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Volume 19, Number 7/8
Indy Squadron Dispatch
Volume 19, Number 7/8
April 8, 2007
Pre-Game Double Issue
RARE PHOTO DISCOVERED FROM RBF VI
Gen Con Schedule Released
WWI in Cartoons - There's Nothing Funny About It
RBF Prize Package Expands Again
A&S, Osprey Publishing Join ISD
Smith Donates Print to RBF XVIII Winner
and much more...
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April 20, 1991, (L-R) Terry Phillips, Mike Oda, Dory Oda, Scott Jones, Stephen Skinner, Shawn
Morgan, Jeff Kenworthy, Alice Skinner
Rare Photo of RBF II Discovered!
Well... its been sort of "discovered." Its more accurate to say that we now know one exists.
For over a decade it was believed that no photos were taken at Red Baron Fight II on April 20, 1991. None
had surfaced even after several public announcements were made asking readers to help us find old photos and none of the original
participants could recall any pictures being taken at the event.
Well, we were wrong (there's a first). While recently browsing through the archive of old, paper issues
of ISD, the editor ran across this photograph captioned "The Indy Squadron at the 2nd Red Baron Anniversary Fight, April 20,
1991."
Locating old photos has become more important with the introduction of the RBF and Armistice Day Halls of
Fame, in which we attempt to post the victory photo of each past winner. To find a picture from RBF II is the fulfillment
of our best hopes... we were sure that none existed.
The trick now, of course, is to find the original. The picture posted here was scanned from an old paper
issue of ISD which contained only a black and white photocopy of the original color print. It remained undiscovered for
years because it was not published until Volume 3, Number 9 was printed in mid-August of 1991, four months after RBF
II was held. Apparently someone took their time getting their film developed!
Since the event was held at Scott Jones' house and since Scott was among the most prolific photographers
at early squadron occasions, it is likely that he took this picture and it is still in his possession. If we could find it,
this could be the among the best quality photos of the squadron in its early days... in fact, this could be the earliest known
photo of the Indy Squadron, period!
From left to right in the photo are Terry Phillips, Mike Oda, Dory Oda, Scott Jones, Stephen Skinner, Shawn
Morgan, Jeff Kenworthy and Alice Skinner. Stephen is holding a photo of the Red Baron and Dory is holding what appears to
be a book on the Red Baron (we had several such books there that evening).
Its pretty cool to have found a photo from
the first ever officially scored Red Baron Fight, especially when everyone was sure that such a photo didn't exist. Let's
hope we can come up with the original. If we do, it will be posted here.
A&S, Osprey Publishers Join ISD
Two New World War I Books Available
The Indy Squadron owes a debt of gratitude to A&S Publishing and Darren Whiteside, author of the new World War I aviation book "Rampant Lion." Many WWI aces such as Manfred von Richthofen and Billy Bishop have been the subject of scores of books while the "second
level" aces are frequently ignored despite their tremendous contributions to their nation's war effort.
Whiteside has expanded our knowledge of one such pilot by releasing the definitive biography of German ace Eduard
Ritter von Schleich. "Rampant Lion" will be reviewed in an upcoming issue of ISD and a new copy, specially autographed for
Red Baron Fight XVIII, will be given away as a prize.
Additionally, one of the most well-known names in WWI aviation publishing has partnered with ISD to help promote its
line of nearly 1,500 titles. Osprey Publishing, a branch of a military publishing company started in England in 1968, will
supply ISD with World War I books for review. Not only will ISD readers enjoy hearing about Osprey's latest World War I offerings
but once reviewed the books will find their way into the Indy Squadron's prize fund, beginning with RBF XVIII.
The latest addition to the Red Baron Fight prize package is
Osprey's "Fokker DrI Aces of World War I," a continuation of the company's outstanding Aircraft of the Aces series which now
totals nineteen books.
Undoubtedly the most famous fighter type
to see service on either side during World War 1, the Fokker Dr I was a revelation when it entered service on the western
front in 1917. Manfred von Richthofen’s JG 1 ‘circus’ was the first Jasta to completely re-equip with the
new fighter, and in the skilled hands of its numerous aces the Dr I proved a formidable opponent. The Dr I remained in service
on the Western Front until replaced by the superior Fokker D VII in May 1918. Just weeks prior to that, however, Germany’s
leading ace, the great ‘Red Baron’, had been killed at the controls of a Dr I.
