Enhance Battle of Bodenplatte with Douglas A-20 J

[Retnek]

There will be no suitable bombers for the allied side in the upcoming Battle of Bodenplatte. I suggest to update the already available Douglas A-20B to the A-20 J or K-model. It is an comparable effort to what was successfully done with the Pe-2 series 87 and series 35. It offers the chance for authentic allied (horizontal) bomber sorties in the West until 1945.

 

Additionally adding the solid nosed A-20 G or H-models would result in further operational opportunities for strafing and a new kind of bombing sorties. Since the A-20 J or K-models were used as lead bombers for the G- and H-models, too. Except the solid nose both models were very similar, so the developers time for all those variants remains low.

 

The late A-20 models were operated by RAF and USAAF enhancing the options for different kind of operations and skins additionally.

 

Sources:

 

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_douglas_A-20_USAAF.html

(see "Europe" ff)

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_douglas_A-20J_Havoc.html

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_douglas_A-20K_Havoc.html

 

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_douglas_boston_RAF.html

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_douglas_boston_IV.html

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_douglas_boston_V.html

 

 

http://www.joebaugher.com/usattack/a20_19.html

http://www.joebaugher.com/usattack/a20_24.html

[Hoss]

+100

[Dakpilot]

Fully support this.

 

Ironically from limited research it seems the only A-20 variant in use at January 45 (in Western Europe) was the Boston IIIb with RAF 342 squadron (Free French) the similarities to A-20b lend lease from Kuban are very close and even less work would be needed,

However G and other variants would have great use for wider ETO scenarios

 

Cheers Dakpilot

[Royal_Flight]

I agree, it would be a great inclusion. An updated version would be something more competitive for '45, and the solid nose version would allow for a different style of piloting altogether and be good for variety, while still sitting comfortably alongside the other ground-attack aircraft in the release which are fast fighter-bombers.

Plus as has been mentioned already, the glazed nose version adds something that the entire BoBo release is lacking - multi-engine level bombers.

 

The inevitable opposition is 'but it wasn't involved in Op Bodenplatte'. Maybe not, but A-20s we're certainly active in the ETO and the release will cover more than just a few days of strafing airfields in winter. As a more general late war Western European release, the A-20 is deserving of a place.

[Gambit21]

The G - please.

Best bang for the buck there.

[hames123]

+1

 

I am also going to make an appeal to the devs to please make the Hawker Typhoon and include it in the plane set. It is one of the most relevent planes for the periods and certainly helped the allies loads.

 

Please? That way we will have a small assortment of allied ground attack planes.