F-84E Bombing tips

[Captain_Trips]

I'm not sure if this is perfectly accurate but it is what AI spit out for me and I was going to practice with it this week.

He also said,
"Aiming references without a CCIP

One trick used by experienced jet pilots before computerized sights was to memorize what the target should look like in the gunsight at release.

For example:

Bombs (25° dive): Release when the target sits just below the center of the reticle at your chosen release altitude.

Rockets: Fire when the target is a little below the center of the sight, accounting for rocket drop.

Napalm: Release slightly before the target reaches the bottom of the sight so the canisters impact in the middle of the target area.

The key is consistency. If you always fly the same speed, dive angle, and release altitude, you'll quickly build the same visual picture every attack."


My bombing accuracy needs help.

But not as much as my gunnery. 😁

 

F-84E_Thunderjet_Attack_Manual_IL2_Korea.pdf

[WWGeezer]

I found the manual really useful for thinking about load outs and attack strategies in Battle of Korea.  Thank you for putting it together.

That being said, you got me digging on "pop-up" bombing since I was not familiar with that term.  AI Google search questioned if this technique was used during the Korean War since the jets controls were too simple in that era for complicated targeting manuevers.   The other issue (at least for VR flyers), is currently low level passes over villages causes some pretty significant frame rate drops, making targeting accuracy more difficult.   At this point I am trying to follow the guidance for angle of attack and altitude for the actual bomb drop, but not starting from a low level pass.  

Quote

Pop-up bombing (or toss bombing) is a military tactic where a jet flies very low to avoid enemy radar, then suddenly climbs steeply at the last second to throw a bomb forward and upward at the target. [1, 2]

The Korean War (1950–1953) marked the dawn of the jet age in warfare. However, pop-up bombing as a specialized, computer-guided tactic was not developed until much later (the late 1950s and 1960s). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Early jet pilots in Korea, like those flying the F-80 Shooting Star or F-84 Thunderjet, used basic dive-bombing and low-level strafing to support ground troops. They had to fly right down in the open to see their targets. The early jets were simply too fast and lacked the advanced targeting computers needed for the complex pop-up maneuver. [1]

 

[Dash,Polder]

They were already using toss and loft bombing tactics in WWII, many of the Korean attack pilots were Vets so already had that knowledge and skill set ability.  

That illustration is not either tactic of these, a pop up is not toss bombing, the release happens in the early stage of the climb, the bomb continues an upward trajectory than falls into the target.  These were used to whittle away on heavily defended targets like airfields, allowing limited exposure of the attacker who could toss bombs a mile out and break off before flak ever could engage.

Loft bombing WWII style was fly directly on target, and pull vertical directly over what you intend to hit, release and watch the fire works over your shoulder as you roll off target. 

Stupid AI strikes again.  

[Captain_Trips]

The pop-up bombing reference was my fault.  Previous in this session I was planning a mission approaching a target through a valley and then popping up to attack altitude about 5 clicks out.  

So he was just echoing the previous conversation.