Dive bombing with Pe-2

[TP_Jacko]

I was hoping that in the command attack you can select level of dive bomb but I can't see a way to select that. I must have been dreaming. So question is with AI pe-2 can you make them dive bomb. How is it done

[PB0_Foxy]

You should be able to do it.

I have a group file for dive bombing with the Stuka. I will try it with Pe2 and if it works I will attach it in this topic.

 

Anyway you have to use a bomb load compatible with dive bombing so use external loads only

[No43_Handsome]

Pe2 external load e.g. 2 x Fab 250

 

Attack area 'Ground Targets' priority set to HIGH

 

Attack area altitude 3000m

 

Multiple object targets within the Attack area zone.

 

The Pe2 circles the area, selects a target, then deploys dive brakes and dives to release.

 

There may well be other variations, but I just tried this, and this is what happened.

 

3000m is also good for the Ju87. Don't forget the sirens! ("we took them off. They reduced the KPH too much. We preferred the paper tubes attached to the bombs")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-CQ5Sko3mk&list=PL00A506FAE3B4225E&index=45

[Jade_Monkey]

Yes, I have seen AI Pe-2 diving, so definitely possible.

[TP_Jacko]

Yep i got it to work they did overfly about 6 km then turned back. I had two tanks on the ground. Each got niled by a 250kg bomb. I had to make the time on attack long enough for the pe 2 to fly over retun and make two passes

[JimTM]

I'm testing dive bombing and level bombing with the attack command (not area) but I'm having trouble getting bombers to go direct to the target.

 

I tried a test with one level-bombing Pe-2 (10 bombs) and one dive-bombing Pe-2 (4 bombs, external) attacking two factories. I set up their route to take them over a waypoint (one for each bomber) and then keep going straight to the target. The waypoints trigger the attack command.

 

On the first test run at 3,000m, both bombers did a wide turn at the waypoint and finally proceeded over the factory. The dive bomber then dove and dropped successfully but the level bomber kept circling around making accurate runs on the factory but not dropping.

 

On the second test run at 2,000m, both bombers did a wide turn at the waypoints and finally proceeded over the factory. The dive bomber and the level bomber dropped successfully.

 

I tried different distances from the waypoints to the target (~2000m, ~25000m, and 5500m) but the bombers still circled before proceeding to the targets.

 

Does anyone have the secret to making bombers go straight to the target and also level bomb from any height? I'd love to solve the mystery and add it to my manual.

 

Thanks!

Edited October 19, 2015 by JimTM

[No43_Handsome]

Just had a fiddle:

 

At the very least; payload determines attack profile.

Internal = Level

External = Dive

There may be other ways of influencing ai behaviour in this respect?

Taking searchlights as an example, applying 'Command:Force Complete' priority didn't appear to have an affect on bombing style. (For Searchlights: Low = offensive, Medium = defensive High = Idle) 

 

 

Using Attack Area 'Attack ground targets', triggered from a waypoint, with targets at the centre:

 

Command Attack Area priority = High encouraged a first pass attack using its' entire payload, provided the area radius allows for target acquisition. A radius of 1000m worked for a flying\attack height of 3000m.

Command Attack Area height was same as waypoint height i.e. 3000m.

Priority = medium resulted in the Pe2 circling prior to attacking.

 

Assigning a Pe2 'AddEvent: OnPlaneBingoBombs' targeted at the next waypoint worked well; having released it's bombs in one pass, the Pe2 proceeded to it's next waypoint.

 

Regarding height:

Using 4000m for approach and attack resulted in the Pe2 opening its bomb doors, but not releasing despite making numerous passes.

Using 5000m resulted in no reaction at all from the Pe2, other than to circle presumably because it hasn't been told what to do next.

Same for the Heinkel.

 

Both of the above despite changing Attack Area radius to allow for greater distance bombs have to be released etc.

Therefore, somewhere between 3-4000m there is a height above which the ai require something else in order to bomb generic ground targets using Attack Area.

 

At 300m the attack was fine.

 

Interesting.

Edited October 19, 2015 by No43_Handsome

[No601_Swallow]

Great testing , H! 

[Juri_JS]

As anyone managed to make AI Pe-2 drop all external bombs at once during a dive bombing attack?

Edited October 20, 2015 by Juri_JS

[TP_Jacko]

As anyone managed to make AI Pe-2 drop all external bombs at once during a dive bombing attack?

 

No luck from me, but they are pretty accurate so only need to drop one bomb at a time . I was thinking of making multiple target zones so they could devastate a length of front line.

 

Its a real sexy feeling when you follow the pe2 diving from height on external view. 

 

I did try a dive bomb with internal bombs and the pe2 levelled off to drop all his bombs in one go which is the closest to it, maybe you can force a low level pass that levels off in a similar way to DB.

 

 

 

Next I want to get the Pe2 to fire rockets.

Edited October 20, 2015 by TP_Jacko

[No43_Handsome]

Hme...

 

Regarding guaranteeing first pass level bombing using an 'Attack Area\Ground Targets' - I'm not so sure.

 

Does getting a result once  mean the same result each time? I'm seeing random results. At least I think I am.

 

Hme... Dunno.

 

Dive bombing is pretty solid.