Hard Cover: Belkan Air Power (First Edition)

Hard Cover: Belkan Air Power (First Edition)
July 3rd, 2005

Detlef Fleisher
Detlef Fleisher was a proud ace pilot who lived up to his TAC name "Stolz". Born in the capital city of Dinsmark, he willingly went on to Shainder Academy after graduating from high school and started his career as a military officer. This is mainly because his father and brother were both members of the army. He was both good looking and intelligent. His cool and bold combat tactics quickly prompted him into the upper echelons of the military. Heinz Fleisher, Detlef's father, had always believed his skill was the result of good breeding, but he could not have been more wrong.

Graduating first on the list, Fleisher went on to the Air Force. During that time, the Belkan Air Force was on the rise to prominence in the Belkan Armed Forces due to the efforts of Lieutenant General Reinhard Dahl. He was the man responsible for inviting Fleisher to join the Air Force. To Dahl, Fleisher was the perfect poster boy - intelligent, handsome, and very skilled as a pilot. Dahl could not, however, see Fleischer's desire to live on the edge while flying. He devoted himself to his homeland and put himself in danger because he believed it was how patriotism should be expressed. General Dahl always felt a pang of regret whenever Fleisher was cleared for a dangerous mission.

Fleisher's kill record started with downing three Su-27 Flankers from the Republic of Ustio over Belkan Priority One airspace "B7R" on May 10th, 1994. His intelligence and tactics quickly earned him the title of "ace".

On May 15th, 1994, he earned the Belkan Silver Cross Award for shooting down five F-16Cs on his second sortie. The accomplishments of "The Red Swallow" became widely known across Belka. Many sources near him testified that Fleisher thought of the propaganda as "a task that no one but he could perform". Rot Squadron's accomplishments were constantly praised through propaganda by many newspapers in the early stage of the Belkan War. However, the more famous he became as an ace, the more anxious people around him became. They tried to persuade him to move to safer areas, but he refused to change his ways. Despite a quickly increasing kill score, the day finally came for the ace to go down.

On April 20th, 1995, his squadron had encountered the 66th AFU "Galm" of the Ustian Air Force's 6th Air Division. The Rot were scrambled into Area B7R when news had come in that all stationed Belkan aircraft were being shot down by two aircraft from Ustio. Despite the Rot's efforts, they were all shot down by the Galm Team. Detlef Fleisher's perfect record had finally been blemished.

Maybe something deep down inside told him that it was over. He chose to leave the skies forever. He began his career on the ground as a base commander. After the war, he was found guilty as a war criminal, but was exempted from criminal punishment. He remained in Belka, and now is a professor of history at the University of Dinsmark.

Bernhard Schmidt
Bernhard Schmidt, flight leader of Belka's Grun Squadron, was known for his "eyes of an owl". He and his men in the 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron were all misconducts from the 10th Air Division, but they were all talented pilots who contributed to the success of numerous operations in the early stages of The Belkan War. His squadron of four flew green-camouflaged Hornets.

Bernhard Schmidt's career in the sky began when he heard a heart-stirring speech on a street corner as a young man. Born in a suburban area of Sudentor, he grew up in a very "safe" environment. He seemed almost compelled break down the walls that fenced him in. In and out of bad jobs and poor money, he spent his adolescence as a rebel - until his life was changed in 1990. The Democratic Liberal Party of Belka was taking control of the House. Their message had changed Schmidt's heart forever.

Filled with a sudden sense of patriotism, Schmidt joined the Air Force. He stood out from other recruits and quickly became an ace pilot, largely due to his uncanny ability to analyze the situation in front of him. Schmidt developed a gift to analyze the sky the same way he treated the dangerous environments around him on the ground. He could look past what appeared on the HUD and look into the battle's future at any time. During his sortie on March 21st, 1994, his plane was hit, causing severe damage to the Hornet's electrical systems. Still, he managed to fight an enemy Eagle and shoot it down after much effort. One can estimate his survivability through this record.

