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#4465802 - 03/16/19 01:19 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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Really nice 33lima. I really enjoy reading your AARs and your knowledge of the UK really ads atmosphere to your writings. I received my copy last week and I am reading up a bit in the manual. I will probably try to install it next week and start learning the ropes of BOB II.
Keep up the great AARs Sir! S!

S!Blade<><

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#4465902 - 03/16/19 11:04 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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My next mission on 21 July didn't go quite so well! A case of the best-laid plans of mice and men going awry, it was.

Lunchtime, and far from giving us a rest, the Luftwaffe is piling on the pressure. Another raid is plotted in coming in from the Calais area, across the Straits of Dover where the Channel is at its most narrow. I decide this raid is for the chop. We'll teach the beggars to interrupt our lunch. I re-vector two of the 12 Group squadrons that, according to the 'Directives' I have modified to that end, are now patrolling 11 Group's northern airfields, to intercept the raid. Altogether, three squadrons are on their way.

The Hurricanes of 605 are the first to intercept, but I decline the offer to jump in and wait till 266 spot the Huns. They fly Spitfires and I reckon I'm due a change of mount. As usual, I opt to fly as Green Leader.

[Linked Image]

This time, we find ourselves at about the same height as the enemy. They are just offshore, off the North Foreland, north-east of Dover. I reckon they are headed for a coastal convoy in that area. But they veer back towards the coast. It looks like the airfield at Manston is about to get another pasting. There must be an AA battery in the area, perhaps protecting the port of Margate, as their black bursts are filling the skies, regardless of our presence. I can also see some Hurricanes are already attacking the Huns. I can't see any escorts, though somebody reported some further ahead - maybe one of the other squadrons has engaged them.

[Linked Image]

As I lead Green Section in...

[Linked Image]

... the bombers - twenty or thirty Heinkels, they are - turn inland, to port.

[Linked Image]

This rather throws off my attack and while I get some hits, I end up breaking away under the bombers without bringing anyone down.

[Linked Image]

I gain height again and wait while the Huns, still under AA fire and Hurricane attack, shake out and begin to settle down again onto a steady course, which takes a minute or so.

[Linked Image]

I then make another stern attack on a Heinkel at the edge of the formation. I set him smoking, but he doesn't seem to be going down.

[Linked Image]

This time, I break upwards. By now the Huns are headed nearly south - on a direct course for Manston, just a few miles away.

[Linked Image]

And there it is, far below. The big hangars already look blackened from previous raids.

[Linked Image]

I roll gently left, then right...

[Linked Image]

...and come in for a pass at the left-hand group of bombers, which seems to have escaped serious attention so far. Time to change that!

[Linked Image]

I get some hits on my chosen target but once again, the bombers make a turn, leaving me to break in the opposite direction without, I fear, doing too much damage. Determined to do better this time, I try too hard. the Heinkel I attack spews back a thick cloud of smoke and gunk but holds his course. After a moment's hesitation, I hold my course too, and continue firing. Idiot! Predictably, the result is a collision, which tears off my Spit's starboard wing. Here we go again!

[Linked Image]

I chop the throttle to reduce the torque and hopefully the rate of descent. I wait a bit for this to have some effect, then bail out.

[Linked Image]

Thankfully, my 'chute opens - treating me to a birds-eye view of the damage the raid, on which I had so little impact, has done to poor old Manston.

[Linked Image]

I had reckoned my previous scrap signalled a red letter day for the RAF. This one fairly turned the tables. Just to rub it in, while all this was going on, another raid plastered Hawkinge, down near the south coast. Which I found out when I resumed my place in the Ops Room after the air fight. Hawkinge is the airfield (green circle) with the red ring (damaged) plus now a red cross (I can guess what that means, probably out of action altogether for the time being). Worse still, somebody reports that 79 Squadron, stationed there, was caught on the ground and that 'we don't know how many of them got off.'

[Linked Image]

The Luftwaffe has come after our airflieds well ahead of the historical Adler Tag in mid-August. If, like me, you have the Germans set to use historical tactics, the gen online is that this happens because British convoy losses have curtailed that traffic to the point the AI Luftwaffe commander has decided it's time to go for Fighter Command's jugular, without further ado. The gap between our losses and our claims of enemy aircraft destroyed is beginning to open up, but that's the only positive I can see. Apart from the fact that I can't imagine any other sim immersing me any more deeply in the sense that I'm there, flying and fighting the Battle of Britain. Albeit with victory possibly slipping away...!

