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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Gary Grigsby's Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich >> Had to Laff

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Had to Laff - 12/8/2007 4:32:59 PM

Hard Sarge

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It was our first mission... "Big B" (Berlin)... a tough mission, lots of flak... but we finally landed. The crew left the plane and finally I staggered out, my face covered with blood, and collapsed on the ground. The pilot Don Hassig called the ambulance. As we waited, I could dimly hear the crew in the background saying that I had finished the mission� even though I had been wounded� implying I was a hero. Not so! I had put my hat on, stood up, hit the roof and drove the fastener that secured my insignia to my 50 mission hat right through my forehead!

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RE: Had to Laff - 12/8/2007 5:27:10 PM

Hard Sarge

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well, not one to laff at

Yes, we lost eight crews and aircraft out of the nineteen we started with that day. Of the fourteen dispatched by the 100th Bomb Group, they had only two aircraft make it back to England. The 95th Bomb Group lost five of the twenty they sent to war that day. The 13th Combat Wing had taken a real shellacking.

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RE: Had to Laff - 12/9/2007 5:16:00 PM

HMSWarspite

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I have a autobiog of a Nav in the 100th. They took several bad raids - acquired a bit of a rep for it (details on request)!

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RE: Had to Laff - 12/9/2007 7:11:01 PM

Hard Sarge

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well, that is why they called them the bloody 100th, but in the long run, they didn't even lose the most planes, other BGs had them beat

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RE: Had to Laff - 1/11/2008 11:43:14 PM

Micah Goodman

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One of the best books I ever read involving the 8th AF was (Harry?) Crosby's account of his time with the 100th Bomb Group. Great read. It was amazing that he survived the whole war with them. He ended up as the Group Navigator. Funniest part of the book was the part where after the war he got airsick on a flight to Corpus Christi causing everone else to get air sick forcing the plane to return to Houston. So much for the hardened combat veteran. LOL

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RE: Had to Laff - 1/25/2008 3:59:05 AM

BB57

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I've got a signed copy of "A Wing and a Prayer". I'm an associate member of the 100th Bomb Group Association and gave HS the link to their web site in a different thread. Did a little more snopping around the site. 77% of the original crews were casualties of one sort or the other most POW. I can't give a number but early 8th AF chances to finish a tour wasn't very good.

Other 100th info, they got mauled on 8 missions take those missions away and their losses were very average.

Steve

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RE: Had to Laff - 1/30/2008 6:40:16 PM

Hard Sarge

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On or about 15 Nov 43 near Salerno, Italy. Lt. Lowe from Oklahoma trying to take off one morning because of mud on his flaps could not gain flying speed and went through the fence at the end of the runway. His plane finally came to a stop in a cemetery. When Lowe stepped out of the plane he almost fell into a newly opened grave. The Lieutenant said a couple of Hail Marys and went directly to Mass

Destroyed landing Monte Corvino , Italy My experience was even more traumatic. At least it was for me. I had no difficulty on take off. But when I attempted to land the mud on my flaps caused the plane to stall out about 10 feet off the ground. Fortunately the tip of the right wing hit the ground and prohibited the plane from doing a half roll. It pan caked in the mud on top of the 500 gallon belly tank. Needless to say I was out of the plane by the time it stopped moving. Since this was the fifth P 39 that been totalled by me, I asked if I could be classified as an "Ace". To date no one has referred to me by that name.

Castelventrano (Italy) was 22 years old, a veteran fighter pilot who'd already crashed twice during the Allies' North African and Italian campaigns against the Germans, his engine quit on landing after a mission. Dr. Moore wrote that Dad "jettisoned his belly tank and made a dead-stick landing in the best place available. He tore three trees to pieces and damaged 15 others, plus tearing up a stone wall. The plane cart wheeled and landed on its back. Bartimus was unconscious about 30 minutes before a Sicilian farmer pulled him out of the wreckage." he was dispatched to a military hospital in Palermo, where X-rays revealed a "long linear fracture of the skull, with haemorrhage of the middle ear." Dad's war was over. He was shipped back to the States on medical leave and married my mother three months later. Two children followed, in 1947 and 1949.

