Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Rich46yo on October 14, 2009, 07:03:18 PM

Title: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: Rich46yo on October 14, 2009, 07:03:18 PM
Nice slice of Historia about some very brave, and very skilled, Free French pilots who fought the Luftwaffe in their Yak 3s. Heres a nice page with a short description and their aces. http://www.acesofww2.com/Normandy-Niemen/Normandie-Niemen.htm

Another fine reason for the Yak-3 to be brought into Aces High. As a  :salute to the Free French forces, 500,000 strong, who bravely fought their occupiers.

(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr149/Rich46yo/Escadrille_Normandie_Niemen.jpg)
Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: Gabriel on October 14, 2009, 09:08:34 PM
Indeed.

Probably my favorite unit/story in the war.

And they flew such beautiful planes  :salute
Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: Noir on October 15, 2009, 05:57:42 AM
 :salute I played many times with the idea of creating this squad in the MA
Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: Ruah on October 16, 2009, 08:00:02 PM
For sure,

when the Yak-3 comes I would be very interested in that. . .
Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: Rich46yo on October 16, 2009, 10:08:23 PM
There was a famous battle where a very small, ill equipped column of Free French took on a heavily armed Italian Division in Africa, Chad I think. After a fierce battle the Free French won the oasis. The Free french forces fought as well and as hard as any allied force in the war.

Enough with the French jokes. Its time we honored the Free French and I think bringing in the Yak-3 that the Normandie-Niemen Group flew to Glory would be a fine  :salute to the Free French forces. Land, sea, and air.
Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: Bruv119 on October 17, 2009, 12:51:07 AM
nice angle to support the inclusion of the yak-3 rich. 

The Yak-3 should be added to compliment the LA7 as the Soviet uber late war rides.

As for the frenchies give them something they flew in early war.
Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: Anaxogoras on October 17, 2009, 12:53:59 AM
It's impressive that they chose the Yak-3 for their post-war fighter when they had the opportunity to test a wide variety of allied types.
Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: Noir on October 17, 2009, 07:02:57 AM
It's impressive that they chose the Yak-3 for their post-war fighter when they had the opportunity to test a wide variety of allied types.

We had a lot of american types also. Our F4U4's lasted long in the 50's IIRC, we had B26's, A26's, F8F also. Actually I never saw a post war french Yak3 anywhere...I need to find more info :)
Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: Rich46yo on October 17, 2009, 10:28:05 AM
Yes while it was a nice angle notice I didnt include this thread in wishlist, where I have asked for the Yak-3 numerous times. It was more to  :salute and talk about a great airplane, and little known group that flew them well. The only 'angle" I had was History.

I could "wish" and "angle" till Im blue in the face. Aces High is going to model what they want to model. Not that I have ever been dissapointed mind you.

A D.520 or MS.406 wouldnt be a bad EW choice either. Nice angle. :lol

Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: sparow on October 17, 2009, 06:24:20 PM
<S> to all French!
<S> to Normandie-Niemen!
<S> to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and all Free French combatants!

Here's the Yak-3 that stands at the Musée de L'Air at Le Bourget, near Paris:

(http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb38/Sparow_bucket/Le%20Bourget/DSCF1222.jpg)

But, personally, I would prefer to see this one, to honour French Air Force and aviation industry:

(http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb38/Sparow_bucket/Le%20Bourget/DSCF1224.jpg)

If you like, you may watch all other pictures here: http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb38/Sparow_bucket/Le%20Bourget/

<Salut> les gars!
Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: straffo on October 19, 2009, 03:36:14 AM
There was a famous battle where a very small, ill equipped column of Free French took on a heavily armed Italian Division in Africa, Chad I think. After a fierce battle the Free French won the oasis. The Free french forces fought as well and as hard as any allied force in the war.

Enough with the French jokes. Its time we honored the Free French and I think bringing in the Yak-3 that the Normandie-Niemen Group flew to Glory would be a fine  :salute to the Free French forces. Land, sea, and air.

It's either Fezzan or Koufra (where took place the oath of Koufra :« Jurez de ne déposer les armes que lorsque nos couleurs, nos belles couleurs, flotteront sur la cathédrale de Strasbourg. » /"swear not to lay down arms until our colours, our beautiful colours, float on the Strasbourg Cathedral")
Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: straffo on October 19, 2009, 03:39:43 AM
It's impressive that they chose the Yak-3 for their post-war fighter when they had the opportunity to test a wide variety of allied types.

Their choice was political and practical/doctrinal as the Yak3 was more like the planes they were used to use and how the intended to use it.
FAF training in the 30's/40's  was directly coming from WWI the emphasis was more on individual performance rather than collective.

@noit : il y a une yak3 au Bourget mon grand :)
Title: Re: <S> to the Normandie-Niemen Group & Free French
Post by: Rich46yo on October 19, 2009, 02:58:36 PM
It's either Fezzan or Koufra (where took place the oath of Koufra :« Jurez de ne déposer les armes que lorsque nos couleurs, nos belles couleurs, flotteront sur la cathédrale de Strasbourg. » /"swear not to lay down arms until our colours, our beautiful colours, float on the Strasbourg Cathedral")

Right, that was the one. This was a great victory of the FFF and where they really cemented their reputation as a serious fighting force for the Allied cause. It was as important a moment for them as say, "Nuts" at Bastogne was for us Yanks. Or McArthur saying, "I shall return".

With not much more then rifles they beat a much larger force and took a very strategic objective that gave the Allies a lot of momentum in Africa.