Impressive fire power of PE-2 AI gunners

[MadisonV44]

I'm unable to find the sweet spot to escape the impressive fire power of PE-2 AI gunners.

Get the engine killed almost every times even in very improbable angles despite high speed and safe approach.

 

The old IL-2 receipt (choosing the right speed, angles and position) seems to be ineffective there.

LW pilots any hints ?   

 

 

Let's precise it happens almost online, so could this be linked to IA level settings ?  

[tovarisch]

I am lately flying Pe2 and I must admit I am impressed about the guy behind me. I feel quite safe as I see he kills now aircrafts on my rear much better. I do not know if this is accurate in rea life, and what was the rate of killings of these gunners, but I must say, time ago they were useless at all, as they did not hit '' A cow at half a meter with a violoncello'' . I only fly online. I do not know how they react in solo mode.

Edited May 7, 2016 by tovarisch

[=EXPEND=Capt_Yorkshire]

agreed i think the pe2 gunners are a lot better than they used to be and the sims better for it , get high get fast and don't stay on its 6 for more than a second

[6./ZG26_Emil]

Always attack bombers from angles that are not dead 6. It takes some practice but it's far safer to attack from the side or front.

 

IIRC 6 Knights Cross holders were killed in either 41 or 42 by Pe-2 gunners, it's a fast plane and your closure distance is slower than when you attack other bombers like the IL2.

[707shap_Srbin]

Yeah, as first Bf109's came to mind Karl Sattig of II./JG54 and famout Willi Niemitz of II./JG52. For Fw190 pilots - I can remember Kroschinski in late 1944 (or early 1945?)?

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

I did this on Paint under a minute so you can appreciate the talent involved.

 

Red lines are the field of fire from the top and bottom guns. The blue area are where you can attack from safely. From the top half of the aircraft, when fitted with the bubble turret, you can forget about a safe approach from the rear hemisphere. The bottom gunner however has a ridiculously small field of fire so if you throw a bit of a sideways angle you can get a good shot at the engines, fuel tanks and whatnot.

[ITAF_Rani]

I agree Lucas..nice pic...stay on 6 of Pe is really dangerous affair...ai gunner are too dangerous at moment...

[707shap_Srbin]

In russian.

T.P.Punyov interveiw.

"I fought in Pe-2" book by A.Drabkin. Many important interveiws, especially of Anosov.

 

 

 

Вот идет наша эскадрилья — 9 машин. Мы на боевом курсе — маневрировать не можем, боевой порядок у нас плотный — «2x2», а то и «1,5x1,5». А немцы на нас сверху строем — почти крылом к крылу, доходят до дистанции выстрела и — массированный огонь! Скорость у них на пикировании сумасшедшая, никто не попадет — ни штурмана, ни стрелки-радисты. И истребители из группы непосредственного прикрытия перехватить не успевают! Огонь 16 пушек по ведущей пятерке! Так своим огнем они сразу 3–4 «пешки» сбивали. Мы сразу смыкаемся, а «фоккеры» проскакивают вниз, их четверка тут же разделяется на пары и сразу атакует нас снизу, в брюхо. И теперь основной удар уже по крайним машинам! И здесь скорость у немцев тоже не маленькая («запас» с пикирования остается приличным). Теперь наши стрелки по ним ведут огонь, да тоже — пойди попади! Атакой снизу немцы сбивали еще 2–3 машины. Далее выход из атаки «переворотом» и в пикирование, чтоб с нашими истребителями в бой не вступать. Вот так — одна атака, раз, два! — сбито 5–7 бомбардировщиков (а бывало и больше!). Все! «Фоккеры» свою работу выполнили — налет сорван, потому, что 2–4 оставшимися «пешками» серьезного удара не нанесешь. Ни по наземным целям, ни по конвою. Настолько у немцев все молниеносно получалось, что иной раз, уцелев, ты и понять не можешь, был ты под огнем или не был.

[MadisonV44]

Many thanks for the feedbacks and materials guys ! Very interesting indeed. 

 

One of the vicious thing is maybe the very few tracers that come with the ShKAS (related in the book "I fought in PE-2", thanks panzerbar !). In game we are almost unable to see the shots at close distance, at greater distance we can see them a little better. Not lethal, but deadly to my engines, almost every time ...       

 

Undeniably the most accurate gunners of all the sim at the moment, maybe a little too much in my opinion compared to fire power and crew switching position at a glance.

[6./ZG26_Emil]

Maybe that's against AI aircraft but honest if you fly bombers a lot the gunners are terrible. We've had a single mig been able to dodge the return fire from 6 Ju-88s with Ace AI gunners....in fact those Aces shot up friendly planes because their barrels overheated!!!

 

Just don't attack from dead six and you will be fine. I can do a little video if you want to know what I mean but it's probably obvious

[707shap_Srbin]

[MadisonV44]

Great video, many thanks. 

Very talented gunner, ability to cease fire one microsecond in order to jump the tailfin is awesome ! 

[Turban]

The 12.7 on the Pe2 is the one thing I miss from the russian side. It gave the plane a good fighting chance, once you unlocked it.

However, it isn't that big of a deal. I usually come in really fast and not in the Pe2's 6s and it's fine. The Pe2 is a big and comparatively slow target, so choosing different angles isn't a big problem. 

 

And as, seen in that (great) video, all machine gun turrets can be deadly.

[LukeFF]

 

 

The 12.7 on the Pe2 is the one thing I miss from the russian side. It gave the plane a good fighting chance, once you unlocked it.

 

The Series 87 always has the 12.7mm UBT. It's the upgraded turret that is unlocked. 

[FTC_Blaky]

When I go through the messages in stats I see I killed the gunner, but the turret got me... What is that? How can a gun shoot without a gunner? 

[216th_Jordan]

Probably hit you before you killed the gunner or a different gunner hit you.

[Monostripezebra]

If you´re forced to go dead six for speed reasons.. shoot the top gunner first, they die extremly fast and are easy to take out.