Part 1
Recently, I have had discussions with squad members about successfully landing sorties. Especially when flying as part of a group headed out on a base capture.
Have you ever noticed that some guys will make three or more trips to a base under attack? They do this because they get clobbered on the way or shortly after they get there. However, it doesn't have to be like that if they do a little planning and employ intelligent tactics. Even a pilot with sub-par ACM skills can do well when they are well prepared.
I posted this to the squad BBS, and figured it might benefit the Aces High population in general.
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Last night HavocA-20 asked me; “How do you do that?” He was referring to running up large kill totals in single sorties.
Well, the answer certainly isn’t simple. It depends a lot on what type of situation you are in. Most players join in on base attack missions, both formal and informal. Since nearly everyone can relate to this scenario, let's discuss how to be more successful and survive the sortie.
There are a large number of factors that contribute to successful sorties and the first factor begins with examining the map prior to flying.
This is when you determine where you will fly. It should be obvious that you don’t want to begin a sortie taking off from a field that is being swarmed by the enemy. You can’t expect to have a productive flight if you can’t get off the runway alive. When I hear squadies whining about getting vulched, I have immediate doubts about their ability to understand even the most obvious situation. Take a few seconds and examine the map. Are there bad guys over or near your airfield? While in the tower, scan around in all directions, MAKE SURE that no enemies are patrolling over the base, just waiting for some guy to try and take off. Now, consider the short term tactical situation after you take off. Are there bogies inbound? How close are they? Watch the text buffer for information about their location, altitude and type or types of aircraft. Only after you have a clear picture of the local situation are you ready to consider what to fly and where to go.
Let’s say that there is a small raid headed for an enemy base. You would like to go with them. First, you have to analyze what you can expect for opposition, over the target and in route. You also should consider likely direction of arriving enemy reinforcements. Next, you need to determine what it is you wish to accomplish when you get there. Is your priority to engage enemy defending fighters? Then you need to select the best aircraft for that purpose. Do you plan on attacking the base itself, and then select an aircraft that provides for that and still has adequate performance to tackle the defenders after you drop your ordnance. Remember, you have not even left the tower yet, you are still in the planning stage of the sortie. Once you have formulated a plan and selected the aircraft to carry it out, now you have to decide on things such as ordnance and fuel load. Again, this takes some consideration. My general rule is not to take more bombs than I can drop on a single pass. There are exceptions to this, such as when I’m defending against a GV attack, where flying around with ordnance hanging from my wing does not impair my ability to fight enemy aircraft, because there aren’t any enemy aircraft. Frequently, I’ll take some ordnance even if my purpose is to engage fighters. Why? Because, the tactical situation can quickly change during your flight to the target and having a bomb or some rockets may prove to be beneficial. You can always dump the ordnance should you not need it. But, you must be aware that the first casualty of battle is the battle plan itself. So, load your aircraft for maximum flexibility. While I’m on the topic of bombs and rockets, understand that most pilots will survive the initial bomb run. It’s when they reverse and make a second run that most get trapped low and get shot down by a horde of low fighters. Make one run, get safely away from the defending mob and then consider your next move. I’m getting ahead of myself here, so back to loading your aircraft. DO NOT take any more fuel than you will need to get to the target, stay engaged for 10 minutes and return. For the P-51, that seldom means more than 50%. However, if you’re flying a short range fighter, 100% may be in order. Taking too little means you will either have to cut short the sortie or not get back at all. That nullifies all the previous planning, so be sure you load enough gas. Load too much and you’ll limit the performance of your aircraft. Use drop tanks and less internal fuel whenever feasible. I do that frequently when flying P-47s or F4Us. This gives you good range and doesn’t limit performance in a fight like full tanks will do. However, I rarely fly more than 1.5 sectors to a fight as it wastes time and time is not always plentiful.
So, you’ve planned your sortie, studied the map and radar. You’ve selected your aircraft and loaded it with fuel and weapons. Now you are ready to spawn and takeoff. But, wait a minute. Have you determined which runway is best suited for takeoff? You certainly don’t want a steep cliff dead ahead while trying to get a heavy P-47 off the ground. You surely don’t want to pass low over enemy GVs approaching your field. Therefore, also consider the best runway before you spawn.
Ok, you’re on the runway with your engine running. You’re ready to roll. Here’s some good advice. As soon as you push the power up to maximum, engage WEP. For all Allied fighters, keep it in WEP until the temperature needle reaches the lower edge of the yellow zone. Do the same for Japanese aircraft. For German remain in WEP until the needle is halfway into the yellow zone. For Soviet fighters such as the La-5 and La-7, keep it in WEP until you reach 8,000 feet as beyond this there is no benefit. For the Yak-9T, use the halfway into the yellow zone method or 4k above sea level, which ever comes first.
Why use WEP on takeoff? Well, the engine is going to get to the lower edge of the yellow zone anyway, so why not benefit from the increased climb rate while the engine is still quite cool? The difference can be as much as 2,000 to 3,000 feet over the same time span, and that added altitude can be critical should the enemy suddenly appear running an NOE on your field, or perhaps even a single con sneaking in under the radar. It also means you will reach your cruise altitude earlier, thus shortening the time needed to transit to the target. Finally, there’s absolutely no reason not to use WEP on takeoff. Also, before taking off from a carrier, select your bombs before rolling in the event on takeoff your fighter is wallowing on the verge of a stall, you can pickle off the bombs and possibly avoid a crash. You can always land and rearm.
As you climb out, you still have things to do. Some guys use this time for visits to the bathroom. Generally, I do not. Instead, I am constantly monitoring the vox and text buffer for information that can help me when I get to the target. I also study the radar, keeping tabs on what is going on at my destination and along the route. I also watch surrounding sectors so that I can spot trouble brewing that may affect me upon my return to base. Likewise, if you are beyond friendly radar coverage, you need to be ever watchful if there is any BARDAR in your sector. Always assume that you will encounter the enemy when it’s least opportune.
Approaching the target the likelihood of encountering enemy fighters greatly increases. Bombs should already be selected in the event they must be dumped. If no opposition is encountered at or above your altitude, you can now begin planning your attack. That’s right, you need to consider what you want to accomplish. Therefore, you have to evaluate the status of the target and its defense. Oh sure, you could do as the suicide porkers do and simply dive into a hanger, but that makes for short, unsatisfying sortie.
As I’ve stated earlier, I usually bring some ordnance even if I have designated the sortie as “Fighter”. When I reach the enemy base, I take the time required to determine what needs to be clobbered, relative to my goals, which may not be the goals of the guys wanting to capture the base. More often than not I’m looking for a GV to bomb, preferably while they’re still in the VH. I know that getting whacked while still in the VH is supremely annoying. Getting several of them AND the VH at once is very satisfying.
Before I roll in to attack, there are several things I want to determine. Altitude and location of defending fighters is number one. Is the field ack still up? How about the manned ack? Are there GVs on the base that may interfere with my bomb/rocket run? Be patient, case the place like you plan to rob it. Decide which direction to attack from and the direction of egress. When you are content with your plan, execute it. DO NOT immediately reverse, rather extend out, clear your six and then head back.