Schmidt's story not be complete without mentioning his men in "The Grun Squadron". There were strict disciplines in the Belkan Air Force, but, on the other hand, the organization was flexible enough to allow some leniency for certain pilots. The members of Grun Squadron were earning a reputation as rule-breakers in the 10th Air Division. They were all considered bad pilots by short-sighted commanding officers, but in reality the men of Grun Squadron's top priority was survival over accomplishment. This attitude was very unique throughout the Belkan Air Force, but no one can deny that the flexibility to include something heterogeneous made the Belkan Air Force even stronger.

The Grun Squadron's combat strategy is to have no solid formation in battle. They adjust their formation according to the tide of battle. Schmidt, who survived numerous battlefields and earned brilliant kill records, kept fighting on the frontline to shoot down the planes of the Allied Forces even after he got shot down by the 66th AFU "Galm" of the Ustian Air Force over B7R.

Eventually he returned to his home town of Sudentor. His whereabouts are now unknown.

Dimitri "Blue Heron" Heinreich
Dimitri "Blue Heron" Heinreich was known as a hero on the eastern battlefront. His running kill record of 54 earned him the title of one of the best aces during the Belkan War. The Heinreich family is a descendant of a Belkan knight who performed great roles in politics and wars during the days of the Belkan dynasty. Even today, his family is busy doing business in the world of trade, making use of the relationship with the political and economic circles. The Heinreich family seemingly retired from the military, but their spirit and patriotism has surely been inherited from generation to generation. It was no surprise that Dimitri, the fourth son, decided to join the military to do what's right for Belka.

Gifted with a talent of combat flight, Dimitri Heinreich built up kill scores and became a Lieutenant Colonel in 1988. It took him only 7 years to get to that rank. The extreme right-wing Democratic Liberal Party of Belka won the most seats and took power in 1992. This year, it was rumored that a group of former Belkan aristocrats had influence on the military, but Dimitri, who would never boast of his lineage, earned the title of ace on his own. He flew the JAS-39C with the 7th Air Division 51st TFS Indigo, from the beginning through the end of the war. This was because of the plane's excellent acceleration fully met his squadron's expectation. The white wings of their planes were adorned with the emblem of "Indigo" cruciform.

On March 27th, 1995, he made a name for himself in the operation of gaining control of Model at the border of Gebet on the eastern front. His Indigo squadron shot down nine F-14Ds from Fato (believed to be the 3rd Air Division 122nd Tactical Fighter Squadron) in 5 minutes from the moment the battle started. The countries east of Belka were brought under control of Belka in just a few days. Belka's attack was so quick that Fato and Gebet had no time to establish a defense line. As a result, Belkan pilots built up as many kill scores as they wanted in those skies. It was said that there had been 20 years advantage on Belka's side considering the skills of the Air Force of the eastern countries.

In light of this, the Indigo squadron was lucky. When Dimitri was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he was also assigned to the commander of the 51st Tactical Fighter Squadron. He was doing his job pretty nicely both on the desk and in the sky.

On April 20th, 1995, his squadron was suddenly ordered to fly to Area B7R. The Indigo squadron wasn't unfamiliar with B7R. Or rather, they had flown in that airspace and shot down quite a few planes there. But the day finally came when his career as a fighter pilot came to an end.

During an engagement over The Round Table, the Indigo Squadron was engaged by the 66th AFU Galm of the Ustian Air Force. The 66th AFU had succeded in shooting down the Indigo Squadron by the end of the engagement. Having been shot down by the allied forces squadron and heavily wounded, Dimitri Heinreich was in a coma for 3 months. He came back to consciousness and found that the war was over. He had no choice but to resign the military. He is said to have his hands full with his family business.

Orbert Jager and Rainer Altman
The Gelb Squadron consisted solely of two Su-37s. Orbert Jager was the flight lead, and Rainer Altman his wingman. They were assigned intercept missions on the southern defense line known as "The Hydrian Line" as much-needed support for the troops in that area. With the help of the thrust vector nozzle unique to the Su-37, they flew and fought with unparalleled maneuvers and flawless teamwork, earning them the alias "The Mated Pair of Cormorants".

Until April of 1995, Belka was on the offensive on the southern defense line, but the powerful Allied offensive campaign launched on April 23rd drastically changed the tide of the war. The 23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron "Gelb" contributed to Belka's air and ground supremacy in the early stage of the war. A two-man formation was very unique in the Belkan Air Force in those days, but the upper echelons of the Air Force flexibly and objectively recognized them as more powerful than a conventional formation of average fighter pilots.

