This article appeared earlier at EAW Online.

FRANCE, 1943

Pre-Flight Checks

To get the most from your EAW experience, you should install the latest versions of:

· The "Enemy Coast Ahead" patch, as it adjusts the damage from bombers' guns to a more realistic level and gives Axis aircraft more potent armament.
· The MeatWater soundpack, as it adds another layer to the realism of the game

PREPARATION

The tactics described below have been learnt whilst taking on the role of Major of 4/II/JG2, flying Bf-109G6s from Creil, France.

As far as pre-mission preparations go, the EAW flight school explains most of what needs to be done. However, when looking over the pilots roster in the 'Squadron' section, it is important to consider the default Schwarm assignments. II/JG2 are veterans of air combat over Russia and begin the campaign with a good deal of experience (read: kills), so it is prudent to divide the most experienced between the Schwarms.

Choosing a wingman who you will favour throughout the campaign is also a wise move. Don't be tempted to commit all of your best pilots all of the time, as they will suffer from fatigue and new Staffel members will never acquire the necessary combat experience.

As an added safety measure, and if you can spare them, designate one of your Schwarms as your 'Fighter Flight' - this is just a mental note when deciding on the allocation of your pilots. These can be used to deal with enemy fighters should the need arise (hopefully it won't, as their aircraft will be laden with the 20mm gun pods, but it's best to plan for all eventualities.)

Once inside the cockpit, take off and climb towards your target vector. Order your Staffel to tighten formation - it will help concentrate your first pass attack.

At this point, it may be tempting to use the Alt-N shortcut to jump to the next point of action. However, this can sometimes put you in a disadvantageous position relative to the bomber formation and any escorting fighters.

If you don't want to literally fly all the way, it is sometimes best to use the Autopilot and then cycle through the time compression. By using Alt-M, you can keep an eye on the map, and may be able to see friendly aircraft ahead of your position, moving towards the target vector.

Pic 1. This approach is too far over from the bomber formation, making accurate and effective fire almost impossible. Unless you break left at this point, you will be exposed to heavy fire from the rear of the formation.

FIRST PASS

1) If things have gone according to plan, when the enemy bomber formation comes into visual range it should be no more than 20 to 30 degrees off either side of your nose. (If you use the HUD, you may want to select the nearest bomber and hit F10 to see its facing position relative to yours.)

2) Switch off the Autopilot, then shift the throttle up to full and tell your Staffel to target the bombers. Order your wingman to cover you. (At this point I also select the 20mm nose cannon/ 2x13mm MG combination, but you may want to select all guns.)

3) The distance between your planes and the enemy bombers should be closing rapidly, so it is very important to line up on a target and concentrate on getting into a good attack position. Ideally this should be head on and slightly above or below (See Pics 1 to 3).

Pic 3. This attack angle is too high, but could still be quite effective if your aim is good and you calculate enough lead. Your closure speed will also be high, giving you less time to fire.

4) As the details of the bombers become more distinct, order your Staffel to 'Engage Bandits', order your wingman to cover you, and try to remain focused on your target.

5) Open fire from close range. Try to aim for the inner engines and/or cockpit area, and make every round count. On rare occasions, a cockpit hit will knock your target out of the sky. Fuselage hits may disable the gunners, and engine hits can slow the bomber down or force it to ditch its bombs and break formation.

6) As soon as you pass the bombers break away and down from the formation, jinking as much as possible to spoil the aim of any gunners trying to fire on you.

7) Begin turning and climbing downwards once past the bombers, cut the throttle to 80% and call ground control for reinforcements. Next order your wingman to regroup, and select the pair of 20mm cannons. Check around you for any enemy fighters, and check the bomber formation to see how much damage your Staffel has inflicted. You may want to order them to target and engage the bombers again, and order in your 'Fighter Flight' if the escorts are causing too much trouble for your men.

8) Give your wingman time to regroup (by cutting the throttle) and continue keeping an eye out for enemy fighters. There are 2 options at this point:

· If the bomber formation has stayed mostly intact, climb and order your Staffel to regroup. Once you have regrouped, press home a high-speed formation attack from above and to the rear of the bombers.

· If the bomber formation is in various states of disarray, order your Staffel to attack, whilst you and your wingman head for 'Coffin Corner'.

'COFFIN CORNER' and Other Intercept Methods

'Coffin Corner' is the name given to the lowest level of the bomber formation, usually on the right-hand side as you approach from the rear. You should begin to head for the lowest three B-17s.