Attached Files shot_312.jpgshot_314.jpgshot_313.jpgshot_316.jpgshot_317.jpgshot_318.jpgshot_319.jpgshot_320.jpgshot_321.jpgshot_322.jpgshot_323.jpgshot_326.jpgshot_328.jpgshot_330.jpg21 July lunchtime2.jpg
Last edited by 33lima; 03/16/19 11:19 PM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4465905 - 03/16/19 11:27 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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I didn't have room above for a sixteenth screenshot, but since this is a BoB2 screenshots thread, here's a final one from this mission. It shows me breaking after my penultimate attack, while my Spitfire still had a wing on each side. I see now that I'd taken some hits in my tail feathers, which I had no recollection of earlier, so hot and heavy was the action.

[Linked Image]

Attached Files shot_324.jpg
Last edited by 33lima; 03/16/19 11:29 PM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4466041 - 03/17/19 11:13 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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Well the 21st of July is finally over and to mix up my war move titles, it's been 'the longest day'. I've lost count of the raids we faced. The last three or so came during the afternoon. Although Hawkinge aerodrome was back in action by the end of the day, nearby Lympme was knocked out by a raid which slipped in and out again without even being intercepted. Dover docks had already been handed out similar treatment, by this raid:

[Linked Image]

This was largely down to me diverting patrols over inland airfields which were too far away to catch the Dover raid; and having to return them to base to refuel. During which time the Huns paid Lympne their visit. Attempts to concentrate patrols against other raids were also hampered because they were low on juice to begin with.

This is what happened to 266 Squadron, seen here from my cockpit in a shallow dive to catch another raid on Manston. The three groups of specks out to our left looked ominous...

[Linked Image]

...but our more immediate concern was the thirty or so bombers we had come here to intercept.

[Linked Image]

Another look to the left revealed one group of specks splitting away and loosening formation as they swung in towards us. That could only mean one thing - snappers!

[Linked Image]

I turned Green Section into them and before I could call them in on the R/T, a shower of 109s hit us.

[Linked Image]

This is the view from the cockpit. I don't think Me109s adopted yellow motor cowlings till about mid-August in reality, but I was in no position to debate the point with these fellows.

[Linked Image]

I went after one who didn't happen to have a yellow nose but he kept his speed up and I could not get close to him. After a bit, my revs dropped away and I realised I was out of fuel. The subsequent forced landing ended badly!

[Linked Image]

I next accepted an offer to fly with 32 Squadron, but by this time the raiders were on their way home, having hammered Manston - again. And again, I had to give up the chase as the gauge was down to zero.

[Linked Image]

What turned out to be the last raid of the day, mounted as the sun was sinking in the west, was by about 30 Stukas plus as many escorts, who hit Convoy Rabbit as she was sailing innocently west down the Channel. Two squadrons intercepted, and I opted to fly with the first to make contact, 74, flying Spits.

[Linked Image]

Up ahead was a confused mass of aircraft. As I got closer, several sailed across my nose from right to left - Stukas! You can also see a dogfight going on already, lower left - the other intercepting squadron must have arrived about the same time as we did. I had no idea who the other visible aircraft were.

[Linked Image]

The Stukas ahead of us promptly dived down, not to evade us, but to attack the convoy.

[Linked Image]

The boss came up on the blower and ordered B Flight - which includes us in Green Section if I recall right - to get the escorts. So I led on into the developing air fight up ahead, while the rest of the squadron broke up and got stuck in.

[Linked Image]

I chased this 109 around for a while, but didn't get any hits and lost him when he disappeared down below somewhere. This was not the sort of environment to spend too long looking for lost quarry.

[Linked Image]

So I turned around and steered back towards the nearest air fight, hoping to come across somebody I could sneak up on. You may be able to make out that there seem to be three distinct scraps going on in the pic below, at different altitudes or ranges.

[Linked Image]

I chased another 109 but gave up when I realised a Hurricane was already pursuing him. I then went after a fighter climbing away from the fight, only to find he was a Spitfire. Finally, I found myself another 109, and saw smoke and sparks fly as I hit him, But again I lost hin when he disappeared under my nose, and couldn't pick him up again.

