20% Discount on crews accelerated training for Golden Eagles
20% Discount on "Expert" qualification
30% Discount on "Ace" qualification
Today we would like to give you an insight into aircraft crew skills and qualifications. This game system is entirely optional, which means that both a novice and experienced player in War Thunder can achieve the best results, even when using inexperienced crews. With the help of skills and qualifications, pilots can adapt the game to their own unique fighting style and use their favourite vehicles to their full extent. Many veteran pilots are proud of their high level crews!
The number of points accrued for flight crew experience depends on the research points obtained in a battle. In Realistic and Simulator battles you will receive approximately 1% of the research points earned for the aircraft the crew is flying in; in Arcade battles you gain 3%, but the experience is spread among multiple crews. So the average speed of leveling in all three modes is approximately equal. There is another way to develop the crew - buying experience points for Golden Eagles in the "Accelerated Training" menu.
Note the pilot icon in the lower left corner of the slot crew. Silver icon means there are some experience points unallocated, while the golden one indicates that there is a lot of experience to distribute!
Experience points can be spent to research skills. The higher is the level of a skill, the more experience it takes to advance it. Let’s find out what the advantages are for each of the skills.
Pilot Skills
Keen Vision - Enhances the detection range when spotting enemies, i.e. the maximum distance at which the target indicator may appear. This ranges between 4km (untrained) to 8km (maxed). Detection is only made within a cone in the direction of view of the player. Maximum detection distance is also dependent on the size of the target, lighting conditions and other factors.
Awareness - Enhances the detection range of enemy targets between 150m(untrained) to 300m(maxed). Detection is carried out in all directions around the aircraft, regardless of the direction that the player is observing.
G-Tolerance - influences the maximum overload, to which a pilot can adapt efficiently (observed as a degree of "blackout" or “redout” shown on screen during sharp turns etc). In addition, in mouse aiming mode, this skill makes the aircraft more "responsive" to the actions of the player and reduces the response time to acting on command when affected by g-forces.
Stamina - affects the speed of recovery from pilot overload, reducing the time to full recovery from 20 to 10 seconds. Stamina is spent in aircraft maneuvers and affects the maximum overload. In addition, it has an effect on the accuracy of mouse aiming mode with the mouse.
Vitality - reduces the likelihood of the pilot receiving a mortal wound. For the novice pilot the second .303 bullet hit or comparable shrapnel impact is usually fatal; while a pilot with the vitality maxed out can, with a measure of luck, survive one hit from a .50 (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine gun.
Gunners
Number of Experienced Gunners - all skills with gunners are reduced proportionally to the difference between the amount of gunners on the selected aircraft and the number of experienced gunners in the crew. For example, an He.111H-6 bomber has 5 gunners positions. If there is a crew of only two experienced gunners all their skills will be reduced by 60%, with four - 20%, with all five positions filled, their skills will be fully effective.
The number of gunners on the plane corresponds to the number of installed gunner positions, the exact number is indicated at the bottom right of the crew development window and in the aircraft card.
Fire Accuracy - This skill only applies when the gunner is controlled by AI. Increases the traverse speed of a turret, increases the maximum burst length by up to 3 times, increases the distance at which gunners can start firing at a target by up to 275% (55% in RB/SB), increases the distance at which the targets direction can be anticipated, increases the chance of simultaneous fire and “leading” the target, removes miscalculation in “leading” the target (decreased by 7 times for RB / SB when researched completely) .
Precision - This skill only applies when the gunner is controlled by AI. Reduces scatter of the gun by 2.5 times (2 times in RB/SB), increases the burst length by up to a third when fully researched, increases the distance that gunners open fire in arcade battles by a marginal amount (up to 8%), increases the chance of simultaneous fire and “leading” the target just like fire accuracy.
G-Tolerance - works in the same way as the pilot skill. Results in gunners maintaining their accuracy and precision when g-forces are acting on them .
Stamina - works in the same way as the pilot skill.
Vitality - works in the same way as the pilot skill.
Ground Service
Repair Speed - Reduces repair time both at the airfield in the game and in the hangar by up to 3 times when fully researched. For example, the base repair time of the Bf 109 F-4/trop in AB is 7 hours 50 minutes, while with repair speed it is reduced to 2 hours 36 minutes.
Repair Rank - determines the maximum aircraft Rank to which the repair skill is applied. Has a total of five stages according to the number of vehicle ranks in the game. For instance, the Bf 109 F-4/trop requires repair rank 3. If the repair rank is lower, the repair time will remain at 7 hours 50 minutes no matter how high the repair speed skill is.
Reload Speed - Reduces the rearming time in the air three times for cannons & machine guns, two times for bombs, rockets and torpedoes and four times for turrets. Fully leveling La-5FN crew’s reloading skill will cause the rearmament time of cannons to go down from 40 seconds to 13.3; bombs will be reloaded in 20 seconds instead of 40.
Weapon Maintenance - reduces the chance of weapons jamming due to overheating by up to 3 times, reduces the angular velocity of bombs, rockets and torpedoes by up to 3 times, thereby significantly improving their accuracy.
Qualification
Unlike skills, qualifications are acquired only for a named aircraft or tank. Qualification is an exceptional skill of the crew in controlling this particular vehicle. To learn it, a certain crew level needs to be achieved. Crew level is a total of all skills learned by a the crew.
