No Tracers is Retarded

[BOBO]

I haven't found anything to indicate that tracers were never not used.

[Oldman731]

I haven't found anything to indicate that tracers were never not used.

If Guppy is watching, I imagine he has instant links to a variety of sources.  In the ETO, 8th AF fighter groups began experimenting with deletion of tracers in late 1944, if memory serves.  Uniformly, their kill rates went up, and the practice was widely praised.

- oldman

[Ack-Ack]

I haven't found anything to indicate that tracers were never not used.

Not our fault that you're not good at doing any sort of research.  There were pilots that didn't use tracers.

[Krusty]

It was very common even in the beginning stages of the war, during Battle of Britain, to use tracers to indicate the end of an ammo belt and not until then. Sometimes only one gun might have any on it. Sometimes belts were mixed up when loading so the tracers might show up halfway through an ammo load and then go away when the guns kept firing after that.

[pembquist]

yeah, I thought there was something about the ballistics of the tracers being different from the other rounds so they were misleading

[APDrone]

Fork Tailed Devil, by Martin Caiden

There's a section about Tommy Lynch's position on Tracers.

He insisted they be removed and the results justified the decision.

Basically, because the Japanese weren't aware they were being shot at, they didn't evade in a manner to keep from getting shot at.

[Mister Fork]

Fork Tailed Devil, by Martin Caiden

There's a section about Tommy Lynch's position on Tracers.

He insisted they be removed and the results justified the decision.

Basically, because the Japanese weren't aware they were being shot at, they didn't evade in a manner to keep from getting shot at.

I think both Lynch and Bong flew without tracers in their 38's. Both combined to shoot down over 60 Japanese aircraft.

[nrshida]

I haven't found anything to indicate that tracers were never not used.

I don't quite follow how having tracers forced on your opponents would help you stay out of their gunsight in the first case.

[ccvi]

Looking at tracers for defensive maneuvers doesn't really work anyway. Bullets are precise on the shooters computer. On the targets computer they lag as much as the attacker (who is shooting at a lagging target). Whether or not they look like they hit on the targets side is not the same as whether or not they really hit (on the attackers computer).

[save]

Shooting with tracers on some planes are really a challenge, an example is the 190a5, fully armed it has 3 trajectory tracers shooting with 6 guns in total from wings and engine cowl, obscuring a small target with all these tracers.

[popeye]

What is the effect of no-tracers for vehicles?  I turned off tracers in a Panzer to hide in the bushes protecting the map room at a port.  I couldn't see my machine gun tracers, but a friendly said he could see them.  And the attacking aircraft also <cough> appeared to see them.   

[save]

You can't on vehicles, else Wirby's would be the most effective thing in the game.

[Vinkman]

Looking at tracers for defensive maneuvers doesn't really work anyway. Bullets are precise on the shooters computer. On the targets computer they lag as much as the attacker (who is shooting at a lagging target). Whether or not they look like they hit on the targets side is not the same as whether or not they really hit (on the attackers computer).

While this is true, there is a huge advantage to seeing the tracers come out of the plane that is chasing you when trying to avade them.   

[pembquist]

While this is true, there is a huge advantage to seeing the tracers come out of the plane that is chasing you when trying to avade them.   

I'm not doubting that this is true for you but for me they only serve as a warning that I didn't notice somebody back there. I cannot count the number of times I have felt real clever as I maneuver so the other guy has no shot and watch the tracers pass harmlessly behind my plane which then loses a wing!

[lunaticfringe]

sometimes I use tracers and sometimes I don't