Any AARs with Nieuport 28s?

[Larry R.]

I'm a noob, a fledgling if you like, playing the basic rules but gradually adding to my WGF gaming experience. I recently acquired a like-new Burning Drachens which includes rules about anti-aircraft artillery, machine gun fire from ground troops, etc. Quite exciting expansion set.

Reading various AARs is exciting, as well. I have lots of thoughts about eventually creating a mission worthy of sharing with the forum. I have in mind the Nieuport 28s of 94th Hat in the Ring squadron vs the Albatros fighter types and/or the Pfalz D-III.

In his wartime memoir, Eddie Rickenbacker notes that the N.28 could out maneuver and out climb the Albatros fighters so this could be good match up. Perhaps this match up has been done already (most likely has). If so, I'd love to read the AAR(s).

[hokusai]

Not the match up you are looking for, but a Nieuport 28 shows up im my AAR video presented in
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...tente-Trenches

[camelbeagle]

We did Nieuport 28 versus Pfalz D.IIIa in this AAR

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sh...=wright+flight

The Pfalz got their butts whipped bad.

In the Table Top Flights game we just did some as well. Here, we did something different. I game the Pfalz pilots some ace skills to help give them an edge and it helped a lot!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mkq19dIQSw

[Stumptonian]

Here's one from 5+ years ago, Larry: N.28

[Larry R.]

Thanks for your posts! Your AARs are just what I was wanting!

[mikeemagnus]

Hi Larry. Have to say I had never flown a mission with the N28 before today, so this is for the both of us. Thanks for the inspiration
Initial flights of the Nieuport 28, as supplied to United States squadrons in early 1918, proved to be a trifle hazardous. There were too few Vickers mgs to arm them fully, so some flew with one gun and some, as trainers, with none. Structural problems didn’t exactly make the pilots terribly enthusiastic either, when wood and fabric was torn from wings after steep dives and undercarriages had a tendency to collapse until strengthened with thicker wire.

Despite this, some of the pilots did have a good deal of success with them, until the early machines were replaced by SPAD XIIIs; which had been the originally preferred choice anyway.

So here goes. Its April 2018, and the Albatros DVa is well and truly in full service. How would it cope with the far more agile if fragile N28?



The pilots of three Nieuport 28s, possibly from one of four AEF pursuit squadrons: the 27th, 94th, 95th and 147th Aero Squadrons, that had been supplied with them, were out on patrol, late one evening, when heading directly for them, they spotted three enemy aircraft: Albatros DVa’s, also out looking to make their mark.

The six aircraft closed rapidly, with no thoughts on either side of giving way to the other side.



No cat and mouse stuff; no predatory stalking, trying to catch the prey unawares. This was simply brutal, head on attacking. No mercy asked for and none given. The so called gentleman of the early part of the war no longer existed. They were probably all dead. This was about killing!

Ratatatat went the machine guns and immediately the lead N28 suffered severe damage, including to its engine. Added to which the mg’s on this aircraft decided to go silent on the pilot.

A second burst, from a different Hun, that came at him seemingly out of nowhere on his starboard flank, did a load more damage to the Nieuport and the pilot, for the first time, found out what war was really about. Hot, potentially lethal lead, shattered his right hip and the shock of it scared him almost witless.

The lead Albatros didn’t fare that much better out of the exchange, both aircraft being hit at close range by the other, as well as from long range by wingmen. The lead Albatros started to trail a long, black, oily plume of smoke.



The wounded pilot of the N28 dived, then swung to port, now desperate to get the hell out of there and head for safety, wherever that direction might lie. But the Hun pilot, the one that had wounded him, obviously sensed something and chased after him. One of his wingmen tried to intercede, putting himself between his friend and the Hun and taking a good hit for his bravery.



But it wasn’t enough. Whilst the air fight had broken up generally, with the six machines involved now separated and searching for one another, our ruthless, focused Hun, got in another close range shot at the N28 leader. There was not enough life left in the broken machine. Shredded fabric, broken spars and wires, a damaged engine and a wounded, desperate, pilot. That last shot was enough.

The Nieuport gave up the ghost and spiralled earthward. The pilot would be posted as missing in action. Perhaps his squadron would discover his fate one day, but for now, alive or dead, he was out of this brutal war.





And with that, the fighting petered out. It was one of those typical moments when, one minute the air was full of machines and bullets trying to kick the hell out of you. The next minute, the sky was clear and you couldn’t see hide nor hair of another soul anywhere. So, with the light fading in the west and fuel getting low, it was simply a matter of returning to your barn, as best you could, to lick your wounds and share a few whiskeys, or whatever took your fancy, with your fellow airmen; those that remained.

The End

Notes:
All aircraft were flown AI using Dave’s (Flash) D8 charts, as per the OTT campaign rules, found elsewhere on this site. I only took over one aircraft, the wounded N28, in an attempt to get it to safety, but the fates intervened.

The game might have gone on longer, but I’m afraid I ran out of time with no prospect of finishing this weekend or any time next week. So I ended it at what I thought was an appropriate moment.

It proved nothing, of course, regards the respective pros and cons of either aircraft, but I must say, the N28 has some pretty impressive manoeuvre cards. Can’t help wondering how it would get on in the same situation, in March 1918, given just the one mg (ie B firing).
Cheers
Mike

[Larry R.]

Hello, Mike....
Very interesting AAR of a head-on fight. A classic dogfight senario. I find especially interesting how credibly the AI handled the maneuvers.

Given the disadvantage of one gun in April, 1918, it seems the fragile N.28 was the underdog. But the underdog sometimes comes out on top.

BTW, I immediately recognized your N.28 #12 as the plane flown by Lt Eddie Rickenbacker of the 94th Aero Squadron.

[predhead]

Not an AAR, but a small scenario you might consider using the excellent N.28!

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/en...pril-14th-1918

[Larry R.]

Thanks for the blog link, Darryl. The senario gives me a good start in planning the mission.

In his war memoir, Eddie Rickenbacker gave this account of the incident:

"Quick! Two Boche aeroplanes are reported over Foug. Send in an alerte!” But at the same instant we heard two of our machines taking off the field. It was Campbell and Winslow, who had been standing by all the morning for a chance nobody had expected them to get. I started to run towards the hangars; but before I reached the field a private rushed to me saying, “A German aeroplane has just fallen in flames on our field!” It was true. I could see the flames from where I stood. Before I could reach the spot, however, another yell aroused my attention and I turned and saw a second Boche machine fall nose down into a field not five hundred yards away. The first had been destroyed by Alan Winslow who had shot it down in flames within three minutes after leaving the field. The second was forced down by Douglas Campbell, and it crashed in the mist before the pilot could discover his proximity to the ground. These were the first two enemy aeroplanes brought down by any American squadron and both were miraculously crashed on the very doorstep of our aerodrome on the first day we had begun operations! Neither of the German pilots was seriously injured. Upon our questioning them as to how they happened to be about in such weather, they informed us that they had been summoned to go up to attack two patrolling machines that were being “Archied” between Pont-à-Mousson and St. Mihiel. They had followed Chambers and me until they lost us in the fog. Then they tried to find their own way home to their aerodrome near Metz. They discovered our field and came down low thinking it might be their own, when Winslow and Campbell flew up and attacked them at about 500 feet above ground.