[Linked Image]

I cleared my tail and looked for another fight to join. But the sky seemed suddenly to have cleared. All I could see was one or two specks coming back towards England - our boys breaking off and going home. The boss called me up and ordered me to close up; it turned out the squadron was already well to the north and homeward bound.

It was a bit of a messy way to end the day, but I was glad to see the back of 21 July 1940. It was reported that we claimed 61 destroyed, which is a good bag, but all 11 Group's coastal airfields have been heavily bombed and while Hawkinge was repaired, it was reported that the line to Lympne has gone dead and 'they're out of it', said the WAAF making the report, which certainly sounds ominous. Manston is also out of action again. Thank goodness, was my reaction when a new day dawned. I'll have to reflect on lessons learned and change tactics if I'm going to last much longer at this - we certainly can't go on like this!

Attached Files shot_331.jpgshot_332.jpgshot_334.jpgshot_335.jpgshot_336.jpgshot_337.jpgshot_338.jpgshot_339.jpgshot_340.jpgshot_341.jpgshot_342.jpgshot_343.jpgshot_344.jpgshot_345.jpgDover docks raid 21 Jul 40.jpg
Last edited by 33lima; 03/18/19 11:43 AM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4466377 - 03/19/19 04:21 AM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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I Love it. Keep em coming 33lima. I am hoping to install BOB II WOV tomorrow or Friday and start the learning process. I haven't been this excited to install a new Sim in a longtime. Will this Sim display 2560x1440 ?

S!Blade<><

Last edited by Blade_Meister; 03/19/19 04:21 AM.
#4466718 - 03/20/19 07:30 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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Gosh - 2560x1440? What's that, a screen resolution or the size of a small country? smile

You might try asking on the A2A BoB forums. The drill seems to be that you set 'Use desktop resolution (not for widescreen)' to 'Off', then set both 2d ('Campaign') resolution and 3d resolution to your monitor's native, an embarrassing but 'looks ok to me' 1600x900. Which should be one of the available values, if supported. One of the entries for these has exclamation marks either side implying it's a problem but it isn't - for 1600x900 anyhow. Exclamation marks against BOTH values might indicate a real problem.

The main prob is if you have Win 10, ending the mission causes a CTD sometimes, killing the debrief and forcing a restart. Inconvenient but the many training and historical missions are just fine with no debrief, and the fact that you can vary some parameters, and fly with any squadron in any position (gun positions only in bombers) produces a fair bit of replay value, just from these single missions. My experience in trying to play a Win 10 campaign is that I sometimes also got a CTD earlier, but only in the 3d - so I think you could play a campaign ok in Win 10, provided you were prepared to accept the odd early CTD; and that when you got one at the end of a mission which you had opted to fly in 3d, accepting that its results will not count, so you will have to restart the sim and load the autosaved campaign. Allowing the wargame AI to calculate the mission's results instead.

Win 7 has been fine for me so far, except for a period I think a saved campaign file got corrupted or something, rescued by loading an earlier one.

No dymanic shadows but the graphics are ok - positively great if your idea of nice visuals is seeing raids of at least thirty bombers plus close escorts if present...

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

... and not just a nice plane to look at (that looks like it has had a thick overcoat of satin varnish, ok for Luftwaffe but just not right for RAF). Plus I appreciate the highly authentic and more varied markings on BoB2s planes, like the range of RAF undersurface treatments, correct squadron codes or emblems for every unit on both sides, and airfields and lots of ground targets generally looking like they did in 1940, no generic stuff here - like the famous Battersea Power Station only having one of its two blocks built at that time (building density here is IIRC a notch below max)...

[Linked Image]

Anyhow the first 11 days of my RAF campaign have become increasingly gruelling. If you hear no more from me here, it'll be because I have been sacked, or have failed to halt the invasion and am kicking my heels in Stalag Luft whatever-it-is.

Attached Files shot_018.jpgshot_024 (2).jpgshot_224.jpg
Last edited by 33lima; 03/20/19 08:00 PM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4466767 - 03/21/19 01:51 AM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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Ok, Check 6 often and I hope your Campaign carries on.

S!Blade<><

#4467187 - 03/23/19 04:34 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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I think I've got the boss worried - AOC 11 Group Air Vice Marshall (later Sir) Keith Park looks a bit anxious as he sets off from Tangmere in his personal Hurricane, OK-1, for one of his regular tours of the battlefront...