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/10/2008 5:09:56 PM

Hard Sarge

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more to interesting then funny

In all, the 453rd had ten veteran B-24's with 100 missions or more

120 missions - "My Babs� of the 733rd Squadron.

117 missions - "Wandering Wanda" of the 735th Squadron.

116 missions - "Hattie Belle" of the 735th Squadron.

113 missions - "Arrowhead" of the 732nd Squadron.

111 missions - "Foil Proof" of the 735th Squadron.

107 missions - "Ohio Silver" of the 732nd Squadron.

103 Missions - "Century Queen" of the 735th Squadron.

101 missions - "Crows Nest" of the 734th Squadron.

100 missions - "Becky" of the 732nd Squadron.

100 missions - "Liberty Run" of the 735th Squadron.

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/12/2008 11:55:50 PM

Executioner Five

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I had to laugh too. How about not telling us quite as much how great the game is and getting it out the door instead?

At this point I'll be playing DNF before I play this game.

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/13/2008 4:34:55 PM

sauro brusch

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You are right.

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/13/2008 11:47:37 PM

Hard Sarge

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Guys, what do you want from me ?

I can sit back and keep quiet, like a lot of the other guys do, or I can try and show what is going on ?

if i released today, what I got, you may be happy for today, but by the end of the week, your going to be complaining about why we released it before it was finished

I am on Vaction this week, I got 25 hours of work in the first two days of the week, only got about 5 hours in today (makes it nice when it is 2 degrees outside)

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/14/2008 4:00:00 AM

Alfred

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Aha! So Hard Sarge is on vacation this week. That explains him visiting the WITP forum. Just don't think of adding a what if B-19 to BTR.

Alfred

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/14/2008 6:56:06 AM

histgamer

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B-19s should be included as an option to be your main bomber.

The plane is so pretty.

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/14/2008 1:39:30 PM

fochinell

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Guys, what do you want from me ?

Well, inflicting random physical abuse on Harley would be a good start.

Seriously, there are plenty of us out here who aren't ranting about game release dates and how it all is some giant conspiracy against our colossal sense of entitlement. Just keep on working at it, and release it when you're ready. Just not until after I defeat Werner on the old OB.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the updates posted here.

< Message edited by fochinell -- 2/14/2008 1:40:42 PM >

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/14/2008 1:48:18 PM

Hard Sarge

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Hey, I am a big fan of Gary and Keith, and all of there games (have been since the Apple II days)

I go to the other fourms on the board and post in a number of them (also have been in the testing on some of them, and still am on others)

(I feel Honored that I am able to speak with Gary and Keith and Joel, I was even able to get Gary to track down what I thought was a bug, while my guys were busy, and he was able to find and pin point it out for my guys to work on when they get the chance)

has the flame war started on me over my replies yet ?

but, while doing reseach here, I know a little about what would of happened to a plane like the B-19

if you know anything about the background to the Steriling or the Manchester, you will follow my line of thought, both were good planes, but both had design limits designed into them, based on what was needed and what the RAF had, and those limits ruined both planes for combat

the He 219, by todays thinking, nobody can understand why the LW didn't build more of them, but according to Gen Schmid (Beppo, BoB fame for being the intell man behind the bombing plans) one of the main reasons, was there were only 7 Airfields that had a runway long enough for this plane to take off and land on

now look at the runway the B-19 would of needed, besides hangers, and while it has a impressive range, it does not have the range to fly to any target, if it can not fly from England or NA

and can you see a 88 firing at it, at 15 K and doing 130-140 mph during the daylight (even at night, it would be a sitting duck)

and for this game, I hate to say it, but I think I got some planes worse then the B-19 in already :)

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/14/2008 10:33:43 PM

histgamer

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I love WITP and BTR and the B-19 should be an option in both. Sitting duck be damned its the sexiest plane out there.

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/14/2008 11:29:40 PM

Hard Sarge

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I will need to wait on some of the art modders to get to work, I don't have anywork for the B-19 :)

the stats I could work out (not sure if it would say in the air long, it's cruise speed is going to be close to cripple speed)

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/14/2008 11:39:28 PM

joey

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Wasn't the only plane that was slower than B19 was the Spruce Goose? I think even Germany flak gunners would have loved shooting at this mammoth.

