So, I took a free flight on the Moscow map, which is currently not avalable for MP air battles (however, the Volokolamsk map for combined battles is basically the same map, but the combat area is pretty far from Moscow city), only for single & coop missions (and training mode), and headed to Moscow itself, to see how the Snails recreated my city of winter 1941/42, the time of Battle of Moscow.
Heading to the center. Flying along the Moskvoretskaya Embarkment. Approaching Kremlin.
Polikarpov I-153 over Moscow by
RageRacer48, on Flickr
When I first got close to Kremlin, I thought: "What the... What's with these textures?"
Moscow Kremlin and Red Square in 1941 by
RageRacer48, on Flickr
Moscow Kremlin and Red Square in 1941 by
RageRacer48, on Flickr
But then, I remembered. The fortress and other historic buildings (including the Saint Basil's Cathedral) were painted to blend in with civilian houses and confuse the Luftwaffe pilots who bombed Moscow occasionally, bright attachments like ruby stars or gold crosses were removed or covered, and roofs were camoflaged.
Polikarpov I-153 over Moscow by
RageRacer48, on Flickr
Polikarpov I-153 over Red Square by
RageRacer48, on Flickr
^The Red Square was partially covered with false houses so it didn't look like a square anymore. The Mausoleum is covered, too.
(In
First Squad anime movie, which also takes place in WWII Moscow, they failed to depict all of this
)
Polikarpov I-153 over Moscow by
RageRacer48, on Flickr
^The State Historical Museum is visible here (if you know where to look, haha). It also can be seen that many houses have their windows stuck with paper tape, like I've read it was in reality.
So, I decided to cosplay Mathias Rust and land on the Red Square. (First time didn't go well
)
I-153 on Vasilyevskiy Spusk square by
RageRacer48, on Flickr
I-153 on the Red Square by
RageRacer48, on Flickr
Saint Basil's Cathedral by
RageRacer48, on Flickr
I could also fly some more and try to find some other historic sights around the city (or even my university - it was built in 1903 so it should be there), but that would probably take a lot of time.
Instead, I flew northwest and found the Moscow River where it flows close to the district where I live. However, my district wasn't yet built in 1941 so I found a small village and forest on the rest of its place.
Polikarpov I-153 "Chaika" by
RageRacer48, on Flickr
^These fighters are flying just over the place of the game show I'll go tomorrow to (Krasnogorsk area).
Well, Gaijin did a nice job anyway. (Too bad we can't see it in MP.) Let's see what they show tomorrow...