How to use Wirraways

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: Yaab

But Wirraways have two accurate MGs in CL position. Why can't they be {louse) fighters?

IRL, a Wirraway shot down an Oscar over/near Lae.

Easy to recall as it was its only victory.

Also IRL, Wirraways were used to mark japanese positions for attack by better Allied aircraft such as RNZAF Corsairs on Bouganville.

In game I use them as above, Training, ASW. Especially in the opening months this allows your limited light bomber force to try and attrit the japanese onslaught,

[Reg]

ORIGINAL: JeffK

ORIGINAL: Yaab

But Wirraways have two accurate MGs in CL position. Why can't they be {louse) fighters?

IRL, a Wirraway shot down an Oscar over/near Lae.

Easy to recall as it was its only victory.

ZERO SHOT DOWN BY WIRRAWAY from MERVYN WESTON, "Argus" War Correspondent


"Strike me dead. How did he do it?" exclaimed the C-O.

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: Reg

ORIGINAL: JeffK

ORIGINAL: Yaab

But Wirraways have two accurate MGs in CL position. Why can't they be {louse) fighters?

IRL, a Wirraway shot down an Oscar over/near Lae.

Easy to recall as it was its only victory.

ZERO SHOT DOWN BY WIRRAWAY from MERVYN WESTON, "Argus" War Correspondent


"Strike me dead. How did he do it?" exclaimed the C-O.

Recent research has proved it was an Oscar, but every japanese fighter was a Zero!!

[JeffroK]

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RELAWM31891.001/

This aircraft was received at 1 Aircraft Depot, Laverton, Victoria (Vic), on 8 September 1940. Between 7 October 1940 to 15 January 1943 it served with 4 Squadron RAAF at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Camden, New South Wales (NSW), Kingaroy, Queensland (Qld), and Berry (Bomana), New Guinea. During service with 4 Squadron it flew 42 operational missions and 49 other flights.

During a land recce and artillery observation and gun spotting mission in Buna area on 26 December 1942, the crew of this aircraft, Pilot Officer (PO) J S Archer and Sergeant Coulston, saw an enemy aircraft 1000 ft below. In an extract from 4 Squadron Operations Record Book: 'PO Archer reported that being in a favourable position, he delivered a front quarter attack and fired a burst of approx. 5 secs. He reported that he observed the enemy aircraft strike the water and burst into flames. He then continued his recce and returned to Poppendetta'. Signal received from RAAF Poppendetta advised it was 'confirmed from 3 sources that PO Archer returning from tactical recce shot down a Zeke this AM'.

Australian Army personnel from the 2/14th and 2/16th Battalions witnessed the attack and the body of the Japanese pilot was recovered. PO Archer was awarded the US Silver Star on 19 January 1943 for, the citation states, 'doing the impossible - shooting down a Zero and bringing home his observer to tell the tale'. This aircraft subsequently served with 5 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) at Uranquinty, NSW, and 3 Communications Unit, Mascot, NSW. After the Second World War it served at RAAF Point Cook, Vic. The Australian War Memorial received the aircraft in 1959. The total flying time of the airframe is 3371 hours and 25 minutes.

Post war investigation revealed that the aircraft shot down was actually a Nakajima Ki-43-II Hayabusa 'Oscar' of the 11th Sentai, rather than an Imperial Navy A6M2 Zero.

[Alpha77]

Well concur with answers, they are training planes....look up the update path and see what future updates are then train for the purpose (ASW,search etc.) [:)]

AI uses them as light bombers tho which is not a good purpose [;)]

The Indian planes dito. However I remember they are only small detachements so not really effective at anything. Merde´!

[Sardaukar]

Wirraways were also used as artillery spotters later in war, since they could carry 2 guys (pilot and observer) and could fly slow & low.

[btd64]

ASW and NavS early, Later, I see what developes....GP

[Yaab]

One good thing about Wirraways on ASW Patrol is their reliability. With their durability <30 and service rating 1, the aircraft are repaired overnight. So if you leave four Wirraways on ASW on day 1, you will still have four Wirraways flying ASW on day 30. Set and forget.

This also means that the pilots accumulate experience faster, as more planes are available daily for ASW mission.

[Yaab]

I have one crazy idea for Wirraways' use.

