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Special Aircraft Service
Battlefield - Airborne - Tactical (BAT) => BAT Missions and Campaigns => WAW (World at War) => Topic started by: vonofterdingen on September 27, 2018, 02:47:58 PM
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A 21-mission static campaign for IL-2 1946 (modded with BAT or VP Modpack). This is an older campaign of mine that I have updated for compatibility with these mod packs; I have also added tax-to-takeoff in most missions.
Link: http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=Downloads3&file=details&id=372 (http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=Downloads3&file=details&id=372)
(https://i.postimg.cc/zG3gz8jK/303_squadron.png) (https://postimages.org/)
This campaign chronicles the activities of 303 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. 303, or Kościuszko squadron was a key RAF fighter squadron in the battle and by many accounts the best Hurricane-equipped squadron in the battle. The squadron was comprised of Polish pilots who had escaped occupied Poland after having fought the Luftwaffe in the first air actions of WWII. Though experienced pilots, the Poles were only grudgingly accepted into the RAF; many RAF commanders considered them to be undisciplined and insisted on many hours of training. This did not sit well with the experienced Polish pilots who were eager to avenge the German attack on their country. Fortunately for all, dire necessity forced the RAF to make 303 and other Polish squadrons operational.
The missions are primarily historical. Most are based on real events and occur in game on the day and time (when known) as they occurred in 1940. In some instances I adjusted the number of aircraft for the sake of playability.
Prerequisites:
This campaign was written and tested using the SAS BAT and VP mod packs. For information, see:
• BAT: https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,53691.0.html (https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,53691.0.html)
• VP modpack: https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,50919.0.html (https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,50919.0.html)
The campaign may also be compatible with other modded IL-2 systems, though I have not personally tested any others.
Requires Canon’s English Channel map, which is provided as part of the mod packs.
Installation:
1. Decompress the zipped 303_Squadron.zip file to a temporary directory.
2. Copy the decompressed Missions folder and the PaintSchemes folder to your IL-2 1946 root folder.
3. Open the campaign as a RAF Pilot.
Game Play Notes:
If you install the skins provided in the installation files, use HurricaneMkI_RF-T_303 for your pilot skin throughout the campaign (set to no markings).
There are no air starts in this campaign.
Acknowledgements:
• Special thanks to Canon for creating this extraordinary map.
• Thanks to my father for teaching me about WWII; he served in a C-47 out of Greenham Commons.
• Thanks to Tommy, a Polish immigrant in Akron Ohio who cut my hair when I was a little boy and told me stories of the Polish fighter pilots in the RAF.
Skin Credits:
• Hurricanes: 1.Java_Serval, Canon, No457_Foxtrot
• BF-109s: Canon, VP_Media
• BF_110s: VP_Media
• Blenheims: VP_Media
• HE-111s: VP_Media
• JU-88s: Imme
• Spitfire MkI: Canon, Kristorf
Please report any issues or bug reports here or via my email (see readme).
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I remember playing the original - an excellent campaign. Looking forward to playing this updated version. Thank you vonofterdingen.
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I remember playing the original - an excellent campaign. Looking forward to playing this updated version. Thank you vonofterdingen.
Same here, and I'd like to offer my own thanks. I've only had time to test the first mission, but it flew very well in my Bat Linebacker.
;D ;D ;D ;D
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Thank you very much.
Be interesting as the 303 squad movie
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I have always found the story of 303 squadron interesting. It would make a good movie.
Thanks to you all for the kind words.
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Funny you should say that. Someone did just that. The movie is called Hurricane. There's another one called Spitfire coming soon.
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Funny you should say that. Someone did just that. The movie is called Hurricane. There's another one called Spitfire coming soon.
It's true the movie is called hurricane, but it's based on 303 Sqn. ;)
I did not know about the spitfire movie, thanks for the info :)
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You're welcome. I might even cough up actual dosh for movie tickets.
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Funny you should say that. Someone did just that. The movie is called Hurricane. There's another one called Spitfire coming soon.
It's true the movie is called hurricane, but it's based on 303 Sqn. ;)
I did not know about the spitfire movie, thanks for the info :)
Well, from the historical point of view the movie was sadly no better than Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor. It was pure fiction, I haven't really found anything real in it.
