JGS4 Jasta 79b Bomber Manual

A loaded bomber carries 10 bombs, 5 rockets, and 50 seconds of ammunition. You must pay close attention to your ordinance usage. Make sure you have enough ordinance to destroy the target before attacking.

Do not take a direct route to the target unless you are certian it will be undefended. It is better to wait another round, then to intercepted and shot down.

Keep track of the time. Keep a small clock or watch that displays seconds, within view and monitor the time between target changes. Do not attack a target if you will be unable to destroy it before the targets change.

Keep track of the targets. In most team target servers when the number of available targets are reduced sufficiently, the same targets are selected again. If possible, predeploy to a likely target area. This not only allows you to get to the target quickly, but also will allow you the possibility to get more than one target during the round.

When flying to a target, get and stay high. A bomber at low altitude is at a severe dissadvantage if spotted. A bomber does have a reasonable chance of defense if at a decent altitude. 2Km or higher is generally acceptable. Alternatively, get low and fast to penetrate enemy defenses. The advanteges are that the Anti-aircraft guns will not fire and sirens will not sound until you are fairly close to enemy installations. The main disadvantage is that if you are spotted by an enemy scout, your chances of survival are greatly reduced.

If a target is defended, do not attack unless it is critical that the target be destroyed. Let escort aircraft engage the defenders. Do not engage the defenders unless your help is required.

Avoid anti-aircraft fire if possible. Try to pick a route to your target that avoids, or minimizes anti-aircraft fire. Anti-aircraft fire can give away your position to the enemy, even though they are too far away to be detected using the "N" key.

When attacking machine gun nests, attack from an intitial angle of 25 to 40 degrees with throttle at idle. For maximum damage to the nest, use regular ammunition. If the nest fires at you, you will be able to dive slightly to avoid the incomming fire. You will still have enough of an angle to destroy the nest. After a machine gun nests fires at enemy aircraft, there is a pause of a few seconds before it will fire again. This would be the time to attack the nest to minimize or even prevent damage to your aircraft. With practice, you can start your attack on a machine gun nest just after it fires and during the pause between firings. You can do enough initial damage to the nest so that it will not fire at you during your attack. A machine gun nest is not destroyed unless is flattened. If merely damaged, it can open fire again later during your bomb run with disasterious results. If more than one machine gun nest is to be destroyed, keep low and fly away until you are out of range. Climb to a sufficient altitude and head back to destroy the next machine gun nest. With practice, it is possible to destroy multiple nests with one pass over the target.

Bomb along the longitudinal axis of the building if possible, and time your release so that the bomb hits against the side of the building. The blast will continue through the building, destroying it.

Do not drop a second bomb on the same building unless neccessary due to time constraints or to conserve ammunition. If the first bomb does not destroy the building, use incindiary ammunition and rockets to finish it. The only exception are factory buildings. It usually takes two bombs to destroy a factory building. Another tactic is to strafe the building, then brop a bomb on it.

Rockets are not very accurate and to score a hit with a rocket, you must dive on the building and fire the rocket at the last moment, then pull up sharply to avoid crashing into the building. Each rocket does the approximate equivilent damage of between 5 to 15 seconds of firing incendiary ammunition. The amount of damage seems to depend on the type of structure the rocket is fired at, the angle at which it is fired, and the area where the rocket hit the structure. Rockets work best against the grey warehouses, and the headquarters buildings. They will also work against hangars, though if you are too low, they can go through the hangar with little or no apparent damage.

There are a number of ways targets can be hardened, and thus impossible to destroy. They are;
A.) If you are shot down by ground fire or by defenders, or if you crash after you damage the target and you attack the same target again.
B.) If you are unable to destroy the target with the supplied bomb load and you rearm and attack the same target.
C.) You damage, but are unable to destroy a target before targets change sides.
D.) Scouts are shot down and then crash into a structure that is part of the target.
E.) A player damages a target and then leaves the game.
There are exceptions, among them are if damaged targets or targets that are destroyed out of turn, respawn between rounds. Also, it has been noticed that in some team target island servers, you can return to the same target without it becoming hardened. Also, if the number of available targets are reduced sufficiently, the server will repair the targets, making them available again.
Additionally it has been reported that if players with two different versions of Red Baron 3D attack the same target, the target will become hardened. This can happen, but is not always the case. The two versions of Red Baron 3D are the superpatched Red Baron II, and the full boxed version of Red Baron 3D. I have personally been on bombing missions, where both versions were used on the same target, and that target was successfully destroyed.


