B25 Tank Killer!

[Bronk]

T-34 you need a side shot at the drivers compartment.
Tiger you need to go through turret top armor.


Bronk

[TracerX]

I see no problem with this setup.  I have used the B25H to destroy tanks before, but it is far from simple.  

One counter argument to the tank killing ability of the B25 is that the tanks can fire back!!  I have been killed by the main gun of the tank I was attacking quite often.  I don't know if these were just incredibly lucky shots or incredibly gifted GV drivers, but it happens to me very frequently.  Now that is one thing that I am sure never happened in real life.  I don't hear anyone complaining that they got shot by the main gun of a tank, should we be throwing that in the argument too?

BTW, nice pics fencer.  That is the enema attack?

[Saxman]

My experience with hitting GVs with the 25H is as follows:

M16s, Jeeps, M3s: No problem. Lob a shell from 1.5k out and watch 'em pop.

M8s: Haven't run into any yet, but don't expect much trouble

PTs: Every time I get a B-25H where PTs are operating, they're all gone by the time I get there and I got nothing to shoot at.

Ostwinds: If I'm patrolling and see a Flak, I call in cover to keep his attention. Doesn't work much if they're travelling in packs

M4s: Only ran up against one so far in the 25H, but I put a LOT of shells into him, some under 200yds from direct rear with no appreciable damage caused. I didn't even get the kill when he finally popped.

Panzers: Seems I engage Panzers more often than anything else. Once I've taken a main gun round (which I agree is just silly). I've also been single-ping P/Ked by the pintail once or twice, as well as P/Wed. In regards to damage caused...

I've managed to single-ping Panzers maybe twice. On at least several occaisons I've put MULTIPLE shells into the tracks directly broadside at under 200yds and not even slowed him down. Last night I put about 6 rounds into one before he finally went down, including two square on his back end (definitely no ricochet).

LVTs: Ran up against one LVT. Dude took two direct 75mm and a good healthy burst of .50cal before dying.

Tigers: Only seen one Tiger in the Mitch. Single round through the engine disabled him

T-34s: Can't remember having come across a T-34 yet.

[mussie]

Originally posted by Ack-Ack
All this talk about B-25Hs killing tanks in one shot directly contradicts my own experiences.  I fired at a Firefly, hitting on the left side of the turret and I watched as my 75mm round bounced off into the air and hit a friendly IL2 in the wing that resulted in my death by killshooter.

ack-ack

LOL.... Best Kill Shooter EVAR

[opposum]

the other day i was in the B25h model and I found a tiger when i was looking for panzers, so i dove straight down on top of it and fired just the 75mm cannon, the round hit just to the left of the turrent on the top of the hull and BOOM it killed it. it was amazing i didnt think i could do anything to it exept track it but i was wrong!!! it was awsome!!!

[Flatbar]

All this gnashing of teeth over a new weapon in AH and it's effects not being historical yet very little discussion about the neutered effects of droped ords.

1k bombs having little or no effect when droped outside of 25 yards of a GV is much less historical, IMO.

The question should be, what's good for gameplay. Since that seems to be the driving force for the effectiveness, or lack thereof, in AH weaponery modeling.

[hubsonfire]

While killing panzers and osti's with single hits in the side is a lot of fun, I'm a bit irritated that rounds bounce off ships. I don't believe I was at a significant angle compared to the part of the ship I hit, but when several rounds bounced, I gave up.

Anyone else having similar experiences?

[splitatom]

the m8 is an easy kill if it is driving strait or stoped it is easy unfortunately no m8 unless driven by a noob would have it standing still

[BBBB]

Originally posted by evenhaim
i recently landed 17 kills in a b25h every single one was a perfect kill on a panzer or Hitthe same sweet spot almost every time, from behind the panzer and just under the turret one shot kills, its not kill stealing almost all the tanks were untouched and newly spawned.

 That is a pretty interesting statement considering you only had 4 kills on Panzers during the tour of Aug.  Killing tanks with the B-25H is a pretty hard thing to do. Sure you can take out an engine, turret or pop a track, but to get a solid one shot, one kill on a tank is more a thing of luck and less an exercise of skill.

 I remember a about 3-4 years ago killing a Panzer with the 20mms on the C-Hog. My aim was dead on, but the fact the tank went boom was totally a matter of luck. So, these things can happen. However it is a fluke and nothing more.