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Not sure if it's the same movie but I've seen a couple of scenes from a movie specifically called "303 Squadron". I believe it's the same one. I've caught the same couple of scenes each time I come across it and both times it bothered me in that in one scene, the lone Hurricane out for a test flight and he gets jumped by a 109. He promptly turns the tables on the 109 and damages the 109 and gets him smoking.
There's another scene earlier/later in the movie (not sure which having only seen bits of it) which is similar in that the Polish Hurricane pilot gets the better of a 109.
The thing that bothers me in both scenes is that the 109s get shot up by the Polish pilots and the German pilots announce they are breaking off and heading for home, as if it's the German pilots choice. Both times it just seemed a bit weird, particularly considering the Polish pilots were supposedly viciously tenacious.
Comments?
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I agree Tomoose. From what I have heard the Poles had a score to settle and were relentless in their pursuit of German aircraft, including ramming if necessary.
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First of all, I would like to thank Vonofterdingen for producing this "tribute" to the Polish RAF 303 squadron, however, I am facing some "strange facts" in the reproduction of the missions. The "damn" Hurricane I, hardly exceeds 300 km per hour in level flight at full power and even on steep dives, it barely manages to exceed 500 km / h, not to mention "crashes" of micro seconds in reproduction whenever you enter the effective distance attack against enemy fighters and bombers. Against fighters it is even worse because these hundredths of a second cause them to evade the attack and sometimes pass the attack action, without being able to avoid damage as the hurricane reacts like a crowded cart and also with the effects of these micro locks.
Thank you for your attention. My version of IL2 is 1946 BAT 3.8.2 .
Cheers
Carlos
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Hi!
I have a question concerning the behavior of AI planes.
I noticed, that the AI planes, enemy as well as friends are completely inactive?
The enemy aircrafts did nothing but flew their way. Not only that they didn't attack me or my fellows, they not even evade my attacks!?
He111 gunners did not answer on my attacks, Bf109 just fly straight to their doom - other Hurricanes just fly their waypoints.
I play with BAT 4.3 on full realism (except for external view).
The campaigns and missions itself works fine. No problems with loading etc.
I opened one of the missions in FMB and can't find sth. strange / errors. AI at "Normal", Ammo there.
What am I doing wrong?
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This is an old campaign. The last update I did was 2018. Try something newer, like this:
https://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=Downloads3&file=details&id=3233
If you still have a problem we will need to see what is going on with your system. If you no longer have the problem, we need to see what is going on with the old campaign.
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Thanks a lot!
I will try this!!
Unfortunately the problem occurs in "new" campaigns (He-162 from VampirePilot) , too.
I'll report back!
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The problem is not with the campaign but is a more general one, my impression is that all the changes introduced since 4.09/4.10 is making the AI decision process more complex resulting sometimes in very odd behaviors.
Just recently I was looking at the AI gunners targeting and shooting and finding that in the end the 4.09 gunners will be better while in 4.12.2 sometime they will just track the target but not shooting or target an enemy plane far away and ignore the ones attacking their flight a few meters away.
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In fact, the gunners sid not even aim on me! I tested that innspecific.
I am not expierienced in this inner il2 things but I am afraid that you are right with the version.
I will test this "new" campaign version and the SAAF campaign I found here.
I wonder that nobone else -except for you Frankiek- had problems.
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In the testing that Larschance and I performed we had no problems with AI aggressiveness, or lack thereof, in the two campaigns you are trying (Pack of Dogs and SAAF) so your results should be telling. Let us know.
The only time I have seen the passive ai behavior you describe is when bombers encounter other bombers.
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well I found problems because I specifically looked for them. I was trying to fix a bomber rear turret that was refusing to fire so to sort it out I had to grab a better understanding of AI turret behavior. I also like to fly older versions both stock an mod and it is quite amazing to see the difference in plane behavior not always for the better.
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Interesting. So the bomber turret problems, or changes at least, were ai related.I guess I haven't played 4.10 for so long that I haven't noticed the changes.
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It applies to both AI planes and AI turrets. Plenty of additional conditions and maneuvers have been added like not attacking if they don't see the target or not shooting through clouds or far away etc etc. A typical example is the difficulties in getting a correct torpedo run in the more recent versions with planes refusing to keep the very low altitude and speed needed by fragile torpedos because they also try to follow improved AI routines for correct flying and ground avoiding.
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To become precise:
I did a test pass near a formation of He111 in 1/2 speed.
