hi all. some friends and i have just started up a new squad, 19 sqn and 91st BG, or, the duxford dolls as an easier nickname.
basically, the squad is all about fun. however, we are going to try our best to not be too gamey. we are all here to have fun, but the squad will also run some historically themed missions and fly using historic tactics and fly in formation etc., just to add to the immersion factor.
now, about the squads. 19 squadron was the first squad to receive the spitfire. from 1938 onwards, the spitfire was the main ride of choice for the squadron, many variants being used. after 1942 the squadron began to use lend lease aircraft, such as the mustang, but still made good use of the latest spitfire variants.
the squad was involved in the Battle of Britain, and racked up quite a number of kills while it was there. the squadron was primarily based at RAF Duxford, which is where we get part of our name. after the battle of britain, the squadron was heavily involved in the push towards europe, and the attacks on the coasts of occupied france.
in 1942 the squad was sent to norway for a short spell, to aid in defense there. after this, the squad returned to fortress europe, where it performed some ground attack missions, and was also responsible for air cover over the skies of france during d-day in 1944. during this time, the squadron was also flying frequent escort missions with 8th air force bomber groups, and RAF bomber command day missions. the squadron was in active service until very recently, when it was turned into a training squadron operating hawk jets.
no. 19 squadron has an extensive list of battle honors, and a very impressive kill tally.
one of the main aspects we want for the squad is for it to be totally open, to anyone from any country, and for them to have a place doing what they wish. so we thought we would mix a fighter squadron and an american bomber squadron to keep the squad open, and give something for eveyone to do. we in no way 'expect' you to fly british fighters and american bombers. you may fly whatever you wish. the name was selected because it is fairly international and both squadrons have a great deal of history
so, the 91st bombardment group was a part of the 8th AF operating in the same area as 19 squadron. they mainly flew b17's, and of course, some very special ones indeed, including the memphis belle herself, and other planes like nine-o-nine. the group contained 3 squadrons, all of which were very successful. a less well known fact is that this squad shot down more german fihgters than any other american bomber group.
so, there's the short history lesson over...
the squad's main principles are:
1) having fun
2) learning. the squad puts a strong emphasis on teaching newer members. there is going to be a training buddy system set up, where a veteran member will take a new member under his wing and show him the ropes. after 2 months, these students will leave their teacher and fly with other pilots of the same skill level, together, for a few months or so. this gives us the opportunity to quickly train large amouns of members, and get them fighting properly. once a new member has proven that he has learned what he needs to survive properly, he will earn the right to come and fly in one of the veteran wings, and also the right to teach new members. sounds serious, but it's really just an organised way of teaching new member a large amount in a short time
we will also have a training night each week for people that want to come, in either the TA or DA
3) flying together. in past experience, i have found that squaddies enjoy themselves more, and fly better when they fly with their friends. so what we aim to do is to try and stick together as a squad, and to all help each other out wth what we need. we are also going to make formation flying and wingman tactics a core part of the training program
so there you have a short little bit on what it will be like. we will fly for whatever side needs it numbers wise, and do whatever we like really.
just this moment, we are only looking for pilots with some level of experience, as we do not yet have the numbers to train large amounts of entirely new players. once the ball starts rolling we will take anyone that has got past their 2 week trial, or knows that they will stay after the trial ends, and is willing to learn.
sample of the squad nose art:
if you have any questions or think you might like to join us, please dont hesitate to ask!
hope to meet some of you guys soon:aok