 The B-25 is a slow lumbering target. It's 75MM is deadly on soft targets, M-8s, M-16s, M-3s, LVTs and Flaks. However a full time tank buster it is not. I love the B-25, but all of this B-25 tank killer business is just nonsense. Guys claiming to be landing dozens of kills in it are just full of it. When you pull up their scores and check their kill claims the numbers just don't add up.

 My advice is just go out and try to kill tanks with the B-25. Spend a whole tour doing only tank busting missions. You will find a few things out really quickly. You die more often then you land. You most likely will not bust over 50 tanks all tour and you will spend more time flying to a target, rather than killing.

-Spot

[Saxman]

The effectiveness of tank main guns against the B-25 is probably by far sillier than the effectiveness of the B-25s 75 against tanks. Generally I have to make 2-3 passes JUST to knock out the tracks, even though I'm skimming the ground and cleanly T-bone him. I'd like to know where everyone else is getting the magic pumpkins.

Also, the B-25's cockpit armor is apparently made out of balsa wood, spit and tinfoil, as I'm constantly getting single-ping P/K'ed by bb's from the pintail guns (and no, these are not shots passing through the windscreen).

[Lusche]

Originally posted by BBBB
Sure you can take out an engine, turret or pop a track, but to get a solid one shot, one kill on a tank is more a thing of luck and less an exercise of skill.
 

Killing tanks with the 75mm is a matter of luck only if your aim is bad and/or you don't know where you have to hit.

Originally posted by BBBB
Spend a whole tour doing only tank busting missions. You will find a few things out really quickly. You die more often then you land.  

Not if you're a good pilot with good overall situational awareness.
As long as you do not fly down the enemies barrel (I did it a few times - OUCH!) or disregard enemy local air superiority, you will be successful. With increasing practice the number of kills/sortie will rise.

The main reason I'm not doing many anti-tank sorties in the B25 is that I'm prefering the much better (and nimble!) Hurricane IID.

[Oldman731]

Originally posted by Saxman
Once I've taken a main gun round (which I agree is just silly).

..um...

I believe the US Army currently teaches its tank crews to engage hostile aircraft with the main gun.  Obviously this works better against helicopters than against jets.  I imagine the B-25 would be closer to a helicopter than a jet, though.

- oldman

[Saxman]

You're also talking a more advanced gun and more importantly FAR more advanced targeting systems to anything tank crews had in WWII.

[Bronk]

Originally posted by BBBB
That is a pretty interesting statement considering you only had 4 kills on Panzers during the tour of Aug.  Killing tanks with the B-25H is a pretty hard thing to do. Sure you can take out an engine, turret or pop a track, but to get a solid one shot, one kill on a tank is more a thing of luck and less an exercise of skill.

 I remember a about 3-4 years ago killing a Panzer with the 20mms on the C-Hog. My aim was dead on, but the fact the tank went boom was totally a matter of luck. So, these things can happen. However it is a fluke and nothing more.

 The B-25 is a slow lumbering target. It's 75MM is deadly on soft targets, M-8s, M-16s, M-3s, LVTs and Flaks. However a full time tank buster it is not. I love the B-25, but all of this B-25 tank killer business is just nonsense. Guys claiming to be landing dozens of kills in it are just full of it. When you pull up their scores and check their kill claims the numbers just don't add up.

 My advice is just go out and try to kill tanks with the B-25. Spend a whole tour doing only tank busting missions. You will find a few things out really quickly. You die more often then you land. You most likely will not bust over 50 tanks all tour and you will spend more time flying to a target, rather than killing.

-Spot

I don't know about all that. I watched flk4 land 8 or 9 a couple of nights ago. I'm willing to bet more than 1/2 were panzer kills.



Bronk

[BBBB]

I am not saying it is not possible to kill a tank with the 75MM gun. I am just saying it is not something that has to do with skill. As in finding an aiming point on a tank and they will pop every time. I am saying a lot of guys who are claiming 15-20 kills in a B-25 are just full of it. You said half his kills were Panzers.

 My question is how many kills were from the bombs on board his B-25 and how many other tanks and friendly aircraft were in the area busting tanks at the same time? My guess is more than a few. So my statement above still stands. Guys are not able to take the B-25 H out and just fly tank busting missions. The 75MM on board the aircraft is not a tank killer. Kills made by it are flukes. Nothing more.


-Spot