Not one single machine gun shot or even aimed at me.
Not the dorsal gunner, not the belly, side or front gunner.
I used to play Steel Beasts -tank sim-. There you could set the AI to "blind", f.e. for training missions.
It is like that! As if the AI -fighters too, as I wrote- do not see other planes ( not only player).
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-> vonofterding:
I read somewhere that AI does not attack, resp. ignore, if it has no ammo left.
But I checked this in FMB - everything fine there.
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Okay. A friend built a test mission and there it worked!
We played the Blue Squadron campaign and THERE the I-16 attacked?!
Is there any new feature in the mission builder I do not know?
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Okay... I created a test mission with the sme map and planes as my friend - didn't work!?
So what? Do I have a special version of BAT, where AI is broken???
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Could you post your errant mission so that we both run it and could take a look at it?
Did you have the same issues with the Pack of Dogs missions or the SAAF campaign? Which SAAF campaign is it, by the way?
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Maybe someone could "move" this discussion to here:
https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,73712.msg801178/topicseen.html#msg801178
-> vonofterding:
You mean I should post a download link for the mission?
I did not fly the SAAF and also did not dl the "new" 303 campaign.
Will do it ... NOW!
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Yes, if you could post a link, or the mis file with the code option, others could try in and see if they experience the same difficulties.
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Mmh...
So I tested SAAF short campaign and Pack of Dogs.
I activated AutoPilot, time compression and let the AI play.
Both campaigns work and AI is as aggressive as it should be!
Then I tested one of the 303 campaign missions in Single play. Same setting.
Works!
I also tested my little test mission and suddenly ths one works, too!
It os too late now, to test the 303 campaign again.
I do not understand nothing! :P
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We live in a world of miracle and wonder, Seppel. Hopefully your issue is resolved. True, it would be nice to know why, but success is success!
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It stays weird!
I restarted the 303 campaign.
Then I let the 3rd mission (attack on Biggin Hill) run with AutoPilot, only being spectator.
Everything worked and a big airbattle went on.
Then I restarted the mission, let the AutoPilot fly me to the "battlefield".
Then I took control and ... nothing happened.
AI is "blind" again!?
This is driving me crazy!!!
# # # # # # # # # #
later that day ...
Because of the experience written above, I REstarted the SAAF campaign and .. of course .. as soon as I take control, the AI does not do anything!
So it .. and I do not have the slightes idea how that can be ... has somethign do do with me as a player, flying the plane!?
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I think about what it would be like to use the NG-HUD main menu (...using Tab key).
You need to move your fingers a little faster to give orders well.
If you meet the enemy squadron of bombers and cover fighters, you may be able to split your squadron into two parts and have them attack.
This is just the case that you're the leader. If you're just a wingman, the AIs will fight on their own.
(https://i.postimg.cc/FRkhxT6m/2025-03-06-at-09-30-27.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vgMRYtMS)
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Thank you for trying to help, gunny!
Mh ... I think I tried that with no success.
Furthermore this could not bring the enemy to fight back...
Going to reinstall BAT .. Yeah .. :-(
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Reinstall.... :-X
It's a pain. I've already reinstalled 1946 more than 10 times.
So the word 'reinstall' itself is even scary now.... :-X :-X
Please get a satisfactory result after the reinstallation.
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Thanks for holding thumps!!
If not, I will be the end of the Seppel-BAT-relationship, I'm afraid. :(
Would a pitty! ...all those marvelous campaigns, WWI aircraft, ...
(still downloading - damn, only few weeks ago I deleted all the patches, because ((I thought)) everytging was running perfect)
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Hi,
I report back:
After reinstalling BAT 4.3, everything works fine now.
I am re-flying the 303rd squadron campaign and its a lot of fun!
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After reinstalling BAT 4.3, everything works fine now.
I am re-flying the 303rd squadron campaign and its a lot of fun!
(https://i.postimg.cc/G3x6d4DY/2025-03-11-at-01-04-11.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ThhtcYCY)
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A veery nice campaign!
It reminds my of the good old "Their Finest Hour"!
Haaaaach, back in the days with my 386.
I realy liked the briefings here!
Unfortunately I couldn't fly some of the massive bomber raids missions due to too much planes in the air.
Nevertheless, I finished it with 20 1/2 kills and a lot of fun on my side!
Thanks for this great piece of work!