America's Top Ace was a HO'er?!

[SKJohn]

Came across this while reading recently:

.......Many of the P-38 aces prefered to meet Japanese fighters head on.  Dick Bong especially showing a strong inclination to attack from this angle.  The "Oscar" was particularly vulnerable from the front, and it's inferior armament of just two 12.7 mm machine guns mounted above the cowling were no match for the P-38's overwhelming mix of mahine-guns and cannon - Bong claimed at least 10 of the 21 victories in his first tour of duty with head-on attacks.  One of the great advantages enjoyed by USAAF pilots employing this tactic was that it negated the superior manoeuvrability of the nimble Zero and :"Oscar."........

(P-38 Lightning Aces of the Pacific and CBI, Osprey Press, John Stanaway, p. 41.)

Well, if it was a good enough tactic for America's #1 fighter ace, then I guess it should be ok to use here in Aces High, right?  After all, people are always clamoring on these boards for more "realism"......
So, the next time you see a guy coming at you head on - remeber to aim carefully, squeeze the trigger, and HO one for the Dick!:D

[rabbidrabbit]

One constant in humanity is the penchant for the insecure to prop themselves up by demeaning others.  One way is to whine about HO's especially when they lose one.

In my book a gunnery solution is a gunnery solution.  I simply prefer the more cowardly approach of acheiving a gunnery solution when my opponent can not.

[Furball]

heck, that would be like hoing a D3A in AH, i will gladly do that 10 times out of 10.

in fact, one dared to HO my tempest last week... he didn't last long.

I HAVE A GRAYT IDEYA!!! ILL HO THAT TEMPEST IN MY D3A!!1!!!! I R L33T!

[Grits]

In addition, the USN taught HO shots (or high degree front quarter deflection shots) as the preferred method for the same reasons.

[StarOfAfrica2]

Originally posted by SKJohn
Came across this while reading recently:

.......Many of the P-38 aces prefered to meet Japanese fighters head on.  Dick Bong especially showing a strong inclination to attack from this angle.  The "Oscar" was particularly vulnerable from the front, and it's inferior armament of just two 12.7 mm machine guns mounted above the cowling were no match for the P-38's overwhelming mix of mahine-guns and cannon - Bong claimed at least 10 of the 21 victories in his first tour of duty with head-on attacks.  One of the great advantages enjoyed by USAAF pilots employing this tactic was that it negated the superior manoeuvrability of the nimble Zero and :"Oscar."........

(P-38 Lightning Aces of the Pacific and CBI, Osprey Press, John Stanaway, p. 41.)

Well, if it was a good enough tactic for America's #1 fighter ace, then I guess it should be ok to use here in Aces High, right?  After all, people are always clamoring on these boards for more "realism"......
So, the next time you see a guy coming at you head on - remeber to aim carefully, squeeze the trigger, and HO one for the Dick!:D

Yanno...........

Anyone can find historical precedent for HOing as a valid tactic.  I've used several incidents as "devil's advocate" type arguments for guys who whine about HO's not being "realistitc".  They were.

However, I don't go around advocating the use of it in AH.  Those guys were defending their homes and their lives, and if they got shot down there was a damn good chance they weren't going to make it home, even if they survived the bail-out.  They wanted what worked, and showing off your "skillz" was a good way to die.  We get unlimited lives and a broad choice of planes to fly.  There is no need for you to feel so afraid of your opponent that you must use the HO.  This is more like a Top Gun shootout than any real battle, and its even less than that because there is absolutely no danger to anyone (except their ego's).  IMO yall who keep harping on how we should "embrace" the HO are just as bad as the ones who whine about it not being "realistic".  Yall are just score potatos, plain and simple.  Nukes were real too, but nobody is advocating we use them.  Well, except Furball.  And we all know Furball sucks.  

[SuperDud]

Yup, Furball said it best...



AMIWERICAN PLENEZ WITH NOOKS"""!!!! NOOKEIES!! I NEED NOOKIE! BigG BOOM!"!!!"$!!! 111 !! ROFLME"!!!! NOOKIEE NOOK!!!1!!

[TBolt A-10]

what StarofAfrica2 said...


a HO in AH won't get any respect until the players start falling out of their chairs & bleeding to death like the REAL WW2 pilots did.

[Stang]

Yup, hoing is a far different proposition in RL than it is in AH.  When you're flying right at another plane at 700mph closure speed and throw the high risk of death in it is a totally different ballgame than the spray and pray constant hoing tactics of AH.

[SlapShot]

I honestly think that their definition of a "head-on" attack and our version of the HO are 2 different animals. I believe that they are talking a very high aspect deflection shot.

I fail to believe that someone like Bong would constantly put himself in danger that often. I think that he probably was using very high deflection shots and if he missed ... he went merrily zooming away in his P-38.

Nobody ... 'cept that guy in "Deer Hunter" ... would play Russian Roulette over and over again ... ya gots to be insane to do that ... and the odds are definately NOT in your favor.

[ATA]

Germany Erich Hartman-352 kils

USSR Ivan Kozhedub-62 kils

And now Americas ace of aces......................wic h is HO'er

USA Dick Bong-40 kills

Bad example

[SlapShot]

Originally posted by ATA
Germany Erich Hartman-352 kils

USSR Ivan Kozhedub-62 kils

And now Americas ace of aces......................wic h is HO'er

USA Dick Bong-40 kills

Bad example

Still not a bad number when you consider US pilots were only allowed I believe 50 missions, where the Germans flew for years and swatted every newbie out of the sky and tons of un-escorted bombers. Like shooting fish in a barrel.

The numbers are impressive but misleading. I don't think those guys were any better pilots than some of the US aces ... especially Bong.

[cav58d]

After all this HO nonsense I have decided that I will fly nothing but the N1K and the typhie and do nothing but HO for the remainder of the your.....

good day


check 12 =)

cav58D

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Originally posted by ATA
Germany Erich Hartman-352 kils

USSR Ivan Kozhedub-62 kils

And now Americas ace of aces......................wic h is HO'er

USA Dick Bong-40 kills

Bad example

How long did the first two fly combat missions?

How many missions did they fly?

Bad comparison. Study more, it might help.

[java45]

It's been said by flight simmers far more adept then I so I think the case rests. It Valid tactic !!

The issue isnt over a tactic IMHO, its over  a so-called and hardly ever seen practice( at least in any flight-sim Ive been in ), namely a talent only based fight.

As long as there are wingman tactics, squad tactics, and jut plain roving gangs in the Main Arena the HO is an inevitable outcome.//

No body, myself included, would ( unless they have a death wish ) jockey for the best 6 shot when your cons pals wait on the sidelines.//

You see the nme you kill the nme if you live after 5 of his pals attack you, then you land the kill, simple logic and all the talent in the world wont matter,......ya jest aint ganna win gainst 3 -5 cons in a pack.

[Halo]

lightning guns spray death
in my face i go quickly
to meet emperor