Zeebrugge Naval Air Station Flanders 1

[hertzie]

OK, never done that and have no plans to do it. So sorry it isn't usable in free flight, but it is as it is.

All the best, hertzie.

[Ravenna]

Hi Hertzie,

I'm almost finished doing a GSL addition for Zeebrugge. As B24Guy says, you can place Allen's mole in a mission. The trouble with placing it in every mission where Zeebrugge is needed is that there will be slight variations in the mole placement. At present the Belgian coast in CFS2, even with Sander's European coastline, has promontories on the coast at Zeebrugge and the canal is "blocked" in places.

Fortunately Kevin Driver has come to my rescue by redrawing the coastline as it was before the modern port was created. Kevin has also opened the mouth of the port. The mole can be placed using the GSL file, also made by Kevin. With those files everyone will be seeing the same Zeebrugge mole. Placing the mole as a separate GSL add-on also has the advantage that objects can be placed on and around the mole, and in the town, representing different stages during both world wars. My focus is on the period 1917-1918.

I'm still looking for a couple of objects. A large grand hotel in the late 19th century European style, a cover/awning for submarines which can be placed on the mole and on the dock inside the port and a representation of the lock gates for the canal. At present I am using the sluicegate object for the lock which is really too big for this canal as it has a huge area of concrete structure around it. The search continues.....

[The B24 Guy]

Hi Hertzie,

You should give it a try. It's easy to choose and airfield, place the infrastructure object z-mole offshore, save the mission "moletest" or something, and go fly it.

Mission Builder gives a whole new dimension to CFS2.

Regards,

B24Guy

[Ravenna]

Finally found a good picture of the lock system in the Zeebrugge- Bruges canal. With some artistic licence this might be "do-able". It might take a small slab of concrete with a recess for the lock gate.

[Ravenna]

Anyone be interested in this little project?

[Rami]

Michael,

What this infrastructure still in place during WWII?

[hertzie]

Hi B24Guy,

OK, I'll look in the "dungeons" of my CFS2, there must be somewhere instruction files of how to build a mission. But as I read Ravenna's explanation, I should expect all kind of scenery. But I'll keep you informed.

hertzie

[UncleTgt]

Michael,

What this infrastructure still in place during WWII?

Andrew,

The Mole certainly was, I would guess the rest was largely unchanged as well...

https://www.portofzeebrugge.be/en/po...tory/1895-1951
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=188334

[kdriver]

Hi Chaps,

Here are some files to satisfy your curiosity.

The Flanders Coast files can be left as a separate layer or combined with your WW1 western front roads files if you have them. If you have Sander's EurW scenery, this layer must be above those layers if adding it via the Scenery Library. If you add it via the scenery.cfg file, then it will below the EurW layers when looking down the list. This folder also contains a couple of files which fix missing sections of the Yser River at Nieuwpoort.

The Zeebrugge AFD and flatten files can go in the same folder as your other WW1 or Belgian airfields.

The Zeebrugge GSL and Layout files can go in your respective CFS2 GSL and Layouts folders. These files only contain the mole. Michael (Ravenna) is in the process of adding the rest of the infrastructure.

This scenery can also be used in WW2. The major reclamation of the coast at Zeebrugge didn't occur until after the war. This scenery won't affect Rami's Ostend GSL scenery (if you have it).

Have fun,

Kevin

[Rami]

Kevin,

What part of the Flanders coast does this cover? Dunkirk? Ostend? Or just this localized area?

[kdriver]

Andrew,

Just Zeebrugge and Nieuwpoort. Ostend is located in between but is not affected.

Kevin

[Rami]

Kevin,

Great work! Any chance you could build an airfield or two in that area? I could do a little enhancing of the GSL. It would be a perfect fit for the Belgian campaign!

[kdriver]

Andrew,

I've actually started work on the WW1 German bomber airfields of Nieuwmunster, Gontrode and Sint Denijs-Westrem, the last of which was in use in WW2. I also made a flatten file for the CFS1 version of Koksijde. This airfield could be easily updated to GSL.

One other thing I should have mentioned. I used Ground2K to modify the terrain. This program uses different river and road textures to Sander's EurW scenery. In order to have all your rivers and roads looking the same, choose your preferred textures, make two copies of each and name the river ones vriversu.bmp & vriversu3.bmp, and the road ones vroadssu.bmp & varoadsu.bmp. I don't think any of the European river textures look that realistic. If anyone comes up with a good one, I would appreciate it. There is a problem in Holland and Belgium where there are many straight canals. Using winding river textures doesn't work for these.

Kevin

[Ravenna]

Andrew,

I've collected a small library on the area for both World Wars. The book I've just bought on the Zeebrugge Naval Air Station No.1 makes passing reference to the alteration of the lock system after the First World War. The lock you are looking at (above) was refurbished, the machinery replaced and the sliding lock gate replaced with one made of reinforced concrete on steel runners. It was used until after the Second World War. During the 1930s another lock further down the canal, past the inner port was completely replaced because the retreating German Marines destroyed it in 1918. I haven't been able to find out what the new lock looked like, but I am assuming it was much like the other locks in the area.

Kevin has also opened the mouth of the Yser river and made the canal branching at Nieuwpoort called the Ganspoort (sp?). A new lock object would fit nicely into all these positions. I've tested the canals for fit with armed trawlers and Stuart's U9 submarine and they look like photos of the real thing.

The photo of the submarine shelter on the mole is the only photographic evidence I have of the shelter's design. It looks a lot like our small hangar_a. I have a text reference to shelters being built dockside in the inner harbour so i have placed two hangars to simulate one sub shelter. They fit well and do cover a U9 sub. On the mole the shelters need to be raised. At present they sit in rather than on the mole.