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

Attached Files shot_346.jpgshot_347.jpgshot_349.jpg
Last edited by 33lima; 03/23/19 04:36 PM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4467221 - 03/23/19 11:27 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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22nd July 1940, morning. The weather has been less cloudy this last week, but that's the only good news. This morning has been crazy, with four major raids, the last one being a 'hundred plus' job, hitting a coastal convoy. I elected to fly as Green Leader in the first squadron which met each raid - Hurricanes each time, as it happened.

First raid, I was with 238 Squadron. When the mission loaded, the squadron was already splitting up and diving to cut off the bombers, which were headed roughly north-west towards our coastal area fighter airfields at Tangmere and Westhampnett.

[Linked Image]

They had 109s for escort and the beggars were already counter-attacking as we came out of our first pass.

[Linked Image]

So it was with a wary eye astern that I came around behind the Heinkels, having done no visible damage on my first run.

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

This time, I got some hits on a bomber at the left rear of the gaggle, causing him to trail some pale smoke, but he stubbornly refused to go down. You can see that one of the others has had better luck, sending a Hun down in flames...

[Linked Image]

I broke hard for fear of the Messerschmitts, but my tail was clear. Behind me, some Hurricanes were still streaming in to hit the bombers, but most of the rest seemed to be mixing it up with the 109s in a fierce dogfight.

[Linked Image]

Seeing the escorts were heavily occupied, I decided to have another go at the Heinkels.

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

The one I had attacked before was no longer in formation, so I hit the fellow to his right, instead...

[Linked Image]

...and this time, the results were entirely satisfactory...

[Linked Image]

The bombers seemed to have left the dogfight behind, off the coast. I could hear the R/T chatter indicating that the party back there was still in full swing. Instead of joining it, I decided I would first have another whack at the Heinkels. I reckoned this would be my last chance before they bombed, so I wasn't going to miss it.

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

I chopped down another bomber, aiming as usual between the fuselage and an engine. Self-sealing fuel tanks they had, but a good burst there often seemed to set something burning.

[Linked Image]

What next? A desperate call for help on the R/T settled that, and I turned away from the bombers and out to sea, where the dogfight was still going on.

...to be continued!

Attached Files shot_350.jpgshot_351.jpgshot_352.jpgshot_353.jpgshot_355.jpgshot_356.jpgshot_357.jpgshot_358.jpgshot_359.jpgshot_360.jpgshot_361.jpgshot_362.jpgshot_363.jpg
Last edited by 33lima; 03/23/19 11:47 PM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4467247 - 03/24/19 12:41 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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Heading back to the dogfight, I saw a bright flash as a fighter, pursued by an enemy, was hit. Then a trail of smoke as the victim arced down towards the steely blue-grey of the English Channel. I was fairly sure this was the Hurricane I had left the bombers to help, and that my objective was no longer rescue, but revenge.

Sure enough, as the range wound down, I saw the rearmost fighter was indeed a 109. He was moving fast and I cut across his turn in an effort to catch him.

[Linked Image]

My first burst didn't allow enough deflection and served only to alert him to my presence. Just after this next picture was taken, I got some hits but he suddenly nosed over downwards and disappeared below, obviously under full control and not in the least bit shot down. I rolled inverted to try to keep 'eyes on' without cutting out my petrol supply from negative G, but lost him against the ground. #%&*$#!!!

[Linked Image]

I picked up a different 109 and chased him instead. But he also went down and I nearly went into the water trying to get him. I got a shock when I realised how low I had got, but managed to pull up without blacking out. A ropey business this, fighting 109s in a Hurricane! Give me bombers, any day.

[Linked Image]

I then realised to my surprise that 'my' 109 must have done something similar, for there he was, close above me! Time for another crack!

[Linked Image]

The Hun kept his head and pulled up and away in a tight spiral climb, which I had trouble following. I got off a burst while I could, in an effort to slow him down or make him change course, but succeeded only in exhausting my supply of ammunition.

[Linked Image]

The air battle was still in full swing, with fighters going in all directions. I hung around for a while and made a few feints, then decided to go home, converging with some others doing likewise. On the way I passed this ditched Hurricane, without seeing the pilot's dinghy.

