Hey guys, I guess everybody has probably seen CatKnight's lastest post telling everybody that I'm going to start producing the weekly reports from now on. His life is getting a little hectic right now and I'm pleased to help him in this way. Anyway, if I could ask that everybody start turning in your weekly reports on Saturday then I'll the the Status Reports done on Sunday. We just got all of the permission stuff completed this evening and I'll work on getting the most current Status Report out tomorrow. Thanks and if you guys think of anything you would like me to add to the Report just let me know.

okey dokey
I sent one in for Clarke and will up date on Saturdays in the future.

Flying hours per pilot, maybe?

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Banjoman, awfully nice of you to lend a hand, well done Sir.

Since my French aviateur's recent promotion to Adjutant he and his gunner/obs took it upon themselves to have their bus repainted. During previous missions they had both observed how the natural linen finish on the Moranes made them “visible comme une mouche dans un verre de lait” when it came to not blending in with the local landscape. It was time to do something about this undesirable situation. After a lengthy deliberation with their lead mécanicien, which included a ‘gift’ of two bottles of burgundy and a fresh pouch of pipe tobacco, the work was contracted and completed in a very timely fashion. As an emblem for their fresh mount Allard chose the feline from a book he’d read often to his younger brother Maurice, back in the days of their golden youth: “Les Tribulations d'un chat”. It seemed quite à propos as the book dealt with the exploits of a cat that found himself in all sorts of tricky situations; situations he was always clever enough to get out of. Allard hoped such would be the case for him and his partenaire dans la guerre.
(right click on an image and open it in a new window if you wish to view it full size)








Allard and his gunner/obs on the flight line, preparing to take off for their first sortie in the new bus.



Notice how well the new colors blend in with the landscape below as compared to the natural linen.



The underside now sports a sky blue finish.



Returning home after an uneventful outing - not a single Bosche to be found in the air anywhere. Still, it was fun to kick around in the new livery.

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Lou, your paint job is simply amazing. I look forward to hearing the adventures of that crafty cat.

Ken, I was thinking about adding flight hours and I also want to add the pilot's status, either wounded, active or dead, like we have in Olham's DID campaign. Thanks for the idea.

What a fantastic skin, Lou! Easily one of the best WOFF skins I've ever seen.

I've been keeping an eye on this thread. It's tempting, but I don't think I have the time and energy to concentrate in two DID campaigns simultaneously.

Damm Lou!!!!
You could sneak into a flock of Pfalzs with that skin!

Lou, less pictures of the scenery and more of your plane.
Oh, I see ... Your plane is the scenery. Sneaky.

Hey everybody, here is the latest status report. I noticed on the last status report that Lederhosen was listed as having two pilots in the Intrepid Fliers group, but in the form data his German pilot is listed as flying in the Warbirds Rising group. I went ahead and moved that pilot in the report to the Warbirds Rising group, Lederhosen let me know if that was correct. I intend to spiff it up a little bit, but for right now this will do. Remember, everybody log your current status on Saturday and I'll produce these reports on Sunday.

Journal Entry: September 2, 1915
St. Pol-sur-Mer

Well, the game has just changed and not for the better I might add. Tom and I were ordered to fly our usual line patrol which consists of flying up to Loos and flying south a few miles and then returning back to St. Pol. This morning was no different than the countless other times we have flown this mission. We had just arrived at our patrol sector when just like clockwork, here comes a Hun Aviatik flying along without a care in the world. I tell you, you can set your watches by the Hun, they are a punctual people. Anyway, I signal Tom and began to dive into my usual attack position. Before I get there, I hear the ack-ack-ack of machinegun fire and almost like magic three holes appear in my right wing. I turn and look at Tom to see if maybe he had shot our plane in his zeal to get at the enemy, but no, he was still just sitting there waiting. Then that ack-ack-ack again and this time I happened to be looking directly at the Aviatik and I'm thunderstruck by what I see. The observer is actually shooting at us. To be honest, I was so shocked that I instinctively put the plane in a steep diving turn and got out of there and flew straight back to St. Pol. Upon arriving, the first thing I did was warn all of the other pilots that it looks like the Huns have finally armed the Aviatik and the easy times are probably over. This changes everything, now every Aviatik we approach we must assume that it is armed. It looks like the Huns have finally grown tired of us continually shooting down their aeroplanes. Life just got a lot harder.

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Damn! I knew it was too good to last. Looks like we Morane jockeys are going to catch it now.

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The Aviatik C.I has shown up? The tide may turn yet!

Lou: Easily one of the best camo jobs I've seen. I had to squint my eyes and look really hard to find your aircraft amid the ground clutter.

Banjo: Thanks again for helping!

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CatKnight, (and Banjoman, Hasse, MudWasp, and Fullofit), thank you for the comments and kudos on the livery for Adjutant Tremblay’s mount – much appreciated. Allard and his gunner/obs had the opportunity to show it off in battle against an Aviatik B.1 early this morning in the skies above Marchélepot when they intercepted a lone enemy running reconnaissance along the front lines there. G/O Sous-lieutenant Joubert was spot on with his aim and in short order had shut down the engine in the hostile craft, which could do nothing at that point but glide down and land. Unfortunately for Allard and Marc the Bosche pilot was able to park his bus just inside his own lines. There would now be much doubt with HQ about the claim for this one, even with the presence of witnesses. Merde!



Allard pulls up along the enemy's port side and closes the gap.



Sous-lieutenant Joubert makes quick work of the engine in the Bosche kite, with the luxury of witnesses present in the second Morane following up behind.



Their prey drifts down to earth, sans power.



The brave French fliers watch as the B.1 manages to get back across to the Bosche side of the mud. Allard considered following to try and persuade the enemy to land elsewhere but the ground gunners were looking more menacing than he liked.



The sun was burning off the morning haze as Adjutant Tremblay and his G/O returned to camp along with their flight mates.



Enjoying a quiet sky as the descent back to Lahoussoye commences. A good outing.

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Finally N10 C1's are here. Capitaine Achille Renard had his first flight this morning. What a difference. It almost feels unnatural to shoot at the enemy from behind, after such a long time in the Morane. After figuring out to aim below the cross-wires, shooting the BI's is easy as ... comment on dit? ... pie. Unfortunately, as Banjoman has already mentioned the CI's are here as well (and the EI's).

Fullofit, you are a cruel man. You know we don't get those until October.

To quote Olham: "Muahahahaha!".

Still love that livery, Lou, another masterpiece!

Enjoy the N10C-1
Reading about Alvin's adventures is always good, watch out for those Huns with Guns
Nice pic of that rear gunner getting his work done, Lou

A few shots of Geoffrey in action as Clarke pilots the Morane into position.