Runners and porkers fly all manner of aircraft. 190s get used a lot to kill radar and ordnance, because the radial engine and cannon combo provides some ack resistance and the firepower to take down those targets in one gun run. P-51s and P-47s get used for the same purpose, but they rely more on bombs and rockets. The routine of Radar Heroes is well known. Climb up to 10k to 15k. Dive in, hit the target. Run out beyond field ack range on the deck, zoom climb, reverse and repeat if needed.
A related story from last night...
Last evening, the Bish took down the ordnance and VH at a Rook field (A119), an isolated field on an island shared with three Bish bases. All of the porker/runners were in 190s and Mustangs. Just a few minutes earlier, I had killed Midway's T34/85 with a P-39. Suspecting a GV raid being next, I moved to the nearest friendly base with ordnance up. I took a P-40N with three 500 lb bombs and enough gas to get me there plus 10 minutes. I climbed to 12k on the way over. Nearing the field, a solitary Rook CV was nearby. There was a darbar indicating one or two Bish aircraft in the area, so I'm scanning around as I fly east of the CV. Finally, I spot a single dot above me to the west. That resolved into a Bish P-47 up above 15k. I could see that he was preparing to dive-bomb the CV, so I positioned myself to intercept the Jug after he pulled off his dive. I elected to keep my bombs, as I might need them later. Down goes the Jug. I dive down at a more shallow angle so as to slide in behind when the P-47 levels out. Even though the Jug has a lot more speed than I do, the geometry of my route is excellent, and I bank in behind the P-47N 600 yards astern at around 3,000 feet above the water. In the two seconds it takes to get a good sight picture, the range extends to 800 yards. I fire and see numerous hit sprites. A fuel leak starts. I doubt that the P-47 pilot knew I was there until he started taking hits. He panics and does a big, sloppy barrel roll, while I do nothing but watch. That really cuts into his E and the range remains at 800 yards. I squeeze off another short burst and see a few more hit sprites. Still panicked, the pilot breaks hard left and reverses to the right, attempting a scissors to force an overshoot. I simply pulled nose high and did a tight barrel roll to the left, coming level just as the Jug crossed in front of me. I fire and rake his right wing and elevator as he goes by. His right side flap flies off. The pilot reverses left and I counter with a high yo-yo to drop in behind. As he turns, I see the left flap coming down... The asymmetrical lift induces a snap roll and the shot-up P-47N crashes into the sea.
Seeing his handle in the text buffer; vN2GUNS, I realize that the rest of the vGuys are likely attacking the base in vehicles, as it's flashing and there's no darbar. I have very little fuel remaining and I'm a quarter-sector distant after chasing down the Jug. Nonetheless, I still have three 500 lb bombs and enough gas to at least do some damage. I climb out to 5k and I can see that the base ack is already firing at something on the ground near the field. I push over and descend down to 4k to see icons. What I see is not less than 25 assorted tanks and wirbles, with M3s and 251s mixed in. Behind this mob is another, smaller group. I put the warning out in the text buffer. There are so many wirbles intermixed that to simply dive in and drop would be suicidal and accomplish little. I locate the biggest concentration of vehicles and WEP/zoom up to 7,000 feet. Aligning myself directing behind the mob, I dive down to the deck. I'm doing nearly 400 mph, skimming tree tops. Breaking out into a clearing I see the mob ahead. I blew past a Panther close by, my wingtip not much higher than the Panther's turret. 400 yards aft of the trailing vehicle, I pickle off each bomb in sequence as I pitch up a bit to loft the bombs enough to set the fuzes. The bombs have to travel 1,000 feet to arm. Behind me I hear a boom, a loud blam and another boom. I get a kill message, but there's no time to read quite yet. I break hard left, nosing over to get some cover from the trees as tracers arc over the top of the P-40. After about 10 seconds, I zoom climb into a right turn. The distance to the nearest wirble is well over 1k, but they still hammer away in my direction. I can't determine what my bomb killed. However, a wirble, with its turret knocked out, continues on with the horde. Another Rook makes a gun run through the mob, but most are concentrating on me and he gets in and out without suffering serious damage.
Having briefly forgotten about my gas situation, I check fuel state and see 3 minutes, which quickly drops to two minutes. I throttle well back to buy some time. The nearest friendly base is well over a sector distant. B-26s had sunk the nearby CV while I was busy with the GV horde. Enemy GVs are already shooting up the airfield and no doubt will be waiting for me on the runway in the time it will take to land. Indeed, a wirble is almost on the base and begins spraying in my direction. I elect to belly-in the P-40 on the shore side of the base, with lots of trees screening me from hostile fire.
From the tower, I can see that 119 can't be defended from here.. Maybe it's time to move on. I looked for where I could make a difference. I found a friendly vbase in trouble with GVs and aircraft and launched out in a Seafire from a nearby carrier to defend it. I ended up defending the carrier as well.
A few minutes later, Midway writes on 200: "Hey Rooks, there's a horde of Bish GVs taking 119 and there's nothing you can do about it."
I replied, "who cares?", as it was obvious that there was nothing I could have done alone.
However, Midway's comment stuck in the craw of Shawk. He replied, "we will see about that." He organized a counter-attack. Within 15 minutes Shawk and a dozen or more others were on scene. The long ride to the town from the spawn provided just enough margin to get a force there in the nick of time. They pounded the Bish armor, clearing the town and then crushing the rest of the mob on and around the base. This was apparently aided by 119's VH coming up again.
With the threat in my area killed or having run away, I landed my oil leaking Seafire on our still undamaged carrier. I checked the map. 119 was not only still in Rook hands, but it was no longer flashing... There were lots of green dots and most were headed to take v118 from the vBoys and their Bish cohorts.
I smiled, wondering if Midway learned anything from this... "Talk is cheap", would be a good lesson. I also think he learned not to aggravate Shawk, and don't underestimate his ability to pull together folks quickly.