Compared to the eastern front, the situation was fluid on the southern front. Until the Allied Forces' offensive campaign began, the situation was relatively balanced. This could be attributed to the skill of the Gelb Squadron, but in reality, they were overused. Since the southern battlefront stretched too quickly, the logistics support became infrequent and even paralyzed in wide areas during and after the middle stage of the war. Their supply lines were spread too thin to adequately support the troops. The Gelb Squadron was stationed at Dionbill base, which was located in the southern central region of Belka. It is said that they launched for a combat sortie five times a day in order to maintain the front line. This hand-to-mouth deployment became more frequent as the tide of the war began to turn against Belka.

Even under this circumstance, Jager and Altman steadily increased their kill scores. Compared with the eastern front where many ace pilots were born, the southern frontline seemed rather nondescript, but the front could not possibly have been maintained without committed pilots like Gelb Squadron. One can never regard the southern front in the same light as the eastern front.

The time eventually had to arrive for Jager and Altman, who earned the title of ace in the course of thier tightrope sorties on the southern front, to fly as a duo for the last time. Given the order to fly to Directus and prevent the Allied Forces from liberating Ustio's capital on May 13th, 1995, they went into battle a little too late and clashed with the Ustian 6th Air Division's 66th AFU "Galm". Jager died in combat and Altman bailed out and was saved by a local family. After the battle, Altman made a living as an author in Directus, never to return to Belka.

His war novel, which he had kept writing even during his stint in the military, was published to wide acclaim. He is currently writing a sequel.

Dominic Zubov
He was the flight leader of the Schwarze Squadron. This squadron of eight was the only unit in the Belkan Air Force which took on a rear-echelon role from behind the combat airspace. They were cleared to engage their friendly craft at their own discretion if it tried to escape from battle. The other pilots fearfully and disdainfully called them "The Vultures". Dominic Zubov took part in disputes that took place in numerous areas of Yuktobania in 1980's as a mercenary. After that, he joined the Belkan Air Force on account of a great deal of salary in 1990.

Whether it is possible to mention Dominic Zubov, who was from Yuktobania, as one of the Belkan aces is a quite controversial issue. But information about him, while always fragmented and limited, claims that he is undoubtedly an ace pilot. Today, there is no official record as to when Zubov joined the Yuktobanian Air Force. It is now believed that he belonged to the 9th Air Division 112th Tactical Fighter Squadron. This squadron sustained considerable damage to turn the tide of battle in the Tyumen dispute that broke out in 1986 at the southern border area of Yuktobania, as well as in the operation to subjugate the coup d'tat forces led by the Heum Administration in the Republic of Romny in 1987. In the air battle of Dimitr, the fiercest battle in the Tyumen dispute, the squadron Zubov belonged to annihilated the opposing north-branch squadrons from the Republic of Kaluga at the cost of 80% of their planes.

Most of the pilots who survived this blood-spattered suicidal and genocidal battle soon left the military because of the mental shock. Among these men, there was only one man who remained sane. He was no other than Dominic Zubov. His career as a mercenary hired by Yuktobania was rather short in reality. After he left the Yuktobanian Air Force, he was hired by the Republic of Romny, and then by the Kingdom of Valga. In 1990 when he crossed the Ceres Ocean to join the Belkan Air Force, his odyssey finally came to an end.

The fact that there was a foreign mercenary forces unit in the Belkan purist Air Force is not well documented. The Belkan Air Force considered "efficiency" to be the most important issue. That's why the foreign mercenary unit was deployed. How to keep the troops' morale high is every military organization's problem, and Belka was no exception. The Belkan Air Force took measures to solve this and deployed a foreign mercenary unit to carry out surveillance operations from behind the combat airspace. This "surveillance” actually meant unconditional clearance to fire at fleeing aircraft.

