Hypothetical Thread: 2

Right, read the other one first, then this one.

You are on a tank/car busting mission, IL-2's with Rockets or bombs....

you and three squadies are in Il-2's with big canons 500 m alt, armed up, and you are about 5 km from the target which you have never seen before. You are in a valley, and can see very very high up small specs and you have no idea if its 109's 190's 110's or friendlys.

The objective is PROBABLY over the brow of the next hill, but chrsit knows where.

The radio crackles to life and the escort Yak9's above you sat they see a pair of 109's at only about 2000 metres circling the objective.

What do you and your 2 wing men do?

Let the escort worry about the 109's for now, that's their job, yours is to find the target and hit it as quickly as possible. Trust your navigation. If you've done it right the target WILL be over the brow of the next hill. If you are on the deck you will need to gain a little height, say to about 500m, before hitting the target (unless you're using cassettes, when it doesn't really matter that much).

As the enemy is the area just make one or at most two passes on the target (as soon as you open up with your guns - everyone in the immediate vicinity will spot you), dumping as much ordnance on it you can, then establish an escape plan while the 109s are still engaged with the Yak9s. This is usually the fastest lowest route back to friendly territory (which might not neccessarily be back toward the base you took off from). In some cases you may even want to consider returning to a base you didn't take off from (either because it's closer, or because the return journey will be safer).

YEAH, BUT GATHER THE IL-2 TOGETHER.

Make sure you have 3 IL-2 running abreast of each other, or in a triangle, really tight. Deckard showed me this, as did Tumble. The rear gunners can concentrate their firepower if you get bounced....and from 2000 metres it is likely that you WILL get bounced...

those Yak9 are to high to drop to these 109's,,,,you MIGHT even need to turn fight with them....do you forsake an Il2 , get it to dropits ordnance NOW and climb to drag the 109's into a low levelfight?

Yes - definitely tight, I sort of take that as read for IL2 missions. One of the things I like about flying with BOA on attack is they always make sure things are tight, throttling right back until there is a good formation, never strung out. I personally prefer side by side pairs, as this makes it easy to reform into a line astern for the attack run and is usually easier to sort out to begin with - lacks the defensive cloat of the others though.

One tactic to use is like the old settlers verses indians fight, when they put the wagons in a circle. You form the IL2s so that they are circling, that way everyone has their nose and tail covered either by the pilot operated guns, or the tailgunner. It's a last resort tactic, but it makes it tough for a 109 or whatever to get onto your six. It's rare you can get enough make this work though, usually someone will panic and break.

So, the Yaks are too high. Hit the target first then turn fight if you have to, but a good 109 pilot won't turn fight with you. If you try to turn fight before you reach the target the likelihood is you will NEVER reach the target - which is the intention of the intercepters. Yes, sacrifice a plane and pilot if need be - the tailender is probably going to get it anyway (that's why I never get in the tailender planes if I get a choice)!

tail end Charlie gets owned ;)

Ironically the AAA tend to get the FIRST plane don't they, they get target fixated, so the middle pilots are normally safest.

i always like to go 2nd :) I stand a chance of hitting something + plus I hopefully get ignored by the nasties

also if the navigation is all mucked up, it ain't my fault guv ;)