Ground attack by aircraft

[Odin]

I don´t know what iam doing wrong, but when i want to support my land forces or simply soften up defences on a base i want to invade, even 100+ aircraft can kill only a few enemy troops, despite my recons visiting the target everey day?

I tried low level attacks and carpet bombing from B17/B24.....simply waste of time and ammo


Can someone help me?

[ADavidB]

Originally posted by Odin
I don´t know what iam doing wrong, but when i want to support my land forces or simply soften up defences on a base i want to invade, even 100+ aircraft can kill only a few enemy troops, despite my recons visiting the target everey day?

I tried low level attacks and carpet bombing from B17/B24.....simply waste of time and ammo


Can someone help me?

If you want to kill troops, use "Port" attack. It also reduces supply which eventually weakens the remaining troops.

Why is this so? Who knows - just another strange design decision I guess.

Dave Baranyi

[Odin]

Thank you....while attacking port i could kill a lot of troops.

But i thought they were in the most part base forces or engineers..

Ok, i will switch my bomber targets at once, I´ve ground combat at Munda and Lae and that one on Munda needs help...

I will use my 100+ B17 Bomber force at Gili-Gili to support them...Rabaul will get a rest.

[Mr.Frag]

Only Base units, AA guns, and ENG units can be damaged via airfield attacks.

Only Base units, AA guns, ENG units and CD units can be damaged by port attacks.

If you are bombing a base that only has INF units, you need to switch to ground attack.

[Odin]

Last time i used ground attack 90+ Bombers, they were only able to kill 50-60 troops...a result by far not worthy the supplys it used:mad:

And this happens every time..

[mandt]

I've had some success using some of the heavier fighters, like the P-39, P-38, and Corsair in low-level ground attacks.

It's tough to locate enemy troops in jungle in any great numbers. I soften bases up by using the heavy bombers in a "Port Attack."

Work the body and the head soon follows. Damage the base, destroy supplies and wreck support, and the troops in the field will be far less effective and will fall more easily to your ground assault.

[Yamamoto]

I only get worthwhile results when I’m using my dive-bombers or torpedo bombers for ground attack. My level bombers (G3Ms, G4Ms) never seem to do much good. My B5Ns do better than my D3As because they take less flak hits. The poor D3As still have to dive-bomb and so they suffer flak hits at 1000 feet no matter what altitude you set them to.

Yamamoto

[Odin]

Hm ja, but i dont want my dive bombers and other aircraft like the P-38, my favourite long arm in the air, do THAT job...the low level jobs hurts them bad, to high losses in my eyes..

Seems to be better i use my level bombers for port attack...i need the others otherwise.

[Drex]

I think carrier attacks, whether ground , airfield or port bring the best results. I don't have proof but I remember losing 500-700 troops at a time.

[mandt]

I think that no matter what type of aircraft you use to make a low-level attack, it is going to take losses if the target is well-supplied and equipped.

The key, IMHO is to soften up the target with the heavies first, while sealing off its supply route with PTs, subs, and/or your SBDs and B-25s..

I've been conducting two operations one at Lae and one at Munda. After a couple of weeks of pounding with the B-17s and B-24s conducting Port attacks, I am now also making low-level raids with P-39s, P-38-s, P-47s, and Corsairs. I have suffered almost no losses from AAA, and I'm getting really good results with the fighters, especially with those P-39s. It's their calling.

But you have to destroy or at least reduce the base's infrastructure first.

Ya gotta work the body, man!

[Odin]

It is possible that i had send in the little birds too early... i will give them another chance this day and send some P-39 forward.

Those bases must be already like the surface of the moon because of level bombing:D

Hope i will get better results now.