Sorry about not being able to get the P-40 in this one.

But I am planning for the player to get some Yak time in with one of the Eskadrilyas before the 3rd Guards picked up the La-5/5F. The 1b is a hot little machine with good visibility. But not as fast as a 190.

The Hurri's I'm using are Green/Gray. It looks good out over the water, I just have to change to 1942 stars in MM before I snap some pics.

Cheers
B50

Mangas - are there any Russian sites where we can find Pe-3 skins? They are really rare on english-language IL2 sites.

B50 - sorry for hijacking your thread.

Hey, B50, it's O.K. I like Hurri's also...

2Phil_K: i don't meet many of those also, the only thread I'd search in is this:
http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/showthread.php?t=21961
Hope it'll help.

P.S. I'll be cut off I-net until 28.01, sorry.
See you in two weeks, guys.
Good luck with your campaigns work.

Best wishes,
Mangas.

I will actually be out for about 2 weeks myself. I have finished mission 25. Sorry still no action screenies. Plenty of action. No screenies

This is sort of what I'm working with:



It is a vpmedia generic Mk IIc skin, with Mat Manager markings. Looks fine on IIbFM. I plan to make 4 skins, all with the Red Banner. Some with a differing number of victory stars. And one Green/Brown generic.

B50

Thanks Mangas - I'll wade in....

Does anyone know if those two islands with airfields in the middle of the Gulf of Finland map (west of Kronstadt) were used operationally by either side during the war? They always seem very tempting to use.......

Yes,the islands were operational by the Soviets. The Luftwaffe bombed them a few times. The planes based there helped in the defense of Leningrad and the Oranienbaum bridgehead (southwest of Leningrad). They also led attacks against Finland from there.

CT is right.

The Red Banner Fleet had all manner of aircraft on these islands in 1942 and later.

I-16's and I-153's, Pe-2's Il-2's and others.

The Campaign features a good amount action out over the Gulf. But as you know Phil, the longer the mission becomes(especially overwater), the harder it is to keep entertaining.

B50

Thanks Gents!

B50 - your campaign has inspired me to start thinking about a leningrad-based campaign. Probably a Pe-2 campaign around the breakout period 43/44. Hmmmmm......

Go for it Phil!

The conflict in the Leningrad Area has lots of potential for the air to ground action that you have the talent for producing.

I have, in my campaign, had problems understanding, let alone replicating the ground action. During the break out, in some places, there were hundreds of thousands of casualties in areas measured in square yards.

I can't even wrap my noodle around it, or even begin to have the time to place objects for battles like that.

I am interested to see what you come up with.I haven't flown a bomber Campaign for some time, so, when I come back in 2 weeks I'll be looking for it. Based on your recent productivity, is 70 missions in 2 weeks unreasonable?

B50

Yeah...... I'll probably make something modest in length - 14 or 15 missions.

The good thing about a Pe-2 campaign is that you can move the action behind the lines, where you can get away with a bit less detail. I did at one time consider an IL-2 campaign (actually Cauldron III) on the Leningrad map, but I realised that if I was to replicate the detail of the two previous Cauldrons on a map the size of Leningrad, it would mean a year's work and 10-minute load times!

It'll still be a pretty intense campaign though. As for replicating intense conflict in small areas, well that's what Smoke=4 is for.

I kind of always wanted to try out an Hs-129 Campaign in the Kursk Area, but it is not possible in Il2.

I actually saw your Smoke#4 in HiTP Guam today. Never used that one, might have to give it a try.

Just finished mission 26 in the 3rd guards. That puts me at about .8 missions per day. I'm thinking that I will end the campaign on the day the Siege is broken. Can't take it all the way to Berlin.

Got a background tga completed and a Jpeg for the package. About to start shooting the first track.

B50

I don't try to create big battles, B50. I try to create the illusion of big battles, which is simpler and more effective.

I think it's a good decision not to go to Berlin. It'll make your campaign more compact and specific, which I tend to prefer. Plus I think the Berlin map isn't really a very good one....

My decision not to go to Berlin has many reasons, but basically at the time the siege is broken, the player will have flown 5 or 6 different aircraft types over nearly the whole map over 3 years. That's plenty.

It will stay on subject, but will only be compact in the sense that it occurs on one map.

My most recent missions (Aug '42) have a distinct Naval flavor, which being a sailor myself, pleasures me to no end.

New screenies:





B50

Some forum posts got deleted today during the time the forums were down. I know 2 of my posts got deleted.

Here, MangasRU had written a post saying that his job is having problems and he will not be able to use the internet for some time. He wishes everyone the best and hopes to come back online as soon as possible. -his post got deleted too.

Good luck Mangas, we'll be looking for you later.

I hope everything turns out well for you Mangas. I'm sure a man of your talent will find a new and better job soon....

Didn't catch on to this until now but the campaign looks great so far! Looking forward to flying this!

I wish you well Anton. Thanks for all of your help and info.

Thanks Ice. I am back and will resume production tomorrow.

B50

I hate replying to myself

Anyway,

I am looking for 3rd Guards info as it relates to their daily operations from Oct '42 Aug'43.

Mangas gave me an awesome link that allowed me to come this far, but the trail stops cold after Oct'42, when they reconverted to LaGG-3's.

At this point the Campaign is at 68% completion, and I would love to finish it up.

TIA for any help.

B50

I'm still waiting on BLACK CROSS RED STAR vol.4 to come out for that time period. Vol.3 covers events up to the winter of '42. Do you have vol.3? Those books would be the best source of info IMO.

Hi CT,

I don't actually have any of that series. I would really like to check it out, but the last time I looked on amazon, the books are either not available or out of my price range.

I got more info on ground positions from RKKA in WWII, but I am still looking for day to day action during the winter of '42 for the 3rdGuards.

The Armchair General Forums I have found to be very helpful in answering questions, and seem to be particularly good at translating small passages, terms and the like for people. Good atmosphere over there.

I have built 3 missions a month for the duration of the campaign, so I really only need 9 accounts of action to get me through the winter.

B50

Oh yeah, I'm halfway through battle for Rzhev. I'll review at M4T when complete. Having fun thx.

Also going through Phil_K's "Emperors Hellcats", also fun. I'm 2 out of 3 for traps so far.