FS2004 "Spot The Bismarck"  by Dave Oston. May 2007
---------------------------------------------

Origional Concept: Adrian Wainer
Created using Afcad2, ScenegenX, RWY12 and Abacus EZ Scenery.
Includes AI Traffic.

Re-create history as Flying Officer Dennis Briggs on his now famous training flight under the instruction of Ensign Leonard B. Smith, USNR (US Naval Reserve) flying from Castle Archdale on Lough Erne, Fermanagh, N.I, in the newly aquired lend-lease Catalina Mk1 from the U.S., who spotted the German Battleship Bismarck some 300 miles off the French coast making her way to Brest, until she was eventually sunk by HMS Rodney and HMS King George V. on May 27st 1941.


An exerpt from OPERATION RHEINÜBUNG By José M. Rico

Quote

The Bismarck is Located. 

In the morning of 26 May, as the Bismarck was approaching the French coast, the crew was ordered to repaint the top of the main and secondary turrets yellow. Hard job considering the state of the seas, nevertheless it was carried out although the yellow paint washed off at least once. 

A few hours earlier, at 0300, two Coastal Command Catalina flying boats had taken off from Lough Erne in Northern Ireland on a reconnaissance mission in search for the Bismarck. At about 1010, Catalina Z of 209 Squadron commanded by Dennis Briggs sighted the German battleship that immediately answered with very accurate anti-aircraft fire.5 The Catalina jettisoned her four depth charges and took evasive action after her hull was holed by shrapnel. Then reported: "One battleship, bearing 240º, distance 5 miles, course 150º. My position 49º 33' North, 21º 47' West. Time of transmission 1030/26." After more than 31 hours since the contact was broken, the Bismarck had been located again. Unfortunately for the British, however, Admiral Tovey's ships were too far away from the German battleship. The King George V was 135 miles to the north, and the Rodney (with a top speed of 21 knots) was 125 miles to the northeast. They would never catch up with the Bismarck unless her speed could be seriously reduced. 
UnQuote 

www.kbismarck.com/operheini.html

also

Quote
Dawn saw Coastal Command renew the aerial search with vigor. At 0835 Ark Royal joined the effort by launching 10 Swordfish to search the western semicircle, covering the 180o arc from south-southwest through north-northeast. At half past ten that morning, Pilot Officer Dennis A. Briggs, RAF, (carrying Ensign Leonard B. “Tuck” Smith, USN as co-pilot) flying Catalina Z of 209 Squadron from Lough Erne, Ireland, on the southernmost of the Bay patrols, sighted Bismarck. Although Bismarck immediately engaged the stranger with heavy and accurate fire, the Catalina was able to get off a fairly accurate sighting report before losing the battleship in the weather. His position report placed Bismarck 690 miles to the west-northwest of Brest and gave the pursuers less than 24 hours in which to intercept, after which she would reach the friendly umbrella of protection afforded by the Luftwaffe, and ultimately the sanctuary of port. Admiral Tovey’s only hope was to slow her down with yet another air strike, and the only carrier within striking distance was HMS Ark Royal coming up from the south. 
Unquote

www.kbismarck.com/article2.html

And

REPORT OF THE SCOUTING AND SEARCH FOR BISMARCK BY
ENSIGN SMITH

ISSUED BY THE INTELLIGENCE DIVISION
OFFICE OF CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATION 
NAVY DEPARTMENT 

INTELLIGENCE REPORT 
Serial 1066 Monograph Index Guide No. 1005-600 
From: Naval Attache at London, England Date: 9 June, 1941 
Source: Personal Observation & Experience Evaluation: Reliable 

Subject GREAT BRITAIN AVIATION Scouting & Search by PBY-5. 

www.kbismarck.com/arch...eport.html

Other sites of Interest:

Captain Leonard B. Tuck Smith USN (RTD) Obituary:
http://www.sanjuanislander.com/records/obits/tuck-smith.shtml

http://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/history/bisdiscovered.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately I can't seem to find a freeware flyable or AI Mk1 PBY5 of the era so have had to make do with a PBY5a with RAF textures. Alphasim do have a real nice PBY5 and 5a.
I did however find a very good FS98 PBY5 which strangely enough happens to be the very same aircraft which spotted the Bismarck, W8406 of 209Sqn RAF, which I've used as a static model, the aircraft being portrayed in it's moored state.

Installation
------------------

Unzip this archive to a temporary folder. Move the Castle Archdale folder to your FS9\addon scenery folder.
Copy the Aircraft folder to your FS9/aircraft folder.
Copy the files in the Saved Flights folder to your c:My Documents/Flight Silulator Files folder.
You will need to download and install Mike Stone's SPBY5a.zip, RAFCT.zip ( RAF Textures for SPBY5a ) and BRBLDv1.zip ( British Airfield Buildings v1 ) from www.flightsim.com.
You will also need to have the RWY12 LIbraries  from the "Must Have Files" section of www.flightsim
Go to your FS2004 scenery library from within FS9 and add the new area. Exit and restart the simulator.
Go to Select A Flight and choose My Saved Flights. Select "Spot the Bismarck" from the bottom menu. 

Acknowledgements
-------------------------------
A big thankyou to Adrain Wainer for his extensive research, and beta testing, Fled for his beta testing & all at Com-Central.net for their encouragement.
Thanks to:
Mike Stone for his fantastic PBYs, enjoy your retirement Mike.
Robert A. Baum for the AI PBY.
Harry Follas and Brian Horsey for their static Catalina MK1 (PBY-5) W8406 OF 209 SQN RAF, 1941 
Daniel Hamblin and Gary Burns for their authentic world war two buildings.
Ralf-J. Triebel for his CFS buildings.
Henry William (Odd Henry Spjøtvold) for his RAF textures
Finally Rick Davis for his awesome Bismarck model
If I've left anyone out please forgive me.


Legal
---------
Copyright 2007 Dave Oston. E-mail: hitchshar@aol.com
This add-on is freeware and must remain so. Do not attempt to make any money from it. You can alter things as you see fit but please give acknowledgement to the authors of any custom files you use if you intend to upload it.
I do not accept responsibility if things go wrong after installing this add-on, you do so at your own risk.
Any Problems please e-mail.
Have fun!