Aircraft Ground Attack Rules

Aircraft Ground Attack

            Aircraft ground attack is conducted using one of two modes of hit location, direct fire or the artillery chart.  The type of weapon and the aircraft altitude determine the artillery chart percentage column to use when making a ground attack.

Aircraft Weapon Types

SMART BOMB

Smart bombs are guided by television, or laser but only works in clear weather.  Laser guided bombs dropped from medium altitude use the A chart, with the effect of a 1,000-pound bomb.  Television guided bombs dropped from high altitude use the A chart.

AIR-TO-SURFACE MISSILE

An air to surface missile is either radar or ballistic.  Radar homing missiles attack any active radar, on the A chart with the effect of a 1,000-pound bomb.  Ballistic missiles hit on the B chart with the effect of a 1,000-pound bomb, or 1 kt nuclear warhead.  They have a range of 3000m.

AIR-TO-AIR MISSILES

Air-to-air missiles are infrared, radar guided, or radar seeking and use the B chart.  They hit with the effect of a 1,000-pound bomb.

ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILES

Anti-tank guided missiles re launched in the aircraft surface attack phase.  The aircraft must be stationary to fire and guide the ATGM, or have only moved from Nap of the Earth to Low Level altitude.  A movement from Nap of the Earth to Low Level will not get the 10% added.  Aircraft that go from Noe to Low Level and back to Noe do so in one movement phase and may still launch ATGMs.  They launch the ATGM in the movement phase and it impacts in the direct fire/ATGM impact phase.  Any anti-aircraft attacks on these aircraft are resolved as Challenge Fire.

GRAVITY BOMBS

Gravity bombs free fall to the ground on the C chart.  The size of the blast diameter is the bomb size in pounds divided by 10 equals the number of millimeters of the diameter of the blast.  The damage effect for an individual bomb is the same as for a single artillery shell.  The impact point of each individual bomb is determined using the artillery templates.  Ordnance is normally dropped in order from heaviest to lightest.  All bombs of the same size are dropped at the same time.

NAPALM

Napalm is a form of jelled fuel.  The size and location of each template is determined as for gravity bombs.  Damage is inflicted as in flame-thrower attacks.  If a hit result is made, everything within the template is destroyed.  Use the C chart.

CANNONS

Cannons strafe the ground like a machinegun, but the projectiles explode on impact.  The strafe pattern a template with three circles for each cannon.  The chance to hit is the same at the .50 caliber machine gun.  The long side of the template is parallel to the flight direction of the aircraft.  The damage effect is as an artillery template.  The firer places the center of the cannon damage template.

ROCKETS

Rockets travel in free flight to the ground.  The strafe pattern damage effect is as per ground-launched rockets.  The long side of the rectangle is parallel to the flight direction of the attacking aircraft.  The impact point of the center of the rocket template is determined using the D chart.  Deduct 20% of the number of the total number fired to get the number that hit the ground.  Huey Helicopter hog 2.75-inch rockets maximum effective range is 1250m.

MACHINE GUNS

Machine guns conduct strafe attacks.  The strafe attack template is the same as the ground one, with the long side parallel to the flight direction of the attacking aircraft.  Use the Vehicle Damage chart to determine damage to vehicles.  Armored vehicles are hit on the "top" hit location.  The firer places the center of the machine gun template.  Find the "to hit" percentage by measuring the distance from the center of the aircraft to the target and check the .30 or .50 machine-gun chart.