There was strong opposition from the upper echelons of the Belkan Air Force to the Belkans being permitted to engage the Belkans, but eventually the surveillance unit was forcibly established. Hereby one can see that Belka could not keep up with the situation changing rapidly. The 13th Night Fighter Air Division was called a Special Forces unit, and carried out numerous secret missions that were never officially recorded. This was because the upper echelons of the Belkan Air Force wished to keep them from being revealed. When Zubov joined the 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 13th Night Fighter Air Division, Belka was in the process of improving the Air Force, and he partly contributed to this.

Dominic Zubov is often told from the mysterious side of his career, but he is also known as a steady fighter pilot. He flew the MiG-31, and made most of its acceleration to fulfill the mission objectives mercilessly. His flight record was of no brilliance, and people called him "Vulture" for fear of him, but also with a despicable tone against him. However, there is no doubt that he would have become a top ace in the Belkan Air Force if he had not been on secret missions. After all, he had survived numerous desperate battles.

During an assignment on May 28th, 1995, the Schwarze Squadron was in pursuit of a Belkan defector. This pilot's name was Wolfgang Buchner, a top ace of the Belkan Air Force and was attempting to lose the Schwarze Squadron by passing through a large air battle, occuring in Air Space B7R. Within the confusion the Schwarze Squadron lost the escaping aircraft due to the prescence of the 66th AFU Galm of the Ustian 6th Air Division. The Schwarze Squadron was shot down during Operation Battle Axe.

Zubov fled after the war so to avoid prosecution as a war criminal. His whereabouts had been unknown since then, but the OBC documentary which was broadcast in 2005 revealed that he was still alive somewhere in Osea. It's questionable if his real name is Dominic Zubov. But he is surely alive somewhere in this world.

Erich Hillenberand
Even in the changing of political power, he never liked to belong to a specific group. He just loved to take to the skies. He had no ambition for promotion in rank. This attitude of his gave him the nickname "The eternal second lieutenant". But his men in his squadron had absolute trust in him.

The 22nd Air Division, 14th Tactical Fighter Squadron Schnee consists of four F-14Ds for long range attacks and one EA-6B for jamming the enemy radar. Their tactics is to first confuse the enemy with jamming, and shoot them down in a dogfight. When the Belkan War began, his squadron was the first to be sent to the frontline, and they inflicted considerable damage to the southern independent states forces. The silver wing tips of his plane show the pride of a man who loves battle rather than war.

Erich Hillenberand's alias "Mr. Can't Die" may be more famous than his TAC name "Phoenix". He was an extraordinary pilot who shot down 51 planes and got shot down 7 times in his career. The number of cuts and stitches on his body tells how lucky he always was. He joined the Belkan Air Force in 1980. The Air Force Academy he graduated from had the backing of numerous influential military quarters, but fortunately, he didn't belong to any of the factions. It was quite common for graduates from the academy to be backed up by the factions. Nevertheless, Hillenberand started down the road for an ace pilot on his own without any backup.

Hillenberand is known not only for his kill score, but also for coming back alive from many fierce battles. Just because he was shot down several times doesn't mean that he didn't have what it takes. After all, he shot down more than 50 planes. This is equal to the kill score of Dimitri Heinreich who marked the most kills in the Belkan Air Force after 1970. His affection for the sky was never overcome by the experience of getting shot down. There is an interesting episode about him. When he got shot down and heavily wounded, he refused to be sent to a hospital far away. He always wished to be sent to a hospital that's nearest his base. He always fought on the frontline, and he had many opportunities to get promoted. Still, he always chose to pilot a fighter aircraft. For him, to live was to fly.

Right after the beginning of the Belkan War, he was assigned to Curado airbase as he wanted to. The 22nd Air Division was led by Lieutenant General Rahner Mainz (who was also a former ace pilot too), and was known as a highly skilled division. The 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron led by Hillenberand achieved great results in March and April on the southeastern battlefront pressing toward Ustio. Especially in an aerial combat with Ustio fighters (believed to be two squadrons from the 4th Air Division) above Monte Rosa on March 30th, Hillenberand shot down 6 planes and made a name for himself.

During the Belkan War that lasted for 3 months, he kept shooting down enemy planes. On the other hand, he was also shot down three times during the war. During Operation Battle Axe, the Schnee Squadron was sent to quell the chaos and destroy the allied forces aircraft. While they were engaged the Schnee Squadron was engaged by the 66th AFU Galm of the Ustian 6th Air Division and shot down.

