>>5855537
Damn. Never thought I'd see this back.

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>5855537

Welcome back!

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So, working on the turn. Something that I wasn't expecting to happen, well, happened. So...I decided to make a little something...

I'm just going to put this here as I finish up the crunch to put the fear of god in you while I work.

Crunch is done. Turn will likely be out in a few hours.

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It had been some time. The Lothringsche Fabriek van Luchtvaartuitrusting had been working on the craft for months. Even before it's engine it was designed for was finished. Early test flights proved to be impossible however without the engine itself. Yet, now it was finished and being produced. Not many, sure, but enough for both LFL and Koerkamp's designs to start being done. Of course, knowledge on the engine and the quick pace of the design process wouldn't be possible without the direct connections of the Lothring Air Corps, and now? Now was the time to actually test out the airframe. See what worked, what didn't. For Anton Stokszoon it was time to test out the weapon that would bring havoc to the invaders. He had flown the CN-III for some time, even got a pair of victories with the thing, but volunteered when seeing that test pilots were needed for the riskiest but potentially best aircraft on this side of the lines. The LFL Tv.I “Demon” would have it's first flight, and he the honor of flying the thing, fully loaded.

Taking off was easy enough, and quite quick too, the aircraft climbing at a blistering speed. And early flying of the thing, pushing it to it's limits showed that the design seemed to give quite a margin to avoid a stall, and naturally eased the pilot in getting out of such an issue. Further, with not one but two of the most powerful engines in the war, the craft went far, far faster than anything else he had flown. In fact in Anton's mind it was probably the fastest thing in the world, unless Koerkamp's design could prove better in that regard. But as far as he knew, that had half the engines. Still, the craft was painstakingly built, not of canvas and wood like the others, but of wood alone for most of the aircraft, with only some metal cowling and the wheels having anything different from wood. Though it had to be. It would likely break apart if it was built like more traditional aircraft, at least at full speed. And, with the powerhouse that AvD made, well...Weight was hardly a problem. Not only was the 'Demon' faster than anything he knew, it was likely tougher than anything too.

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Yet, while testing the thing, Anton spotted in the distance a group of aircraft. A few two seaters, Gallonian. And a few escorting aircraft. Had he flown off course and come close to the front line or had the enemy flown into their territory to a significant degree? The trenches weren't that far from here, but they were far enough that he did not expect to see hostile aircraft. Yet, he decided to take a chance. Prototype or not, this would give a great deal of information if it was in a real test, right? He quickly climbed to a nice safe altitude and got the sun behind him before he made a bounce on the squadron. One aircraft, the lead fighter, went down quickly, breaking up as the aircraft veered. The others started scattering, but he simply pulled up and looked behind him as the enemy aircraft quickly shrank. Pulling around, he'd make another pass, and an effective one as the engine of one of the two seaters went up in flames. The escort tried firing at him, but one of them even stalled in the process of trying to pull the nose up to shoot at him. By the time he turned around, the pilot just managed to get out of the stall, but they were an extremely easy target, the Gallonian craft returning to it's downward trajectory almost immediately after escaping it.

Then, he made another pass. The three other fighters in this flight were clearly flown by skilled pilots, they made every maneuver they could to try and force an overshoot, and one even got a shot in anger off as he pulled up. Far too low to pose a threat, he knew how to use his altitude to his advantage after all. And turning again, he got an opportunity to fill both of these craft with rounds when he could. Though they didn't make it easy. However, just as he was about to assuredly get a kill one of his guns stopped firing. A round clearly hitting the pilot, but they kept the aircraft flying...Unfortunate. With his firepower cut in half, he continued to try and get a good strike on the three desperate enemy pilots before seeing his fuel was running low. And with this, he simply turned to go back to the airfield he launched from. Though he knew that the engineers wouldn't be happy with what he did, but maybe his superiors would be more accepting. Especially with the potential propaganda this could be used for? The aircraft he downed all seemed like good pilots after all... Yet, upon landing, he found the rear propeller break, having hit the ground. Perhaps they should extend the undercarriage a bit? The engineers certainly would be furious with him now if they weren't already...

Meanwhile. Amelie was breathing heavily. She had been shot. She almost died... Not to a Prußenmark in one of their fine aircraft but...some horrific nightmare out of the minds of the Lothring. A demon that almost struck down the angel...And Roselyn was in a similar bad state, taking a number of harsh splinters from near misses and a round to the leg. Calantha meanwhile was a bit shaken. Weren't Lothring pilots meant to be easy kills? What was that thing?!

With the orders given to the squadrons, you quickly find a worrying report coming from Rouge. Two aces were wounded in action. Badly. One of which being one of the best pilots in the entire Air Corps. If not the whole war. They speak of a strange aircraft. A biplane with wings staggered so far apart the rear wing may as well be the tail. A craft with two engines, one forward and one rearward, faster than anything else in the air. So far, only the one encounter has been recorded, no other Escadre or Escadron having run afoul of the thing. But it is concerning to say the least. Especially given the attrition that the pilots of Vert and Rouge suffered. Worse when news reaches you that Oriolda Bonnet had been shot down as well. Initially, it seemed like this would be a bloody and bleak couple of weeks.

Yet, things would turn around a bit. Initially with a report that Liliane had managed to down the Kileshadran, Noah. Unfortunately, the enemy pilot was not killed and landed safely behind enemy lines, however it is a important propaganda win, especially given that it was an extremely close fight that one could argue Liliane was lucky to come out as the victor. Further, some of the other aces of the Escadre managed to down quite a few enemies, and Blanc naturally did well keeping our skies clear too. Although, they were bogged down a bit from fighting off the two seaters by a surprising amount of Falke D.II's, likely newly raised squadrons using the reserve aircraft as the older pilots keep the newer D.III's. Regardless, by the end of the month Five Falke D.III's, including Noah's plane, eleven Falke D.II's three Fryg CL.IIa's and a CN-III were downed by the Escadre. Which compared to the loss of eleven of our own aircraft is...not that bad.

At least new requisition can be made now. Though Amelie being out of action is going to be very bothersome. Especially given that she most certainly will be in the hospital during the spring offensive, the same offensive meant to start in roughly three weeks time...

Squadrons, aircraft, pilots, and other information.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KT0JJxoLsbcNFC7RqtsWKke9iTnLQ8blSCf_8dZ4jWw/edit?usp=sharing

(Sorry about the time it took to get this update out. Also will note very eager to do a Spyfi thing in the future. But that's the future. Not now.)

>WIA 12 weeks
It's fucking joever

Requisitions:

23x Verany C2 = 184 RPs
24x Replacement Metropolitan Pilots = 4 RPs
Full Resupply = 12 RPs

All Fighter Escadrons to equip with 9x Veranys. Blanc's single Type R will be used as a Judas Goat and utility hack.

Pilot Allocation:
Bleu: Lebas, Vaugrenard to Active. 7x Replacements.
Blanc: No Change
Rouge: Anouillh and Hauet to Active. 7x Replacements.
Vert: Maret, Courbet and Guilloux to Active. Duverger on leave to write her book. Charbonnier to TRACOM. Trouve to Reserve. 6x Replacements.
Noir: Beauvau and Noir to Active. Dembele, Delannoy and de Montgomerie on PR Tour. Behet to TRACOM. 5x Replacements.

Orders:
Some options for the other Anons:

> 1. Low Optempo in preparation for the coming offensive:
Blanc to recce the Coloroux and Dissons AOO
Bleu and Rouge to Escort
Vert and Noir on CAP

> 2. Aggressive attempt to attrit the enemy and take a peek at the new toy.
Vert to patrol the AOO where Rouge got bounced and draw the Demon towards the border as a sort of Circus mission
Following not too far behind, Blanc, following Vert and escorted by Rouge, will attempt to either inspect the wreckage of the Demon, if Vert got lucky, or just provide a reason for the Demon to try to extend the fight and overplay its hand.
Bleu to assault the airfield to prevent other aircraft coming to the Demon's assistance.
Noir on Defensive CAP

> 3, Cooperative strike on LFL offices and the test airfield with 15e Escadre, if GHQ approves. Maximum effort.
Blanc to provide pre-strike recce and post-strike Bomb Damage Assessment
Noir and Vert to escort 15e.
Bleu to escort Blanc
Rouge on Defensive CAP

Frankly, I think our fate was sealed with the Lothring invasion, so I am inclined with #1. The Escadre has suffered attrition before and still survived. Note that many of top pilots are grounded this turn, so expect severe casualties with #2 or #3.