Written by well-known WWI aviation author
Norman Franks, "Fokker DrI Aces of World War I" will be a great addition to the library of any Dawn Patrol player.
Russell Smith Donates Print to RBF XVIII Winner
"War Birds: Diary of an Unknown Aviator" is among the all-time classics in World War I aviation literature.
It was written anonymously shortly after the war but the author was later identified as 12-victory US Camel ace Elliott White
Springs, who had based his writings on the surviving letters of his friend, John Grider, who had been killed in action while
fighting with RAF 85.
When the Foundation for New Media produced a documentary film on Springs' book a few years ago, they needed a movie poster
and turned to artist Russell Smith to produce a historically accurate work.
Russell researched one of Springs' famous dogfights - the one that earned him the British Distinguished
Flying Cross - and built his painting around that event. Springs' military citation reads:
On 3 August 1918, whilst leading his patrol, which was escorting DH9s to Bruges, this officer shot down
in flames three Fokker biplanes which were diving on the DHs and succeeded in driving off the rest of the EA and escorted
the bombers safely back to our lines.
His work was released as a limited edition poster titled "War Birds: Diary of an Unknown Aviator." Three
hundred 26.25x18.25" prints were authorized and signed by the artist, and one of them was specifically autographed to the
winner of Red Baron Fight XVIII.
In The News: The Latest Articles and Discoveries from World War I
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Attending RBF XVIII?
Be sure to look over the Red Baron Fight section of this site. It is packed with information on the game itself including a complete set up chart for the upcoming
game. Read the rules and you'll know what to expect if this is your first RBF. Remember, this is not a tournament and there
are occasions where one side can be outnumbered or have superior planes. You may also fly any ace on your roster with
full ace benefits.
See the menu above for a six-page section dedicated to RBF and the history of the game and be prepared!
RBF Prize Package Expands Again
Every time we think we have the best prize package ever offered in Dawn Patrol the stakes go up again! That's precisely
what has happened this year after late additions to the prize pool have poured in from several sources.
We also still hope for a prize donation from Gamerz gaming club, the venue where our events are held. Last year the owner
was kind enough to allow our winner to choose free dice from the club store. This year we're requesting that Gamerz expand
their involvement to a gift certificate and we hope for a response yet this week.
The group can make this decision prior to the game, but a suggested method of prize distribution is as follows: the winner
automatically receives the Silver Goblet, the RBF XVIII champion's title, RBF Hall of Fame induction and the Russell Smith
print (which Russell already autographed specifically to the winner). Second place could then choose any prize they wanted,
then third place, then the winner, and this order could be repeated until the prizes are gone.
The complete list of prizes to date is below.
- The Silver Goblet; an engraved, silver-plated chalice commemorating the winner of RBF XVIII
- "Diary of an Unknown Aviator," a signed, limited edition lithograph of Russell Smith's original oil-on-canvas WWI aviation
work
- Automatic induction into the Red Baron Fight Hall of Fame
- "Last Flight of the Red Baron," Grub Street Publishing's classic book on the death of Manfred von Richthofen
- "Fokker DrI Aces of World War I" from Osprey Publishing
- Rack of 48 opaque dice in three plastic dispensers from The Armory
- "WWI in Cartoons," Grub Street's encyclopedia on propaganda material in the Great War
- "Rampant Lion" by Darren Whiteside
The All-Time Greatest Performances
in Red Baron Fight, Part II
This is the second and final installment of our look back at four of the greatest performances by any single pilot in
the eighteen-year history of Red Baron Fight. Those who competed at Red Baron Fight in 1996 and 2003 witnessed those great
moments described below:
Showdown of the Aces
Graham vs. Rick, RBF XIV
Although he would finish sixteen points out of a win, Rick Lacy's 13/4 Camel ace (Lionel Rhys-Davies) would
put on a stunning performance against perhaps the best German team ever fielded at RBF XIV, held at Dory's house on April
21st, 2003. The German squad put up two double-aces (Ken and Stephen) and two more fifteen-mission pilots (Nate and Graham
in Albatri), while Rick's most experienced wingman was on his 9th mission. Five of the ten pilots in the sky were above experienced/ace
status, and four of those five flew on the German side.
Graham flew a brilliant RBF mission, as Graham always seems to do, but he had solid support from an all-star cast of
German aces. Rick, on the other hand, was struggling to hold up the outnumbered British cause and saved a total disaster for
the Sopwith team by blowing the right wing off of Dory's Fokker DrI. He continued to fight tenaciously even as half of his
team was shot out of the sky.
