you do sir...

Chris

[THECCRICH]

That was a really cool Christmas Story Andrea thank you and Merry Christmas...

It makes me think of the ground troops playing soccer in no man.s land on Christmas day.

They would have also been disappointed at the sound of combat on Christmas Day.





'You bloody murderous bastard I would have had to agree with that Airman...

Thank you again for everything you do sir...

Chris

Woops... Wrong year... The soccer game and Christmas no man's land truce was 1914 not 1917.. Woops

Chris

[David Manley]

I would have had to agree with that Airman...

You know the Hemingway piece is fiction, don't you?

[Jager]

You know the Hemingway piece is fiction, don't you?

Doesn't mean he was wrong, though.
Karl

[David Manley]

Just don't want you to get the idea this actually happened. I have seen others in the past that believed this was an actual event and think the real Barker shot up a train. Similar to the tosh in "The Patriot" about burning civilians in a church during the AWI that many are convinced really happened

[Angiolillo]

Just don't want you to get the idea this actually happened. I have seen others in the past that believed this was an actual event and think the real Barker shot up a train. Similar to the tosh in "The Patriot" about burning civilians in a church during the AWI that many are convinced really happened

Yes the train is fiction, but the airman’s comment perfectly applies to tbe airfield attack on Christmas anyway.

Here Scaroni’s diary from the 1922 edition, explaining why there has been a ferocious German attack on the 26th.

[David Manley]

Blimey, how heinous. Its not as if there was a war on

[Jager]

Just don't want you to get the idea this actually happened. I have seen others in the past that believed this was an actual event and think the real Barker shot up a train. Similar to the tosh in "The Patriot" about burning civilians in a church during the AWI that many are convinced really happened

Actually, much as I disliked the lack of history in "The Patriot" (though the realism of the foot firing was very nice), I do believe that a similar incident happened up north. It was a Loyalist unit, though, and
they were responding/avenging an earlier incident by Patriots. Really, the AWI was as much a civil war as a revolution.

Blimey, how heinous. Its not as if there was a war on

Well, sure, but how often have an outside ally ignore local conventions that have grown up in a war, much to the dismay of their allies and anger of their opponents?
Karl

[David Manley]

The creators did base it on a real incident, but it was perpetrated by the Germans in occupied France during WW2. They admitted that no such case occurred during the AWI but added it because it was dramatic and cool. Such is the majic of Hollywood.

Re Barker's raid, anyone shooting up an operational enemy airfield during hostilities is doing the right thing; even better if it provokes an inept respo se that causes the enemy dear.

[Jager]

Re Barker's raid, anyone shooting up an operational enemy airfield during hostilities is doing the right thing; even better if it provokes an inept response that causes the enemy dear.

I'm not arguing that it wasn't a proper action of war, esp. taking advantage of a complacent enemy. I'm just pointing out the natural reaction from ally and enemy.
And while I doubt Barker planned on the reaction, it certainly worked out, so.....
Karl

[Angiolillo]

Well, Barker decided that action on his own, without orders. To the extent that he tried to have his plane repaired without the technicians telling around about his mission. With the added scorn of the Christmas "card" dropped on the enemy field. Maybe cunning, but he was not doing his duty.

Strange things happens in war. Gabriele d'Annunzio spent the whole war planning to bomb Wien and destroy the Palace with all the Austrian Royal Family inside. When he finally had planes capable to fly for 1.000 km and accomplish the mission, the Italian High Command forbade the bombing - he could only fly over the city to drop leaflets. The poet wanted to bomb and kill, the generals asked for a more peaceful action.

[Angiolillo]

I add that, for what I read, Barker and his friends used incendiary bullets. Using them against people was against the Saint Petersburg Declaration, so even a cruel violation of international war law.

[flash]

Maybe we can have an ace skill to represent that Andrea - as a counter to Chivalrous Aptitude. ... Murderous Intent, or, War Monger, something along those lines, with extra skills that can be chosen to complement it...

[OldGuy59]

Maybe we can have an ace skill to represent that Andrea - as a counter to Chivalrous Aptitude. ... Murderous Intent, or, War Monger, something along those lines, with extra skills that can be chosen to complement it...

Perhaps 'Realist Pilot' or 'Cynical Pilot'?

[Angiolillo]

In the future Campaign pack we explain incendiary bullets and how they were prohibited, meaning that being captured with them without a letter of authorization stating that they were for balloon busting, it could mean being shot.

[Marechallannes]

... somebody saying, 'You bloody murderous bastard.'

That was a little bit harsh.

Barker catched his opponents with pants down, but Im shure there were a lot of such things on both sides.

[Baxter]

Hey cmon guys this is a game and well removed from reality as it should be. It is Christmas so be nice to each other.

[David Manley]

I add that, for what I read, Barker and his friends used incendiary bullets. Using them against people was against the Saint Petersburg Declaration, so even a cruel violation of international war law.

You may have that the wrong way round, as I've never seen a reference to him using incendiaries like that. But he was on the receiving end of them when he was wounded by one fired from a German aircraft in the battle where he was shot down after shooting down a Rumpler and three D.VIIs (for which he earned his VC)

[Angiolillo]

This evening we will play a scenario out of that:

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sh...tle-of-Istrana