[Linked Image]

Two Heinkels destroyed, one Heinkel and a 109 damaged, I think - I haven't checked BoB2's records for the mission (which are mission rather than pilot persona oriented, in the 'commander' campaigns) but I'll be happy with that. Overall, it's a different picture - I don't recall what the raid's target was, but those Messerschmitts did a pretty good job of making sure it got bombed.

Attached Files shot_364.jpgshot_365.jpgshot_366.jpgshot_367.jpgshot_368.jpgshot_369.jpg
Last edited by 33lima; 03/24/19 12:51 PM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4467308 - 03/24/19 08:07 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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The next raid we intercepted I think bombed Manston - again. In the real battle, this exposed, much-bombed and even strafed airfield was the location of possibly revisionist stories that ground personnel had taken to the shelters and refused to leave.

This time, I was flying for 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force. I'm in UP-L, leading Green Section as usual, and Manston is the grassy area above my wing, on the left; it shows no sign of having just been bombed.

[Linked Image]

As another player pointed out to me, the advantage of flying in Green Section in BoB2 is that you are on the outside of the formation, giving you a bit more latitude. Here's the other three sections, as we head for the bombers. Green 2 and Green 3 are out of shot either side of and behind me. As usual in BoB2 since the multiskin patch, not only do we have correct squadron codes, but invididual aircraft letters. However, we all have the 'B' Scheme upper surface pattern, BoB2 not providing the mirror image A Scheme alternative.

[Linked Image]

Looking to my right I could see Green 3, and beyond him a port which I'm fairly sure was Dover, with its distinctive moles or breakwaters.

[Linked Image]

And up ahead were the Huns. All three groups turned out to be bombers; my first reaction was that the ones on the right, further out, were snappers - escorts. The surprising thing was that they were flying south, away from Manston and back to France. I padlocked one of the groups and issued the 'Bandits!' call on the R/T (which you can hear played back to you, so you get to hear yourself reporting the type of target, bearing and relative altitude). If your squadron leader has not done so already, this usually gets an acknowledgement, followed by rudimentary attack orders. The second part of which you can see in the text display at the bottom of the pic, which you could supress as it's exactly what you hear on the radio.

[Linked Image]

We chased the enemy out over the Channel but then, the boss ordered the squadron to reform, generally a sign of an attack being broken off. In frustration, I chased after the bombers, getting uncomfortably close to the French coast - the port you can see ahead is possibly Dunkirk. Naturally by this time I had established that there were after all no enemy fighters in the vicinity - I hoped.

[Linked Image]

In BoB2 if you are a section leader, you can't issue IL-2-type orders to your wingmen - you just lead them where you want to go and a sort of AI Standard Operating Procedure takes over. So you can concentrate on what you are doing. Which in this case, was wading into those Heinkels.

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

I damaged one in my first pass and coming in for a second one, saw that he had begun to lag behind the rest of the formation. So I went for him again...

[Linked Image]

This time, there was no doubt whatever about the outcome...

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

Enough was enough. I turned around and headed home, pausing in mid-Channel to allow Green 2 and Green 3 to re-appear and catch up. Which they duly did. Home, and tea! Green Section had earned its pay, any rate.

[Linked Image]

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Last edited by 33lima; 03/24/19 08:38 PM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4467314 - 03/24/19 09:25 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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Nice shots

I always had some kind of a glich to play with in this game, but when it played right. It was a lot of fun.

#4467347 - 03/25/19 02:08 AM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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Very nice 33lima. My recent distractions have my copy of BOB II WOV still sitting on my desk here waiting for me to install it and learn the ropes of using it. Soon hopefully. Keep up the good work with the AARs Sir. yep

S!Blade<><

#4467427 - 03/25/19 07:39 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
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The last raid of the morning of 22 July was, as they say, a corker. Since the tempo markedly increased a few campaign days back, I have become accustomed to more raids, but smaller ones. This new threat was reported as a hundred plus, about three times the size of most recent raids. Its marker, moved on the big Ops Room map by an invisible WAAF, showed the raid coming north across the Channel, headed ominously towards a solitary convoy off the coast near Brighton.

A moment of panic ensued as I called up various still semi-familiar dialogues in an effort to see what I could do about it, with several squadrons still refuelling and rearming after earlier sorties. I knew I had accepted a campaign AI ‘directive’ for a proportionate response, but took no chances, and ordered up several squadrons, as well as re-vectoring a 12 Group patrol, which had recently arrived to cover one of 11 Group’s airfields.

