Zepplins

[joseki]

Hey guys lets get that Zepplin rules discussion its own thread.

We were discussing that there were Zepplin rules for Dawn Patrol.

This is something that I did not know. I am really interested however in finding out what they were. I believe in issue #127 of the drome there was an article on Zepplin yards.

So anyone who remmbers or even better has a set of these rules please let us know.

[joseki]

Hey Stephen,

You let slip that you had a set of Zepplin rules from isue #88. Would you or some perhaps Stephen Dale PLEASE post these.

Thanks

[kevan]

I included a Zeppelin counter in v1.2 of Vassal Dawn Patrol, tried to dimension it to a fairly average wartime Zeppelin size.

I started doing some reading at one point, hoping to pull a VDP scenario together. I still have my notes around somewhere. I think I really got bogged down on how to distribute damage locations, and had meant to do some more reading on the envelope design. Critical hits and gun locations/arcs were another area I was reading up on.

[southernskies]

I've got some target counters on my webpage home.pacific.net.au/~southernsk/dphome.htm

Includes some 400' airships and a 600' warship.

Regarding damage distribution for a zeppelin, the easiest is for the attackers to nominate either the gas bags or the MG nests/gondola.
The gasbags are always considered un undamaged balloon that can only be destroyed if an explosion is caused.

No new rules required and if you want to capture it, you'll be attacking a lot of ground emplacements and engine mountings...

[joseki]

Hey thanks for the website. I'd still like the stuff published in 88 though. Thanks for your help:)

[Stephen]

Let me ask Randy Gaulke if I can post them. They were printed in Aerodrome 88 and are copyrighted.

[joseki]

admin said:

Let me ask Randy Gaulke if I can post them. They were printed in Aerodrome 88 and are copyrighted.

Thanks Stephen

[noski]

Jim
I found my Zepplin rules from 'Drome 88. I can bring them to the fly-in if you want. Let me know.

Dan

[joseki]

Thanks Dan,

"Move the Box" sent me a set, so I have them. I appreaciate it though.

Jim

[yoodle]

Historically speaking, does anyone know if airplanes ever actually attacked Zepplins in WWI? I honestly have no idea, I guess I just always assumed that the Zeppelins flew too high for fixed wing aircraft to attack.

I'm not a big stickler for game rules match historical events, I'm just curious.

[kevan]

Yep, they were taken down by fixed-wing craft. Germany lost over half of its fleet during the war. Individual fighters were able to take down zeppelins that, especially early in the war, were flying well below the operational ceiling of the fighters. That was one of the reasons that many Royal Navy ships were fitted with flying-off platforms. Their value in taking down zeppelins outweighed the fact that the fighters had to be ditched into the sea after a single mission.

Edit: I just did some quick reading, and found accounts of zepplins being downed by individual BE 2c, Pup, Camel, DH4, and Maurane-Saulnier planes. The introduction of incindiary bullets in 1916 really helped, as did the fact that earlier dirigibles had low ceilings. During the entire war, Germany fielded a total of 115 zepplins - 53 were destroyed, 24 were damaged enough to no longer be operational.

[yoodle]

Cool, thanks for the history lesson, Kevan! Not that I'm an expert in WWI history or anything, but I had never heard of that. Makes you wonder why the Zeps ever even took off.

[joseki]

yoodle said:

Cool, thanks for the history lesson, Kevan! Not that I'm an expert in WWI history or anything, but I had never heard of that. Makes you wonder why the Zeps ever even took off.

Well that depends on who you ask

In a letter dated August 10th 1916 Korvettenkapitan Peter Strasser to Imperial Command High Seas Fleet.

Strasser recounts that the current fleet of 18 Airships while sufficient for the scouting needs of the High Seas Fleet, the addition of a mere 4 airships would allow for a quick and effective conquest of England.