Aircraft (War on the Sea)

Here is some information about the **aircraft** in *War on the Sea*:

## aircraft

Aircraft may sustain damage from machine guns, anti-aircraft fire, and flak bursts. Collisions with ships, sea, and terrain lead to their destruction. A close-range flak burst proves immediately fatal to any aircraft. Machine guns, anti-aircraft fire, and non-fatal flak bursts collectively count as a single hit on an aircraft. Hits have a chance to be absorbed, preventing damage. The likelihood of hit absorption depends on the aircraft's size and the presence of armor or self-sealing fuel tanks. Each damaging hit generates a smoke trail, with the third hit being fatal. US heavy bombers boast the highest damage absorb chance, making them resilient, while Japanese fighters lack this, rendering them fragile.

## collisions

Aircraft cannot collide with other aircraft but are susceptible to collisions with ships, terrain, and the sea.

## friendly fire

Aircraft are immune to friendly machine gun fire.

## attacking with aircraft

Aircraft automatically utilize their weapons when given an Attack order. Fighters engage in dogfights with guns, while dive/torpedo bombers select the optimal weapon based on the target, ordnance, and current altitude, adjusting bomb doors as necessary. Multiple aircraft can attack independently or in formation.

* \*\*formation attack:\*\* Selecting the leader of a flight for an attack order causes aircraft following to hold formation and attack when the leader does. Suitable for torpedo and bombing attacks requiring a specific pattern or spread.
* \*\*independent attack:\*\* Choosing all members of a flight for an attack order prompts individual actions, useful for dogfights, strafing, rocket attacks, or against stationary targets.

## bombing techniques

Issuing an attack target command (A or the ATTACK button) considers the bomber's current altitude:

* Above 2400ft (900m): Dive bomb for dive bombers, otherwise level bomb.
* Below 900ft (300m): Skip bomb.
* Otherwise: Level bomb.

## skip bombing

Skip bombing involves dropping bombs at very low altitudes, causing them to skip like stones across the water toward the target. Precision is needed, and it exposes the attacker to anti-aircraft fire. Practice is essential for consistent success.

## advanced tips

* Split a flight into smaller groups using "Form Up" for diverse attacks.
* Attack ships from multiple directions to avoid anti-aircraft fire.
* Use Independent attacks for slow or stationary targets.
* Employ Formation attacks against fast or maneuvering targets.
* Consider the Battle Editor for practicing aircraft attacks against various ships, refining tactics against moving targets, and evading anti-aircraft fire.

## manual attacks

Unlike ship weapons, aircraft weapons fire or drop immediately. Use the Machine Guns button Alpha1 to fire or stop firing machine guns. Other aircraft weapons activate upon use. Alpha6 Bomb Doors or Alpha7 All Drop commands apply to all selected aircraft. Manual attacks offer more control over avoiding anti-aircraft fire, targeting specific ship parts, and adjusting during strafes or rocket attacks.

* \*\*bombsight:\*\* A displayed bombsight aids in targeting, aligning with the target intercept indicator for precision.

## toolbar

From left to right:

* Battle Settings (F5): Open/close Battle Settings panel.
* Unit Viewer (F6): Open/close Unit Viewer panel.
* Next Group (F7): Cycle through all groups on the map.

## battle settings

Configure time, date, weather, and battle location. Choose BLUE or RED side. Enter the world and commence the battle.

* \*\*terrain:\*\* Input decimal degrees for the location. Current availability includes world terrain around the Pacific Ocean.
* \*\*clear all:\*\* Delete all existing Sea and Air groups.

## sea/air group

For both Sea and Air groups:

* Assign side (Red or Blue).
* Assign formation and spacing.
* LEFT CLICK Course to place AI navigation waypoints. LEFT CLICK Course again or use Escape to exit navigation mode.

For Sea:

* Use SWAP to change ship positions within a group.
* Use REMOVE to remove selected ships.
* Set starting speed and heading with sliders.

For Air:

* Edit the number of aircraft.
* Choose one aircraft type per group.
* Set payload and starting speed, heading, and altitude with sliders.

## formation

Exclusive to Sea groups, shows the layout based on formation settings. Numbers correspond to each ship. Use SWAP to rearrange individual ships.

## map & icons

* LEFT CLICK to select a Sea or Air group.
* Highlighted yellow icon indicates the selected group.
* LEFT CLICK and drag the map to reposition. The combat engagement zone centers on the grid's midpoint.