>>5857606
PS -- For Rouge, Desjardins will sent to TRACOM, and Allard to Reserve.

>>5857606
And for Order option #3, make that strikes, plural, not singular. Just like pre-1991 air campaigns, I do not expect a single raid to do the job.

>>5857383
>1. Low Optempo in preparation for the coming offensive:
Sucks. But at least they're not dead.

>>5857606
>1. Low Optempo in preparation for the coming offensive
No other option.

Alright, think you've settled on the plan. I'll likely get the turn out tomorrow. Was quite busy today and will be still. I am hoping though to get turns up at least twice a week, but ideally three times a week. Though, we'll see how things go.

Also if anyone new here has any questions or anyone wants to tell me, the QM anything feel free.

I cannot quite remember -- the next offensive was to be a counterstroke at Leeuwenborg, correct?

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Redirected so far south, and after something that could actually pose a challenge popped up. What a shame. And now, she was simply to do defensive patrols for weeks. Boring work, safe work. Although at the very least there was no risk of Archie taking her down barring a horrific case of friendly fire. At the very least it would be relaxing, and likely aid in getting the newer pilots acclimated to their new profession at minimal risk without outright leaving them back on the ground or having them training behind the lines. Yet, the relaxing flight would be interrupted with something in the distance. Tracers. Specifically heading toward an allied observation balloon. Motioning to her flight, she moved to climb and, ideally, engage...

Upon reaching the friendly balloon that now was a burning wreck on the ground, she noticed far below her a few Falke's. Naturally, she dove down and effortlessly shot and killed the pilot of one. Yet, little did she know that there was two flights. Above her, in the sun, was a pilot that she had fought before. A formidable ace pilot that now had racked up an impressive count of victories. Braun Pfÿffers. His Jagdstaffel having relocated further south recently, just as Adélaïde's own Escadre had rediverted it's focus. Neither realized the shift in strategy both wings had undertaken, but it would lead to a fight between two of the best pilots in the war. With Braun getting the first shot now that Adélaïde was in prime position to be bounced. However, even with the element of surprise, Adélaïde was a hard target, having maneuvered before even being fired upon to try and maintain her altitude advantage over the Falke's below, managing to dodge the fire that only made her utilize her aircrafts maneuverability to it's maximum the second she noticed the tracers flying her way. Once Braun pulled off from the attack, however, Adélaïde pulled up hard and took a snap shot at their rival that managed to damage the Falke D.III Braun was flying, specifically it's rudder.

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For a time, Adélaïde focused on trying to keep an eye on the aircraft above while gaining altitude, trying to fly below the Falke D.III. And upon a better look at the craft's colorful painting, she recognized who it was. And with her in a disadvantageous position she was actually somewhat concerned. But, only somewhat. However, there was one advantage that she had over that of her enemy. The little decoration she made to her craft was hardly anything noticeable in actual combat without getting to knife fighting, a small bit of text. And with a whole flight, Braun soon shifted his attention to another target, either having lost track of Adélaïde or having seen another aircraft that he thought was an easier target. A bit of breathing room that allowed Adélaïde to climb and harass Braun until the altitude difference was small enough for her to really start fighting back. Braun's allies were, of course, not idle. But neither were Adélaïde's. And with a bit of luck Adélaïde was able to catch her enemy in a turn as they pulled hard on the stick, coming close to a head on pass. But with the damage done earlier, he was unable to get his nose and guns around in time before fire ripped into his engine and a tracer round hit a fuel line, igniting the engine and soon sending the rival ace spiraling to the ground...

Adélaïde, or rather Adelinde, was actually unsure how to feel about this. It felt almost...disappointing that one of her rivals would go down so relatively easy. Especially when they had the drop on her. Perhaps if her aircraft was so flagrantly and overtly decorated the outcome would be very different? Or perhaps not. It wouldn't do to dwell on what if's regarding the past...

Given the extremely dangerous aircraft that was in Lothring's hands, orders to move south and with a limited and far more relaxed tempo are put into place. And, not that much happens. A handful of missions over enemy lines are done and meet modest resistance but nothing too major. Most attacks on the two seaters fended off thanks to Calantha and Catherine. It also helps get the newer pilots adjusted to their duties and puts them in less danger. Though, not enough that no one dies, of course. As an unfortunate encounter with an enemy ace has left two Rouge pilots and planes to be scratched off the list. However, Vert's mood is absolutely jubilant with recent events, as is high command. Those recent events being the third highest scoring Prußenmark ace, and third highest scoring ace period, being shot down by our own original, Adélaïde. In fact the recent victory has seen to it that she is to be given a promotion and a medal for the deed. Though, while some command staff wish to absolutely use the massive propaganda win to the fullest by bringing her behind lines for PR and make the awarding of the medal public, it does come at a bit of an awkward time. As it is when she will be needed most, given how the assault is to begin in about a week. And while it wouldn't be so bad as there are other great pilots that could do as well as Adélaïde, that being L'ange gardien, she is currently out of action and will be for some time. At least Vert's commander, Lucie Maret, finally joined the ace club.

Still, reports are that the enemy air corps will take a blow to their morale for this, at least to some extent. Ideally it will be enough to disrupt them while the spring offensive gets underway. Current plans, mainly influenced by Pretany and their new tank corps, have a push toward Eberding, aiming to get to the riverline, and then go south from there to threaten cutting off Dissons. However, there seems to be some grumbling from Gallonian high command, as there is a significant desire to advance into Leeuwenborg. However with the nature of Lothring and the flooding of some regions with extensive mud, it is believed by Pretany that their tanks will potentially be consumed by the mud and buried rather than prove particularly useful. Still, even with this there is surprisingly little to report regarding the other fronts of the war outside of Asu, where the stubborn KLIL defenders continue to cause a headache for Cipanto, who's progress continues at a slow pace...

Squadrons, aircraft, pilots, and other information.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KT0JJxoLsbcNFC7RqtsWKke9iTnLQ8blSCf_8dZ4jWw/edit?usp=sharing

>>5860728
I requested full resupply last turn, but the Escadrons are at 50% now? Oh well, I can write that off as a GHQ mishap.

Airframes:
Keep as-is
Blanc's Type R as a non-combatant hack

Pilots:
Bleu: Ponce to Active. Chaney to TRACOM. Lebas to Reserve.
Blanc: Tam and The to Reserve. Cuong and Truong to Active.
Rouge: Ahem, Desjardins to TRACOM. Annouih on PR Tour. Allard to Reserve. Valcroix, Hachette and Laframboise to Active.
Vert: Maret and Courbet to TRACOM. Duverger and Arceneaux to Active.
Noir: Durand and Joubert to Reserve. Noir to TRACOM. Dembele , Longchambon, de la Croix to Active.

Orders:
Pretty straightforward, we must back the attack. High Optempo.

Blanc to recce the Eberding AOO
As for the other Escadrons. . .

> Option 1, standard two up, two defending
Vert and Noir to escort Blanc
Bleu and Rouge on Defensive/BAR CAP

> Option 2, more aggressive
Noir on Defensive/BAR CAP
Bleu and Vert to escort Blanc
Rouge to bust balloons. Using the Escadron with the most newbies for this, as it is very attritional. Order Hauet's flight to act as TARCAP for the anti-balloon flights instead of going for the balloons themselves.

QM, did you expect the players to take a shot at the Demon last turn? I half expected the others to say, **** it, chuck it , we go with 15e. That would have been wild.

PS -- Wow, l'As is a stone cold killer, with only F13 after that furball. I always wanted to see her in command of an Escadron, and now we will witness it next turn. I recall we promised not to send her on PR Tours earlier. . .

PPS -- If we choose to run the balloon busting mission, can we request friendly artillery to suppress the enemy AAA?

