Battle of Tsaritsyn Career Idea

[SlySkydiver2585]

This one might be a bit of a stretch but it popped into my head as I was flying around in Quick Mission with a Fokker D.VII so I thought I'd post it here and see what people though and what the chances of this happening might be.

 

Almost every plane that's currently in Flying Circus right now can be used in a potentially career right now on both sides. As for a map for the career, Stalingrad would fit perfectly as its exactly where the Battle of Tsaritsyn took place and also where the most aerial combat in the Russian Civil War took place historically. I figure it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to just have WW1 planes fighting on the Stalingrad map only with the front going from South to North and then back down South rather than West to East and back West. 

 

Faction set ups with planes I think it could be something like this:

Allied Forces (Mostly RAF): Sopwith Camel, Sopwith Snipe (when added), Airco DH4 (Replacement for DH9 though the DH4 was used), S.E.5a, Sopwith Dolphin, Handley Page 0/400 (not sure but I'm pretty sure they did end up using these in small numbers in Russia)

Russian Air Service: Bristol F2, Sopwith Camel, Sopwith Snipe (when added), Airco DH4 (Replacement for DH9 though the Whites did operate the DH4), Sopwith Dolphin, Breguet 14, Fokker D.VII, Albatros D.Va

Workers’ and Peoples’ Air Fleet: Airco DH4, Nieuport 28, Breguet 14, S.E.5a, Spad 13, Spad 7, Fokker Dr.I, Fokker D.VII, Fokker D.VIII (They operated two), Albatros D.Va, Pflaz III, Bristol F2 (they operated 2)

All of these were aircraft that were used or at least reported to have been used in the Southern sector at the fighting in and around Tsaritsyn. Squadron wise I'm not really sure. As I can't seem to find much information at all, especially when it comes to the Red Air Fleet. I do know the Red Air Force had 36 squadrons with 1300 (From the IRAS) between all of them (only about 300 being operational. Most of these were Nieuport designs however.), most of those being in the South. As for the RAF there are Squadrons like No. 266 and No. 47. No.47 in particular was an active fighter wing operating Sopwith Camels around Tsaritsyn. I also do not know about White Army squadrons but I do know they were very poorly organized and essentially merged with British Air Wings by the end of 1918.

As far as skins go, the only real issue would be White Army squadrons which often had different designs on their aircraft from Skulls, regular IRAS decal to Swastikas and various other designs. As for English squadrons I feel like it wouldn't be too bad to leave them default as most squadrons operated with standard RAF livery though many were also painted a type of white. Red Air Fleet aircraft, like White Army squadrons were a mixed bag. However many Bolshevik planes actually didn't have changed decals or paint scheme. Though there were those with Red Stars and various paint schemes, most had either no decal or even kept the original decal of the plane that was captured. With it being noted by some RAF pilots that served in the Southern Front that German aircraft captured by the Bolshevik's often still kept their Iron Cross decals and the same went for captured Allied aircraft or former IRAS planes. I'm not sure why this was myself, but I can imagine it was due to the lack of ability to repaint aircraft on mass or the general lack of care given to the Air Fleet. 

I don't plan for any of this to be taken serious but I thought it'd be cool to put this idea out there and see what everyone else thought like mentioned earlier. I feel like a Battle of Tsaritsyn career could be something interesting to fly in PWCG with all the mixed planes and what not. Especially as it lasted essentially from beginning to end of the Civil War. Even if it would be a somewhat stitched together version. Of course I don't know how difficult it would be to do any of this as I am but a lowly man who planes the game a occasionally makes skins for myself.

[PatrickAWlson]

Appreciate the idea.  I did do a eastern front module for RoF.  My biggest concern with using a WWII map for WWI air combat is the distances of airfields.  I'm afraid that there will not be fields close enough to the front to avoid very long transit times.  

[SlySkydiver2585]

I played a lot of the Eastern Front with RoF. It was personally my favorite because off how different it was, but yea I guess the Stalingrad map is a lot bigger than what we will be getting for FC vol 2 as well. Though I feel the transit times aren't too bad. At least from what I've done of Stalingrad with WW1 planes it never really felt too out of the ordinary for what I usually do in PWCG. Especially the longer ranged patrols. Though I think a way around this is to move the front with the airfields.

For example lets say it starts down South with the RAF holding the two airfields near Kotelnikovsky and the ones at Umantsevo and Sadovoye respectively. The Reds can be based at Safronov, Aksay and Abganerovo. The two sides would be relatively close and then whenever the frontline moves. Say it moves up North, it will move to where the squadrons can be transferred to the airfields closest to the front and still fight each other that way the distances don't get to far. Basically plan the movement with the airfields that are available if that makes sense. I don't know if that's possible or practical though. If distances are an issue then I suppose there isn't much that can be done to solve that.

[migmadmarine]

For the record I cool with longer transit times. At least with the WWII side of things the fields often (JG 52 in the 43 phases of Kuban is a great example) feel claustrophobicly jammed against the front line compared to where they ought to be. 

[ilmavoimat]

If anyone is serious about a Tsaritsyn campaign there is some great inspiration in here! Shame we don't have a Dh9 (yet???) but the Dh4, Camels and SPADs we have now will do nicely.

 

Edited July 23, 2022 by ilmavoimat