Rufer - 80 tank kills Hs-129 B. MK101 single cannon.
Rudel - 500+ tank kills. Don't know the specific number with Ju87G BK3,7. Some sources 519 tanks.
In AH because of the easy mode tank main gun ability to shoot down planes. I use the IL2 because it is slightly more maneuverable than the Ju87-G2. And easier to setup and recover from a 60-70 degree guns attack against tank engine hatches. You kill AH tanks by using full zoom to orient yourself to the engine hatch. Then dive down, and open up inside of 600. You recover almost on top of the tank while pulling off left or right to avoid the gamey arse shot. Depending on the tank type, 1-4 passes and the tank blows up.
Why did I mention Rufer and Rudel? In WW2 both men's tactics to destroy tanks were dictated by the tank armor, their gun round's penetration ability at range, and the flight maneuverability realistic restrictions of their dog rides. Not by the tank commander's computer coordinated personal view and sighting.
Both were limited to starting their firing pass at the maximum of 300m in a straight pass at the side's of Russian tanks with no sudden redirect jink on exit to foil the tank commanders main gun aim. First because the 37mm and 30mm carbide core rounds were ineffective past 300m against tank armor. Second because their rides were under powered dogs, not maneuverable fighter bombers. Neither the optics nor the tank commanders of WW2 Russian and German tanks dictated attack tactics as in our game, that the IL2 or Ju87-G2 had to perform tree top ACM maneuvers as part of their guns run to fire starting at a maximum of 300m(328yd) to avoid the tank commander's aim portal or the main gunners optic.
The existence of these dog rides and their requirement of a straight line lineup run out side of 300m, with Rufer and Rudel's kill records, showcases tanks did not skeet shoot on the tank commanders whim other than a very rare lucky exception. 80 and 519 tank kills respectively means their tactics would have become common knowledge with tank groups. Along with 599 times for a single tank commander to get lucky since the Ju87 and Hs129 were limited to straight line passes to use their guns effectively against tank armor starting at 300m and closer for maximum effect.
At 328yds in our game where the Ju87 BK3,7 carbide round will kill the T34 early model shot in the side in a low level pass, the T34 kills you almost every pass. So how did Rudel not get killed 519 times being limited to his ride's abilities, the gun's short range penetration power, and the need for a straight startup run from past 300m? Yes Hitech in the past I was shot down by tank main guns on some occasions, few enough I admired the GV driver for his ability. Not like today if I try to use my Ju87 to the gun's strength feeding myself into computer aided optics. You might as well skin all of our tanks as M1 Abrams and issue them (DM11 or AMP)rounds since the IL2 and Ju87 tank hunters are in roughly the same speed range as modern tank hunting helicopters. Some of those Helo are more maneuverable and far more dangerous at much longer ranges than 328yds.
If Rufer and Rudel were any kind of an indicator to tank hunter gun kill success by flying in straight to line up a 328yd maximum range shot in WW2, versus the documented main gun kills of planes. I wonder how Lusche's stats look, pre commander mode optics and post for GV's killing IL2 and Ju87-G2?
