Vichy Airgroup for CV Bearn by UncleTgt!

[UncleTgt]

a "what if?" air group for Baldy's Bearn...

[misson]

Hey Uncle! I like very much these french skins! and they are needed also.

[fde_bressy]

Hello UncleTgt,
Nice textures, but, if I can allow me as French to comment, those aircrafts with yellow and red markings were on the "wrong" side.
Maybe better try with Free French textures? They were fewer, but on the "right" site....
François

[UncleTgt]

Francois,

You are entirely correct, except the French never got any G-36A Wildcats. :encouragement: It is a "what if". Seeing as Bearn was collecting new aircraft from the US when the armistice was signed, I needed to rewrite some history.

I was intrigued by the decision to remove her from the "Raiding Force" at the start of the war due to her low speed (21kts). The Royal Navy used HMS Argus (20kts) to ferry aircraft, but on occasion she operated Hurricanes and even Seafires! (Operation Torch).

So I tried using Allen's Vindicator (V-165F) to lift a warload off the deck - with sufficient wind over the deck you could operate lightly loaded for sure. I then tried the F4F-3 (G-36A) & that seemed OK too.

So, my alternate history is as follows... :dizzy:

French gold reserves sent to Canada in cruisers, instead of CV Bearn. The carrier Bearn remains with the French Fleet, fleeing to North Africa.
Anglo French relations sour post-armistice (Mers El Kebir, Dakar etc.), & the US remains more isolated than actual from this "European War" & completes the purchase of the G-36A's to France so long as they remain in North Africa (out of the hands of the Germans).

I'll agree it's a stretch, but this sequence allows the French to create a small carrier air group for the Bearn comprising Wildcats & Vindicators. Whilst too small in number & flying off a slow CV, it is a reason to have a small number of Vichy Wildcats & Vindicators opposing Operation Torch in 1942. :icon36:Imagine, Wildcats versus Wildcats in the MTO! :ichile:

[UncleTgt]

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/soh_ftp/uploads/imageuploads/182214030000987012.jpg
A new entry has been added to Add-Ons Library, category CFS 2 Skins - Other

Description: Fictional Vichy Airgroup skins for Baldy's French CV Bearn by UncleTgt

This is a set of repaints for a fictional Vichy French airgroup for Baldy's WW2 carrier Bearn.

In reality after the Armistice was signed Bearn was "allowed" to sail to Martinique with a cargo of US warplanes, but got no further than that.

But what if the US had supplied the G-36A Wildcats direct to France instead of Britain, & Bearn had remained with the Fleet in North Africa instead of being in the US when the ARmistics was signed?

Following the unpleasantness at Mers El Kebir & Oran, maybe the Vichy French would have scraped together a small air group for Bearn.

I have provided skins for the OH F4F3 Wildcat, the Donationware F4F-3 Wildcat & Allen's V156F Vindicator.

To install, unzip the download to a temporary folder. Use as replacement textures with the relevant aircraft model as appropriate.

Thanks to:

Gramps/FDG for the Donationware Wildcat.

The B24 Guy for his demirrored F4F3 Wildcat.

Allen for his Vindicator.

FDE Bressy & Dombral for sparking my interest in getting better planes for the French carrier.

Baldy for creating unusual smaller carriers like Bearn.

This is freeware and subject to the usual conditions.

UncleTgt

JUN 2014

To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit Vichy Airgroup for CV Bearn UT.zip (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?linkid=18575&catid=61)
The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.

[Rami]

UncleTgt,

Your work on these is outstanding, thank you very much!

[baldy]

Hi Uncle

you're letting your imagination run riot now -- slight correction here - since you provided the textures for the Bearn I think the description should be ' baldy and my carrier ' 'cos if I had done the paint job it would be rrrufff.

baldy

[michaelvader]

Hallo,

is the bearn also avaible to be used in FS2004?
If you would continue in fictive "what if" > why not to think about a carrier able Dewoitine 520?
I once did some panels for this bird.
It is realy difficult to finf docs about french planes of this era especially concerning the cockpits.

Yours
Michael "Papi" Vader

[UncleTgt]

Michael,

You need to ask Baldy,:p87: it's his model & was created for CFS2 only IIRC.

Regards the Dewotine 790, I think that stretches things too far for me, hell, they never even built one!
:pirate: At least the US aircraft existed (even if the Brits "acquired" them).