TECHNIQUES FOR SPECIFIC TARGETS

Unless otherwise noted, the following narrative assumes that there is one aircraft bombing the targets. If a single gun bomber is being used, you will have to modify the strafing runs.

Type "A" Aerodrome:

The type "A" aerodrome consists of six large hangars, one small hangar and four headquarters (HQ) buildings. The location of the machine gun nests are circled. Destroy the machine gun nests in the order depicted in the above image. If more than one bomber is attacking the target, or if the escort aircraft are attacking the nests, destroy them simultainiously. A lone bomber if he or she is careful, may omit destroying nest number 3. Just be aware of it's presence and adjust your bomb run accordingly. A typical attack will proceed as follows;
Destroy machine gun nests 1 and 2 using regular ammunition. Switch to incendiary ammunition. Use bombs and incendiary ammunition on the four headquarters buildings. If you switch to the "F5" view when you drop your bombs, you may find it easier to time your release point. Time your release so the bomb will impact the sides of the buildings and hangars. At least 2 of the headquarters buildings must be destroyed and the remainder must show visible damage. Strafe a large hanger with incendiary ammunition and drop a bomb on it as you fly over. If the hangar is not immediately destroyed, finish it later using incendiary ammunition and rockets if neccessary. Choose another large hangar and strafe it using incendiary ammunition. Do not drop a bomb on it. Alternate between strafing and dropping a bomb, and strafing without dropping a bomb, until the aerodrome is destroyed. It is not neccessary to bomb the small hangar. Once you get the message that the aerodrome has been destroyed, stop your attack. It is not neccessary to destroy every building, and some may still be standing even though the aerodrome has been recognized as being destroyed by the server, as illustrated in the image at the begining of this manual.

Type "B" Aerodrome:

The type "B" Aerodrome consists of eight large hangars, two small hangars, and one HQ Building. When attacking this aerodrome, all four machine gun nests should be destroyed first in the order as depicted in the above image. If ammunition must be saved, you may omit destroying nests 3 and 4. If you decide to do this, use the hangars near nests 3 and 4 as a shield and adjust your bomb run accordingly. It is not neccessary to destroy the small hangars, but the HQ building must be destroyed. Do not allow the position of nest #1 to get you to believe that you do not have to destroy it. For some reason it is deadly accurate and is in an excellent position to severely damage or shoot down attacking aircraft.

Type "C" aerodrome:

The type "C" aerodrome consists of ten small hangars and one HQ building. If you can stay low, you only need to destroy machine gun nest #1 during your bomb run. If you are unsure, then it is recommended that all of the machine gun nests be destroyed. This aerodrome is destroyed using the same techniques as described earlier.

Type "D" Aerodrome:

The type "D" aerodrome consists of five large hangars, four small hangars, two HQ buildings, two warehouses, two barns, and two farm houses near the barns. This type of aerodrome is extremely difficult for one bomber to destroy. Some luck and accurate placement of bombs and rockets is required. The two bomber method will be described first.

Two bomber method: Simultainiously attack and destroy machine gun nests 1 and 2. During your attack on this aerodrome, avoid flying too close to nests 3 and 4. You can do this if you fly parallel to the length of the the field, on the hangar side. Destroy the two HQ buildings, then the two warehouses. Destroy the large hangars. Of the three small hangars that are grouped together, destroy at least one and damage the others with incendiary ammunition. Damage the farm house furthest away from nest #4 and destroy the nearby barn. The aerodrome should go down.

