Ground Attack

[Anaxogoras]

I had no idea I would enjoy the ground attack role in AH as much as I do.  Typically I fly the 190F-8 with a 500kg bomb and 12 rockets.  The other day while climbing out I was passed by a 190D-9.  He said "wow your 190 is slow!"   A lot of our virtual pilots in the main arena don't even suspect the existence of a ground attack 190: a Panzer driver said he was mystified when I dropped 4 50kg bombs in a circle around him (I'm a better shot with the rockets).  The most extreme example of this ignorance is when a guy posts a base-capture mission with the 190A-5/8 loaded with the air-to-air rocket pods.

Someone might say "What's the point?  Dropping a bomb on a gv is easy."  I would agree and say yes, that is the easiest part.  The hard part is dodging enemy LA-7s that always frequent gv battles when aircraft are present, giving due respect to wirbels and ostwinds, and watching out for trees!  Over and above those challenges, ground attack against tanks and such is a totally legit part of WW2 combat, though I'm sure it makes my targets red in the face.   Finally, you get the love and appreciation of your friendly tank drivers when you spot and point out the enemy's movements in the woods.  Ultimately, this kind of teamwork is why I play the game.

[Steve]

Please bomb f4ujunky every chance you get.  His whines are priceless.

[Max]

  Typically I fly the 190F-8 with a 500kg bomb and 12 rockets. 

How many rockets does it take to kill what?

[Anaxogoras]

How many rockets does it take to kill what?

That depends on how accurately you aim, and how hard the target is.  So far, my record is 2 wirbels, a panzer and a tiger all in sortie.  I've killed a tiger by getting a direct hit when I fired only two rockets.  I've fired all 12 rockets in successive passes on a panzer and still not killed it because they hit all around it.  In general, gv's that are not first/second class battle tanks are destroyable without a direct hit.  If your aim were perfect, you might be able to kill 1 gv per rocket.  The most accurate way to aim is straight down, but that can be dangerous at low altitude with the 190's tendency to dip a wing at high AoA.

[Motherland]

Please bomb f4ujunky every chance you get.  His whines are priceless.

F4uJunky=CMustard. Just FYI.

How many rockets does it take to kill what?

One usually does the job, but you have to get a direct hit. The warheads are the same design of that of the Panzerfaust I've been told... so a near miss doesn't do anything, generally.

[Lusche]

How many rockets does it take to kill what?

Depends on how good your aim is. The PB rockets the 190F carries are anti-armor, hollow-charge. Single hit can kill a Tiger.

[Anaxogoras]

F4uJunky=CMustard. Just FYI.One usually does the job, but you have to get a direct hit. The warheads are the same design of that of the Panzerfaust I've been told... so a near miss doesn't do anything, generally.

Actually, near misses frequently disable the tracks.

Depends on how good your aim is. The PB rockets the 190F carries are anti-armor. Single hit can kill a Tiger.

Good point.  I forgot to mention that these rockets aren't so great for taking down hangars and buildings.

[Adonai]

Typical 190f8 run I get about 3-4 panzers in 1 run with the 12 rockets, nice shallow dive, and you can hit anything.

[BnZ]

I agree. I thought bombing stuff would be boring when I first started playing, but using an A-20 or Jug for what they were built for, while possibly trying to deal with air cons, and hitting small targets on the ground, is challenging and adds to the immersion.

[Max]

Thanks for the info 

[Getback]

Love to jabo. Kill a few gv's, maybe a building and then go looking for some cons. Makes for a heck of a sortie.

[Pannono]

190F IMHO one of best base attackers out there
12 rockets, 1 of which remotely close to an ack will destroy said ack gun
1 1,100lb bomb, good for softening up a hangar for other players/killing a soft hangar
500 20mm rounds, one of which directly impacting an ack will destroy said ack gun
900 .50cal rounds, relatively effective against ack if direct hits are scored
My typical attack run with a 190F involves climbing to 7k, putting .salvo 1, switching to rockets, then diving on the field, firing at ack as i go. When i need to pull up, i engage WEP then climb straight up, setting up another pass. I fully deacked a small field by myself without dying once in a 190F.

[Yenny]

190F is a fun bird to fly too, it can handle pretty well vs other fighters otd. Well out of the 190 series anyway, it's rugged and have a lil better turn radius.

[Xasthur]

What range do you fire those rockets and how do you line them up?

Gunsight centre at 600 yards, for example?

[Saxman]

My squad spent most of last night providing Close Air Support in defense of A151 in LW Blue. The airfield across the water was spawning in a constant stream of Panzers, M16s and Ostwinds. Low-level bombing attacks against ground vehicles is definitely a different experience, especially when you're lobbing 1000lbers and needing to give yourself enough air to break away, lol!

Somehow on one sortie I put a pair of 5" HVAR from a D-Hog into the side of a freshly-spawned Panzer from about 200yds,and he instantly blew up. That was about a one in a million shot.

If only HTC would give the F4U-1D the centerline 2000lb bomb option. 5000lbs of total ordinance (1x 2000lb + 2x1000lb +8x5" HVAR which combine to about another 1000lbs)! Though it'd take a LONG time to get to a good dive-bombing altitude.