Results of strafing attacks

[mgoldstein]

I'm a hopeless strafing fanboy looking to collect anecdotal evidence about the results of strafing attacks in your AE games, or any historical stories you'd like to share.

I've seen two occasions where ships were sunk by strafing attacks. In both instances the victims were merchant ships carrying fuel. The strafing hits set the fuel cargo burning and the fire sunk the ship. The first attack was executed by B-25 attack bombers, the second by P-47s.

On the receiving end, the Japanese AI strafed one of my Allied AKLs with Ki-45 fighter-bombers, scoring a single hit with a 37mm gun that caused about 3% system damage.

Anyone else have any strafing attack tales to tell?

-Marc

[Cavalry Corp]

I agree straffing could suppress all the little MG flak guns ( and I think US planes actaully did that ) but these guns are pretty in effective anyway according to most people. However I do not think flak supression is in the game. Considering the rate of fire of a FB I suppose it could be argued that these planes could knock out these kind of exposed guns fairly easily.

I agree straffing could obtain critical hits on fuel carrying ships of all times and set fuel alight.

But a single hit from a 37mm cannon on an AKL is not really going to do very much is it? 3 sys sound about right.

In my games ships like barges and small craft do get sunk by straffing if the pilot skill level is high.

I think the problem you have is the skill level is probably low.

[Barb]

Effects of the strafing attacks should be reserved in majority to:
Damaging or destroying planes on ground
Damaging or destroying AFVs or Motorized Support in units
Damaging or destroying Barges, small Landing Crafts and PT/MTBs
Suppressing AA fire around airfields, on ships (some of the B-25s were able to put 14x0.5in forward - 8 in the nose, 4 in blisters and 2 from top turret - you really don't want to be in an open light AA mount when they open fire!)

Only planes with 50mm or 75mm gun mounted forward (Ki-102 or some B-25G/J/H) shouls be able to damage or sink some of larger ships (up to DD).

Planes carrying bombs are a bit different matter.

Real life exapmle:
3rd BG (in SWPAC) used to send 6 A-20 strafers daily or nightly to hunt japanese barges around New Guinea coast. They ususally flew in pairs - one providing covering fire - suppressing flak, while the other made bombing run. They usually had bomb-bay drop tanks, so their bomb load was something like 2x500lb or 4x250lb for barge hunting or number of 16lb parafrags for airfiled missions.

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: cavalry

I agree straffing could suppress all the little MG flak guns ( and I think US planes actaully did that ) but these guns are pretty in effective anyway according to most people. However I do not think flak supression is in the game. Considering the rate of fire of a FB I suppose it could be argued that these planes could knock out these kind of exposed guns fairly easily.

I agree straffing could obtain critical hits on fuel carrying ships of all times and set fuel alight.

But a single hit from a 37mm cannon on an AKL is not really going to do very much is it? 3 sys sound about right.

In my games ships like barges and small craft do get sunk by straffing if the pilot skill level is high.

I think the problem you have is the skill level is probably low.

flak supression is in the game, even shown in the replay. If it got any effect, no idea.

[CT Grognard]

I believe the developers have confirmed that flak suppression is part of the game.

In fact, for attack bombers, the game models them attacking in pairs - one strafing, to suppress AAA, and the second making the bombing run.

[Cavalry Corp]

ORIGINAL: castor troy

ORIGINAL: cavalry

I agree straffing could suppress all the little MG flak guns ( and I think US planes actaully did that ) but these guns are pretty in effective anyway according to most people. However I do not think flak supression is in the game. Considering the rate of fire of a FB I suppose it could be argued that these planes could knock out these kind of exposed guns fairly easily.

I agree straffing could obtain critical hits on fuel carrying ships of all times and set fuel alight.

But a single hit from a 37mm cannon on an AKL is not really going to do very much is it? 3 sys sound about right.

In my games ships like barges and small craft do get sunk by straffing if the pilot skill level is high.

I think the problem you have is the skill level is probably low.

flak supression is in the game, even shown in the replay. If it got any effect, no idea.

OK excellent - will be trying it out...

[dr.hal]

IMHO I think the whole issue of strafing in the game goes down well. In my experience I use it a lot to hit ground troop and when they are out in open terrain and NOT in combat mode, WATCH OUT! Damage can be done even only with 30 cal equipped A/C. When going up against ships, I've seen A/C such as the P-39 do some damage on BB (albeit superficial!). Against a merchant such strikes can be deadly as well, even 50 cal hits cause some hurt. However the cargo is a huge factor. A merchant ship without cargo is analogous to a huge empty container with a few vital parts. Hitting those parts is difficult at best and hitting the rest of the "container" does no lasting harm and usually provides the crew with nothing more than home made air conditioning.

[Yaab]

When strafing ground units, does the game code prioritise motorised support and support units? I have read many accounts of US strafing attack in China and many of them were centered around soft-skin vehicles. I would guess it is easier to hit vehicles and carts in marching columns than soldiers who disperse at the first sight of enemy aircraft.

[pharmy]

Against tiny craft - LC, HDMLs,MLs etc.. I find sweep 100 feet by fighters as the only way to hit them

[Knyvet]

plz clarify - sweep an ocean hex containing the tiny craft? if they are in a port are you saying a 100' port attack? if you sweep a base that has both a port and an airbase, you will only sweep the airbase and never the port or tiny ships, correct?

[USSAmerica]

Fighters (or even better, P-39's) on Naval Attack, set to 100' altitude will strafe and tear up PT's, barges, etc.  It's not technically a "Sweep" mission.

[pharmy]

Sorry, technically it is a port or naval attack mission. I make sure drop tanks are enabled on fighters, and/or they fly at extended range at 100 feet so that they have no bombs, so by default they have to attack with their cannon