617Dambusters

Friday Update - 25 September 2015

XOOM (CRS) wrote:CALL TO ACTION: GET OUR VETERANS READY FOR WBS!

We need all of your help to get folks ready for the upcoming Welcome Back Soldier event! Starting on October 1st (thru the 18th) all players of WWII Online will receive FULL premium access, and all inactive premium accounts will be re-activated...

The "Welcome Back, Soldier!" promotion is about to begin. Call the neighbors! Call the dogs! Call the neighbors' dogs! Get everyone back for some premium action. This is the very very beginning of the run up to the game coming out on Steam. New features and ingame items are beginning to be added. This is a great time to get ingame and start putting bugs in the Rats' ears about the features to put in (or back in) the game, such as the return of the R&D slowdown. It would be lovely to see a formation of Dambusters in the air. *HINT!*



-Irish

OK this is good news. Time so start gearing up for a big run on the factories. My wife has her carpel tunnel and rotator cuff surgery on Monday. I will be home with her a lot and will have time to play when she sleeps which will be a lot at first. Anyway, will get the install done and my machine ready to go. Like charlie3 said to me, I miss this game and the dudes we fly with man.

I know we may not have any african americans around right now, but listening to all of ya'll new and very friendly people, I think a new squad, attached to the 617 Dambusters, called The Tuskeegee Airmen is in order. A little reasearch is necessary so we use the correct squadron, etc that they were. Maybe, just maybe, we might ignight the old factory destyroying vein that runs through all of us. Damn, I'm starting to get really excited about this.

Looking forward to causing loads of trouble with ya'll!!!!!!!

Kizmet wrote:I think a new squad, attached to the 617 Dambusters, called The Tuskeegee Airmen is in order. A little reasearch is necessary so we use the correct squadron, etc that they were.

The Tuskegee Airmen flew out of Italy, with the 15th Air Force. They really wouldn't be the best choice, from what I can tell.

HOWEVER... (Knew that was coming, didn't you?)

RAF 71 squadron, 121 squadron, and 133 squadron were called the "Eagle Squadrons," as they were made up of US pilots who went across to join up before the US entered the war. They later were absorbed into the USAAF, the 8th Air Force, as the 334th, 335th, and 336th FS, respectively, as the 4th FG, the Eagles. <---(Link) They flew out of RAF Debden. <---(Another Link) They would be a great choice as they flew early war with the Brits, and later with the US. They even flew Spits when they were first brought into the USAAF, but transitioned out of them to the P-47 and later the P-51.

Something I read, which may or may not be true, says the 4th FG destroyed more enemy planes, in the air and on the ground, than any other FG in the 8th AF. Hmmm...



Now, if I had -MY- choice, I'd say go for the 356th FG (also 8th AF), out of Martlesham Heath. That's somewhat appropriate, as Martlesham Heath is actually in the game. But hey...



-Irish

Martsham Heath it is. We use to put our stock of 100 Havocs in Martlsham in game at the beginning of every campaign before we would start flying factory missions. I say yes to the 356th if they are not already used. Eagle Squadron is used. They use to escort us much earlier in wwiiol.

i'm lost wtf are you yammering on about john!

617 fo life yo

peace out my homie

He was just yammering on about having an actual unit designation for the fighter jocks protecting the bombers.

356th FG was either the Blue Diamonds or Martlesham Playboys, depending on who you ask. They were known as the hard luck unit of the 8th AF, as they had the fewest aces and the worst KDR. What many don't realize is that was because of their commanders' insisting on them staying close cover with the bombers. They wouldn't leave the escort mission and chase Nazi fighters, even when that was the order of the day. Their first priority was always getting the bomber boys home.

A number of years ago, I met a pilot from the 361st FS/356th FG, at the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, FL. (It's the second largest airshow in the US, behind Oshkosh.) The pilot was Hess Bomberger. He was flying a Mustang dressed up like his wartime ride. He was the nicest guy, and I found out later was also quite instrumental in the EAA warbirds program. He wrote the first manual on formation flying for warbirds at EAA airshows. I would love to fly under the banner of the 356th FG in Hess' honor, as a part of the New Martlesham Playboys...the Dambusters and the 356th.
By the way, "Vergeltungswaffe" means vengeance/retaliation weapon. It is also the word behind the "V" designation of the Nazi V-1 and V-2 weapons.

BY THE WAY, what time are missions getting underway? I'd like to fly with youse guyz.



-Irish

A little something to spread around, for the bomber jockeys...





S!

-Irish

irish there have not been any squad missions lately

i've been the only squaddie online

you are welcome to join me anytime... i've been coming in game after work weeknights

I sent a mass mailing to all past dambusters as well as to everyone who had ever signed up for our forums. Some of the vets I've seen in playschool probably came from our email campaign.