Attacking with rockets in a Hawker Typhoon

[Jabo_68*]

Does anyone have info on how the RAF carried out rocket attacks in the Typhoon?  Unfortunately, the books I've read on the matter don't go into detail about the technique did they used.

[-=PHX=-SuperEtendard]

Here you can see some strafing and rocket attacks by Typhoons
 

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by -=PHX=-SuperEtendard

[No105_Swoose]

 

[Avimimus]

11 hours ago, Jabo_68* said:

Does anyone have info on how the RAF carried out rocket attacks in the Typhoon?  Unfortunately, the books I've read on the matter don't go into detail about the technique did they used.

 

Hi! This thread has quite a bit of info on historical tactics for different types of targets - and also some test in game:

You might find it useful! If you find more resources - feel free to add!

Edited May 8, 2022 by Avimimus

[Lusekofte]

I read in Flypast, they covered Typhoons and it pilots pretty often and over time bits an pieces got into a story. 

When it came to rockets , unguided, the MI 24 with full auto aim is better to use.

 

 

 

But what I read was that they normally launched all in one salvo from a steep angle. They where not accurate

Ships or barge very low and right in the waterline.

I read that IL 2 pilots tried to lead with their mg first and salvoed the rockets.

 

I am not always impressed by sources, so I do not take all information as absolute truth

Edited May 8, 2022 by LuseKofte

[Gingerwelsh]

I'm using a Mosquito, shipping attack profile. It's very accurate.

 

Role in at 2000'. Dive at 45 deg.

Machine guns at 1500'.

Cannons at 1000'.

RP at 500'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

..l

 

[Megalax]

I've read of some pilots "walking" their rockets to the intended target by firing their cannons first. When the cannons were getting close to hitting they'd fire their rockets.

[56RAF_Roblex]

6 hours ago, Megalax said:

I've read of some pilots "walking" their rockets to the intended target by firing their cannons first. When the cannons were getting close to hitting they'd fire their rockets.

 

Would that really help when the 'drop' of cannon shells is nowhere near the same as the rockets?   Perhaps if the pilot knows where to aim at 600yds and sets his convergence to 600yds?

[ShamrockOneFive]

On 5/8/2022 at 3:48 PM, 56RAF_Roblex said:

 

Would that really help when the 'drop' of cannon shells is nowhere near the same as the rockets?   Perhaps if the pilot knows where to aim at 600yds and sets his convergence to 600yds?

 

I suspect this is more of a tactic for overall use. The cannon shells will give a rough trajectory but not a very good one, however, you can fire the cannons from further out and and correct at least some of your aim before getting closer and firing the heavier hitting but less accurate rockets as the target passes beneath the aim point.

 

That way the attacking aircraft has a chance to fire two types of weapons and pull off of the target in a minimal amount of time and then egress.

 

They frequently did not stick around.

[Gambit21]

Interestingly, only a tiny percentage of rockets found their target. I can’t remember the number/percentage…but it was very small.

[Asgar]

14 minutes ago, Gambit21 said:

Interestingly, only a tiny percentage of rockets found their target. I can’t remember the number/percentage…but it was very small.

Nicolas Moran has a pretty good video about tank claims by planes compared to loss numbers reported by the enemy and it turns out it was something like 5 to 10% of things claimed there were actually destroyed or at least out of combat due to the aircrafts actions. I twas a pretty bad number I remember, but not quite sure how bad. 

Edited May 10, 2022 by Asgar

[Dragon1-1]

Rockets in general are not terribly accurate. That's why they're typically fired in huge salvos these days. Scoring a direct hit is hard and a close miss won't kill a tank. Aircraft, softskins and infantry are better targets for rocket attacks IRL than hardened targets like tanks.

[Avimimus]

On 5/10/2022 at 10:54 AM, Gambit21 said:

Interestingly, only a tiny percentage of rockets found their target. I can’t remember the number/percentage…but it was very small.

 

I believe it is covered in the other thread I linked. Weather had significant impacts, as does target size, and approach. The classic quote for RP-3 accuracy under actual combat operations is ~200 rockets for one hit on a tank-sized target. Of course, the blast of a 60lb RP-3 means that trucks could often be taken out without a direct hit. The picture is a bit more complicated though, and with the right tactics and enough practice one should be able to quite a bit better than was achieved by typical pilots in life threatening real-world use.