What does "fighter attack" button do?

[DTomato]

I'm sure I missed it in the manual, but what does the "fighter attack: off" button do in the mission planning screen?

[Hard Sarge]

you can plot fighters to do the bombing

in the old game, fighters carried bombs and drop tanks, we made it so it is one of the other (with in reason)

so, say the 12th, or the IXth fighters, you want to bomb something you can turn on fighter attack, and you will be able to pick fighters, instead of bombers

(FB are seen as bombers)

just, make sure the fighter types you pick are set to carry bombs, most of the US planes can carry one or the other, the VIIIth is set up to have drop tanks, the IXth is set up to carry bombs

now, you can send out the 56th FG to bomb something, but if it has drop tanks, it is not going to do anything when it gets there

(one hassle is, upgrades, if you start with 75 Gal tanks, you will over time upgrade to larger and larger Drop tanks, when you switch load out, the upgrades start over again, so, really, you want to keep your escorts as escorts and your fighters from the IXth as your FBs)

hope that makes sense