THE NEU LUFTWAFFE'S NEW FIGHTER

[NARSES2]

By the time the Paris Peace Conference convened in 1919 the world had moved on considerably from that of November 1918. The Soviet's had easily managed to crush the White counter-revolution through a combination of military victories and "leniant" political moves. The Bolsheviks and Mensheviks had managed to work together during this critical phase and by the use of moderation in their demand's for Marxism had managed to hold the country together. The West had managed small gains in the far north (Murmansk) soon to be given up and the far east where the Czech Legion had held large parts of the Trans-Siberian railway until relieved by Japnaese forces who still held garrisons in the area. A plan to move into the Crimea had had to be abandoned when the French and British had got involved in the Greco/Turkish war in an attempt to stop the complete humiliation of Greece.

With this threat in the east Lloyd George had managed to persuade "Tiger" Clemenseau to be more leniant with the terms of the Peace Treaty then he otherwise would have been. Although still hard the terms were not harsh or particularly punative. Germany became a constitutional monarchy under the Kaiser's 13 year old grandson William. There was a considerable reduction in the size of the armed forces and Germany had to surrender all of it's U Boats and aircraft, this having been deemed offensive weapons rather then defensive.

During the next few years Germany's diligent approach to it's new obligations, it's thriving democracy and the growing threat of the "Red Menace" poised on the Vistula persuaded the French in particular that Germany might well become a useful bulwark in the western alliance against the Bolsheviks who had long since shed their "moderate" policies. By the Treaty of Duisberg of 1927 Germany was able to start re-building it's armed forces including it's navy and airforce although there was still a limit on weapon's deemed to be "offensive" in nature. These limits were not relaxed until the Treaty of Sedan in 1935.

The New Luftwaffe - The Royal German Airforce" - was formed in April 1928 mainly from ex Imperial AF pilots under French guidance and in the main using French equipment. Their first fighter was the Nieuport-Delage NID -662 pictured here.

[NARSES2]

One of the first units formed consisted of a large number of ex Jasta 5 pilots and one of the first things that hit these men was the resemblence between their new mounts and their old Albatrosse's. It didn't take long for the "Green Tails" to start reusing all the old heraldry that had last been seen above the field of northern France in 1918. The French accepted this as they realised that this reborn "Esprit de Corps" would enable the new units to reach operational service far more quickly.

[NARSES2]

This particular aircraft was flown by Lteutnant Max Piesporter who had downed 3 allied aircraft before wounds received had brought an early end to his war

[NARSES2]

The model is the Heller it using one of the options from the Eduard Albatross Jasta 5 double boxing. The actual markings are for an unknown pilot in 1917.

I was struck by the "similarity" between this aircraft and the Albatross, and as it fits my Cold War in the 30's scenario I thought "why not"

The back story obviously only skirts around the events - it's a lot more complicated on my PC's hard drive ! But it gives me a tangible background for re-armament accross Europe without the need for a messy war - just skirmishes and such. As such my Cold War starts in the 20's and rols on and on ------------

Final shot to show the sesqui-plane layout

Chris

[Son of Damian]

Very Cool!!! B)  

[Radish]

Brilliant!!          

[Chap]

Fantastic! Such an intersting and plausible backstory.
~Steve

[rallymodeller]

Yes! More on this backstory! What happens in another decade?

[matrixone]

Looks great!

With that big wing it looks like it could out-turn anything it would have faced in combat.

Matrixone

[Brian da Basher]

Wow Chris that's absolutely gorgeous! I really like your Cold War in the 1930's backstory. Your wonderful build really brings that story to life. That Nieuport-Delage looks so right in German markings it's scary!

All this one needs are spats.

Waaay cool, Chris! B)

Did I mention that I love spats?

Brian da Basher

[BlackOps]

Cooolnessss!

[Sisko]

Very nice there!!!!!

[NARSES2]

Yes! More on this backstory! What happens in another decade?

Rally- the Cold war runs hot and cold right through the 30/40/50/60's until the "Mainifest Event" leads to it's ending (basically means my interest in aircraft runs through to designs that were come up with pre 1960   )

There are various "incidents" which lead to a frenzy of rearmament and spurts of technological development which then sets the other side off.

The Spitzbergen Incident in the late 30's - my Belgian Fokker DXXI

The Appearance of the Soviet Carrier "Red October" in the Med in 1944 - my Spanish FW 190

The formation of the Northern Maritime League in the mid 30's - my ongoing Dutch Fokker DXXI M (Marine)

The first flypast of Soviet Jets over the Kremlin in Oct 1945 - good excuse for all those late 40's projects/prototypes.

It's basically a way of modeling the aircraft of the period without having to worry about a "Hot War" and all the crud that that entails in terms of backstory (no winers, no losers basicaly)

Thanks for the comments guys

Chris

[NARSES2]

This was my answer to Rad in the Cold War thread reagrding my Alliance system -

Subject to change at any time I deem fit

Poland is in the "western" sphere with it's eastern frontier on the "Curzon Line" which is the roughly the same as the current Eastern border, although there are some substantive differences.

The Baltics have founded a latter day "Hanseatic League" (yes I know that was a North German trading group) and have reamained independent mainly because both major alliances find it useful to have some "neutral" territory. However they are westward looking but have to be very careful of the Bear  

Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary are in the Eastern camp although they have their own squables. Yugoslavia and Albania are in the Western camp although both have issues with Italy and Greece. Czechoslovakia is fervently Western oriented but again has some unresolved issues with it's neighbours. Spain is upset because the "Northern Maritime Alliance" (Britain, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark and Norway) appears to favour Portugal over themselves - something to do with Atalntic Naval Bases in the Azores  France is heavily involved with the reconstruction of Germany as an anti-red bastion,no National Socialists in this scenario, just a good old Constitutional Monarchy, but also has issues with Italy and Spain and occaisionally with the UK on matters of colonial trade.

Sweden and Finland keep an eye on the reds whilst trying to stay neutral but the Swedes do secretly covet the Hanseatic League.

Turkey having lost it's European and Middle Eastern poscessions after WWI is trying to rebuild and see's possible expansion into Southern Russia especially the Muslim Republics. They on the other hand are happy with their bandit traditions and want to be left alone. Basically they fight themselves if nno one else is available  

Japan has turned it's attention to the Soviet far East and indeed some Japanese garrisons are still in place there after their intervention in the Russian Civil War. This leads to tensions and fighting in this part of the world. While this is going on the Japanese are not willing to get involved in any Chinese adventures and are indeed reliable allies to the Nothern Maritime Alliance in particular.

As for the USA ? After the Senate threw out the League of Nations Bill, Wilson went into a huge sulk and the rest of the US into isolationism. Providing the rest of the world adheers to the "Monroe Doctrine" and leaves China to the missionaries they can do what they want. However as things develop the US gradually moves from a "couldn't care less" stance about Europe to one of "we'd better keep an eye on that lot over there". It then finds that in it's isolationism it has fallen a fair way behind in the latest military developments and has to stuggle to catch up.

Central & S America is far to complicated to even contemplate  

So there we have it - any resemblence to a Europe of the late 17th and early 18th centuries and the Great Northern War, War of the League of Ausberg and Wars of Austrian and Spanish sucessitions are purely coincidental  

[NARSES2]

Also I think Hungary invaded a bit of Czechoslovakia in our time line. Could lead to some unfortunate border incidents between East & West?

There was a Hungary/Slovak conflict in 1938/39 after Hungary gained territory in southern Slovakia for co-operating in the dismemberment of Czecholslovakia, they also annexed Ruthenia at the same time.