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/15/2008 8:55:28 AM

histgamer

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Ahh but it flies at 80,000 feet and is stealth...

At least the B-19B-2 that I developed.

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/15/2008 11:06:30 PM

joey

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At 80,000 feet in the 1940's with radar in its infancy, steath was the easy part!

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/16/2008 12:59:09 PM

Hard Sarge

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well, the old Ju 86P gave the English fits, they couldn't get to it, some of the pilots who tried, got frostbite (a few did get to them, but took alot of work and skill, to fly over there top limits)

later Spit models to try and counter them, had pressureized cockpits, but, they had to bolt the cockpit down, if anything happened to the plane, the pilot went down with it

SIDE NOTE (story time)

in a old online flight sim I used to fly (still do)
in the early days we had 1.5 verison, all planes had a top HARD ceiling of 40,000, but most planes were worthless over 25 (most SU planes, were good to 15, above that they were sitting ducks, but you could still climb to 20-25 so you could surprise and dive on someone)(the 109s and the Spits were good above 30,000 but not much higher)

well, one day i was in there and there was always statements about how you couldn't loop at over 35,000, I was bored, and was up over 35,000 in a Spit XIV, get to 38,000 and worked out how to do a loop, must say, skill and timing were importent, as you had to hit the flaps to get over the top, too early and you just stood on your tail and fell back, too late, and you never got over the top, just go into a spin on your back

but, I did it, then before saying anything, I did it a couple more times, then reported it to the room, shorty there are about 30-40 guys at 38,000 trying to pull off a loop (which remember this is a room/game, that the name of the game is killing as many of the enemy as you can as often as you can, and there is no fighting going on at all in the room)

people, coming into the room later, wouldn't see anybody, but knew there were alot of people in the room, would be asking what is going on, and they would reply, that Sarge looped a Spit at 38,000, and most of there replies were, Kewl, I be right up

in the end, 3 people were able to do it, RAF71 KING did it on the 2nd try (he was a master in the Spit) I forget the other guy

in looking back on it, the part that I liked, was all that was needed was for me to say, I did it, my name carried enough weight that everybody believed it (I took films just in case to post in the old forum later, to prove it, but I never had to, I said I did it, so they knew I did it)

(end of Story time)

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RE: Had to Laff - 2/17/2008 7:07:15 AM

histgamer

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hahah thats really cool...

My best experance in a clan type enviorment was with the game Age of Sail II and Age of Sail II Privater Bounty. I got to be pretty good and promoted from mid shipman to lt to commander and then Capt in the Royal Navy on the website Sea Lords Virtual Fleets

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RE: Had to Laff - 3/13/2008 4:12:03 PM

Hard Sarge

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not really funny, but interesting numbers

CASUALTIES FOR AUGUST

R.A.F. Fighter Command
Hurricane: 211 destroyed, 44 damaged
Pilots: 85 killed, 1 missing, 68 wounded

Spitfire: 113 destroyed, 40 damaged
Pilots: 41 killed, 3 missing, 38 wounded

Blenheim: 13 destroyed, 10 damaged
Crew: 6 killed, 3 missing, 0 wounded

Defiant: 7 destroyed, 3 damaged
Crew: 7 killed, ? missing, 4 wounded

TOTAL AIRCRAFT: 344 destroyed, 97 damaged
TOTAL PERSONNEL: 139 killed, 7 missing, 110 wounded

The Luftwaffe
Dornier Do 17: 71 destroyed, 30 damaged
Personnel: 70 killed, 129 missing, 57 wounded

Heinkel He 111: 89 destroyed, 15 damaged
Personnel: 113 killed, 204 missing, 35 wounded

Junkers Ju 88: 89 destroyed, 32 damaged
Personnel: 94 killed, 182 missing, 19 wounded

Junkers Ju 87: 57 destroyed, 16 damaged
Personnel: 35 killed, 58 missing, 19 wounded

