Verdun 1916 : jouer avec quels avions ? Gotha à Verdun

Avez vous déjà joué sur des scénarios du premier Verdun de Février 1916 à Décembre 1916 ?

Spad VII a écrit:

Avez vous déjà joué sur des scénarios du premier Verdun de Février 1916 à Décembre 1916 ?

Oui, ici :
https://wingsofwar.1fr1.net/t1986-scenario-et-partie-ww1-scenarios-verdun-sur-tapis-de-sir-erickson#21409


Concernant les GOTHA
Après quelques recherches sur les Profile Publications (Gotha n°115), Windsock Datafile (tableau joint) et Wikipedia, voici les dates et lieux de mise en ligne au front de 4 versions (le G.I a une architecture complètement différente des quatre versions suivantes).
- G.II : août 1916 / Balkan.
- G.III : octobre 1916 / Balkan - front ouest (1 abattu par Guynemer le 8 février 1917)
- G.IV : novembre 1916 / 2 avions sur le front ouest pour évaluation - Mars 1917 puis mise en service retardée
- G.V : août 1917 / front ouest

La figurine Ares du Gotha représente la version G.V.
Mais elle ressemble plus aux versions G.II, G.III et G.IV dont les moteurs sont posés sur l’aile inférieure, alors qu’ils sont suspendus entre les ailes sur la version G.V (sur les modèles produits en 1918 G.Va et G.Vb, l’empennage est de type biplan).

Les différences de performance entre ces versions sont relativement mineures et concernent la vitesse, la hauteur, le rayon d’action, le plafond d’altitude, la charge de bombes.
Mais elles sont pratiquement sans influence sur le jeu, même au niveau des vitesses maximum (135 et 140 km/h) car elles restent dans la fourchette 121-140 km/h, suivant les explications d’Andrea Angiolino sur le changement des longueurs de manœuvre en fonction des vitesses maximum (sujet ICI) :
“The length of the arrows is quite standardized: in the WWI line, the full length of a card is for planes with a maximum speed of more than 200 km/h, an arrow 80% of that for planes with a 181/200 km/h speed and then down, by steps of 20 km/h.”

Le tunnel de tir arrière dans le fuselage inférieur est créé à partir de la version G.IV (Profile Publications page 10).
Pour recréer le combat du 8 février 1917 de Guynemer et Chainât contre un Gotha G.III, on pourra éventuellement ne pas utiliser le tunnel de tir arrière de la figurine.

Les Gotha n’ont donc pas  participé à la bataille de Verdun de février à octobre 1916.
Cependant, quelques Gotha III et IV sont présents dans cette région à partir de novembre 1916 opérant depuis Fribourg au sein du Kagohl 2.






GOTHA G.II
The G.II entered operational service in August 1916, with eight of the initial production batch of 10 deployed to the Balkan front. Nothing today is known about the type's performance in combat, but of the eight on active service, no more than four appear to have been operational at any one time (October 1916).
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 12.2 m (40 ft 0 in)
- Upper wingspan: 21.9 m (71 ft 10 in)
- Lower wingspan: 23.7 m (77 ft 9 in)
- Height: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 89.5 m2 (963 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 2,182 kg (4,810 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 3,192 kg (7,037 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.IV 8-cylinder liquid-cooled geared in-line piston engine, 160 kW (220 hp)
- Propellers: 2 or 4-bladed fixed-pitch pusher propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 135 km/h (84 mph, 73 kn)
- Endurance: 4 hours
- Rate of climb: 1.8 m/s (350 ft/min)
- Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,843 ft) in 28 minutes
4,000 m (13,123 ft) in 41 minutes
Armament
- Guns: 2 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine guns
- Bombs: 14x 10 kg (22 lb) bombs

GOTHA G.III
Most of the 25 G.III aircraft produced were delivered to Kagohl 1, operating in the Balkans out of Hudova. Combat service of the G.III was limited but effective. Its most notable accomplishment came in September 1916, when a formation of G.III aircraft destroyed the railway bridge over the Danube River at Cernavodă, Romania.
It also saw use by Kagohl 2 on the Western Front, operating from Freiburg. French ace Guynemer (with adj Chainat) downed a Kagohl 2 G.III in the Saint-Mihiel sector on 8th February 1917. (Profile Publications page 8 ).
General characteristics
- Crew: Three
- Length: 12.2 m (40 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan: 23.7 m (77 ft 9 in)
- Height: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 89.5 m2 (563 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 2,383 kg (5,253 lb)
- Gross weight: 3,618 kg (7,976 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Mercedes D.IVa , 193 kW (260 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 135 km/h (83 mph, 72 kn)
-Endurance: 3 hours 45 minutes
Armament
- 2 to 3 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine guns
- 500 kg (1,100 lb) of bombs

GOTHA G.IV
Aircraft G.IV 401/16 and 402/16 were delivered to Kagohl 2 in November 1916 for frontline evaluation. Units did not receive the first G.IV bombers until March 1917. (Windsock Datafile page 4)
In March 1917, the G.IV entered service with Kagohl 1, which was redesignated Kagohl 3 upon receipt of the new machines, and the G.IVs were soon to be put to use in Operation Türkenkreuz - the strategic bombing of London. This was delayed when practice missions revealed faulty engine bearings that had to be replaced, and that the prevailing winds were stronger than expected, requiring the addition of extra fuel tanks.
General characteristics
- Crew: 3 (pilot, nose gunner, dorsal gunner)
- Length: 12.2 m (40 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan: 23.7 m (77 ft 9 in)
- Height: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 89.5 m2 (963 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 2,413 kg (5,320 lb)
- Gross weight: 3,648 kg (8,042 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Mercedes D.IVa , 193 kW (260 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 135 km/h (83 mph, 72 kn)
- Range: 810 km (506 mi, 440 nmi)
- Endurance: 6 hours
- Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,400 ft)
Armament
- 2 or 3 × 7.92 mm Parabellum LMG 14 machine guns
- Up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) of bombs

GOTHA G.V
The G.V entered service in August 1917. It generally could not operate at altitudes as high as the G.IV, for the following performance reasons : The base variant of G.V offered no performance improvement over the G.IV. The G.V was up to 450 kg (990 lb) heavier than the G.IV due to additional equipment and the use of insufficiently seasoned timber. The Mercedes D.IVa engines could not produce the rated 190 kW (260 hp) due to inferior quality of fuel.
The base variant of G.V offered no performance improvement over the G.IV. The G.V was up to 450 kg (990 lb) heavier than the G.IV due to additional equipment and the use of insufficiently seasoned timber. The Mercedes D.IVa engines could not produce the rated 190 kW (260 hp) due to inferior quality of fuel.
General characteristics
- Crew: 3 (sometimes 4)
- Length: 12.36 m (40 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 23.7 m (77 ft 9 in)
- Height: 4.3 m (14 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 89.5 m2 (963 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 2,740 kg (6,041 lb)
- Gross weight: 3,975 kg (8,763 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Mercedes D.IVa 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engines, 190 kW (260 hp) each
- Propellers: wooden fixed-pitch pusher propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 140 km/h (87 mph, 76 kn)
- Range: 840 km (520 mi, 450 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 6,500 m (21,300 ft)
Armament
- Guns: 2 or 3 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG 14 machine guns
- Bombs: 14 × 25 kg (60 lb.) bombs