Rick appeared to be the frontrunner for his first major Dawn Patrol title even after Graham and Stephen's German fighters shot
down Jeff Manjarrez's Camel pilot in flames. However, a close reading of the Indy Squadron House Rules proved that Graham
did not have to split the scoring credit with Stephen and his Albatros pilot claimed the kill as his own. The ruling cost
Rick the championship... he fell short by just sixteen points. Now outnumbered 5-2, Rick's Camel ace escaped and
Graham's Albatros ace took the RBF XIV crown in one of the game's most memorable showdowns.
Dr I Domination
Alice and Terry in RBF VII
On June 29, 1996, Red Baron Fight saw perhaps the most dominating performance ever from a duet of Dr I's.
The British had shown up with a powerhouse flight featuring three famed Indy aces - Lt. Albert Chesterfield (Brian, 14/3),
Lt. Canton Billings (Scott J., 22/9) and Lt. Bruce Windsor (Stephen 7/5) - and were prepared to sweep the sky. Instead, they
ran into a buzzsaw.
Alice maneuvered in behind Brian's Camel ace and sent him down in one burst with a fatal pilot hit. Stephen's
ace was next... his Camel was sliced up by Terry's Dr I flyer and sustained critical damage. The Triplanes then doubled on
Scott's Camel ace, firing from above and below in the classic Sopwith "sandwich," giving the British ace his second wound.
He fell unconscious and died in the ensuing crash.
So overwhelming was the performance of the two Dr I's that Alice , who won RBF VII, was awarded the Freiderich
Cross of Oldenburg and Terry's pilot, who finished second, was named a holder of the Military Merit Cross. RBF VII
remains perhaps the most dominant performance ever by the DrI, the airplane that is synonymous with Red Baron Fight.
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Society News: Gen Con Game Slate Released
The Fight in the Skies Society's entire schedule for Gen Con Indy 2007 is
now available and is published below. Participation in running games apepars to be up up this year with six judges set to
run events, including Indy's own Rick Lacy who will once again handle the 8am Sunday slot that was devoted to 2006's legendary
"Alternate Universe" DP game. Rick will spend this year's Sunday morning game on his favorite passtime - killing people with
ground fire - in "Blast It," an August 1918 affair against a heavily fortified ground target (stay on mission!).
Also featured this year are Gen Con favorites including the "World's Largest
Dawn Patrol Game" on Saturday morning and the new fan favorite, the "Gen Con Open."
In an effort to continue building the growing popularity of the latter event
George Henion has secured an engraved goblet for the winner (if its silver, expect a copyright infringement lawsuit from RBF!).
Both events have great prizes available for everyone. Here is the full 2007 Gen Con Dawn Patrol schedule:
Gen Con 2007: Event
Lineup & Schedule
Thursday August 16th thru Sunday
August 19th
by George Henion
Event
Date and Time
Judge
The
Adventures of Jack Kelso pt 1 Thur, Aug. 16th 8:00 AM
George Henion
Join Jack Kelso, from Flight of Eagles by Jack Higgins, in the skies over France in 1917
as he fights the Huns and enjoys the freedom of flight in this Dawn Patrol scenario.
Event
Date and Time
Judge
Wind in the Wires
Thur, Aug. 16th 12:00 PM
Alan Christensen
Modern fighters take off to the roar of jet engines. In this DAWN PATROL scenario, we return
to a simpler time when fighters dove into combat to the sound of the wind in the wires.
Event
Date and Time
Judge
The Flying Circus
Thur, Aug. 16th 5:00 PM
Blake Taylor
Join the United States Air Service and see if you can survive in the late summer of 1918
in this Dawn Patrol scenario.
Event
Date and Time
Judge
Sandstorm
Thur, Aug. 16th 9:00 PM Ken Mrozak Jr.
Join us in WWI’s other front, in Palestine, where Sandstorms can pop up at any time,
and the equipment is punished on a daily basis. Can YOU survive the Sandstorm?
Event
Date and Time
Judge
The
Adventures of Jack Kelso pt 2 Fri, Aug. 17th 8:00 AM
George Henion
Join Jack Kelso, from Flight of Eagles by Jack Higgins, in the skies over France in 1918
as he encounters Goering and enjoys the freedom of flight in this Dawn Patrol scenario.
Event
Date and Time
Judge
God save the King III
Fri, Aug 17th 12:00 PM Ken Mrozak Jr.