Single bomber method: Warning: Extreme risk of damage to aircraft or death from enemy fire is possible. Do not attack the machine gun nests. Your ammunition must be saved for use on the structures. Note: When during your dives, you are fired upon, increase your dive angle slightly to throw off the aim, then correct your flight path. Taking a flight path that minimizes exposure to machine gun fire, at a reduced throttle and at a dive, strafe using incendiary ammunition on a warehouse. You must hold your fire until you are sure that the incendiary ammunition will do damage, otherwise valuable ammunition will be wasted. You will be able to strafe for approximately five to seven seconds. At the last moment, fire a rocket at the same warehouse. Pull up slightly and fly level but low and apply full throttle. Fly the length of the field until you are out of machine gun range. Climb to a suitable level and using the same technique attack the second warehouse. Repeat the same attack again on both warehouses. Note: If both warehouses are not destroyed during these passes, you will not be able to destroy the aerodrome, get assistance from another bomber. Attack one of the HQ buildings using the same technique as on the warehouses. The HQ building that was attacked must show visible damage. Note: If at any time you drop a bomb and the structure does not go down, or if you miss with a rocket, you will be unable to destroy the aerodrome using the single bomber method. Get assistance from another bomber. Strafe using no more than one second of incendiary ammunition on a large hangar and drop a bomb on it as you pass over it. Repeat the process for the other large hangars. Destroy the three small hangars grouped together with bombs only. Do not use incendiary ammunition. Damage with incendiary ammunition the small hangar near nest #3. Strafe with incendiary ammunition, the barn furthest from nest #4 and drop a bomb on it as you pass overhead. The drome should go down. If not, strafe any of the small hangars that are still up until the drome goes down.
A variant of the type "D" drome is illustrated below. Note the location of the third warehouse. This variant must be destroyed with two bombers.




Type "E" Aerodrome:
The type "E" aerodrome consists of eleven large hangars, two small hangars, four warehouses, and 3 HQ buildings. This type of aerodrome requires a minimum of two bombers to destroy it. All of the machine gun nests should be destoyed. It is not neccessary to destroy the small hangars. Using incendiary ammunition and bombs,destroy the three HQ buildings and the four warehouses. Then destroy the large hangars. When a sufficient number of large hangars are destroyed and or damaged, the aerodrome will go down.

Type "F" Aerodrome:
The type "F" aerodrome consists of eleven large hangars, four warehouses, and five HQ buildings. This type aerodrome requires a minimum of two bombers to destroy it. The machine gun nests must be destroyed. Be wary of machine gun nests 1 and 3. They are partially hidden by structures and are in the perfect position to shoot down any unwary bomber. This type of aerodrome is destroyed using the same techniques as the type "E" aerodrome.

Factories:

There are two types of factories as illustrated above. Both are attacked using simular techniques. If you wish to conserve bombs for other targets, use a combination of rockets and incendiary ammunition first. From a dive and at reduced throttle, attack longitudinally along one of the large buildings. Use incendiary ammunition and at the last moment fire a rocket. Apply full throttle and pull up and away in a gentle climb. Pick another large building and attack it in the same manner as the first. Repeat the attacks on the first and second buildings. Repeat the attack a third time on the first building. If all three rockets scored good hits, the first building will go down and the second building will show visible damage. Drop a bomb on the second building and it too should go down. If the factory complex has four large buildings, the factory complex should be destroyed. If not drop a bomb on another large building. A five building factory complex requires at a minimum, the destruction of two buildings and severe damage to a third building. If time is important, or if you will not be going to other targets during the round, do not use rockets. Instead use a combination of incendiary ammunition and bombs to destroy the factory complex.

Building type depots:


There are two types of building style depots, both are illustrated above, with the location of the machine gun nests circled. If you are to conserve your bomb load for other targets, strafe the machine gun nests using regular ammunition. A four building depot should go down if all four machine gun nests are destroyed. A five building depot will go down if all four machine gun nests are destroyed and one of the buildings is destroyed. If the depot must be destroyed as quickly as possible, refer to the building style depots illustrated below. Using the illustrations as a guide, get and stay low to avoid ground fire. Strafe the buildings with a "S" with incendiary ammunition, pop up, and drop a bomb on the building with the "B". Get low again to avoid ground fire. Fly away from the dump for a few seconds. Turn around and attack the dump from the other direcetion strafing and bombing as indicated. On five building dumps, it may be neccessary to bomb one of the buildings strafed earlier.




