I've been reading a bit about the use of fighter-bombers and dive bombers in the West and in the Med / North Africa, and also specialized ground attack aircraft particularly on the Russian Front. The shorthand on most of these aircraft types is that they did very useful service in the ground attack role. Most histories seem to assume that they were in fact instrumental to victories in many key battles.
But then there is the counter-narrative. Post-war analysis shows that Typhoons only got 15 or 20 tanks at Falaise. Thunderbolts similar. Soviet sources claim the Il-2's knocked out almost 300 tanks at Kursk, 70 from the 9th Panzer Division alone. But German armor afficionadoes claim Il-2s only destroyed a few tanks and most losses were actually to AT-guns, tanks, tank traps, mechanical breakdowns and getting stuck.
It seems like there is more to the story and I'd love to get a little closer to the truth. How many tanks did Soviet aircraft really destroy at Kursk or Stalingrad or Kharkov etc.? How many Panzers did the Typhoons really get? How many Shermans and Cruisers and Matildas did the Stukas blow up. How many T-34s?
Were they only really good at blowing up trucks, trains, supplies, and light vehicles? Or did they break tanks too.
I know for a fact the Stuka was instrumental in knocking out tanks at the Battle of France and in some of Rommels victories in North Africa. Beyond that my research into various Theaters isn't granular enough.
I made a poll for the best ground attack plane vs. armor. Didn't include Corsair or Hellcat since they were mostly just in the Pacific. You can pick up to two choices.
Allegedly wacked by Stuka
Reportedly bombed by P-47
Supposed to have been flipped upside down by a bomb at Cherbourg. Wiki says 3 men survived
But then there is the counter-narrative. Post-war analysis shows that Typhoons only got 15 or 20 tanks at Falaise. Thunderbolts similar. Soviet sources claim the Il-2's knocked out almost 300 tanks at Kursk, 70 from the 9th Panzer Division alone. But German armor afficionadoes claim Il-2s only destroyed a few tanks and most losses were actually to AT-guns, tanks, tank traps, mechanical breakdowns and getting stuck.
It seems like there is more to the story and I'd love to get a little closer to the truth. How many tanks did Soviet aircraft really destroy at Kursk or Stalingrad or Kharkov etc.? How many Panzers did the Typhoons really get? How many Shermans and Cruisers and Matildas did the Stukas blow up. How many T-34s?
Were they only really good at blowing up trucks, trains, supplies, and light vehicles? Or did they break tanks too.
I know for a fact the Stuka was instrumental in knocking out tanks at the Battle of France and in some of Rommels victories in North Africa. Beyond that my research into various Theaters isn't granular enough.
I made a poll for the best ground attack plane vs. armor. Didn't include Corsair or Hellcat since they were mostly just in the Pacific. You can pick up to two choices.
Allegedly wacked by Stuka
Reportedly bombed by P-47
Supposed to have been flipped upside down by a bomb at Cherbourg. Wiki says 3 men survived
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