At start, Wirraways are the single most produced Allied bombers (16 per month) with plenty of dedicated groups present. Warhawk is the most produced Allied fighter (35 per month). So you could theoretically wage an attritional air warfare from Port Moresby using those two aircraft types starting January 1942. Warhawks escort Wirrawys raid (30-40 aircraft) and attack enemy ports/units in 5 hex diameter (Buna, Milne Bay). If you look at their cruise speeds they fit into 20% speed difference recommended by the devs (Warhawk's 190 mph and Wirraway's 155mph). It is a poor man's attritional war but it may work.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

Problem is you will be making a scary number of Japanese "aces" [X(]
he will just need to send his 50s experience pilots and in a few weeks they will all be over 70

[Barb]

Training and ground attacks in support of your ground forces... historical [:D]

[m10bob]

Very early in the war, the Australians did use them for home defense "fighters", and we cannot forget they were later modified and became the Boomerangs.

Using our fantastic editor, I make trainers of them as well.

[kaleun]

and we cannot forget they were later modified and became the Boomerangs.

Which begs the question: What do you do with the Boomerangs?[8|]

[Mundy]

All of this makes we wish we had an "emergency CAP" function for light bombers.

If incoming bombers have escorts, they will (and should, barring someone like Vejtasa at the controls). But if unescorted...

There would be precedent.

Wiki Link

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: m10bob

Very early in the war, the Australians did use them for home defense "fighters", and we cannot forget they were later modified and became the Boomerangs.

Using our fantastic editor, I make trainers of them as well.

Far from correct.

The Boomerang was designed seperatly from the Wirraway although it shared many of the smaller parts/fittings due to Australia having only a small aircraft industry. Trials held against the Buffalo, P39D & P40E gave favourable results, but these were at the bottom end of Allied capabilities.

IFF required, the would have been a CA-14 version capable of around 350mph, but Capstans started arriving and the Kittyhawk III & IV fulfilled the same purpose.

[Fallschirmjager]

Light bombers should be able to be pressed in CAP.4

Were there numerous cases of SBDs shooting down patrol planes and even some Dauntless Aces.

As I was writing this, I found that SBDs claimed over 200 kills and many of these were flying CAP early in the war and 'zooming and booming' Japanese patrol planes.

[m10bob]

ORIGINAL: kaleun

and we cannot forget they were later modified and became the Boomerangs.

Which begs the question: What do you do with the Boomerangs?[8|]

When the Boomerangs showed up, they were found to be good as "interdiction" flights against ground forces and barges.

[Yaab]

Found another limited use for Wirraways.

They are level bombers with load of 760, which means they can fly Supply Transport missions. Each plane will transport 1 supply point. The only downside is Wirraway's limited range. If you park them in Port Moresby they can drop supplies to several bases in its vicinity, and units in non-base hexes too.

[Yaab]

For anyone interested, Warhawks do escort Wirraways
Tested in modified Coral Sea scenario

Both air groups attached directly to the same theatre command (Australia Command)
Same altitude, same target
Warhawk cruise speed 190 mph, Wirraway cruise speed 155
Mediocre leader in Warhawk unit (air skill 41), great one in Wirraway unit (air skill 72)
Both groups stationed in Port Moresby
Each time the Wirraways were escorted

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Salamaua , at 98,127

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 45 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2

Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 6
P-40E Warhawk x 9

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x Wirraway bombing from 10000 feet
Port Attack: 2 x 100 lb GP Bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Salamaua , at 98,127

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 28 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 1

Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 6
P-40E Warhawk x 8

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x Wirraway bombing from 15000 feet
Port Attack: 2 x 100 lb GP Bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Salamaua , at 98,127

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 41 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3

Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 8
P-40E Warhawk x 7

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x Wirraway bombing from 15000 feet
Port Attack: 2 x 100 lb GP Bomb

[Yaab]

One more interesting thing about Wirraways.

It is the only Allied bomber which has 2 MGs in CL position. There is a handful of other Allied light bombers (Audax, Waiptila, Falcon, Vincent)which have 1 MG in CL position.

Unlike fighters, a CL weapon in bombers does not give them an accuracy boost. So Wirraway's MG accuracy is 34, while in a fighter it would be accuracy 68.