>>5860825
Sorry about that. It's been fixed.

As for going after the demon, I honestly thinking it'd be a 50/50 if you tried doing something to cause problems for the craft or not. So, like you I half expected the players to go for it.

>>5860828
Still up to you. If you are ever unsure of anything you can check the old threads, if you have the time, like I have.

>>5860836
You can request it, yes. If they will grant the request is the more important question.

>>5860728
All squadrons over Eberding. We help the attack!

>>5862155
Hmm, if this is the only vote, then how about this tasking order:

Blanc: recce the Eberding AOO
Noir and Vert to escort Blanc
Rouge to bust balloons
Bleu TARCAP for Rouge

>>5860728
>Option 1, standard two up, two defending
Supporting this

Turn will come out either tonight or tomorrow.

>>5863990
Are you going to take a die roll? Looks like a tie between all-out and 3-1.

>>5864946
Already did on my side. It was all out. Writing the turn now so, expect it in an hour at most.

>>5864946
>>5864963
I should note I realize I'm a dumbass and misunderstood what you meant there and only realized it after I posted. No, it was the balanced option. I for some reason was thinking you were referring to the op tempo.

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With Lucie Maret and Eva Courbet away, and the recent promotion, Adélaïde was in full control of the squadron. The first day, before taking off, she gave a set of orders. Ermengardis Duverger, would follow her closely high above the aircraft they were escorting. Marcelle Niel and Celestria Arceneaux, would fly only somewhat above the escort upon joining up with them and lastly Arlette Lemaigre and Marie-Thérèse Dubuisson would stick close to the aircraft they were protecting. Further, she explained if she fired a red flare followed immediately after by a white one, it meant she spotted enemy aircraft incoming. It was a simple, and easy to understand. And, in the first flight enemy aircraft would be sighted by l'As and reported, preparing the escadron for the fight. The positioning of the aircraft caused problems for the enemy, and ensured that they would be able to be bounced by at least one group of two fighters. And, her and Ermengardis' position at the highest position of the escadron allowed them the perfect place to dive down and strike any aircraft that was causing problems to their fellow pilots with boom and zoom tactics if they got in danger. The idea being to try and ensure that the new blood would be able to live long enough to get some good experience and ideally get their first victories.

A plan that would work flawlessly, due to luck, skillful management and piloting, the early warning, or any combination of these factors. Throughout the two weeks, Vert would not lose a single pilot in the runs with Adélaïde, who flew in every mission, and kept a keen eye to protect the newer pilots as best she could. However, both Blanc and it's escort suffered extremely stiff resistance, something that caused the two best pilots in vert to wrack up victories, and even a few of the newer pilots. In fact, an enemy ace, Jürgen Glisser, would have constant harassment in the from of strikes from above forcing him to pull off from his targets until Ermengardis put a few rounds that took out the engine of his Falke D.II, the older craft likely playing a role in his downfall. Yet, while vert did well, it seemed that the black cat that was the symbol of Noir finally gave them bad luck...

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For Sibilia, managing the entire squad on her own was a headache. She was glad that she now punish Acelina any time she used that annoying nickname without the Commandant getting in the way and overriding her orders. However the extra work was not something she was used to, especially given some of the squabbling between a few of the pilots. Yet what she was really not expecting was her flight to run head first into one of elite Prußenmark pilots, and a pair of lesser skilled ones as well. The fight itself was chaotic. A S.U.D went down nearby her as the assaulting pilot pulled off, all the while many ornately decorated planes of Prußenmark flew circles around her flight. She hardly ever got a chance to get a shot off. Flying in an uncomfortable situation. Yet, in the chaos and with so many aircraft, she was able to take some advantage. Noticing one aircraft that she believed was potentially an ace given the decorations upon the aircraft behind her, she moved close to one of the aircraft she was escorting, flying just under them. The enemy pilot took advantage, and shot down the craft she was meant to protect, but as it pulled away, she was able to get a snap shot. One that went right through Curt Múllers head. Yet as she rolled the aircraft to dive and pull back to dodge another, she spotted another vulnerable target, one that was engaged with one of her own flight. One that split off from their original target upon noticing what she was doing.

Getting into another dogfight, she sacrificed altitude to get the nose on target and get snapshot after snapshot, the enemy forced lower to the ground as well. Of course, this was quite risky, being over enemy lines. Yet, luckily, it seemed that the area they were fighting over was devoid of soldiers, and more importantly anti aircraft guns. Yet, getting so close to the ground, Sibilia was starting to run out of options. The D.III was a superior aircraft when it came to agility. Even if not by that much. And so, she did something risky, pulling one last split S that brought her mere centimeters above the ground and allowed her to get a shot off on her enemy, one that luckily, broke the spars on one of the wings, and forced the enemy pilot to get closer to the ground and slow the craft down, the top wing snapping off before the pilot could land. Yet, luckily for Hanß Zetters, he would survive, all be it wounded.

When Noir returned, they were missing a few pilots. Yet the mood was lightened a bit by the news that Sibilia had downed two enemy aces. Things...did not get better for them however, as wounds and attrition piled up. Yet, the Culex certainly did as much as she could to ensure the enemy suffered for the losses and wounds they would inflict on Noir...

After giving the orders you wait with a mix of fear and concern for the results of the battle on the ground and in the air. The initial two weeks of the assault have gone acceptably. Though the losses are higher than desired. In the air, things aren't much better for most of the Air Corps, as a significant amount of the Prußenmark's own air corps is operating in the area, either prepared for their assault or in expectation of our own. Regardless, this has caused problems for a number of our escadrons, specifically Noir, though Rouge and Bleu have lost a number of aircraft and pilots. The only escadron to do particularly well being Vert. However, there is some good news. Firstly, the total amount of aircraft our own escadre has downed in these past two weeks is a staggering thirty five enemy aircraft confirmed downed, with 9 being Fryg's while the rest were Falke D.II's and D.III's. But more importantly is the fact that three of the enemy aircraft downed were piloted by aces. Unfortunately, intel reports that only one of these pilots actually died. However it is still a significant victory regardless.

Two of these enemy aces however were downed by the up and coming Culex, who similarly to l'As, is up for consideration for a public display. Though, given this pilot was able to take care of two aces at a time like this, and both in the same battle, it is perhaps best to keep them on the front. Somewhat related to this, l'As is still in the running for a ceremony as well, even if later than desired by the brass. Though, this is still up to us specifically.

In the east, a surprise has occurred. The kingdom of Dacinia seem to have joined the war thanks to the efforts of Varuskie. Unfortunately, their initial assault was absolutely dismal and they were almost immediately overrun by the forces of Bulģhakia and Steyerland-Magyrian with a harsh counter attack. While the country is still standing, there are concerns that it's quick collapse could open up a route for Steyerland-Magyrian to further widen the front line against Varuskie, specifically in an area that is currently weak. Something that could force a number of divisions to divert to protect this new soft underbelly. Especially given Dacinia joining so suddenly was as expected by Varuskie as it was us, it seems...

Squadrons, aircraft, pilots, and other information.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KT0JJxoLsbcNFC7RqtsWKke9iTnLQ8blSCf_8dZ4jWw/edit?usp=sharing

Will write up allocations opords after I sleep and work, but how aggressive do other Anons want to be next turn? Balanced, 3 Up, or all-in?

Also, a new fighter, yay! And looks like Chloe Valcroix made ace this turn.

Ah I had a whole post written, and then I closed the window.

Requisitions:
20x Verany C2 = 140 RPs
4x SUD Galion B = 52 RPs, gotta use those spare RPs
Full resupply of all Escadrons = 6 RPs
12x Metropolitan Replacements = 2 RPs

Pilots:
Bleu: All able-bodied aircrew to Active. 3x Replacements
Blanc: All Active.
Rouge: Hauet and Desjardins to TRACOM. Anouilh and Allard to Active. 5x Replacements.
Vert: Guilloux to TRADOC. Duverger to assist Guilloux part-time and continue scribbling in her off-hours. All others Active.
Noir: Dembele on PR Tour. All other able-bodied crews to Active. 1x Replacement.