Was the target the convoy, the coastal belt airfields, or something else? I knew that raids often threw dog-legs into their routes, so it was hard to be sure. Watching the movement of the friendly blue and white plots on the map, what was certain was that my squadrons would meet the enemy one at a time, the first one just about the time the raid passed the convoy. If those hundred Huns held their course.

Which they did. The Hurricanes of 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron spotted the bandits first, well out over the water. I accepted the offer to fly with them (Green Leader, as usual). If you're sick of seeing screenshots of Hurricanes, look away now.

[Linked Image]

Looking up at the incoming raid, this is what I saw. It was above us, very big, and coming our way. You can see from the text read-out of the R/T message the player hears that our AI squadron leader - Red Leader, by default - has given his situation-specific orders on the blower. He's using the squadron code name, 'Chester', and a credible effort at authentic radio voice procedure for the time and place. Attention to details like this tends to be what makes the better-researched and constructed sims stand out from the less well.

[Linked Image]

Green Section is the second section in B Flight, so it's our job to tackle the escorts. Because this raid was not only big, it definitely had escorts. And they were on the qui vive. As I watched, a group on the right of the formation broke ranks, loosened up and began to expand, as it drew closer. Here they come! As they did so, the boss was finishing his orders.

[Linked Image]

Instinctively, I pulled up harder to meet them and edged slightly right, away from the rest of the squadron, to give myself a bit of elbow room.

[Linked Image]

Up ahead, the untidy swarm of escorts was closing on us fast. It's not very clear in this pic, but there look to be five wedges of about ten bombers each, with squadrons of smaller aircraft - 109s probably - either side of the leading wedge. And what looks like another squadron of escorts to the rear of the whole formation. All coming on inexorably. Except the nearest escorts who are coming straight down on us. [EDIT - in retrospect, I think the ragged diagonal line of specks just right of my nose is another RAF squadron about to intercept, but I generally avoid using labels or markers so I didn't know at the time.]

[Linked Image]

Next thing you know, it's raining 110s as the diving escorts hit and break up our climbing attack. Unsubtle, but effective. Well, it's my job and Blue Section's to deal with this lot, so I had better get busy.

[Linked Image]

A last look upward reveals that only a couple of Hurricanes have managed to hold their course to get at the bombers. There goes that plan then. Was it Napoleon who said that no plan survives contact with the enemy? Anyhow, time to deal with these big Messerchmitts, leaving the bombers to those who come after us. I hoped.

[Linked Image]

...to be continued!

Attached Files shot_382.jpgshot_383.jpgshot_384.jpgshot_385.jpgshot_386.jpgshot_387.jpgshot_388.jpg
Last edited by 33lima; 03/25/19 11:47 PM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4467436 - 03/25/19 08:39 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima Offline
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33lima  Offline
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Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
Those 110 pilots must have rather fancied themselves, because they stayed to fight instead of zooming back up, or diving on through. Perhaps they still foolishly believed Luftwaffe intelligence chief 'Beppo' Schmidt's assessment that only the Spitfire was a match for the Me110, and a skilfully-flown one at that. Bit off the mark, there. As I was determined to prove. I had a pop at this fellow first, who seemed to be on his own.

[Linked Image]

After a bit of milling around, gradually losing height, I got him with my third or fourth burst.

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

The next 110 I singled out tried to use the vertical, but he fared no better.

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

For an encore, I chased after another 110 who was attacking a Hurricane from behind. There is an air fight going on beyond them, another one at nearly the same level to the left of my armour glass windshield, and a third one lower down on the right, where somebody has just gone into the water.

[Linked Image]

Having chased off the 110, I suddenly noticed a single-seater with angular wings and a pronounced dihedral. Until then, I hadn't realised we were engaged with 109s, as well. I chased this fellow for a bit, and managed to nick him...

[Linked Image]

...but then lost the beggar and instead, tried to locate Green 3, who was in a spot of bother...

[Linked Image]

The F5 key will padlock whoever last transmitted this sort of call, but in this case I didn't need to. IIRC, Green 3 was the Hurricane visible just above my bulbous, Spitfire-type Rotol prop spinner, being harried by one, possibly two, 110s.

