1st Edition i ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK The focus of this handbook is effective utilization of the German and Russian Ground Attack aircraft available within the online multiplayer servers of the IL-2: Great Battles Series. This handbook presupposes proficiency in basic operation of the Ground Attack aircraft described herein, to include taxi, takeoff, landing, engine operation, bombing, gunnery, and navigation. As such, it does not cover basic operational procedures. While the topics covered are applicable to any multiplayer server, the handbook does maintain a predilection toward the challenges faced in expert server environments. Ground Attack is a rather broad topic, and there are as many possible methodologies and approaches as there are players. This handbook is not intended to be the final word on the matter, but rather one player’s perspective gained through a great deal of online play. Readers may adopt or disregard the many recommendations contained in this manual through comparison with their personal experiences. This handbook is very detailed in both situational analysis and recommended approaches. Some players may find the page-after-page of minutiae a bit overwhelming, or feel that such a detailed approach is unrealistic or overkill for online play. The amount of effort one is willing to put forth in pursuit of a reward, and naturally the perception of that reward’s value will vary from one person to another. That is to say, the line between what is perceived to be “fun” versus “work” will shift depending on the individual. I can only communicate that writing out explanations of the concepts contained herein was exponentially more difficult than knowing the concepts and implementing them during online play. Once these concepts are internalized and become intuitive, they can be executed effortlessly. To repeat the point of the preceding paragraph: Take out of this what works for you and leave behind what does not. Sometimes a player just wants to “play” without the mental exertion of conjuring and briefing an Attack Plan, and that is understandable. A prime, underlying theme of this handbook is mission survival. There is a wide spectrum of player behavior regarding this aspect of play. On one end is a risk-adverse mindset bordering on neurosis. On the other is mission after mission of thoughtless, careless, reckless absurdity. Between those two extremes lies a profusion of approaches leaning toward either end at varying degrees, often influenced by server penalties for death, capture, and loss of aircraft. While elevating the value of mission survival, this manual does not advocate a specific position concerning how much risk is too much for a potential sortie. Rather, it imparts the benefits of identifying and analyzing all risk factors associated with Ground Attack missions and describes systematic and coherent steps to minimize them. ii Update 3.008 occurred at the completion stage of this handbook. The sweeping changes to vehicle damage modeling that accompanied 3.008 have consequently changed both the mechanics and the definition of tank destruction in ways that are undergoing player evaluation and analysis as of 12/2018. While a vehicle exploding is still an indicator of its destruction, the program will now list a tank as “destroyed” after incurring a certain amount of track and roadwheel damage. The level of track/roadwheel damage necessary to classify the tank as destroyed is currently not clear, as often a tank with a broken track or roadwheel is not listed as destroyed. My personal impression is that while the amount of ordnance required to destroy a tank does not appear to have changed significantly, visual determination of whether a tank is destroyed (explosion) in a multiplayer environment is now only partially valid, as an unexploded tank exhibiting roadwheel and/or track damage may or may not be destroyed. I would like to extend sincere thanks to the TAW players who took time to communicate their thoughts on Fighter vs. Ground Attacker interactions. I found much of their input very illuminating and sometimes surprising. Overall, the spectrum of responses provided some significant insight into the concerns, thought processes, and approaches of some of the best players defending against Ground Attacks. StG77_Kondor has been leading StG77 since the days of IL-2 1946 and has been my main flying buddy since January 2017. I have learned a great deal from him throughout hundreds of hours of online play. He is the most talented Ground Attacker I know, and I am convinced if he didn’t love Ground Attack he would be one of the top fighter pilots in the game. No matter the aircraft he’s in, if you give him the opportunity, he will shoot you down. Without his insights and helpful review of this entire document, the quality of the final product would have been much lower. *Finally, a big “Thank You” to JimTM, who came out of the blue within hours of this handbook being posted online and saw room for formatting improvements. He spent his Saturday afternoon singlehandedly synchronizing page numbers, optimizing the PDF file, and reducing the file download to less than half of its original size with no quality loss. The IL-2 community is fortunate to have people like Jim, and I am truly grateful. iii GLOSSARY OF TERMINOLOGY Attack Altitude – the altitude from which an attack against an enemy Target Area will commence. Attack Azimuth – the compass direction of an attack against an enemy Target Area. Attack Dive – a dive from any angle from the Attack Point to the Target Area. Attack Plan – a comprehensive and detailed plan to attack an enemy Target Area. Attack Point – a pre-planned location near the Target Area from which an attack toward the Target Area will start. Egress Altitude – the altitude maintained when moving toward friendly lines and destination airfield after completion of an attack on an enemy Target Area. Egress Azimuth – the compass direction of a route from the Target Area back to friendly lines and a destination airfield. Immediate Action Plan (IAP) – a pre-planned series of actions an individual or Flight Group will take upon chance contact with enemy fighters. Immediate Action Decision (IAD) – an on-the-spot decision made by an individual or Flight Leader concerning what actions to take upon chance contact with enemy fighters. Initial Egress – the initial movement away from a Target Area after releasing bombs, until out of AAA range. Point of No Return – a designated point on the ingress flight route where the individual or Flight Group will continue movement to the Attack Point and execute an attack on the Target Area regardless of local enemy activity. Target – a single enemy structure, vehicle, or gun within a Target Area. Target Area – an enemy position comprised of several individual targets. Target Area examples include Defensive Positions, Vehicular Columns, Airfields, and Factories/Depots. TABLE OF CONTENTS About This Handbook ................................................................................................................ i Glossary of Terminology ......................................................................................................... iii 1. Knowledge Begets Success ............................................................................................ 1 1.1 Communication ........................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Know the Server .......................................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 Server Examples ............................................................................................ 2 1.2.2 Target Relevance .......................................................................................... 2 1.2.3 Pilot/Aircraft Loss ......................................................................................... 2 1.2.3.1 Suicide Jockeys ...................................................................................... 2 1.3 Know the Targets ........................................................................................................ 3 1.3.1 Target Type/Layout/AAA Configuration ...................................................... 3 1.4 Know the Weather ...................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Know Your Fellow Pilots ............................................................................................ 4 1.6 Know Your Aircraft ...................................................................................................... 4 1.7 Know the Enemy .......................................................................................................... 5 1.7.1 Enemy Numbers ............................................................................................ 5 1.7.2 Enemy Location ............................................................................................ 5 1.7.3 Enemy Groupings.......................................................................................... 5 1.7.4 Individual Enemy Pilot Habits ...................................................................... 6 1.7.5 Stellar Enemy Fighter Pilots ........................................................................ 6 2. Formulating an Attack Plan ............................................................................................. 7 2.1 Target Area Selection ...............................................................................................