TRADOC -- Training and Doctrine Command. L'As will brief Escadron leaders on new tactics before the offensive, and disseminate a Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP) memorandum. In effect, she is an extra Escadre staff officer this turn.

Orders:
High Optempo, Eberding AOO. Blanc's Recce flights will do the usual reconnoitering, and also perform pre-strike recce and post-strike Bomb Damage Assessment for the bombers. Bomber flight will hit enemy artillery concentrations, ammo dumps and especially reinforcement columns trying to plug the breakthroughs. Basically interdiction.

For the fighters, pretty much a repeat of last turn, with Bleu and Noir swapping roles:

> Option 1, standard two up, two defending
Vert and Bleu to escort Blanc
Noir and Rouge on Defensive/BAR CAP

> Option 2, more aggressive
Noir on Defensive/BAR CAP
Bleu and Vert to escort Blanc
Rouge to bust balloons

> Option 3, all-in
Bleu and Vert to escort Blanc
Rouge to bust balloons
Noir TARCAP for Rouge

Ouch, Noir has two aces away for ten weeks. Chaney has the lowest MEXP, and pretty low morale -- he must be a discipline case. Is that new Gehlen a fighter or bomber? And by the way, does this game remind anyone of Fantasy Football?

>>5865915
If you know anything about german WW1 aircraft designations, you'll be able to tell that the C.IV is a two seater, and not a light one like the CL's.

Oh and something for the other Anons to vote on -- should Helene (Player Character) join the first bombing raid with the new Galions?

>>5865005
>> Option 2, more aggressive

>>5865938
Sure. Dropping the first bomb is a festive event

>>5865005
> Option 2, more aggressive

>>5865938
Only if we dress as Santa. (just kidding)

Sorry for the delay. Turn will be up tonight or tomorrow. I was able to get the requisitions set up for the time being at the very least.

>>5867876
Blanc cannot be equipped with the four Galions?

>>5868182
I didn't realize you actually went for the Galions given they are actual twin engined bombers, hence the ability for them to do strategic bombing. Not two seaters like the rest of the craft in Blanc. If this changes anything, please inform me. Otherwise I'll be processing the turn soon, with Blanc having them, I suppose. Though I'll have to work something out given I had a plan for those sorts of aircraft to be in 'crews' rather than with individual pilots.

Godfuckingdamnit... Turn will be tomorrow then rather than tonight like I was hoping. At least this gives you time to figure out if you want to keep the Galions or not. And maybe time for me to think about how to work those in to a two seater squadron while I'm busy with other things.

Buying Galleasses instead of Galions means that there will be 9 spare RPs. How about a vote then:

> Buy four Galions (52 RPs)
> Buy four Galeasses (40 RPs), bomb racks for all Galeasses (10 RPs), and six extra replacement pilots for both the Colonial and Metropolitan pools (2 RPs)

>>5868447
Gah, not 9, but 12 spare RPs.

I will state that buying the Galions is not sustainable, given that we usually struggle to equip the Fighter squadrons, let alone the entire Wing. But it might be fun to see them in action once before they are inevitably attrited.

You guys have about another 4 hours to figure out what you want to do before I start working on the crunch.

>>5869045
Proceed

So, got all the crunch done with only one exception. I'll get the fluff early this morning. Terribly sorry for how long this turn has taken. Will try and make up for the lost time a bit with more turns this week.

Hey take it easy -- Christmas is for relaxation.

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It was the first mission up in escorting Blanc for Bleu. Something that had been done many times before and had it's dangers but was nothing special. The aces Andry Chaney and Remy Ponce were in the flight. Two pilots who had known each other for quite some time, two of the Trios Pilotes Violets. Le papi was still wounded and being medically treated, but that was fine. The tough old bastard was still kicking and would likely be back flying with them in a month or so. Yet, with a strike out of the sun, a Prußenmark pilot fired a number of rounds into Andry's aircraft. The shots didn't hit anything important that was directly part of the craft...But they did hit Chaney himself. Shortly after, his aircraft simply spiraled out of control, and eventually was ripped apart as it fell.

The Trois pilotes violets had become a duo.

Remy was furious, and two Prußenmark Falke D.III's would fall by his hand that flight. Yet, things would not get any better for Bleu after this. Boutart being shot down after getting his sixth and final victory. In fact the only pilot to do particularly well was Remy Ponce and one other, Axel Grandis. The latter for surviving and getting a fifth victory, and the former for downing another two aircraft before the weeks were up. However things were quite gloomy after this, especially for the two survivors whom had known each other for ages...

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In another air base, a few days later...

"Is Maret alright? She hasn't returned." Liliane said to Eva, the two simply sitting, waiting for their commander, and only other active pilot still alive to return.

"She should be fine. I saw her low to the ground with her aircraft smoking a bit, but over our lines. If she isn't wounded, she should be here soon. Otherwise, we will likely be waiting for someone else to give us the news of her short stint with the nurses. Besides, you know how lucky she is. Likely just a scratch if that's the case." Eva responded, clearly trying to be optimistic.

"Maybe...I just can't believe how much has happened and so soon. Bleu has apparently taken some harsh losses, or so I have heard. But...There's just three of us now. And after things were going so well last month with Laïde... All of that work trying to protect the others..." Clearly Liliane was a bit distraught by everything that had happened. However, Eva put a hand on her shoulder.

"Look, they might have gone down but, I'm fairly sure most of them managed to land safely. It's hard to tell given how combat is, and we can't know for sure as it is over Fritz's lines. But they are likely safe and they'll be able to go home once this bloody war is over, if not sooner with a prisoner transfer. It's a bit rotten that they won't be able to help us anymore, but they count on us to make sure when they do come home, they are met with celebration of our victory!" Getting up, Eva would glance to the barracks before saying "Would you like to join me for some tea while we wait? We could use all the rest we can get given we'll be the only two along with whatever Bleu has providing escort for the next while."

With this, Liliane simply nodded and followed her.

To say the past two weeks were hard would be an understatement. Blanc was subject to shockingly high resistance by the enemy, with every attempt on our end to strike punished hard by their defense. While not impenetrable, and certainly no match for some of our top pilots, the vast majority of our air crew are not the best of the best, merely skilled. And, those escorting suffered extensively despite a truly admirable job in protecting the aircraft of Blanc. Due to this, Vert and Bleu suffered steep losses that will surely cause problems we will need to contend with for the next few weeks. It is quite a shame though, especially given how many promising pilots were lost before their full potential was able to be realized. This is recoverable however, and while we lost a worrying amount of our own aircraft these past two weeks, the enemy has lost over thirty, mainly thanks to the efforts of Eva Courbet and Liliane Charbonnier. Who combined have just under twenty victories this past two weeks. They have been completely run ragged but they certainly made sure the sacrifices our other pilots made were not in vain.

In better news, the Culex, Sibilia Dembélé, has managed to be a solid propaganda win. While prideful and extravagant, they seem to have a knack for the spotlight and adore every second of it. They have managed to drum up quite a bit of support through a number of somewhat embellished tails of her heroic's and seem to know just how to get reporters and the media to focus on all the positives and none of the negatives, even spinning many of those negatives into positives. Despite being no where near as skilled or successful as l'As or L'ange gardien she has probably become just as well known in the public eye of Gallonia. Needless to say, the propagandists are more than happy with her performance, and we are likely to be rewarded with significant material because of it and our recent efforts, despite the losses. You even get a note say to prepare to determine what role and kind of Escadron the 14e will have next. It does bring up a question however. How effective would this all be if l'As was given the same treatment as Sibilia with the public award ceremony and propaganda tour?

There is one other bit of important news we have, however. The Pretans have a new aircraft they are starting to deploy. The Fletcher Triplane. A very, very agile craft that, as the name suggests, has three rather than just two wings. Other than this, the Dupont 12 C, our own next step with aviation, is to be available shortly once the final touches are done, likely to be able to be utilized shortly. A month and a half from now at most. In regards of the offensive, the enemy has clearly put a major focus on the defense of Eberding, as the city is key for both logistical and symbolic purposes. Interestingly, despite this an ambitious attack seems to be occurring in the north along the Lothring border, mainly by Lothring troops trying to retake their land. With both Pretan and Gallonian forces so focused on the current offensive they have made some gains. But at this stage the entire Lothring situation has been chalked up by Gallonian high command as an over ambitious mistake... Meanwhile, in the east, a report is coming in of a Prußenmark offensive being canceled due to...wolves? In fact, there's even reports of both Varuskie and Prußenmark forces working together to defend themselves from packs upon packs of wolves. The actual truth and validity of such statements is hard to come by, but better things in the east remain stagnant than allow for Varuskie to be forced back...