Messerschmitt Bf 109: 217 destroyed, 45 damaged
Personnel: 54 killed, 91 missing, 39 wounded

Messerschmitt Bf 110: 119 destroyed, 40 damaged
Personnel: 80 killed, 113 missing, 22 wounded

Other: 27 destroyed, 4 damaged
Personnel: 17 killed, 27 missing, 10 wounded

TOTAL AIRCRAFT: 669 destroyed, 182 damaged
TOTAL PERSONNEL: 463 killed, 804 missing, 201 wounded
Peter G. Cooksley The Battle of Britain Ian Allan 1990

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RE: Had to Laff - 3/14/2008 2:43:38 PM

sauro brusch

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No news about the work in progress?

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RE: Had to Laff - 3/14/2008 2:59:29 PM

Hard Sarge

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in the had to laff post ?

I have been working with Gary getting the land combat back in line with what is suppost to happen, got the Airfields in Normaday working better

Harley is back to work on getting the BAF to work (LOL, everything is fine, but they don't fly, ahhh)

I still working on getting the RAF squadrons up to snuff in BoB, royal pain working over the graveyard lists all the time

I got a book coming I was hoping I would of had by today, but looks like it may be next friday before it gets here, which should help with the English pilots who lived

we in contect with Erik and Greg on beta installers and info on the Manuel and other stuff like that

LOL, did you know that FC lost 25 pilots on Aug 11th ?

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RE: Had to Laff - 3/14/2008 3:41:06 PM

Hard Sarge

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wonder if mom and pop were drinking when he was born

SMITH, ARTHUR DUMBELL

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RE: Had to Laff - 3/14/2008 5:24:24 PM

joey

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I don't know maybe they were into weight lifting?
And thanks for the update. I have been awaiting this game for a long, long time. But I think the extra time in development will be well worth the wait.

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RE: Had to Laff - 3/15/2008 4:41:17 PM

Hard Sarge

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Over London my Schwarm met a formation of Englishmen, around sixty fighters .......... I made a head-on attack on a Spitfire. The enemy tracer flew past my canopy, but the Englishman went spinning down in flames. Perhaps he had lost his nerve. Now a wild dogfight began. It was best to break away. Now I had four Spitfires on my tail. I was 18000 metres, and I pushed the stick forward and dived away at full speed, pulling out at ground level with my wings fluttering. No British fighter could have followed my wild dive. I looked behind me. Damn! There were two Spits on my tail again. There was no time to draw breath. My only chance of escape lay in my flying ability at low level, hedgehopping to the Channel over houses and around trees. It was no use, one of them was always there and I couldn�t shake him off. He hung a hundred metres behind me. Then we were over Dover. I thought: He can�t keep this up as I fled out over the wavetops but the Spitfire stayed behind. I jinked to right and left as the pilot opened fire and the bullets splashed into the water in front of me. I blinked the sweat out of my eyes. The French coast was now in sight. My fuel was getting low. I kept squinting behind so as not to miss the moment when he broke away. Wait, my friend, I thought. �You must return soon, and then I will be the hunter. Cap Gris Nez loomed up in front, and I skimmed over it one metre above. Suddenly the Tommy climbed steeply and slowed down. . . . At once I turned my Me 109 and zoomed up in a tight bank, engine howling, straight at him. I fired one burst from close range I nearly rammed him and the Spitfire went straight into the sea. He flew fantastically.

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RE: Had to Laff - 3/15/2008 4:56:04 PM

Hard Sarge

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An Australian was asked what he would like to be, and he answered, "I'll be a gunner", to which the desk clerk said "Why do you want to become a gunner? "All right, I'll be a navigator then" to which the desk clerk politely asked "Why do you want to be a navigator?" So the Australian said "Then I'll be a pilot if that's all right with you." And that's what the Australian got, he saw the war through as a bomber pilot.

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RE: Had to Laff - 3/23/2008 8:45:33 PM

Hard Sarge

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He was thrown out of his aircraft when a wing fell off at 15000 feet on the 11th of October. His parachute was damaged and he unable to open it until he was down to 1000 feet.

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