[Linked Image]

I managed to get there in time, but only damaged the Hun. At the cost of the rest of my ammo.

[Linked Image]

The sky was still pretty thick with Messerschmitts of one sort or another. So rather than run for it and risk getting the chop, I decided I had better act dangerous, for the time being.

[Linked Image]

Green 2 and 3 were likely not far away, but I had lost sight of them. If I hung around long enough, and managed to avoid getting shot down, perhaps things would just fizzle out. That was the plan, anyway.

...to be continued!

Attached Files shot_389.jpgshot_390.jpgshot_391.jpgshot_392.jpgshot_393.jpgshot_394.jpgshot_396.jpgshot_397.jpgshot_398.jpgshot_399.jpgshot_401.jpg
Last edited by 33lima; 03/25/19 11:53 PM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4467454 - 03/25/19 10:19 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima Offline
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33lima  Offline
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Belfast, NI
I don't know about you, but it's at times like this, when I'm running around out of ammo and hanging grimly onto the tail of a 109, that the saying comes to mind, about having a tiger by the tail. And wondering, when you do let go, quite how things will develop.

[Linked Image]

Especially when you can see that the sky is still alive with other tigers, all quite happy to chew your tail or wings off. You can't see many of them in this pic as they are mostly just specks, but they are there. I could see them.

[Linked Image]

I got as close as I could to the 109, who was probably put off from trying to dive away by the closeness of the water...

[Linked Image]

...and then I just broke hard and ran for it, steering roughly north, and home. Again, it's not clear in this next picture, below, but there are a lot of planes still fighting, from the left edge of the screenshot to about where you can see the smoke trail up in the sky, going straight down. I was not especially confident of sneaking past that lot, without attracting unwelcome tiger attention.

[Linked Image]

Up ahead loomed the convoy. There were signs of recent air activity in that direction, but no actual aircraft...apart from the one going down. The ships looked static, but I think that's because they don't have wakes in BoB2, unfortunately.

[Linked Image]

As I flashed over the convoy, I could see that one of the escorting destroyers was putting up some Ack-Ack - fortunately, not at me. Especially so, since from the dark blemishes on the water, it looked like somebody had been dropping sticks of bombs on them. They could have been forgiven for shooting at anything with wings, but I don't think BoB2 does friendly fire due to IFF errors -- anyhow, the infamous Battle of Barking Creek is not one of the included single missions. So I made good my escape and was soon over home territory, looking for other returning friends and a vector to my home airfield.

[Linked Image]

Having flown several exciting missions one after the other and finally got away with my skin in the last one, I quit the flight then saved and quit the campaign. If I recall right, back at the Ops Room, BoB2 had ended the morning session at that point, without presenting me any more opportunities to fly. I expect this was because the other RAF squadrons which made contact did so while I was in the mission. To be honest, I was quite relieved. This BoB2 RAF campaign is certainly giving me a feel not only for the command and control aspect of the Battle, but also for the strain on fighter pilots flying repeated sorties against superior numbers and an apparently determined, skilful and relentless foe. In particular, that first glimpse of an oncoming aerial armada in close formation can produce real alarm, something as close to fear as you're going to get playing an air combat sim. Super stuff.

Attached Files shot_402.jpgshot_403.jpgshot_404.jpgshot_405.jpgshot_406.jpgshot_407.jpg
Last edited by 33lima; 03/25/19 10:24 PM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4467476 - 03/25/19 11:16 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
Joined: Apr 2013
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Blade_Meister Offline
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Blade_Meister  Offline
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Posts: 2,079
Atlanta, GA, USA
Bravo 33lima, I love it. Your pictures are great. Are you having to pause the sim to take them or are you recording or are these pics taken on the fly? Does BOB II have a built in recorder?
I look forward to your next report Sir. S!

