F4u-1D and PT boats... like a hot knife through butter

[AKDejaVu]

We were just wrapping up a pretty decent furball involving a knit CV and A41... when someone finally got the CV.  It was a tad bit overdue perhaps.

As the last of the enemy planes were finished off or running, the horde of PT boats began spawning.  Since my Yak is virtually useless against ground vehicles, I decided to grab something more apropriate for the job.  I thought about the F4u-1C, but it only carries 4 rockets and 2 bombs.  I thought about the typhoon, but it only carries 8 rockets with no bombs.  I decided on the F4u-1D because that's what they flew in Blacksheep Squadron

I've noticed a disturbing trend where people feel that the guns are the only real useful weapon on your plane.  I saw a .ahf file that duma posted some time ago that had him doing JABO in a typhoon.  He was using rockets almost exclusively and was really creaming the enemy.  I thought the film was great because I seldomely see anyone using these nasty devices anymore.

When I got back to the former spot of carnage, there were 6 PT boats.  2 somewhat separated from the 4 that were sticking close together.  There were 3 aircraft in the area... a 109, a CHOG and my DHOG.  

I went in first and tried to drop the 250 lb bombs on one of the grouped PT boats.  I tried something a little different to avoid that stream of aa shooting up at me and ended up missing just long.  It was time for the rockets.  As I came off the top of a loop and began re-aquiring my target, I saw one of the friendlies dive straight in on a PT with guns a blazing.  They both died.  I shook my virtual head.

I came down on the trailing PT in an aproach that would egress me away from the other two.  This PT had swerved to avoid my bombs and was lagging behind the others now.  I unloaded 4 rockets at where I was guessing he'd be in half a second.  I guessed right and he was blown apart.

I was pretty exited and rolled over to aquire one of the other two that were grouped... when I realized I was SO excited I accidently fired 6 rockets at the last PT boat.  That meant I had to make these count.  I must have stunned the PT boat by not opening fire sooner.. but I managed to come around 500 yards away and salvo the two rockets.  A direct hit and another kill scored.

That left one from the initial group of 4 and 1 farther out front.  Unfortunately, I was now out of ordinance and had to warm up the .50's.  I saw another friendly coming in on the PT and waited until we were equal distance before going in.  The PT tracked the other plane first, then switched quickly to me as the other plane did not get within 1.5k of him.  He was too late.  He opend fire high, and before the guns could come lower, I'd nailed him with a really helacious blast of 50 call fury.  He blew apart.

The other gent that had pulled out then decided to get himself a kill and dove in on the last PT.  He got it and died 2 seconds later as his wingless plane met the water.

I flew back to the nearby base and landed having used a little over a 1/4 tank of gas.  A pretty decent sortie.

AKDejaVu

[juzz]

Here's a site about Beaufighters. Click on The Beau -> Rocket Projectiles to read about how they used them to great effect against shipping targets.  

[-duma-]

Yep, that F4U can really hammer poor old PT boats   Even 50kg bombs from the JU are effective on the things!

Nice site on the Beaufighter!

Just spotted a new campaign for Tiffy pilots - the Tiffy could carry armour-piercing or semi-armour piercing rockets too  

And look at this;

'Rockets were also positioned under the wings of these aircraft. Actually a slightly more advanced version of a skyrocket, but with a much deadlier power, four were mounted under each wing. These rockets were solid fuel which was packed into a three inch diameter pipe with a 60lb warhead attached, either of armour-piercing, semi-armour piercing, or high explosive 'shot'. The rockets could be fired in pairs, fours, or in a ripple salvo. Later trials confirmed that two tiers of 4 could be carried under each wing. The noise and destruction by 16 such weapons, each with a 60lb warhead, must have been awesome indeed!'  (Reference

Wonder if 16 rockets were ever used operationally on the Tiffy?

[This message has been edited by -duma- (edited 03-08-2001).]

[StSanta]

The JU88 with 4 eggs is also good for killing pesky PT boats  

------------------
Baron Claus "StSanta" Von Ribbentroppen
9./JG 54 "Grünherz"
[img]http://www.geocities.com/nirfurian/stSanta.jpg[/img

"Live to pull, pull to live"

[Jigster]

One of these days people will learn that Bofor's isn't just their for looks.

It's about the only useful weapon on the PT boat  

- Bess

[lazs]

yep.. with the D fifties if you attack the PT when he is tracking someone else he is ded.  If he tracks you... you are ded.   works about right I recon.
lazs

[Maverick]

PT boats could be even more of a menace if the ammo loadout ever gets increased to enable a reload. It is pretty short on ammo now with the equivalent of only one magazine load per weapon. It makes a PT the water born version of a yak9.

PT's now have to hold their fire way to long in order to have any ammo to defend against more than one or two enemy passes.

Mav

[mrfish]

they are easy though - i have killed several with only my cowl guns left in my 109g6