The question is, can you???. Join us in the air and find out. Can he survive his
flight once again?
Event
Date and Time
Judge
Over the Somme
Fri, Aug. 17th 5:00 PM
Alan Christensen
Throughout 1916 and 1917, the RFC and the German Air Service patrolled this vital sector.
Experience the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat in this early war scenario.
Event
Date and Time
Judge
High and Mighty
Fri, Aug. 17th 9:00 PM
Blake Taylor
Camels and Fokkers each have their advantages over the Mormal Forest, Who shall win the
day?
Event
Date and Time
Judge
World's Largest Dawn Patrol Sat, Aug. 18th
8:00 AM Mike Carr
This Saturday morning event has been on the Gen Con schedule for decades. Join Game Designer
Mike Carr for another classic!
Event
Date and Time
Judge
Never Leave your Wingman Sat, Aug.
18th 12:00 PM Blake Taylor
Even in WWI aviators stuck around to see how their wingmen fared. In this game, winning
depends not only on your flying and shooting, but how many of your flight make it back to friendly ground.
Event
Date and Time
Judge
Trick or Treat
Sat, Aug. 18th 5:00 PM Ken Mrozak Jr
On October 31st, which shall it be in this Halloween event. Join us in the skies
and find out.
Event
Date and Time
Judge
Edelweiss Forever
Sat, Aug. 18th 9:00 PM
George Henion
Join the Austrian Air service in their valiant effort to defend their glorious homeland
against the Italian Agressors.
Event
Date and Time
Judge
Blast It- August 1918
Sun, Aug. 19th 8:00 AM Rick Lacy
A strong enemy fortification is blocking our advance and must be destroyed at all costs.
That means you! Expect heavy resistance from the ground and in the air.
Event
Date and Time
Judge
The 3rd Annual Gen Con Open Sun, Aug.
19th 12:00 PM George Henion
Join us for this pinnacle event , an engraved goblet is 1st place for this event.
Book Review
World War I in Cartoons
There's Nothing Funny About It
Publisher: Grub St
Author: Mark Bryant
Pages: 160
ISBN: 1 904943 56 X
Price: 12.99 British (approx. $25 US)
Men do not offer to get themselves killed for no reason. They are willing to die only after being
mentally prepared by government propaganda, paid by government money and steeled against impending danger by government nationalism.
Then, as decorated heroes and saviors of the state, they are willing to die.
Mark Bryant's brilliant work, World War I in Cartoons, makes it painfully obvious that the more
things change the more they stay the same. Cartoons in the Great War were sometimes humorous, but more often than not published
primarily for their propaganda value. Understanding the cartoons of the era gives priceless insight as to how the war situation
was viewed by those alive at the time, views that are frighteningly parallel to our own.
In an age where literacy was not a given, cartoons were the mass media of the day. Like today's
news anchors, cartoonists sided with various states and became mouthpieces for their propaganda. A few of them even thought
for themselves and the revelations of the art they left behind are remarkable.
Bryant walks his readers through the war chronologically, highlighting the cartoons of each nation
year by year through the Armistice. The reproduction quality of the art is outstanding with much of the work manifested in
full color. Bryant also prefaces each section with an overview of the action on the battlefront to give the reader a complete
understanding of the time in which the art was created.
The author makes a special effort to present the entire message of the cartoon when it is not
immediately clear to the reader. For instance, Melbourne Punch's 1915 cartoon showed a German officer being doubled over from
the impact of an unexploded Allied artillery shell striking his stomach. The caption reads "Bent but not broken." Bryant makes
the message - the "punch line" of the cartoon, if you will - obvious by noting that during the Second Battle of Ypres in May
1915, thousands of Allied shells failed to detonate due to poor quality control at the munitions factories. A German general
had commented after the battle that their line had been "bent but not broken," hence revealing the full meaning of the cartoon
that would have otherwise been lost on the modern reader.
This book is a gem for those who desire a more in-depth understanding of the war as it was seen
by those who lived it. The cartoons presented in this volume, much like today's magazines and network television programs,
looked at the war on a short term, day-to-day basis as opposed to the modern, sweeping historical overviews to which
we've become accustomed.
The result is a flowing, readable tome that captures the war in a fresh and revitalized
way that few of us would have been able to appreciate without this work. Bryant's book is highly recommended for those who
wish to transcend current traditional thinking by understanding World War I through the political propaganda that created
it.
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