Regardless, it is clear that while there is a lot of good news on the horizon, there are many problems we have to deal with in the now...

Squadrons, aircraft, pilots, and other information.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KT0JJxoLsbcNFC7RqtsWKke9iTnLQ8blSCf_8dZ4jWw/edit?usp=sharing

(BTW because why not, if anyone wants to throw a pilot into the pool and submit a name, so long as it's fitting, go for it. Throwing in extra stuff like a description of them, personality and physical is also nice if you feel like doing that. Of course, given the nature of this game, I'd expect them to die. But, hey, you never know. l'As started from somewhere, after all. Also again, sorry for all the delays.)

Airframes: Vert to transfer 2x Veranys to Bleu and 1x Verany to Rouge

Pilots:
Bleu: Ponce to TRACOM. Grandis on PR Tour. 4x Replacements.
Rouge: Valcroix and Anouillh on PR Tour. Desjardins to Active. 2x Replacements.
Vert: Courbet and Charbonnier to TRACOM
Blanc and Noir: No changes.

Orders:
High Optempo, except for Vert, which is a Replacement Air Group this turn,

Blanc: Similar to last turn. Only two bombers left, though, so those should focus on supply dumps and reinforcement columns.
Bleu: Defensive CAP
Noir: Escort Blanc

Rouge is the swing squadron:
> Defensive CAP
> Balloon bust again
> Escort Blanc
> Independent Offensive Counter-Air and TARCAP over Eberding

What a bloodbath. How did Rouge to with the balloon-bust? Valcroix now has 10 Victories despite being only FEXP 25 -- that is wild. Too bad Arceneaux got it this turn, after spending five months in the hospital.

Maybe S-2, S-3 and l'As can critique/AAR the bombing operations. Are bombers worth it?How did the escort get whacked so badly? And can we get the Staff College to send a correspondence course to Lucie to work on in the hospital?

The Lothring is interesting. Maybe GHQ will do a northward counterstroke towards Leeuwenborg to cutoff the enemy after taking Eberding?

>>5870965
Rouge did decently. As for Valcroix, she started fairly meh on fexp, yet got a surprising number of victories early on rather than just...surviving and gaining the early fexp most pilots do the normal way... Unless I fucked up somewhere.

As for your questions for l'As, can be included in the next turn. As can that correspondence.

>>5870965
PS -- Release a Replacement Pilot to Blanc so that the Judas Goat can be flown. Forgot about that.

Also interested what other Anons think about a new squadron. I have my ideas, but will keep quiet for now.

>>5870965
So, just need you guys to settle on a plan for Rouge and I'll start work on the turn.

>>5871716
If no one else pipes, I say
> Escort Blanc

And since I liked the Indochine film from 1992, and the fourth season of Blackadder:
> Sous-lieutenant Guy Ngyuen, a bastard adopted by a prominent French planter. He had just earned his Baccalaureate from a Metropolitan Lycee when war was declared, and duly joined the service. Schooled in the manners and mannerisms of the colonial grandees, his foreign looks, short, swarthy figure and greasy hair nevertheless made him an outcast. His desire to carve his own identity conflicts with his cowardice, so the strong urge to turn tail is outweighed by fear of further social opprobrium.

>>5870099
God that's a lot dead pilots, we shouldn't do that again.

>>5871478
I want to do a PR tour get some volunteers pilots for a squadron. Maybe we'll even find a dashing not!American pilot.

>>5871890
Presume that he's a colonial pilot. Regardless, I like it. Hopefully he doesn't die.

Anyway, will get to work shortly.

>>5871891
> we shouldn't do that again
Au contraire. Cran, élan, et la Baïonnette!

QM, would volunteer recruiting be an ordinary PR Tour, or one that would require an indefinite detachment, like Roald Dahl's sojourn in American during World War 2? If the latter, maybe the burned-out, low morale aces can be spared.

>>5871905
Yes, he is a Colonial. As an aside, I read that some British Army officers referred to the RAF as the Coloured Troops as late as WW2. Not proper gentlemen, you know.

>>5871906
Recruiting Volunteers will happen automatically when you get a Volunteer squadron. The amount you get is based on Propaganda and your success.

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Gaston Charrier was quite pleased. He had managed to pass top of his class and with his diligence and natural skill he was more than suited to be made not just higher up the chain of command for a escadron, but made a Commandant as well. Of course, this news got all the better when he learned that he was ending up in the 14e Escadre Mixte "Liberté" and was to be their replacement given what happened to the last. He was disappointed with the initial orders he was given however, that being simple defensive patrols, as he wanted to do more. His skills and talents surely would be wasted simply protecting the Gallonian side of the lines when he could be taking the offense to the enemy. After all, the combined forces of Pretany and Gallonia were attacking, were they not? Would it not be a waste for his own escadron to not aid in that effort? They were part of the 14e after all! Surely, some other escadre could take up defense... Still, he knew better than to disregard orders, and while disappointed, he still took to the air on a defensive patrol...

However, it seemed Bleu's curse of bad luck on their first flights would not go away just yet.

While up with his full escadron on patrol, his flight ended up spotting a number of Kronlein G.III's. And naturally, he and his flight moved to engage. Of course, the bombers were escorted by Falke D.III's, but that was to be expected. Besides, Gaston and his flight were using tactics from l'As herself, what could go wrong? A lot, actually. While most of his pilots engaged with the fighters and some tried protecting each other like the tactics they were given, Gaston and Fabien Pinchon went for the bombers. The latter ending up taking a round to the head from a Kronlein gunner, while the former managed to do quite well. Unfortunately, while Gaston was focused on the bombers, Arnoult Lebas who was one of the pilots meant to protect the others met a quick death when he overshot his target and a few rounds actually managed to set off a small explosion due to a hit on the fuel tank, the aircraft's engine quickly dying as fire consumed the aircraft, and the wings damaged from the burst broke free after a few seconds. Things didn't go much better for the other pilots, with Pierre-Louis Vernier being so unlucky as to be shot down by one of the Kronlein gunners while on the tail of a Falke D.III.

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However despite this, Gaston Charrier's aim was true, and his handling of his aircraft kept him out of harms way. His first pass on one of the Kronlein's managing to set one of the engines on fire. The second took a few more passes before the pilot was killed and the craft went down. While another had both engines shot out. Despite this, by the time he had downed the third enemy, the escort had finished up with his fellow pilots, and he was the last one flying. And, with a quick lucky snap shot in a head on, he scored a fourth to the tally before diving for the deck and heading home.

The remaining Kronlein's would find their target discovered earlier in the day, new tanks delivered to aid the Pretan assault...And with this, a number would never have the chance to fight Prußenmark troops.

Upon his return, Gaston was the last active pilot of Bleu. And with practically two full weeks still left...

The situation for the past two weeks has been...harsh. This bloody April being exemplified by the fact the stubborn Prußenmark defenders have engaged in a harsh, areal counter attack. The extensive amount of air assets they have in the area combined with what is presumably a moral and strategic imperative to hold Eberding at any cost has proven to be quite the thorn in our side. And with so many sorties of our own forces going up to meet them and so long of seemingly great success, it was only inevitable that we'd come onto some truly hard times. Sure, the Bergan scourge lasted longer, and in some ways was worse, but there was never so many of them to be so oppressive. Other Escadre's in the area are of course helping mitigate some of these problems but they still persist. There is yet further bad news however in that the deployment of the new Dupont has been delayed. A couple of Escadre have gotten them already, but the demand is currently well above supply, not to mention the harassment our supply lines on this side of the lines has suffered. In fact, a few air bases even have been reported as being bombed. Though, luckily none of our own.

