Random deaths in the squadron

I started a new campaign in RFC No 20 Squadron at 13th January. The unit is currently posted in Netheravon England and I don't think it's even possible for enemies to come within range of the squadron with current technology.

My plan was to have a couple flights in B.E.2 just to see what it's like before the unit is shipped to France and equipped with F.E.2s. After 2 routine patrol missions over the Blighty the squadron has suffered more casualties than my squadrons had during two months of fighting Nieuports in Aviatic C.I and Fokker E.III in German campaign!

On the first mission my B.E.2 was paired with a F.E.2. When the AI fee started take-off it only went forward few meters, then stopped. I speed past it thinking it was waiting for me but when I looked back when safely in the air, the fee was nowhere to be see. After the flight I learned the fee crew had been killed and the plane written off. The second patrol included two flights (everyone on B.E.2s). Take-off went without issues and the flight was uneventful as well but when I got back I learned that not only had both planes of A flight been written of with their crews but my own observer had been mortally wounded! Not a single shot was fired during the entire mission, the observer was not slumped when I ended the mission after landing and the pilot certainly had not taken any damage. The landing was fairly smooth three-pointer with minimal bouncing.

What is happening? Did the observer come down from the cockpit head first? Is there some particularly nasty strain of syphilis on the loose in a nearby town? Is there some known bug, maybe high refresh rate or alt-tabbing related, that could explain the weird deaths? Has anyone else ever operated from Netheravon field?

Here's a picture of the outcome of the second flight.

Influenza?

That's some nasty C.O. who has sent them up in that state.

"I don't care if they've got temperatures of 100+, faces like beetroots and have been bed ridden for two weeks....get them in those #%&*$# planes!"

No 20 lost one more B.E.2 with the crew from A flight while running away from the Netheravon to France. Now the squadron has done couple combat missions without losses in the blessed safety of Flanders.

I hope the modern day Parachute club that seems to operate from the (same?) air strip in Netheravon has better luck there than my squadron

"Your observer is relieved...." ...that he's mortally wounded? He really must not have liked you

but true to history.

Many would be pilots and even vets were killed in accidents. Infact I feel it doesn't happen enough in WOFF.

Yeah, losses from accidents would realistically be more common. According to Red Baron 3D manual, about three US aviators died during training for each aviator killed at the front. I'm pretty sure there was something wrong with Netheravon with the all the in-explainable losses though.

After about 8 missions in France, I'm pretty sure two planes of A flight were once lost in mid air collision as both planes were destroyed with no shots fired. One crew died, one pilot is MIA and one observer made it back alive from behind enemy lines.

I'm just wondering if ther is a way of tweeking some file to increase engine failure, bad landings etc.

Yes, it is. But globally per AC type.

It's well known that there were far more deaths from training and flight accidents than combat, and it wasn't just newbies either.

Boelcke, McCudden, Mulzer, Gontermann, Lowenhardt..... Madon, Lothar von Richthofen and Josef Veltjens (the last 3 in accidents after the war)....all died in accidents....and they're just the ones off the top of my head.

oh.....and Bruno Stachel and von Klugermann of course.....AND Croft!!!


So it's completely realistic for any squadron in WOFF to lose people that way.

Possibly due to a random engine / other systems failures, AI get them too.

Actually we do have individual engine reliability (it's already in aircraft in WOFF) via aircraft XDP - the default is it uses the global one.

Are there any mechanics that could explain the dead observer and F.E.2 that moved couple meters at take-off before stopping and was then listed as destroyed with the crew dead?

Engines can occasionally totally fail and blow up (and then so can other components). Could be many things in real life that could cause other injuries or deaths so maybe just enjoy it as one of those odd events in life?

In WOFF although we code it there's a lot of randomisation as we are generally NOT aiming for totally repeatable predictable results - so we can mimic real life somewhat.

It turn out 20 RFC was my personal lucky squadron after all. After a month long campaign of 26 missions and 37 flight hours, mostly in F.E.2b, I had scored 8 confirmed kills out of 13 claimed (12 Aviatic C.1s and one Fokker Eindecker). I had earned a promotion from 2nd Lt to full Lieutenant, Military Cross and Distinguished Service Order medal just a day before my transfer to 11 RFC on 15 Feb 1916.

My first mission in 11th squadron was patrol in Bristol Scout. It was snowing and the lighting and visibility in general were pretty bad and no enemies were spotted on the patrol. I was unfamiliar with my new field an approached for landing from what seemed like a sensible direction but hit a treetop that I didn't see from the Bristol's cockpit (forward visibility was one of the things I really missed from the Fee) and died in the crash. Retrospectively, it played out like in episode of Air Crash Investigations/Mayday

Not bad run for my first "full" campaign in the WOFF (my actual first campaign in FFA32/MFJ1 is still on-going on another machine). Realistic but very anti-climactic death even by the anti-climactic standards of historical aces . I think I'll try the French next.