S!Blade<><

Edit: check this dumbass Chinese zoo employee out. Drunk maybe?
[Linked Image]




Attached Files T_by_the_t.jpg
Last edited by Blade_Meister; 03/25/19 11:17 PM.
#4467484 - 03/25/19 11:41 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima Offline
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33lima  Offline
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
Yep, that pic's about how it felt! Except I was stone-cold sober, sadly smile

I pause the sim when I want to take a pic, if I think it'll be worth recording and maybe useful in a mission report, and can change view or zoom in or out and pan around while paused, to get a decent viewpoint. Can be awkward at times as the wily Hun can often escape, since he knows full well you have had to let go the joystick and will never pick it up again in the exact same position. smile

BoB2 has a sort of gun camera based recorder, which I haven't actually used at all, yet. I don't think it records sound, read that somewhere; any Old Hands reading will be able to clarify. The 2.13 manual you will have after installing that update says this of the facility; I don't know if you can change views while replaying, as you could in Il-2 with the right setting:

"RECORDING
There are several ways to record footage. The simplest is to set the Gun Camera option in the Sim Config/Views screen to On. This will record the mission from start to end. Setting this option to Trigger will record when the player shoots or drops a bomb. The recording will stop shortly after the player has stopped firing, and for one minute after a bomb has been dropped. The player can also toggle the gun camera on/off by using the “C” key. Both this and the recording on trigger will concatenate recorded pieces during the same mission together into a single replay file for that mission. It is possible to throw away all current footage and begin again by pressing the “X” key."


SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

#4467505 - 03/26/19 03:02 AM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 2,079
Blade_Meister Offline
Member
Blade_Meister  Offline
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 2,079
Atlanta, GA, USA
PMed you Sir. Part 1.

S!Blade<><

#4467615 - 03/26/19 07:55 PM Re: BoB2 screenshots [Re: 33lima]  
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima Offline
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33lima  Offline
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
A massacre! That was the only word for it - my first mission on the afternoon of 22 July 1940. But who got massacred?

Read on, to find out!

Hostile 101, sixty plus, is being plotted approaching the coastal airfield of Tangmere, from the south-east. I watch the Ops Room map intently as the fighter squadrons scrambled by the campaign AI rush south to intercept. Thirty-two Squadron, coming down from Biggin Hill, spots the bandits first, with 111 - 'Treble-one' - not far behind. The WAAFs report that the raid has split up, with one element moving away to the south - as it turned out, the 109s that were sweeping ahead of the Hun bombers. By the time I join 32, the 109s seem to have disappeared somewhere amongst the cloudbanks that are now sweeping in. All I can see is the bombers - but they're making their run in towards Tangmere!

[Linked Image]

And they haven't got far to go! I quickly realise there's not a cat in Hell's chance of us getting to them first. I quickly report the Bandits to the boss on the R/T. He confirms he's seem them, and quickly gives the order for us to attack independently (I'm not making this up, BoB2 really does generate, play and display all this dialogue).

[Linked Image]

At this point, the Ack Ack people let fly. But their barrage, while looking ok for height, seems to be trailing the Huns by quite a bit, at first.

[Linked Image]

I lead Green Section towards the bombers on the left, at full throttle. The rest of the squadron is above and behind us...apart from one fellow who is climbing up, having temporarily lost control. The distant group of aircraft under my left wing as you look at my Hurricane must be Treble-one, rushing to catch up.

[Linked Image]

I see the bombers turn left for home and know this means they have bombed. Sure enough, down below, Tangmere is catching a packet. The bombing seems to have been both accurate and concentrated; it will be a miracle if any of the hangars and station buildings under that lot are still intact when the smoke clears.

[Linked Image]

Keen to exact retribution, we tear into the turning bombers - Heinkels. I only manage to damage one of them, but somebody else sends one down minus a large part of a wing. And the gunners down below are now firing right into middle of the developing air fight - maybe they got the Heinkel, it's hard to be sure.

[Linked Image]

My own target seems to have fallen out of formation, so I attack the Hun next to him in my second pass. In the excitement, we seem to have forgotten for now about the possibility the escort will show up. The enemy, meanwhile, is nearing the coast close to the prominent headland at Selsey Bill, west of Bognor Regis.

[Linked Image]

In my haste to punish the Huns for clobbering Tangmere, my shooting hasn't been particularly good, and the enemy formation looks to have suffered only a couple of losses. Time to have another go, before they get away. or the 109s show up!

[Linked Image]

...to be continued!

Attached Files shot_408.jpgshot_409.jpgshot_410.jpgshot_411.jpgshot_412.jpgshot_413.jpgshot_414.jpgshot_416.jpg
Last edited by 33lima; 03/26/19 08:11 PM.

SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread
CombatAce Mission Reports
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." (attributed to Marcus Aurelius)

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