No matter how many times he got shot down, he kept coming back to the sky, and finally survived the Belkan War. He was exempted from war crimes thanks to his indifference to promotion. He left the military afterwards. He currently works as a flight instructor for civilian pilots.

Dietrich "Boss" Kellerman
He joined the Belkan Air Force back in 1973. He could pull combat maneuvers beyond his plane's performance and that made him a top ace. He let his flying speak on his behalf and was nicknamed "Silver Eagle". In 1990, he resigns as a squadron leader. He remained in the military as a flight instructor for the Belkan Air Force academy, and trained young pilots. In 1995, in the middle of the Belkan War, the Air Force decided to send Kellerman to the frontline to boost the troops' morale, with young elite pilots from the Belkan Air Force academy's 9th Special Education Course called "Kellerman Seminar".

All those who have ever learned war history should have been interested in the outstanding accomplishments of the Silber Squadron. Without Kellerman's skills, character and presence as an ace, the Silber Squadron would not have been able to earn such respect and fame. The history of the legendary Belkan Air Force would not be without them. In 1973 when Kellerman joined the military, Belka, still not a federation, was promoting expansionism as well as regrouping the Air Force. The time soon came for him to stick out from the rest. Back then, Belka was annexing the eastern countries while fighting several disputes for self-determination of peoples near the border. He was a member of the 51st Air Division 105th Tactical Fighter Squadron, which they later called The First Season Silber Squadron.

The First Season Silber Squadron made a name in Recta War. The Rectan Air Force, although fewer in number, was very highly skilled. At first, the Belkan Air Force was being pushed back. It was the Silber Squadron that turned the tables. Once deployed, they quickly reclaimed air superiority over Mt. Mainz. Thanks to this, the Belkan army platoons could advance to Calle City where Rectan Liberation Front encamped. What was behind the success of the Silber Squadron was Kellerman's precise orders. His orders always helped destroy the target, and kept the squadron from heading into trouble. And in the air engagement with the unidentified aircraft over the offshore area of the Crescence Islands in 1985 (Ware Incident), the Silber Squadron, stationed in the northern region at that time, scrambled and shot down all the bogies.

Earring the title of "Mainz Hero", Kellerman also earned the fame as an instructor. In 1990, he decided to retire from active service. The 105th Tactical Fighter Squadron void of Kellerman since 1990 through 1995 is called the Second Season Silber Squadron. All the pilots followed every advice of Kellerman, and they always got good results in a drill against aggressor squadrons. Major General Heinreich Land, Kellerman's superior, recommended him as a flight instructor at the Air Force academy. He devoted himself to training young cadets. But his career as an instructor did not last long. The Belkan War which started in 1995 needed him as a fighter pilot.

Losing a maintained air supremacy which Belka gained in the early stage of the war, the upper echelons of the Air Force decided to send out Kellerman for the purpose of bolstering up the troops. However, the military provided him with young pilots from the 9th Special Education Course called "Kellerman Institution" since most of the pilots of the Second Season Silber Squadron died in battle or were heavily injured. This is where the Third Season Silber Squadron - later called the squadron of tragedy - began.

On May 28th, in the major air engagement with the allied forces near the Ustio-Belkan border in airspace B7R, the Round Table; the Third Season Silber Squadron was sent to B7R as the centerpiece of the Belkan reinforcements sent into the Round Table. The moral of the remaining Belkan Aircraft boosted when the Silber Squadron appeared on the battlefield, even though the frontline was falling back. The Silber Squadron engaged the 66th AFU Galm Team of the Ustian Air Force's 6th Air Division in hopes of breaking the allied force's back bone, but all of them were shot down, and died but Kellerman.

Shortly after, the Belkan War came to an end. Kellerman was once found guilty in a court, but the sentence was light. Osea was behind this with the intent of recruiting him to the Osean Air Force as an instructor. But he turned it down. He then renounced the world and lived in countryside.

SOURCES:
PROJET ACES OFFICIAL ACZ WEBSITE

ACCREDITATION:
Yellow 26 for inital translations of these biographies.