50 Mission Crush

Name

The term "50 Mission Crush" refers to a specific style of military cap. Standard service caps originally contained stiffeners, including a wire around the top edge and a support behind the insignia, to keep their proper shape. Pilots, however, found that wearing headsets over these caps was uncomfortable, so they removed the wire. This caused the cap's sides to collapse into a floppy, crushed appearance. Over time, the cap permanently held this look, which became a mark of an experienced pilot, as iconic as a leather flight jacket. Army Air Forces regulations allowed this modified wear, even though ground Army officers disapproved. Because most AAF generals also wore crushed caps, the ground Army could not enforce a ban. In today's United States Air Force, the 50 Mission cap is no longer permitted, as headsets are no longer worn over headgear.

Reception

A 1985 review in Antic praised 50 Mission Crush for its detailed combat simulation, ease of use, and quick gameplay, but took issue with its very simple graphics, slow speed, and heavy reliance on random events over player skill. The game’s realism left a strong impression on a former American B-24 bombardier who served with the Fifteenth Air Force. In a 1987 piece for Computer Gaming World, he described how the game brought back memories of his World War II experiences, writing that it included bomb load, ammo load, gas load, route out, fighter escort, flak at the target, cloud coverage, bombing accuracy, battle damage, fuel and ammo conservation, route back, more fighter encounters, and the final question of whether there was enough fuel to make it across the pond.

He noted he was constantly faced with decisions. That same bombardier, who had been shot down during his real 50th mission, was killed in action on his seventh simulated mission. Another writer for the magazine gave the game two out of five points that year, calling it realistic but dull, with little room for player abilities. A 1993 survey of wargames in the same magazine awarded it one-plus stars out of five.