A good approach is level or slightly below and to the right. The idea is to close at high speed and for you and your wingman to attack the B-17 on the far right. You should try to close to about 300m or less, opening fire with your pair of 20mm cannons, and then dive away to the right. (You must judge for yourself how safe it is to continue this attack prior to disengaging. A good basic rule is to continue until your start drawing too much fire, and/or are heading on a collision course.)

When you break off, it is best to put this (hopefully) damaged bomber between you and the rest of the formation as you descend, as this seems to prevent other bombers firing accurately at you. Order your wingman to disengage and regroup as you make your way back to a similar starting position to the one you made on this attack run.

Pic4: Approaching the pair of stragglers, the target is the damaged B-17. My wingman was ordered to attack the second, undamaged plane.

Bomber formations that have been mauled by successive fighter attacks often develop stragglers. One or two badly damaged bombers may break away from the main formation, or begin to lag behind.

· The former are often tempting targets, and can be chased and shot down away from the protective fire from the rest of the formation. The only problem is that the chase can take you some distance away from the rest of the fighting.

· The latter are prone to the same weaknesses, but are sometimes in formation with another bomber. If this happens, order your wingman to attack this other aircraft, and press home your attack on the damaged target.

In Pics 4 to 9, you can see the approach and attack on a pair of such stragglers.

Pic5: Getting into a good firing postion. Luckily, the bomber to the left offers no opposition, perhaps because of crew casualties.

Pic6,7,8: Closing in on the target, opening fire at close range with the underwing cannons, and scoring hits against the engines and fuselage.

Pic9: The result : the targets' inside port engine catches fire and the B-17, fatally damaged, nosedives earthward.

Another attack method is to target the bombers at the top of the formation. This can be done using the same method used to attack 'Coffin Corner', but you may have to spend more time climbing to their level. Also, you should turn away from the bomber formation after your attack, otherwise you will expose yourself to enemy fire as you drop away.

POINTS TO REMEMBER

1) Attacks on bomber formations must be as co-ordinated as possible. This means that attacks by your Staffel are more likely to be successful if they are carried out as a group.

If this is not possible, you should at least try to attack with the help of your wingman. Ordering your Staffel to disengage and regroup as you trail the enemy bombers helps to concentrate your offensive firepower and provide mutual defence. This takes time and relies on your continual awareness of what is going on around you.

2) It is much better to break up the bomber formation and to take advantage in the gaps this creates in their defensive fire.

3) Always call ground control for more support. If you can assess what direction this support will arrive and engage from, you can also time any attacks by you to coincide and take advantage of the chaos.

4) Learn how to use your guns - their range, striking power and the best combinations. Fire from as close as possible and learn to use controlled bursts.

Whilst in combat over North Africa, the German ace Hans-Joachim Marseille once destroyed 4 enemy fighters (three P-40s and a Spitfire) in 20 minutes in his Bf-109. When he landed, his armourers found that he had used only 20 cannon rounds and 60 rounds from his machine guns! This shows what good marksmanship can accomplish.

Admittedly, bombers are tougher opponents, but well-placed, controlled fire is very effective in disabling and then destroying them. Even though cannon fire can inflict explosive damage from a distance, it still requires that you aim correctly and apply enough lead to your target.

5) If possible, avoid encounters with enemy escort fighters. In 1943, the main form these take are the P-38H and the P-47C. The Bf-109G6 can successfully take on both of these and even hold its own against the P-38, which will not sustain many hits from your cannons. The P-47 is powerful and can take a lot of damage, so if you have to take on this aircraft, make sure that your wingman is with you.

6) Don't go chasing medals. There will always be plenty of bombers to take on. It is better to keep an eye out for your Staffel and make sure that they survive and become more successful in destroying enemy bombers.

7) Beware of target fixation. You may get over-zealous when making your attack, and get shot up by your target, or by other bombers, or by an escort fighter on your six. You may also put yourself into a position where collision is unavoidable.

Closing Remarks

I hope these tips help you to stem the tide of enemy bombers over Europe and to manage Staffel tactics!

So far, in my present 5 month campaign, I've shot down 9 B-17s, 2 Mosquitoes, 2 P-38s and 2 P-47s, and 4/II/JG2 have brought down an average of 3 bombers per mission. At the moment, it seems, our small part of the war is under our control...

References:

'Fighter Versus Fighter' by Norman Franks
'Messerschmitt Bf 109' by Jerry Scutts