In better news, there is a bit of thorough examination regarding the application of l'As' tactics by l'As and Ermengardis. Firstly, they believe Bleu suffered due to lack of significantly skilled pilots to cover the newer ones, notably the only one remotely close to such skill, Arnoult Lebas, being taken out too quickly. As for Rouges losses, it is believed they were mitigated thanks to Calantha and the doctrine in place, however with only one exceptional pilot, some losses were inevitable. Though the flawless run that Vert had under Adélaïde Guilloux's command was at least partially due to some good fortune. Noir meanwhile seemed to do adequately, though there could be some improvement. Notably their Commandant being shot down could have effected cohesion in later flights. Lastly, while technically not tied to l'As tactics, Blanc's efforts despite the heavy fire they came under seem to have born some fruit, in part due to the strength and toughness of the S.U.D Galion and combining the Galéasse and Galion in joint defense.

Meanwhile on the ground, heavy and exhaustive defenses by Eberding have made progress slow to a crawl. While an attempt was made to take a key fort while only a limited maintenance crew was guarding it in the hopes of forcing the Prußenmark army to attack their own fort again and again, wracking up unsustainable losses and devastating their morale, the Royal Baioarii Corps engineers in the fort were able to, despite the overwhelming odds, hold for long enough that the main Prußenmark force was able to reinforce. Further, the enemy air corps targeting Pretan tanks and the use of gas by Prußenmark forces has further dampened our assault capabilities. The reinforced concrete trenches and fortifications our enemy holds makes bombardment with even siege artillery take far, far longer to soften the defenders up as well. Something that is all the more a problem when the enemy has plenty of artillery of their own to engage in counter battery fire. With this, there is some concern that the offensive may lose momentum. Of course, our generals refuse to accept this and many are keen to keep pressing, though at the moment the Pretens have bleed far more in this offensive than we have. Ideally that won't change. Meanwhile in the north, Lothring continues their offensive to decent success. There is only two things to report here. Firstly our forces in the area pulled back further than is ideal to ensure we weren't potentially cut off or encircled. And secondly, a new aircraft has been reported sighted in the air.

At the very least, despite all of these problems, we have been practically given a blank check for our propaganda actions and more resources being poured into this section of the front. Though, we probably won't be getting such a massive influx again unless we are able to secure another major propaganda win or convince the brass the necessity of a strong air corps somehow.

Squadrons, aircraft, pilots, and other information.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KT0JJxoLsbcNFC7RqtsWKke9iTnLQ8blSCf_8dZ4jWw/edit?usp=sharing

(Have fun with the boat load. Also, feel free to scream at RNG for the lack of the fancy new Dupont right as you got a requisition infusion. There was a 50% chance of getting it and well...Yeah. Also, ace list isn't up to date but I wanted to get this out before hand and other than fluff and a rough estimate for the exp level of enemy aces it's not too important to delay till tomorrow. Or well, later today at this point.)

>>5872019
Time for low tempo ops and training I guess

With all these RP's how about that new volunteer squadron? Or maybe Metropolitan? Fighter or bomber?

>>5872519
Some arithmetic:
30 Fighters = 210 RPs
8 Bombers = 104 RPs
5 Recce = 50 RPs
Which would leave 11 RPs to buy pilots and supplies. So we could form a new bomber squadron, but sustaining it would be difficult. The alternative is to keep the number of squadrons as-is, stash extra RPs for next turn, suffer the halving penalty, and use it to recover attrition faster.

>>5872052
Are you sure? I think we can

> Go hot and hard this turn to secure Eberding, lest the drive stall out, or
> Stem the tide in Lothring.

Either way, taking it easy is probably not an option, not with GHQ giving us almost double the RPs this turn. But if someone else concurs, so the orders shall be.

By the way, QM, do we have armor-piercing bombs available? Maybe the Navy has some AP shells it can spare? I am thinking of busting those bunkers at Eberding. Maybe Morelet Pasquier over at SUD has a trick for us.

>>5872525
Buy Galéasses instead so we can equip a new volunteer squadron

>>5872573
Actually, I think Galéasses (two-seat reconnaissance) might not be the most appropriate aircraft for volunteers, because as the QM said in an earlier thread:

> 3. Volunteer Pilots are unique in that they can come from any country in the world that you aren't fighting against. Pilots from some nationalities (Those from Pretany, CSA, Reemi/Varuskie, and Daloyaume.) will also hold onto their own national traits on top of your own. However, their skill varies wildly from very skilled on par with Prußenmark pilots to as awful as the worst Pretan Pilots. On top of this, you cannot buy replacements for them. They come in at a inconsistent rate determined by the success or failure of the volunteer squadron and it's pilots along to a lesser extent the wing as a whole.

Fighter squadrons have the cool factor, and bomber squadrons can take the credit for turning things back to the Stone Age. But recce tends to be the unsung task.

That said, we can transfer the Galéasses from Blanc to the new squadron and make Blanc our bomber force. There is something to be said for that, because the Colonials will be of more consistent quality, and have more regular replacements. The recce squadron need be maintained at full strength, as long as there are enough to provide that 2x bonus to the bombers.

Also, I am thinking of making the Escadron titles more grandiloquent by adding Napoleonic cavalry titles, like Bleu Hussards, as a PR move. Thoughts?

>>5872636
Sorry, that the third paragraph should read:

> The recce squadron need *not* be maintained at full strength

>>5872540
Not really. Bombing wasn't precise even in ww2, and other than bunker busting there's not much that those AP bombs would be used on. Especially with the fact that outside of large bombers most aircraft could carry about a couple 200ish kg/100ish pound bombs.

>>5872636
I will note, the success and prestige of the volunteer squadron is also important with Volunteer pilots. If the rest of the Escadre is doing great but all the Volunteers are doing are dying as fodder without much glory, chances are they'll go into the Foreign Legion. Or worse for your Gallonian sensibilities, the Pretan or Vitulian Air Corps. So keep that in mind. I don't want to influence you guys too much but..well... I also don't want you suffering anymore than you will once Lothring starts fielding their prototypes.

Yes, that is why I prefer going after Eberding than Lothring. They can have Hilvermeer, although the discovery of mass civilian graves there will surely turn away CSA volunteers.

But the other players seem to want the Volunteers, so I will abide. . .

>>5872636
No I mean give Blanc Galéasses as replacement

>>5872687
Yes, hence the 5x Recce. The bombers will go to the Volunteer squadron.

>>5872019
From the first thread:
> a new squadron will cost 10 times the number of squadrons you already have, plus the cost of the aircraft being bought.
That changes a lot, so Volunteer Fighter squadron it is. I hope they will at least be decent bullet sponges for a turn or two. As soon as the new Duponts become available, we will not be able to sustain six squadrons, and will have to disband one or two eventually.

Requisitions:
35x Verany C2 = 245 RPs
5x SUD Galion = 65 RPs
1x SUD Galeasse = 10 RPs
New Volunteer Fighter Escadron = 50 RPs
18 Metropolitan Replacemnts = 3 RPs
6 Colonial Replacement = 1 RP
20% Resupply for Rouge = 1 RP

Airframes:
Each Fighter Escadron gets 9x Verany C2.
Blanc gets the SUDs

Pilots:
Bleu: Grandis to Active. 7x Replacements.
Blanc: Minh to Reserve. 7x Replacements.
Rouge: Desjardins to TRACOM. Allard to Reserve. Hauet and Chopin to Active. 5x Replacements.
Vert: Courbet and Charbonnier to TRACOM. Duverger to focus on writing. Guilloux to Active. 8x Replacements, my goodness.
Noir: 4x Replacements.

Orders:
High Optempo unless someone other than >>5872052 objects.
Blanc to hit artilley batteries, ammo dumps and any other interesting targets organic recce uncovers.
Noir and Vert to Escort
Bleu and Rouge on Defensive CAP
Foreign-FNGs to bust balloons

Was wondering if someone would remember that or not. Woulda been funny if they didn't. Regardless, interested to see what you name the new squadron and how they'll do.

>>5873078
Forgot to mention that the effort is against Eberding, to follow up on the prior turns.

>>5873078
Sure I guess. Though I'd like to meet our brave new volunteers before they all go down in a glorious blaze.

