busboy posted 07-10-99 12:36 AM            

Well, the new load for the B-25 has been out a while, and, if you've figgured it out, tell us what to do.

I've tried to use skip bombs, if I drop 2 at the same time, one may explode and dammage me while the other skips. What is the right way to skip bomb?

Parafrags, what are they good for? Ack killing? runway peppering? When is the time to drop em?

While we're at it, what is the best way to use rockets, I have about a 25% rocket hit rate, and I'm lookin to do better.

I know about that great little B-25 gunsight, maybe someone can post that later too? (I'll try to later)

well, I'd like some more information, and I bet alot of others would too, anyone want to help?

busboy

XO, 99th Dragons

Ken Savage posted 07-10-99 01:06 AM            

I've found that if you drop the skippies at about 150ft and as fast as possible, it seems to work OK. Takes some practice to get the distance from target for release right.

As for parafrags.....damn good question.......just what ARE they for???

oh yeah........and shouldn't skip bombs only 'skip' on water????

Not certain, but I thought they were a special purpose anti shipping weapon.

Did they actually 'skip' on the ground?

I would have thought that they would have simply exploded on contact???

Correct me if I'm wrong, please

<as if you needed an invitation for that!!>

<s> Pots

Yoyo posted 07-10-99 01:57 AM            

I'm still trying to get it down myself, but I've found that skippers are most effective against shipping if you come in full speed at less than 100' (< 50' is better) and pickle 2 broadside into an escort, aiming for the bow. Any higher and you risk detonation when they hit, or they might just bounce OVER the ship and skip happily away until they detonate. If you're higher than 200', dive in on the ship and release just a little before the ship, or use them as you would the regular GP 500#rs when dive-bombing.

Against land targets, you can use them both ways, also, although skipping on land works best against a large hard target such as a building. For acks, mast and radar, dive-bomb them directly.

I've been flying the B-25H almost exclusively this TOD (I was on vacation the first week of the RPS) and, like anything else in WB - practice makes perfect.

Skippers are a lot better than GP ordinance when you do an noe mission and want to stay completely below radar the whole time - you won't blow yourself up because the explosion is behind you rather than below.

The best way I've found to use the parafrags is to line up your approach before getting to the field, then switch to either zoom-map view or external view directly above the a/c. Release the bombs just before you pass over the target. Parafrags are really only good against the acks, though (at least the way the MA is set up now), and the B-25H has sooooo many better anti-ack weapons (8x.50s, rockets, 75mm) that I never bother with them. I'd rather carry the skippers - just in case I happen upon the CV group - or to use against the hard targets at a field.

busboy posted 07-10-99 02:41 AM            

Well Ken, the skip bomb was used mostly in the pacific, and the only target that you effectively could skib bomb were ships, however, skip bombs were used on the ground in europe, and by fighters in ground attack on targets like airfields.

Have you ever seen the movie Empire of the Sun? towards the end, P-51s are attackin a Jap airstrip, flying LOW (I mean props just 5 feet off the ground) they drop skip bombs. Its a very well done shot.

Also, in Europe, skip bombing was a tactic used, particularly by the germans, for killing tanks.

busboy

XO, 99th Dragons

Ram1 posted 07-10-99 09:50 AM            

Skip Bombs - You need to be low and fast. The skip bombs skips around 4 times. You should drop no longer then 3 boat lengths from target and you need to turn away from the target of the bombs will damage you.

In Warbirds you can skip them off the ground if the ground is flat.

Parafrag bombs - You can drop them over a field, they deploy a chute to retard the bombs speed and are good for cratering fields but not much else from what I can tell.

=ram1=

Jokr posted 07-10-99 03:40 PM            

I tried, 8 times or so, to attack the convoy in the HA setup. Took me quite a few runs to just get close enough to TRY to hit the dd that kept shooting me lots.

Oh, the convoy ships fire a lot also. It hurts.

How MANY bombs/rockets does it take to destroy each ship type? I asked this question in the HA folder also, and no one has replied yet. I was so looking forward to strafing the convoy, and then find out its got really big nasty TEETH to it. Ouchy.

Jokr

4th fighter group

carrie posted 07-10-99 04:00 PM         

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just curious: has anyone tried using the parafrags as "aerial mines" against a buff formation?

Carrie

Yoyo posted 07-10-99 10:55 PM            

Jokr: 2 x 500# skippers will sink a destroyer or cruiser. I could swear I've sunk destroyers in the past with only one GP 500#r when dive-bombing, but so far I haven't been able to sink one without using at least 2 skippers. I don't know for sure how much it takes to sink the carrier - if you're the only attacker, count on 3 runs (18 skippers? - I know 12 won't do it) just for the carrier alone. Set your delay to 50 ms and salvo to 6 and aim toward the bow. And don't forget to sink the carrier LAST.

The best way to avoid the flak - like THAT's possible - is to fly FAST and porpoise or stick-stir * A LOT *. I usually like to hunt for the CV group from 1000-2000' AWL, then when I spot it dive to 100' for a broadside attack. This gets your IAS up to around 300 mph. Make one pass, then beat-feet out the other side until you're out of range of the 88mm flaks (about 8 miles) before coming back in for another attack. Otherwise, Otto will still have a bead on you and you'll never get close enough to drop again.

I HAVE gotten 3 ship kills in a sortie this way, but the flak is so deadly, I've only made it back to base once (greed is an ugly thing...)

Yoyo *DIABLO*

Yeeehaaa

Shiva posted 07-11-99 01:39 AM            

Just curious: has anyone tried using the parafrags as "aerial mines" against a buff formation?

Or if you can catch a group of planes on the ground waiting to take off -- the WWII version of cluster bombs...