Scott, any interest in doing a "raised" hangar_a and one of Xavier's wooden hangars?

Essentially, apart from some new airfields and rebuilt roads and bridges and other repaired infrastructure, the area looked much the same in 1940 as it had during 1918. The important difference was the development of the inner port and the expansion of the ship basin. I can't find any photographic evidence of heavy industry or large factories near Zeebrugge.

Airfields varied over the course of the years 1915 to 1918. There was an airfield close to the mole but I haven't been able to find its location. There is a website called Forgotten Airfields with a section on Belgian airfields. My go to references for Flanders airfields is "Airfields and Airmen of the Channel Coast" by Mike O'Connor and "Above Ypres- The German Air Force in Flanders 1914-1918" by Deneckere.

As well as the airfield Kevin is making at Nieuwmunster those books show a large base for bombers (the England Squadron) at Gontrode and a base at Varssenaere which was near Oostende. The last one was used as a temporary forward base by the Luftwaffe in 1940.

Ravenna.

[hertzie]

Hi B24Guy,

In the dungeons I did find a tutorial for building CFS2 missions. The first I had to do is to start the CFS2 Mission Builder. I have 4 versions of CFS2 running, none of them will start the mission builder. I get the opening screen and then an error message. So now I know again why I ever stopped doing this, for as always CFS2 gives error messages by QC, Missions or Campaings. The only thing you can do with it is flying in free flight, the rest only gives frustrations. Fortunately there is FS9. But if you have fun with it, go ahead, wish you lots of succes.

hertzie

[hertzie]

Hi kdriver,

Thanks for your files. Looks nice so far. I put in the scenery above Eurw, but is it right that it's still not landable?

Regards,

hertzie.

[Allen]

If some one can get me the in game lat and long for the mole I should be able to place it by use of the FS02 .bgl settings or maybe by API. This would let the mole be placed at all times (line in Free Flight) but it would NOT be able to be landed on.

That I have no idea how to do...

[Robert John]

If some one can get me the in game lat and long for the mole I should be able to place it by use of the FS02 .bgl settings or maybe by API. This would let the mole be placed at all times (line in Free Flight) but it would NOT be able to be landed on.

That I have no idea how to do...

You can use Airportforwindows and create a landable surface.

RJ

[kdriver]

Hi kdriver,

Thanks for your files. Looks nice so far. I put in the scenery above Eurw, but is it right that it's still not landable?

Regards,

hertzie.

Hi hertzie,

The AFD file puts you in the water adjacent to the section of the mole where the seaplane hangars were located. Take offs and landings were carried out on the water by seaplanes only.

At this stage if you want to drive along the mole you will end up in the drink.

Cheers,

Kevin

[kdriver]

Hi Allen & Robert,

Would it then be possible to place objects on top of the mole?

Allen, the coordinates for the mole are contained in the layout file which I posted above earlier today.

Kevin

[Rami]

Just taking inventory for a .lay file and had a look at some photographs from the Bundesarchive and the Imperial War Museum. Does anyone know of a small diesel locomotive which can be used in CFS2? Flat bed rolling stock would be also be useful, but I'm not wanting to put the cart before the proverbial horse.

Thanks,

Ravenna

Michael,

Wolfi's steam engine has a good flat rail car if you need it...

[Rami]

Allen, some of Wolfi's infrastructure is usable on piers and docks. Would you like to post what you have already so that we can place objects on the mole.

Ravenna,

I have a raised metal warehouse from Wolfi if you need it, Robert John built it for me a few years back. Just let me know, thanks!

[Rami]

Put some infrastructure on the deck. No particular arrangement, just to see what would sit correctly to simulate the building/structure types present during 1914-1918.

Quite a few buildings look good. Xavier's pier warehouse, hangar type b, small, several of Cees Donker's small buildings, cranes a and b, the generic lighthouse and two of Xavier's hangars.all sit well. The mole as I placed it is connected to the land via Xavier's wooden piers and one of his concrete piers, all lining up well. The only downside is the placement of naval guns, which should sit along the seawall closer to the lighthouse. At the moment the AF guns are able to sit in the mole deck i.e. slightly sunken. To point out to sea they would need to be worked on, or the seawall would need some gaps/gun ports to allow them to face the right way.

Great work Allan. Many thanks!

Ravenna, Allen, The B24 Guy et al,

This looks outstanding, great job!

[Rami]

Hi B24Guy,

Either the 140mm or 150mm IJN gun with shield would be good.

Thanks,

Ravenna

Michael,

Just make sure the guns are in the layout but not the GSL file. If guns, ships, or vehicles are in the GSL file, they will not fire.

[Rami]

Michael and Kevin,

I am severely torn on this. I love the eye candy, but I'd only be using this for one, perhaps two missions. One mission involves He-111s on 10 May...

0630 Knokke-Zoute bombed by He-111s of KG 54.


...and on 27 May...

Patrolling inland from Ostend 56 Sqn intercepted ten He111s of KG54 on their way to attack Zeebrugge and Nieuport harbour installations. The Hurricanes claimed three: 1 destroyed and two probable. All the bombers returned but three a/c had to be written off and another was repairable. Two of the fighters were lost but both pilots survived.

I am not asking some of the airfields in Belgium to be built for this reason; they are frequently only raided once, so I decided to use substitutes in the closest available location to avoid more work for others.

Schaffen: Asch
Nivelles: Chievres
Belsele: Maledgem
Knokke-Zoute: Ursel
Brussels-Evere: Melsbroeck
Neerhespen: Brustem
Goetsenhoven: Beauvechain.

Do you guys think it's worth it to include this scenery?