It actually makes me think bombed-up Tempests aren't the advantage they
seem to be - at least on the way out.
Once you've dropped on the target, they're great, but little advantage
over something with rear gunners before.
56RAF_phoenix
On 30/04/2021 08:53, 56RAF_phoenix wrote:
You're mostly right there Colin, but to labour the points:
I'm not sure language is really a problem... their English is rather better than my Dutch!
Close escort is really, really hard, as Bo and I found when we trivially massacred an escorted Ju52 a couple of weeks ago.
But they have a real formation discipline problem, for example one of them got lost or something and was coming in late, so when I called my warning I wasn't sure and nor were they. I don't think our relationship as squads is close enough for joint training yet.
As to the Reverb G2 spotting, I haven't got good settings yet (another email to follow in due course), for example the murky conditions on CombatBox last night were dreadful for me. They also had the "moving cockpit" problem and I talked them through that later, though one of them seemed to know the answer anyway.
Having taken over when Cina had to leave, I was kind of in "bomber survival" mode because we don't often do bombed-up Tempests. It's very different because with rear gunners, I set mine to long-distance and get plenty of warning. So I wasn't playing to our strength, which would have been to ditch the bombs. But that would still have left us with an energy disadvantage. So I think turning South was right, but I should have taken the time to make it a tac-turn so that Roke & Stickz were abreast. Then ditched the bombs and extended to equalise energy.
Either way, most of Java would have been dead by then. So you could argue that it would have been just as good to continue to target and get at least some military objective.
I know this will sound brutal, but the escort really have to be able to look after themselves because bombers/bombed-up fighters will never have enough energy to come to their immediate help.
You may remember you killed a few of us at low level a few months ago on the deck in a similar way and I proposed an unconventional flight layout to provide better outward coverage. That's pretty much all bombers can offer to the escort.
56RAF_phoneix
On 28/04/2021 12:05, Colin (Redacted sender bart_56 for DMARC) wrote:
Hi Phoenix,
Did they get the warning correct language issue or transmit issue? If language maybe get Pod/Boot/Dutch to relay the messages in the future?
Do they need help/training in keeping formation, etc, as JaVa are flying with 56 on a regular basis, joint training might help? I do think JaVa doing joint missions etc is great btw:). How do you communicate with them outside of squad nights, maybe bring them into the existing comms settings, if this is a permanent fixture?
They have all got G2’s wow, I presume that you have now got good settings for spotting with the G2, have they tried them ?
Hmm real life I think there could be a whole discussion on that;).
The decision was made and I respect that, as you are in charge and leading the mission.
Comms do not seem run smoothly as a rule, between the different flights. As you have mentioned about the comms to JaVa and not knowing Roke/Stickz situation. Any way do you think there is a way to improve this?
As Roke says it’s good to hear the opposing forces PoV, most online engagements don’t have the opportunity to do this, to see where things went right and wrong. Plus it makes the debriefs more complete and interesting.
Just some small stuff that’s needs some work on :).
Colin
On 27 Apr 2021, at 22:55, 56RAF_phoenix <phoenix@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I actually called a warning to Java. They're not great at keeping consistent formations so we can spot attackers. Also, I think they're having real problem spotting with their Reverb G2s. I sorted out a cockpit-moving problem for them at the end of the evening.
So, in real life, as long as they weren't directly attacked I think the Tempests with bombs would have continued to target as we did, because that's their mission. Shooting down enemy fighters is a secondary objective. Us bombers assume the escort can look after themselves unless outnumbered.
There's a case to be made that we should have turned back when Roke & Stickz got attacked. But by then I wouldn't have known how many were down.
56RAF_phoenix
