bombing question

[bush]

If I use a TB with bombs against a land target - is their a "bomber" penalty if it flies below 6,000 feet?

[PaxMondo]

when bombing land targets, TB's look like LB's in all respects. So, yes.

[btd64]

Flak also gets a little thick.[:D][:D][:D]....GP

[witpqs]

I thought that the category of Level Bombers was broken down like this:

Level Bombers
- Heavy Bombers
- Medium Bombers
-- Attack Bombers
- Light Bombers

Do Light Bombers suffer that penalty? I thought it was only Heavy Bombers and non-Attack Medium Bombers.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

I thought that the category of Level Bombers was broken down like this:

Level Bombers
- Heavy Bombers
- Medium Bombers
-- Attack Bombers
- Light Bombers

Do Light Bombers suffer that penalty? I thought it was only Heavy Bombers and non-Attack Medium Bombers.

I've always understood it to mean all non-attack bombers.

Likely we will need Alfred to chime in to set us all straight.

[crsutton]

I doubt it. Some early models (swordfish) only carry one bomb so how could they be halved? Not sure about twin engine planes such as the beaufort but as I understand it they all (torpedo planes) use the same bomb load listed for long range missions anyways which is already a reduced load. Actually TBF at short to medium range could carry quite a large bomb load. Up to four 500 pound bombs if I recall.

[wdolson]

The TBF's bomb bay was pretty decent size. There were also hard points on the wings that were wet on later models. This allowed them to carry drop tanks on the external shackles.

Bill

[Jorge_Stanbury]

This is from my current DBB-C PBEM game; I have no issues with my British Swordfish I bombing at 1,000 feet


Morning Air attack on Port Blair , at 46,58

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Allied aircraft
Swordfish I x 12

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 12

Aircraft Attacking:
12 x Swordfish I bombing from 1000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb


By the way, my opponent is also having "lots of fun" bombing at low altitude:

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Gorong at 81,111
Weather in hex: Severe storms
Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 37
B5N2 Kate x 27

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 5 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
SOC-1 Seagull: 4 destroyed

Allied Ships
CL Boise, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
CA Pensacola, Bomb hits 1
DD John D. Edwards, Bomb hits 1
DD Alden

Aircraft Attacking:
25 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb

Magazine explodes on CL Boise

[crsutton]

Well, if the swordfish is dropping "two" 500 lb bombs then that answers the original question. There seems to be no penalty for low level attacks. Also, puts to bed be my statement that they use the reduced long range bomb load instead which would only be one 500 lb bomb. Thanks Jorge for clearing it up.

[bush]

Thanks to all contributors!

Mike

[dcpollay]

My impression was that the low-level bomber penalty was for accuracy, not payload. Are we all talking about the same subject here?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Colonel Mustard

My impression was that the low-level bomber penalty was for accuracy, not payload. Are we all talking about the same subject here?

You might be mixing metaphors. As far as pilots go, there are skills for ground bombing versus low-ground bombing. Also for naval bombing versus low-naval bombing. Those certainly influence accuracy.

Separately, certain aircraft types get their payload halved when they bomb from low level.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Colonel Mustard

My impression was that the low-level bomber penalty was for accuracy, not payload. Are we all talking about the same subject here?

Payload, it is halved.

[blueatoll]

So if I set my altitude for 6000' with TBDs and have them set on a primary mission of Naval Attack and secondary mission of Ground Attack will my TBDs still be able to do torpedo attacks successfully if a naval target presents itself?

I was wondering why my Avengers were performing so terribly v. historical on ground attacks.
Thanks

[Jorge_Stanbury]

Yes, TB will fly at 6,000 then drop to 100 for torpedo run, and then go back to 6,000

If you setup a secondary mission of ground bombing, then it will do level bombing at 6,000 on the afternoon phase, assuming of course primary (naval) target was not found

How good is the DL of the target? how good is the pilot's ground bombing skill?
These 2 will have more importance than the plane used

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: blueatoll

So if I set my altitude for 6000' with TBDs and have them set on a primary mission of Naval Attack and secondary mission of Ground Attack will my TBDs still be able to do torpedo attacks successfully if a naval target presents itself?

I was wondering why my Avengers were performing so terribly v. historical on ground attacks.
Thanks

Yes, but what that has to do with the original post, I don't know...[;)]

[blueatoll]

The 6000' part of the question. TBDs default to 5000' for Nav Attack. Thought that was the required altitude.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: blueatoll

The 6000' part of the question. TBDs default to 5000' for Nav Attack. Thought that was the required altitude.

Ah! Those default settings don't really mean much. The display that we see always shows the most recent selection for the group's various settings, so when a group first arrives (even at game start) it has to have something there.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: blueatoll

So if I set my altitude for 6000' with TBDs and have them set on a primary mission of Naval Attack and secondary mission of Ground Attack will my TBDs still be able to do torpedo attacks successfully if a naval target presents itself?

I was wondering why my Avengers were performing so terribly v. historical on ground attacks.
Thanks

Yes, but what that has to do with the original post, I don't know...[;)]

Had to do with post #14

cheers