Tent and shed type depots:


The two types of tent and shed depots are illustrated above. The most efficient and safest method to kill tent and shed depots is to destroy the tents using incindiary ammunition. Using the above illustration as a guide, line up your attack so that two tents are lined up. At reduced speed and at low altitude, strafe the tents using incendiary ammunition. Keep low enough to avoid the ground fire, but not too low that you catch a landing gear on a tent or shed. With practice, you should be able to destroy one tent and damage the other durng each pass. A four tent and shed depot should go down when all four tents are destroyed and one shed is destroyed. A five tent and shed depot should go down when all five tents are destroyed.


Factory / Depot:


There is a strange target complex that can be seen in any fully populated Flanders server and located in sector B2. Illustrated above, and as reported by JGS4AirSurfer, it is actually a five bulding factory complex and a five building supply depot occupying the same target location. The location of the machine gun nests are circled. When this target is selected by the server, it is impossible to determine which is the actual target. It is recommended that you destroy the machine gun nests first. Then destroy one of the two supply buildings positioned between the 3 large factory buildings and the five smaller factory buildings. If you get the message "Target Supply Depot Destroyed", your mission to this target is completed. However if you get "Supply Depot destroyed", you must destroy the Factory. Using techniques described earlier, destroy the factory.

Bridges:

When attacking bridges, it is highly recommended that you first destroy the machine gun nests. The bridge deck is high enough so that you will be shot at and suffer damage or be shot down if they are not destroyed first. The location of the nests are circled and are on the right hand side as you fly along the length of the bridge deck. It has been reported that if you drop the first and last spans of the bridge deck, the bridge will go down. After successfully dropping the first and last spans of a number of bridges, the author has not been able to get any of the bridges to drop. Instead, while flying at reduced throttle and just above stall speed, drop bombs as you fly along the bridge deck. You should be able to drop enough bombs to destroy the bridge in one pass. If not, when you reach the end, make a 45 degree turn to the left and fly in that direction for about 3 seconds. Then make a turn to the right, and if done properly, you will be aligned along the bridge deck ready to make a second pass on the bridge. Drop two or three more bombs on the bridge deck, and it should go down. Note: Bridges near cities are not protected by anti-aircraft guns.

Rail Road Yards:
Attack at a low altitute, strafing with incendiary ammunition, the circled building. Destroy the building with a single bomb, and the RR yard should go down. If not, destroy one of the locomotives with a strafing run of incendiary ammunition. Note: The following are examples of dual rail road yards that may be encountered:

If only one of the rail road yards is selected by the server, it will be very difficult to tell which one is the valid target. Look for a small offset in the position of the red target square on the map and select your target accordingly. If the sides of the square are thicker than normal, then both rail road yards have been selected and you must destroy them both.

Cities: Cities are made up of three buildings, a church, and two houses. Targeted cities are identified by a small red target square. Using incendiary ammunition strafe the church and drop a bomb on it to destroy it. Be sure to keep enough altitude to clear the church tower. You may find it safer to pull up and to the the left or right to avoid the tower. After the church is destroyed, destroy the other small buildings using the same techniques. Use extreme caution when bombing the small buildings. Thier height above ground is deceiving. Maintain sufficient altitude or you will be damaged, or destroyed by your own bomb blast.

Towns and Villages: Towns and villages are single building targets that are easily destroyed. On the map, towns are identified as reddish orange dots, and villages as greyish dots. Towns can be destroyed using a combination of incendiary ammunition and a single rocket hit. Villages can be destroyed by the use of incendiary ammunition.

It is hoped that this manual will enable the reader to become an expert bomber pilot. Remember, this manual is not all inclusive and provides only general guidelines in bombing targets. Every bombing mission will have it's own parameters, and the situation at hand will dictate the techniques used to efficiently destroy targets. The author would like to thank JGS4Warren, JGS4Tinman, and JGS4AirSurfer for thier input.

Written by JGS4SparksJ79bCO


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Copyright (c) 2001, 2002 by Eric A. Snyder. All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be reproduced in any manner without the express written authorization of the copyright owner.
The images were captured by the demo version of HyperSnap DX, available at http://www.hyperionics.com