88m Flak - How'd They Do It!?

[DubiousKB]

I feel like I'm missing something critical in the 88m flak field guns...

(this is going to sound very narcassistic....)


But I was in TT last night and had just popped a couple radars on the V-bases with my N1k. I was heading back to base at 4-6k altitude, juking and jiving from auto-ack not getting hit... Then all of a sudden, i hear, boom, boom, start looking around to see which base the fire is coming from, but before i could even ascertain it's origin, boom, and on the next boom, I go boom...

Due to how i was flying I was completely shocked that the 88 got me.... Wallowing in my own self-pity, i pm'd the guy asking "how'd you do that!?"... to which i got no reply... I saluted him and proceeded to whine a bit on 200. I checked the gents stats in hopes of finding a million and one kills from field guns, and found the stats, less than impressive...

So the question remains, am i simply missing something on the 88m field guns, why can i never seem to get close & kills!? Any tips would be helpful

[8thJinx]

KB, give me a day or two, look for an email.

[bustr]

If you can run the beta, get the current beta 3. Look for my post in that forum titled: Copperhd.

Download the offline gunnery training terrain. On the island I've put in place three 88mm positions so you can practice against the drones out to about 7k. Don't miss the rest of the island's features.

1. - Two tank firing ranges to learn your optics relationship to tanks at different ranges. One 4 miles long with tank hulks all over it. The second 4000yds long with tank hulks starting at 1000yds then every 500yds after that to 4000yds. Each range has a 17lb and an 88 on the firing range.

2. - A wirbel nest spawn to the top of a mesa set 400ft below the path of the drones. There are also 37mm and an 88 up there.

3. - An 88mm on a peak over the 4 mile tank range to get you a 7k shot at the drones. And one down in a big canyon with a 7k shot at another set of drones.

4. - Fighters have a 7k air spawn so you don't have to waste time climbing to the drones or practicing jabo. There is a 12k spawn over several CV groups to practice jaboing them.

5. - Bombers have a 15k spawn to get into level bombing mode quickly. There is a nice target for them past the 4 mile line at the end of the tank range. Then there is a 12k spawn to practice level bombing of a rapidly turning and zigzagging CV group. To complete that, there are several 1250ft spawns near the CV groups for torpedo bombing or the B-25H. There is an updated 4000yd gunsight for the B-25H in the package.

6. - There are two ports controlling three CV groups. The zigzag group and two that steam at and past each other, then reverse direction. I set that up for ship to ship gunnery or practicing with a torpedo bomber. From those parts are 8 PT spawn to get you within easy practice distance of the CV groups.

7. - There are two tank Hogan Alleys on the map. There are tank hulks everywhere to help you learn to see tanks under the new trees from SpeedTree in the AH3 terrains.

It is not a bug that AP rounds will only make a nice explosion against the tank hulks. It is a Hitech program feature. Bombs and HE ammo will make them go boom because I had to identify their object as a structure. About 3 88HE or a single 500lb should do it.

[DubiousKB]

excellent, ty gents!   

... it appears I just ain't that good in'em.... 

[Randy1]

Keep in mind too, the roll of the dice fits flying through any ack.  Sooner or latter you are going to roll snake eyes.

[DubiousKB]

I'm thinking my astonishment at the situation was mirrored by the guy who shot me with surprise and excitment...

Just a darn tootin' lucky shot....    Gotta be good to be lucky I suppose....

[Scca]

There are some folks out there getting REALLY good with the 88 I have found.  Up until recently, I thought "isn't that cute" when the 88's started flying.  Now, I'm thinking, "damn, I gotta kill that thing..."...

[Randy1]

I am fairly good in the 88 but anything over 1.5k and luck has to start figuring into the shot.  That is say you have to have the path and the distance to the fighter coincide after 2 or 3 secconds.  I can make a fighter dance at 5-6k but the chance of a kill is low.

I did see a guy waste a full formation of B17s at better than 5k out with one shot.

[8thJinx]

All it takes is practice.  Collect enough 88 data in the offline arenas, and you can make up a small targeting overlay like I did.  I put it on the monitor screen, and it tells me where the round will burst at a certain distance and gun elevation.  Crossing shots are a little harder, but certainly not impossible.  It just takes practice.  I will typically start sending rounds out to an incoming target at 7k.  My personal record is 8k.

And the whole trick to the overlay method is using the proper zoom.  It took some time, but I figured that out, too.  If I knew how to record a clear video of the screen (not screen capture, because that wouldn't show the overlay), I'd post one.

[bustr]

At least now in the beta, and then in AH3, you will have my offline gunnery training terrain with 3 88's that let you shoot at drones out to 7k. On the other hand having three dimensions to set the target will allow you to range the target, then setup any kind of overlay you want for azimuth. Lead timing and progressively resetting your fuse timer takes live experience. Nothing like having 6 live moving bombers to shoot at over and over and over.....  .....

Oh!! And you get to learn how to range with the 88 AP and 17lb AP round out to 4miles against tanks.

[DubiousKB]

Very interesting... Now to practice and get a sharpie for my monitor! 

[Wiley]

With an overlay and practice I'd imagine one could get quite good at it.  The other day I had popped into the 88 just to see what was coming into a field, then realized it was coming in so nice and straight I thought I'd take a shot at it.  I walked them in and hit one of them at about 4500 yards.  Don't know who was more surprised, me or the guy I hit.

Question though- wouldn't the amount of perceived drop change depending on the elevation angle of the gun?  I've only ever shot with it by walking it on.

Wiley.

[bustr]

Elevation changes and how much time you decrease or add to the fuse. Those skills are the heart of hitting planes. Rule of thumb, I zoom until the tip of the barrel is just into the screen. Then I know 1\3 down between the bottom of the white ring and the tip of the barrel is the drop for 7000yds(4 miles). Discovered that the other day testing the 88 on my gunnery terrain on the 4 mile firing line.

[Wiley]

Not quite what I mean.  If you shoot it horizontally, from your POV you will see the round drop a certain amount of distance on your screen, correct?  If you were shooting it exactly vertically, it would still be decelerated the same amount by gravity, but from your POV it would still be on the same line of sight, right?  On your screen the puff would be right on the gunsight.

Wiley.

[8thJinx]

KB, I just emailed you the range card. Contact me in game so I can explain it.