On May 24, 1936 a new and revolutionary aircraft took flight for the first time and in so doing made its way into aviation history.
The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was the answer to a call out by the Reich Avaition Ministry in 1935 for a new aircraft for the Luftwaffe capable of liaison, medical evacuation and observation missions. Despite heavy competition eventually the aircraft chosen was one built by Fieseler and it was by far the best at what is called STOL, or Short Take Off and Landing.
In flight, with its long wings and extra-long landing gear, it resembled a long-legged, big-winged bird, hence the nickname of Storch. It was a rarity among aircraft in that its wings could fold back along the fuselage, which meant it could be carried on a trailer for transport. Another oddity of this aircraft was its extra long landing gear, or legs, and the special shock absorbers on them that compressed up to eighteen inches upon landing. This feature plus its slow air speed allowed the Storch to land practically anywhere, a trait which was demonstrated to perfection in the rescue of Mussolini from Gran Sasso during World War 2. A helicopter tried but failed during the rescue attempt and then a Storch was brought in, landed safely in mountainous terrain and then was able to take off again with only 250 feet of runway, a truly remarkable feat for the time.
The Storch was used in Germany until the war’s end in 1945 and was later used by France until 1970 when it was retired; in all over 2,900 of them were built and flown.
Aces High in its new version will be introducing the Fi 156 Storch for flight sim gamers to try out as an observer or spotter plane. We are pretty excited about introducing this new aircraft to our popular combat flight simulator game; it is somewhat of a departure from the normal aircraft you find on our game but we think you will find it to be a kick to fly and quite valuable if used for reconnaissance over battlefields.
At HiTech Creations we keep changing because we are determined to remain the number one World War 2 Flight Simulator on the market. That was our goal when we started out and it remains our goal today. If you are new to Aces High try our free download and you will find out why so many gamers fly the skies of Aces High.
For our next version update we will be introducing the Fi 156 Storch, an observer plane or spotter aircraft made famous during World War 2 for its use in the raid that rescued Mussolini in Gran Sasso.
Great at short takeoffs and landings and having great all-around visibility, the Storch will have longer icon range capability than other aircraft making it valuable for battlefield recon. It will also be able to deploy smoke grenades as markers and it truly is a kick to fly.
The new versions of Aces High just keep on coming, just one more reason why Aces High remains the number one combat flight simulator on the market. Fly the skies with Aces High!
Would you like a few reasons why you should play Aces High, the number one World War 2 Flight Simulator? Feast your eyes on these reasons:
- Scenarios
- Extreme Air Racing
- King of the Hill
- Friday Squad Operations
- Snapshots
- Sunday European Campaign
- This Day in World War 2
Those are just the special events that we offer monthly to our gamers, a chance to test their skills against the best flight sim gamers in the world. Do you have what it takes to compete? There is only one way to find out: sign up today and fly the Aces High skies!
Shortly after the United States entered World War 2, both the United States and the Empire of Japan realized the importance of Alaska as a possible staging area and airfield. Japan, in fact, considered it a crucial conquest so that further air attacks could be made on the West Coast of the United States. With that in mind the Japanese Imperial Army took control of the island of Kiska in early May, 1943, and shortly after that took control of the island of Attu.
In response, the United States 7th Infantry Division made amphibious landings on Attu in an attempt to re-take the island but they immediately met heavy resistance from a well-entrenched Japanese army. Heavy naval bombardments followed but those failed to remove the Japanese so a prolonged combat situation ensued.
For nineteen days the battle continued in Arctic weather until finally, on May 29th, without hope of being rescued, Colonel Yamasaki led his remaining troops in a banzai charge. With momentum and surprise on their side the Japanese actually broke through the U.S. front line positions but they were eventually killed in terrible hand-to-hand combat and the Battle of Attu came to an end.
Final count on casualties found the United States had lost 549 soldiers with an additional 1,000 wounded while the Japanese had 2,850 men killed and 29 prisoners taken alive. By July 28, 1943 the Japanese had evacuated their garrison on the island of Kiska, ending the Aleutian Islands campaign of World War 2.
One other note about attacks on United States soil during World War II: There were several naval bombardments of Oregon and California during World War 2 but as the years go by and the better-known battles continue to receive most of the notice these little-known battles on U.S. soil are all but forgotten. The bombardments caused little damage and certainly no lives were lost (except for a couple cows during one attack) and the Japanese eventually found that these attacks were serving no purpose so they ended them.
The rarely talked about Battle of Attu is a fascinating footnote to the American effort during World War 2, and one that we at HiTech Creations always love to discuss. We wouldn’t be surprised if one day in the near future one of our Special Events focused on Attu. It is our love of history and our attention to detail regarding these battles that has made Aces High the number one combat flight simulator in the world, one that flight sim gamers rave about online. Try our World War 2 Flight Simulator and fly the skies with Aces High.
A feature that we don’t talk enough about is the Ranks and Statistics link. Go to http://www.hitechcreations.com/component/option,com_ahscore/Itemid,223/view,pilotranks/ and you can enter your ID number and find out how you rank as a pilot or as a squad. In addition there are updated statistics there that will please the most avid of gamers.
This is a great feature that lets you know how you are doing against the best flight sim gamers in the world. At HiTech Creations we know that Aces High isn’t just about the game, although we consider it to be the best combat flight simulator on the market; it is also about the dedication of staff and volunteers who go out of their way to give you the best support features you will find on any World War 2 Flight Simulator.