In last week's Snapshot I led B-26s escorted by P-51Bs vs C. 205s and Bf-109s. The buffs got massacred, although the interceptors took heavy losses.
Now I know the scenario being recreated was one in which the American bombers did take heavy casualties, but the balance and results of almost every bomber mission I've flown on are quite similar to this one.
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Let's look at the numbers:
Attacker: 60% of pilots (spilt 60% - 40% escorts to buffs)
Defender: 40% (all interceptors)
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If 60 pilots show up these are the orders of battle:
Attacker: 22 escorts, 14 x 3 formation = 42 buffs
Defender: 24 interceptors
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These numbers serve only one purpose: to provide the fighter pilots with lots of targets for a feeding frenzy!
In WW2 bombers had 2, 3, up to 5 times as many escorts as buffs, and the number of interceptors was almost always far fewer than the number of escorts.
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What if the numbers looked like this:
Attacker: 80% of pilots (split 85% - 15% escorts to buffs)
Defender: 20%
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With 60 pilots the orders of battle would be:
Attacker: 40 escorts, 8 x 3 formation = 24 buffs
Defender: 12 interceptors
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Potential Problems:
1. Not enough opportunity for Attackers to get kills.
2. Not enough pilots who want to fly escort with little chance of getting a kill.
3. Victory Conditions that Will Be Ignored:
Stay alive. If an interceptor can get one kill and live, that's great. Even if the pilot has to bail, it's good enough. Dying is very bad. Interceptors should be patient to get in position for one good head-on attack and then try to pick off stragglers. If the buffs lose three or more planes, they've suffered unacceptable losses unless the interceptors have suffered very heavy casualties.
Staying alive might require more of a "cat & mouse" game than most pilots have patience for.
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I hope the CMs will consider this when making missions for the new Mission Theater.
MRPLUTO VMF-323 ~Death Rattlers~ MAG-33