Just a heads up, if I don't get the turn done tonight I'll probably be unable till Christmas. Still, hope you lot have been enjoying this.

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Merry Christmas, guys!

So christmas was busy. I'm going to be able to work on the turn tomorrow. However, if you all could decide on a name for the new escadron I'd appreciate it.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

Alright then. Guess I'll just give a temporary name to them when I get to them.

>>5875815
Violet

Sorry about the lack of posts for the past few days. I'll try and get the turn out soon. End of the year has been busier than I thought it would be. But hopefully I'll be able to work on this soon.

>>5879033
Happy new year QM

QM you alright?

I've been quite busy still, annoyingly. I'm working on the turn today and determined to get it out in 24 hours at most. It's a pain in the ass that life keeps getting in the way but it is what it is. Sorry for the lack of updates, actual proper game ones and on my situation. But ideally I can at least sorta get back into the swing of things.

Crunch is done. Going to take a short break and will finish up the turn in a few hours. A lot of interesting stuff.

Nooo not Leviathan!

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Today was the day. She finally was in the Gallonian air corps. The one military in the world where she could bring the good fight to those mad brutes and crush the Kaiser. While she couldn't serve king and country directly, this was in some ways a far, far better method. The Pretans and Gallonians had been rivals for the best part of the last seven hundred years. What better way to take the piss out of the Gallonians while taking the fight to the Prußenmark's than to fly their own aircraft in their own squadrons better than the Gallonians themselves? It was wishful thinking, and more of a joking thought to her. But it helped keep spirits high for her as she was ready to fly on her first few missions.

Elizabeth had some trouble at first. She was not used to the aircraft at all, and had hardly any training so to speak. Sure, she could fly, but she couldn't fly well. At the very least she could stay in formation. Not that such flying was much at all. However, while her career was looking to be much like the average Pretans to the other members of the newly formed Violet Escadron, lasting mere days, this was not to be the case. She would prove her fairly high rank compared to her fellow volunteers was not a chance accident, as she would survive every single mission she was put on... Yet more importantly would be her first victory.

While flying on another simple balloon busting mission, her flight was struck by the enemy. She managed to avoid major fire and was flying at altitude, higher than the other members in her flight. In a panic sent her aircraft into a spin that should have left her an easy target, yet by the time she got out of it she saw a well decorated aircraft going after one of her fellow pilots, and was in a decent position to strike.

One burst caused the enemy pilots engine to sputter, and soon after die. The enemy pilot landing on his side of the lines without so much as a scratch on anything other than his pride perhaps.

Upon returning to base, Elizabeth green would come to learn she, a rookie pilot with hardly any experience, let alone even training, had managed to somehow shoot down Vizefeldwebel Jürgen Glisser. A successful ace with over 25 victories. Naturally, she was ecstatic at the news. Pretany proved it's superiority over Gallonia again. At least in her mind.

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Elsewhere in Noir, the pilots were running ragged. The attacks on the bombers were exhaustive. There was so many Prußenmark's in the air one could be made to believe that it was their entire air corps. Attrition was taking it's toll on Noir. Yet, despite the rookies dropping one by one, the aces still managed to do well. Especially Levia, who was at four victories so far for the week, and eager for more. She would get her wish, all be it in a twisted way. For her flight would be beset by the traditional foe. Falke D.III's. The D.II's seemingly having been phased out, at least on this area of the front. Their foes had the traditional markings indicating that of volunteers from the Confederacy of Abmeryk States. It was nothing she hadn't dealt with before, however there was just one problem.

There were outnumbered, and there was at least two ace pilots among the enemies number if the custom decals on their aircraft were to be believed.

This posed quite a few problems as she hardly ever got the chance to actually get more than a second burst off before being forced to pull off an attack. Every second of this dance bringing them closer and closer to the ground as the dogfight descended. Yet despite this, rounds were still connecting with her aircraft. And the strange noise her engine started making did not bring confidence in her. And so, with a risky move, she held focus and remained on one of the enemy aces tail longer than she should have, fired, and sent them down. They crash landed mere seconds later. Levia pulled hard to avoid fire before her own engine started to sputter out and die forcing her in the awkward position of having no real power, low to the ground, behind enemy lines... All of this made more awkward by the fact the pilot she downed and most surely wounded was, relatively speaking, not that far from where she was going to be forced to land...

At least she wasn't dead. She surely could sneak back to her side of the lines, right? Just had to go through Sveiterland. Nothing too difficult, right?... Not a day later she was already being transported to a temporary POW camp...

The past two weeks have been very much a mixed bag. On one hand, a few escadrons managed to get by with minimal casualties. In fact, the only casualty of Bleu was Sous-lieutenant Axel Grandis who wasn't even dead, just wounded. On the other, Blanc and Noir took a beating despite the best efforts of our pilots, with Levia now MIA, though presumed alive given reports from her fellow pilots who saw her land safely. However while we still have positive trades with the enemy, the damage we are taking is unlikely to be sustained without major propaganda wins to allow for more funding to come in... Fortunately, we just had one. Unfortunately, the new volunteer squadron is the source of it. Specifically a Pretan. While still from our allies it is a bit of a blow to some of the more nationalistic officers. Still, provided this pilot who clearly lacks the training that Gallonian or Prußenmark pilots receive before ever going up stays alive, we might just have the next Sibilia or l'As in terms of propaganda material.

All of this aside there are still major problems on the front. While our bombing has made a minor difference and allowed for a bit of a push into the city, the situation on the ground is becoming more of a meat grinder than normal, and the situation in the north with Lothring's offensive has brought them close to Hilvermeer. Which given the disaster that happened there is concerning. It would be a major propaganda win for Lothring to take the place, regardless of if the tragic situation regarding what happened to the civilians there during the fighting is discovered by them or not. After all, Hilvermeer was their city and their land. And any liberation is a victory in convincing the masses to see this war to it's end. Not that it'd be particularly hard for Lothring of all nations.

Other than all of this, there is news from other fronts as well. Firstly, Vitulia is in a bad spot. Steryerland-Magyrian has come within artillery shooting distance from the city of Venoxia. While fresh Vitulian soldiers have moved in, and even most of the shaken soldiers being encouraged by the reinforcements and the need to defend such an important Vitulian city, the Steryerland-Magyrian's might just take the city which would be terrible for Vitulian morale, and to a lesser extent our alliance. There is some good news however. The issues Pretany has suffered in the fight against the Sāriqīn Empire have been solved, mostly. They are no longer in retreat and the fighting in the desert has become akin to the fighting in Varuski, a constant back and forth with small gains that on the overall front are mostly inconsequential. However given they are no longer falling back, it is a good sign, even if Sāriqīn is still ready and able to put up a fight.

Squadrons, aircraft, pilots, and other information.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KT0JJxoLsbcNFC7RqtsWKke9iTnLQ8blSCf_8dZ4jWw/edit?usp=sharing

(Ideally the next turn won't take so long due to IRL.)

Airframes:
Blanc cannot transfer aircraft
Bleu: 8x
Rouge: 7x
Vert: 6x
Noir: None
Violet: 9x
Bascially, transfer four Veranys from other squadrons to bring Violet up to strength.

Pilots:
Noir: de Montgomerie and Noir on PR Tour.
Violet: Porcarro, Harmala, Mosley to Active.

Orders: High Optempo
Blanc: One last push to support Eberding, same orders as before.
Noir: Send ground crew on leave.

Options:
> Balanced. Bleu and Violet to escort Blanc, Rouge and Vert on Defensive CAP
> Aggressive: Rouge and Violet to escort Blanc. Bleu to bust balloons. Vert on Defensive CAP.

Oh well, if no one pipes in, how about
> Balanced. Bleu and Violet to escort Blanc, Rouge and Vert on Defensive CAP

>>5886957
>> Balanced. Bleu and Violet to escort Blanc, Rouge and Vert on Defensive CAP
Didn't see update lol

Crunch is done. I'll likely get the fluff done sometime tonight/tomorrow.

