Bombing Height

[E69_VonPepofen]

Level Bombing height in WWII was almost never done at heights beloww 3.000 m agl. This was so because that was the maximin range of light Flak. In the career I fly, bombers keep flying at about 2.000 m and that is not very historically accurate. Thank you very much for listening and for a wonderful game.

[=KG76=flyus747]

I dont think thats true.  I distinctly recall reading books where 111 pilots bombed Moscow very low and the B29s bombing Tokyo also bombed very low

[BubiHUN]

1 hour ago, =KG76=flyus747 said:

I dont think thats true.  I distinctly recall reading books where 111 pilots bombed Moscow very low and the B29s bombing Tokyo also bombed very low

and when they bombed Berlin they were flying high.

[RedKestrel]

1 hour ago, =KG76=flyus747 said:

I dont think thats true.  I distinctly recall reading books where 111 pilots bombed Moscow very low and the B29s bombing Tokyo also bombed very low

Initial high-altitude bombing against the Japanese was switched over to low altitude night firebombing later in the war. AFAIK the Japanese had little in the way of night-fighters to speak of, and even less effective AA, so this was relatively low risk compared to the night bombing campaigns over Europe earlier in the war.

I don't know what Eastern front bombing heights were like but in general combat occurred at lower altitudes over Eastern Europe. higher Alt combat was the norm over western europe, mostly IIRC because of the weather and the deadliness of AA over German cities.

In any case, it may simple be that bombing runs are conducted at that altitude because the render distance makes lining up for bomb runs at higher than say 4k tricky, and above 7k basically impossible. I know some people do it as high as 6 K but it requires quite a bit of last minute adjustment.

[E69_VonPepofen]

      B29 night bombed Tokyo at night. Light Flak was not radar controlled. I am talking of bombing heights of 3K to 4,5 K AGL instead of 2K. This is rather logical as precisión lost is well balanced against inmunity to light Flak. In fact in the game bombers are hit by light Flak in every missión.

[MiloMorai]

All bombing heights for the 364 mission flown by the 303rd BG in the ETO can be found here, http://303rdbg.com/missions.html

[E69_VonPepofen]

  They seem to be way above 3K AGL

[NETSCAPE]

Depends. Here is some data from the BoS, KG 55:

 

 

On 6/10/2019 at 4:14 AM, VonPepofen said:

In fact in the game bombers are hit by light Flak in every missión.

 

Indeed, even the AI accuracy set to "low is still statistically more accurate than what is historical true. Most mission designers use "normal" setting which is almost lazer guided. This is one of many reasons why I hate multiplayer. It's odd that this community is autistically obsessed with realism but "lol learn to fly better" is what I get told when I complain about getting shot down constantly by AI flak.

[cardboard_killer]

On 6/10/2019 at 7:14 AM, VonPepofen said:

B29 night bombed Tokyo at night.

 

The really good pilots night bombed Tokyo by day. High altitude bombing was ineffective over Japan due to the jet stream winds over the island.

[Sokol1]

On 6/10/2019 at 3:28 PM, MiloMorai said:

All bombing heights for the 364 mission flown by the 303rd BG in the ETO can be found here, http://303rdbg.com/missions.html

 

?

Quote

"My old favorite airplane, "Betty Jane," flown by another pilot, had to abort this mission when the pilot had to turn off both inverters due to an electrical short caused by a urine "spill."
 

Many crewmen didn't like to use the relief tube that was located near the forward bulkhead of the bomb-bay, and simply relieved themselves on the bombs or in the bomb-bay.
 

Usually nothing happened, but this time the amplifiers were shorted out and no boost could be obtained for the superchargers and as a result they couldn't get to altitude.
 
This practice was forbidden, but was often violated as in this case. The pilot brought the "Betty Jane" back to base with the wet bombs, and the culprit was disciplined by having to fly an extra mission.

 

The official report was softened to indicate that a urine can was accidentally knocked over instead of what actually happened. Thus, the culprit might have lost rank as well as having to fly another mission if the whole truth had been known."

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Sokol1

[sevenless]

On 6/7/2019 at 7:36 PM, VonPepofen said:

Level Bombing height in WWII was almost never done at heights beloww 3.000 m agl. This was so because that was the maximin range of light Flak.

 

Interesting tidbit to that: When third squadron of Kampfgeschwader 51 "Edelweiss" (3./KG 51 - aka Kommando Schenk) became operational with their Me 262A-2a in 7/44 and flew their first missions attacking the allies in Normandy, they were strictly forbidden to go below 4.000 metres to avoid losses to light Flak. The result, no one wonders, was abysmal target accuracy. Hence they aquired the name "Flurschaden Geschwader" (lit. crop damage wing).

[DN308]

Most of 1942-43´s bombings over targets in Holland were between 300 and 1500 feet for Ramrods operations and 5000-12500 feet for circus ops.

 

Wayyyyy below your « historical » bombing level of 3k m 

Edited October 16, 2020 by DN308

[E69_VonPepofen]

             I refered to "Level Bombing". I cannot imagine Level Bombing at 300-1500 ft! Wayyyyy absurd.

 On the other hand 3K is aprox. 10.000 ft and circus was designed as a kind of trap for german fighters, which is a very special operation, not normal level bombing. 

[Pict]

2 hours ago, E69_VonPepofen said:

I cannot imagine Level Bombing at 300-1500 ft! Wayyyyy absurd.

 

Absurd or not it was most certainly done and lower than 300ft on occasion. Like the Eindhoven, Holland raid of 1942 when Boston, Venrtura and Mosquito MK.IV bombers of the RAF (the later two making their debut), attacked the Phillips radio factory.

 

 

 

It very much depends upon you perception of "level" bombing. 

 

The definition of "level" bombing as I understand it is that the bomber was flying level when the bombs were released. In the same manner the definition of "dive" bombing is when the bomber is flying in a dive when the bombs are released. It has nothing to do with altitude.

 

The initial wave of bombers, the Boston's in the above film are actually below the roof line of the factory at bomb release and then pull up to clear the building, but nonetheless they are flying level at bomb release.

 

The Ventura's and Mosquito's attack from a higher altitude, but it's still very low, in order to avoid damage from delayed fuse bombs from the 1st wave.

 

All these aircraft had bomb aiming equipment and bombardiers on board and they used them.

 

The idea was to achieve surprise through radar avoidance and accuracy because, well it would be hard to miss if you watch the film and see the size of the target.

Edited July 7, 2021 by Pict
Spelling, tweaking etc.

[E69_VonPepofen]

Level bombing refers to using the aiming device from a certain level of flight. Bombing from 300 ft is low level bombing and no complex aiming device is used.