[baldy]

Since I was only a CFS2 man I have no idea how you would load a ship into FS2004, maybe some of the guys on the 'other' side might know if it is possible - since it was made using FSDS v2 it could be made for FS2002 but what you do with it after that I've no idea -- however feel free to experiment with it

baldy

[bub]

"Interesting, Very Interesting". Nice job, Unc.
Bub

[Devildog73]

Yeah, that period of time had me so confused.........:dizzy:

We had Italians fighting against us that then fought for us.

We had French that fought for France, then the Nazis, then for the Allies. :dizzy:

In my "day job" there are some countries surrounding the Med that fly and drive a confusing conglomerate of western and Russian/Chinese made equipment and aircraft. It is really a bugger to figure out who is on who's side down there. It doesn't help that the side changes from month to month.

There are some with Mirages flying next to SUs and Migs flying next to F-15s and F-16s flying next to Tornados and Jaguars all with the same national markings. :dizzy:

[Roxane-21]

In my "day job" there are some countries surrounding the Med that fly and drive a confusing conglomerate of western and Russian/Chinese made equipment and aircraft. It is really a bugger to figure out who is on who's side down there. It doesn't help that the side changes from month to month.

There are some with Mirages flying next to SUs and Migs flying next to F-15s and F-16s flying next to Tornados and Jaguars all with the same national markings. :dizzy:

Most of these countries are not on one or another side. There are just on their own side and try to make business with everyone who doesn't threaten them.
The cold war ended 25 years ago.:wavey:

[Blood_Hawk23]

Most of these countries are not on one or another side. There are just on their own side and try to make business with everyone who doesn't threaten them.
The cold war ended 25 years ago.:wavey:

The Cold war ended
:dizzy:

Yeah smaller countries or those with smaller defence budgets, like to get the most for thier money. I can't say I blame them. But when your trained to look for certain ACs that might be hostile the picture does become fussy.

The US never really had the cheap aircraft. So it wouldn't surprise me to hear about a mixed airforce. I wish we would have made something better then the F35. The Navy version looks like a bust. Doesn't matter, sooner or latter we will all be buying everything from china.


UT,

I love the concept. They look great. It would be a nice little campaign. I wounder how they would hold up to the Germans.

[Devildog73]

The cold war ended 25 years ago.:wavey:

Would you please tell Vladi Putin that? He seems to have forgotten about it ending as he proceeds to rebuild the former USSR..........

[Blood_Hawk23]

Would you please tell Vladi Putin that? He seems to have forgotten about it ending as he proceeds to rebuild the former USSR..........

Hence my point. ex-KGB what do you expect. Russia will have the Ukrain again. it was thiers to begin with. Myself, I'd rather have them in control of the Ukrainian Nukes and military then some broken government. Atleast we know what we would be dealing with. our worst fear would be a nuke going to a ter grp. though with this pres and cong it could be realier than anyone may know. I pray it never happens cuz that would change a lot of things. again another topic for another location.

[dombral]

a "what if?" air group for Baldy's Bearn...


très intéressant votre interprétation du groupe aérien du Béarn dans l"aéronavale de Vichy .

Le Béarn se trouvait à la Martinique après l'armisitice du 25 juin 1940 . Il transportaitde 40 Curtiss CW77 Helldiver chargés au Canada et destinés à l'Aéronavale probablement pour équiper le Béarn . . Il serait donc logique que son groupe aérien soit équipé de ces Curtiss CW77 .
En fait ces avions sont restés inutilisés pendant toute la guerre .

9598

[UncleTgt]

Hallo Dombral!

Vous avez raison, il avait un assortiment intéressant d'avions terrestres lorsqu'il a navigué à la Martinique. :pirate:

Cela de mon « histoire alternative »

"En réalité après la signature de l'Armistice Bearn a été « autorisée » à appareiller vers la Martinique avec une cargaison d'avions de combat américains, mais eu pas plus loin que cela.

Mais que se passe-t-il si les Etats-Unis avaient fourni le G-36 a Wildcats directement en France au lieu de Grande-Bretagne, & Bearn était resté avec la flotte en Afrique du Nord, au lieu d'être aux États-Unis lorsque le Armistics a été signé ?

Après les désagréments à Mers El Kebir & Oran, peut-être les Français de Vichy serait ont trouvé un groupe de petites ouvertures pour le Béarn."


J'espère que cette traduction rend les choses un peu plus clair. :sheep:

[dombral]

Tout a fait d'accord : Le Béarn devait etre équipé de Grumman G36 et de Curtiss CW77 à l'été 1940 . La mise en service du Joffre n'étant pas prévue avant 1943 44 . Mais ça c'est une autre histoire .