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It was a fairly uneventful end to an eventful day. Acilia Porcaro had been downed over the enemies lines, though it was obvious she had managed to land mostly safely. So long as she wasn't hit while flying she'd probably be fine, all be it a POW. At least she would ideally not be so anxious.

For Eerika Härmälä she expected the evening to be like any other and was speaking with Zaria in this moment of spare time. It was mostly small talk, yet she was eager to get some insight as to some of the going ons given she had been held in reserve and hadn't had too much of a chance to see Elizabeth given all the praise she recently had gotten.

"So, I've been meaning to ask but how skilled do you think she is? I mean, she did kill an ace." Eerika said with a great deal of curiosity. Only to be met with a chuckle.

"Seriously? Skilled? She's got as much agility in the air as a penguin. It's a miracle she hasn't crashed yet, let alone actually down a fucking ace. And the bastard didn't die, he just landed." Zaria stated with a great deal of disinterest.

"Really? She if she's not good at flying then she has to be a crack shot at least!" Eerika said with a bit of concern. Why was Zaria so dismissive of this up and coming hero?

"She'd struggle to hit the broad side of a barn from the inside. You really should have seen her earlier. Before she got here she had about as many hours flight time as she has victories. The only thing she's skilled at is spinning a good stor-" Zaria said before being cut off by the sound of an air raid siren. To say it was unexpected would be an understatement.

Before the pilots could prepare or the aircraft could be readied for a scramble, the base would be bombed by a flight of Kronlein G.III's, a flight that was fittingly enough being attacked by Vert at the time.

Hours after the alarm was lowered, after the sun had set, the damage was assessed. Three pilots WIA, an aircraft destroyed, and one hanger damaged. Plenty of craters in the field and forest not far from the airbase.

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The end of the month has been a harsh and bloody one. Despite the best efforts of Violet and Bleu, hampered by a bombing raid in the late evening on the former, Blanc was torn into harshly. So harshly that their flights over enemy territory ceased before the month came to a close. In fact, one could say every single escadron except Noir was torn into badly, the one best off being Violet despite their base being bombed. Of course, this is very problematic, especially with all the wounded and dead pilots. It gets worse when one considers the fact that we have actually lost ground in Eberding. Our forces are still in the city however we have lost some of the gains we had made earlier in the month. However it is somewhat to be expected when the enemy has an objectively superior aircraft and has essentially replaced all the fighters in their air corps with the thing. At the very least, we will be able to get the new Dupont now which should very much even the odds.

In some further good news to help lighten the blows we have taken, we seem to be doing quite well with volunteers, and Ermengardis Duverger has finished up her work. It will of course be reviewed, censored and edited before publishing, none of which will likely be by Ermengardis. But it should ideally be a good boost to our propaganda efforts once it is fully published. There are a few interesting idea's however that she has in her notes that were forwarded to you by Botrel. It was writings about chemicals and Botrel seemed to have forwarded it to you due to a belief that maybe something good could come from trying to get her to do some work relating them. Perhaps she could discover something useful? It also helps that L'ange gardien is finally going to be back in the air.

Meanwhile, a bit further in the north, the Koerkamp D.IV “Havik” has been introduced and implemented into the Lothring Air Corps. Intelligence reports it's only one squadron's worth. However, the aircraft has been a nightmare for our forces so far, with none reported shot down at this moment in time. Luckily, it is a single squadron still, but it is enough to make intrusions into Lothring territory further than just over the trenches a major risk of being intercepted and struck by the more traditional design. The LFL Tv.I "Demon" at the very least seems to not have been introduced yet, or one reason or another. Regardless, with their air superiority and general focus they have managed to retake Hilvermeer. Needless to say, it didn't take long for their propaganda machine to get running given what happened to many of the citizens there. In fact, it has gotten to a point where it is just as prevalent as Pretany's own. And the major success that the new Havik has had in boosting their aces victory tallies has only added fuel to that fire.

Elsewhere to the east, Dacinia seems close to capitulating, and the further diversion of Varuski soldiers is not helping things. At the very least the Tzar is actually a good strategist and tactician, though there's only so much a good strategist can do when mounting supply issues are a factor. At least Pretany is aiding with that little problem by shipping them plenty of weapons and munitions. Though there is only so much that can be done. Lastly, the string of murders that seemed to have died down for some time has opened up a bit more with what is believed to be the seventh of the major murder sites having been found. 7/12 scrawled into the wall as is traditional. The killing being very, very fresh, and in Dissonne. Yet, it is unknown if this is just a copy cat killer or the original at this moment in time, purely because of the time between now and the last mass killing.

Squadrons, aircraft, pilots, and other information.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KT0JJxoLsbcNFC7RqtsWKke9iTnLQ8blSCf_8dZ4jWw/edit?usp=sharing

Ouch, this is rough.

Requisitions:
17x Dupont 12c (finally!), 255 RPs
30x Metropolitan pilots, 5 RPs
40% Resupply for Bleu, 20% Resupply for Rouge, Vert, Violet, 5 RPs

Airframes:
Bleu: 4x Dupont 12C, 5x Verany C2. Veterans (25+ FEXP) get the new planes, replacements get the Veranys,
Rouge: 9x Dupont 12C
Violet: 4x Dupont 12C, 6x Verany C2. The Dupont 12Cs are assigned to those with at least 24 FEXP and the squadron leader.
Blanc: No change
Vert and Noir: No aircraft assigned

Pilots:
Bleu: All able-bodied crews to Active. 5x Replacements.
Blanc: All crews on Reserve/Leave.
Rouge: Desjardins, Flandin, Valcroix, Laframboise, Lafleche, Anouillh to Active. 3x Replacements.
Vert: Duverger to chemistry lab with some ground crew as assistants. Guilloux to TRACOM.
Noir: Noir to TRACOM.
Violet: Green and Mori to Reserve. Burton and Noel to Active. 1x Metropolitan Replacement (Commandant), 6x Volunteer Replacements.

Orders:
The idea is to equip a reduced number of squadrons this month, and maybe shift planes from Bleu to Noir the next turn if attrition is not too bad. I feel nervous about sending Bleu in as Ponce and Bourque look fatigued, but someone has to carry the load.

Blanc, Vert and Noir on stand-down.
For the others, high optempo
Rouge on Defensive CAP in the Eberding sector.
Violet to bust balloons near Eberding.

Bleu is the open option here:
> Defensive CAP in the Eberding sector.
> Defensive CAP somewhere on the Lothring front.
> Offensive Counter-Air over Eberding
> TARCAP for Violet

I suspect the enemy will come to us this turn to push us out of Eberding.

Oh and I notice Lieutenant Green is now the ranking flying officer in Violet, kek.

>>5892878
Wonder if we should bug the higher ups again or do a tour.

>>5893009
I wonder what sort of Faustian bargain will be presented if we visit GHQ, considering how we got into this Lothring mess. Might be interesting just for the lulz.

If you guys can decide upon what Bleu is doing I'd appreciate it. I would like to get another turn done before the thread falls off. Speaking of, once it does It'll probably be a bit before I get the next one out. Ideally just a week or so.

>>5894540
Well, if no one else chimes in
> Defensive CAP in the Eberding sector.

>>5894540
>Defensive CAP in the Eberding sector.

>>5892878
> Defensive CAP in the Eberding sector.

Crunch finished. I'll likely get the turn out this night or tomorrow morning as usual.

>>5896035
Given how close we are to being archived, next update should be on a new thread.

>>5897074
Yeah probably fair. I've got the work done for it in crunch so if you want to spoil it for yourself check the doc, but I'll post it in the next thread, which'll be a week or so from now most likely. Hope you all have enjoyed regardless.

Then again, posting on the weekend allows wagies to read it and mull it over. I am okay either way.

By the way, are there really two Veranys sitting idle with Vert, or did you forget to remove them? Just want to double check before filling out the next allocation.

>>5897132
I plan on posting it in about a week, so it'll likely still go up on the weekend, and you guys will get more than a day to read it before the thread is archived...Unless this doesn't fall off in a day in which case I guess I'm gonna be eating those words and regretting not posting now.

>>5897134
Believe it was a mistake I didn't fix. Thanks for catching that.

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Found this photo. Thought it'd fitting for this quest.