Volume 26, Number 3

WhosyerCon 2014 Report
by Rick Lacy

In keeping with my past feelings about supporting FitS at smaller conventions and to kick off the new IndySquadron gaming schedule, we once again attended WhosyerCon and ran several Dawn Patrol games. As a gaming group we feel that continuing to run the game at multiple venues to attract new players is something the Society should encourage. 

The past weekend included 3 scheduled games and 3 pickup games. I scheduled 4 games but the third on Saturday morning had no players unfortunately. Details on the other three scheduled games are below.

Volume 26, Number 2 

Book Review
Pfalz Scout Aces of World War I Pfalz Scout Aces of WWI
Greg VanWyngarden
Osprey Publishing
Soft cover, 96 pages
US $22.95
www.OspreyPublishing.com

Once again, from the delightful pen of author and WWI German Air Service expert Greg VanWyngarden, comes another bookshelf gem on our favorite topic.

Those of you who are familiar with Osprey’s excellent “Aircraft of the Aces” series will instantly recognize the format of this work. The 71st installment of this series is as fresh and unique as ever, bringing us yet another volume of work on an airplane that receives little fanfare and even less credit in history books. 

Volume 26, Number 1 

The fate of the Indy Squadron was decided in November when, by unanimous vote, we chose to move from monthly gaming to quarterly gaming. The options on the table were to continue on a monthly basis, to shut down the squadron permanently, or to come up with an alternate plan. 

Given everyone's personal schedules, Stephen's work schedule, and overall diminished participation recently, gaming monthly was judged to be too much. On the other hand, no one wanted to shut down the squadron. The alternative plan was to commit to a 4-event annual schedule. The anchors on the schedule would be, as always, the Armistice Day Tourney in November and Red Baron Fight in April. 

Volume 25, Number 7

This year's title match will go down in Indy Squadron history as the “Armistice Day Fits Lapse Tournament” due to the unprecedented tidal wave of mistakes that plagued the game from the first turn. 

Rick Lacy designed the scenario for the 25th Indy Squadron championship game, which featured a relatively small field composed of veteran players. The teams are listed below with each player's plane type and number of appearances in the Armistice Day tourney.

GERMAN
Ethan Skinner (3rd), Fokker DVII 160 hp high compression
Rick Lacy (13th), Fokker DVII 185 hp
Stephen Skinner (25th), Fokker DVII 160 hp high compression

Volume 25, Number 6 

The 25th Armistice Day Fits Tournament is coming up:

November 2, 2013 
11 am ET 
Arsenal Game Room 
http://www.arsenalgameroom.com/ 
874 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis 

The Armistice Day Fits Tournament has always been our biggest event, but this year it means even more. This is the 25th anniversary of the Indy Squadron's biggest event, and likely our last event as a squadron after a quarter of a century of gaming. 

Be with us on Saturday, November 2, to learn more and participate in one of Dawn Patrol's finest traditions. The 25th and final Armistice Day Fits Tournament is this weekend! 

Volume 25, Number 4-5 

Rick Claims 2nd RBF Title 

The 24th annual Red Baron Fight was held at Arsenal Game Room in Indianapolis on April 13th and for the second straight year, the player flying the Red Baron's all-red Triplane took home the Silver Goblet. 

Like last year's game, Red Baron Fight XXIV featured just five players, marking the first time since 1997-98 that RBF drew five players in consecutive years. 

Dice were rolled for choice, and the sides stacked up like this: 

• GERMAN: Stephen Skinner, Albatros DVa high compression 
• GERMAN: Dory Oda, Albatros DVa high compression 
• GERMAN: Rick Lacy, Fokker Dr I, all red 
• BRITISH: Stephen Dale Skinner, Sopwith Camel 130 hp 
• BRITISH: Ethan Skinner, Sopwith Camel 130hp 

Dory's Albatros moved first on Turn 1, but somehow emerged unscathed when the other four airplanes all attacked each other. Rick's Dr I took a first-turn pounding, and Stephen's Albatros managed a 9-hit burst on Stephen Dale's Camel and appeared to be an early contender. Five of those hits went into the Camel's left wing, inflicting a fabric tear critical hit that would later have telling results. CLICK "READ MORE" TO CONTINUE

Volume 25, Number 3 

Whos Yer Con Hosts Official Indy Games 

For the first time, the Indy Squadron merged its March gaming session with the Whos Yer Con gaming convention held on the west side of Indianapolis each spring. 

Each of the games, both scheduled games through the Con and pick up games, were considered official Indy Squadron games that counted toward championship eligibility for 2013. 

Indy's Rick Lacy judged Dawn Patrol games in several time slots throughout the weekend and submitted the following report: 

Volume 25, Number 2 

Stephen Dale's Alb Heroics Holds Off Two Camels
Ethan's Observer Survives 9,000-foot Free Fall Without Parachute 

Game 3 

The most exciting game played by the Indy Squadron on Feb 16th was the third and final mission of the night, featuring two 130 hp Sopwith Camels (Rick, Stephen) against one LVG two-seater (Ethan) and his escort, an Albatros DVa (Stephen Dale) in March 1918. 

Stephen's Camel pilot (Lt. Darian Donahue, 7/3) picked up his third confirmed kill when he shot the pilot of Ethan's LVG dead with a head wound. Ethan's two-seater plummeted for more than 9,000 feet before smashing into No Man's Land. His observer crawled from the wreckage unhurt and returned to his own lines safely. 

Rick's experienced Camel pilot, Lt. Christopher Ridley-Scott (13/3) tackled Stephen Dale's well-flown Albatros and began a 2-on-1 fight that lasted for 11 amazing turns. Both Rick and Stephen's Camels were plagued by gun jams, and the two Sopwith's took turns tailing the lone German. Each time Stephen Dale would evade his pursuer and renew his attack. After nearly an hour of playing time Stephen Dale was still alive and kicking, and according to Rick, played some of the best Dawn Patrol of his career. 

Volume 25, Number 1

Indy Squadron Plays First Online Vassal Games 

The Indy Squadron rang in the new year with a pair of enjoyable online games utilizing the popular Vassal gaming system. The New Year's Day games were originally scheduled at the Lacy's house, but due to an illness it was decided that we should play online instead. 

Game 1
October 1917

The day's first game featured an Italian front mission with two Oeffag Albatros 153's (Rick and Ethan) against a pair of 150-hp SPAD VII's (Stephen Dale and Stephen). The Austro-Hungarian Oeffags double-attacked Stephen's SPAD, scoring 13 hit factors in the first two turns. 

Although he wasn't yet in serious trouble, Stephen chose to escape since the Italians were flying single-gun airplanes against twin-gunned Oeffags. The flight quickly broke up after his departure with no casualties on either side.

Volume 24, Number 8 

Indy Squadron Championship Goes to Wesley!

The most elite club in Indiana Dawn Patrol got a little bigger when the 2012 Armistice Day Fits Tournament produced another new winner. Wesley Morgan became only the 12th holder of the Indy Squadron Victory Medal in the game's 24-year history when he won a nail-biter over Stephen Dale and Rick, both of whom were also seeking their first Indy title.


The teams for this year's Armistice Day Tournament stacked up like this:

Allies

• Ian Cunningham, French Morane-Saulnier A1
• Dory Oda, Sopwith Dolphin (Vickers only)
  
• Rick Lacy, Sopwith Snipe
  
• Wesley Morgan, Camel 150
  

Germans

• Stephen Dale Skinner, Fokker DVIII
• Ethan Skinner, Fokker DVII 185
  
• Stephen Skinner, Fokker DrI Triplane