The first level of qualification, "Expert", increases Keen Vision, Awareness, Precision and Fire Accuracy of gunners, Repair and Reload Speed skills by 30; the second level, "Ace" increases these skills by another 20 points.
In order to use these skills at their maximum level, a pilot needs to research them up to level 50 and obtain two qualifications. For instance, a pilot who levelled the "Keen Vision" skill up to 50 will detect targets approximately 6 km away; after getting the “Expert” qualification he will then see enemy targets at 7.2 km; finally, reaching “Ace” grade qualification will increase this detection distance to the maximum of 8 km.
Take advantage of the weekend’s special offer and purchase experience points and qualifications with a discount!
Join the discussion of the aircraft crew skills here!
20% Discount on crews accelerated training for Golden Eagles
20% Discount on "Expert" qualification
30% Discount on "Ace" qualification
Today we would like to give you an insight into aircraft crew skills and qualifications. This game system is entirely optional, which means that both a novice and experienced player in War Thunder can achieve the best results, even when using inexperienced crews. With the help of skills and qualifications, pilots can adapt the game to their own unique fighting style and use their favourite vehicles to their full extent. Many veteran pilots are proud of their high level crews!
The number of points accrued for flight crew experience depends on the research points obtained in a battle. In Realistic and Simulator battles you will receive approximately 1% of the research points earned for the aircraft the crew is flying in; in Arcade battles you gain 3%, but the experience is spread among multiple crews. So the average speed of leveling in all three modes is approximately equal. There is another way to develop the crew - buying experience points for Golden Eagles in the "Accelerated Training" menu.
Note the pilot icon in the lower left corner of the slot crew. Silver icon means there are some experience points unallocated, while the golden one indicates that there is a lot of experience to distribute!
Experience points can be spent to research skills. The higher is the level of a skill, the more experience it takes to advance it. Let’s find out what the advantages are for each of the skills.
Pilot Skills
Keen Vision - Enhances the detection range when spotting enemies, i.e. the maximum distance at which the target indicator may appear. This ranges between 4km (untrained) to 8km (maxed). Detection is only made within a cone in the direction of view of the player. Maximum detection distance is also dependent on the size of the target, lighting conditions and other factors.
Awareness - Enhances the detection range of enemy targets between 150m(untrained) to 300m(maxed). Detection is carried out in all directions around the aircraft, regardless of the direction that the player is observing.
G-Tolerance - influences the maximum overload, to which a pilot can adapt efficiently (observed as a degree of "blackout" or “redout” shown on screen during sharp turns etc). In addition, in mouse aiming mode, this skill makes the aircraft more "responsive" to the actions of the player and reduces the response time to acting on command when affected by g-forces.
Stamina - affects the speed of recovery from pilot overload, reducing the time to full recovery from 20 to 10 seconds. Stamina is spent in aircraft maneuvers and affects the maximum overload. In addition, it has an effect on the accuracy of mouse aiming mode with the mouse.
Vitality - reduces the likelihood of the pilot receiving a mortal wound. For the novice pilot the second .303 bullet hit or comparable shrapnel impact is usually fatal; while a pilot with the vitality maxed out can, with a measure of luck, survive one hit from a .50 (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine gun.
Gunners
Number of Experienced Gunners - all skills with gunners are reduced proportionally to the difference between the amount of gunners on the selected aircraft and the number of experienced gunners in the crew. For example, an He.111H-6 bomber has 5 gunners positions. If there is a crew of only two experienced gunners all their skills will be reduced by 60%, with four - 20%, with all five positions filled, their skills will be fully effective.
The number of gunners on the plane corresponds to the number of installed gunner positions, the exact number is indicated at the bottom right of the crew development window and in the aircraft card.
Fire Accuracy - This skill only applies when the gunner is controlled by AI. Increases the traverse speed of a turret, increases the maximum burst length by up to 3 times, increases the distance at which gunners can start firing at a target by up to 275% (55% in RB/SB), increases the distance at which the targets direction can be anticipated, increases the chance of simultaneous fire and “leading” the target, removes miscalculation in “leading” the target (decreased by 7 times for RB / SB when researched completely) .
Precision - This skill only applies when the gunner is controlled by AI. Reduces scatter of the gun by 2.5 times (2 times in RB/SB), increases the burst length by up to a third when fully researched, increases the distance that gunners open fire in arcade battles by a marginal amount (up to 8%), increases the chance of simultaneous fire and “leading” the target just like fire accuracy.
G-Tolerance - works in the same way as the pilot skill. Results in gunners maintaining their accuracy and precision when g-forces are acting on them .
Stamina - works in the same way as the pilot skill.
Vitality - works in the same way as the pilot skill.
Ground Service
Repair Speed - Reduces repair time both at the airfield in the game and in the hangar by up to 3 times when fully researched. For example, the base repair time of the Bf 109 F-4/trop in AB is 7 hours 50 minutes, while with repair speed it is reduced to 2 hours 36 minutes.
Repair Rank - determines the maximum aircraft Rank to which the repair skill is applied. Has a total of five stages according to the number of vehicle ranks in the game. For instance, the Bf 109 F-4/trop requires repair rank 3. If the repair rank is lower, the repair time will remain at 7 hours 50 minutes no matter how high the repair speed skill is.
Reload Speed - Reduces the rearming time in the air three times for cannons & machine guns, two times for bombs, rockets and torpedoes and four times for turrets. Fully leveling La-5FN crew’s reloading skill will cause the rearmament time of cannons to go down from 40 seconds to 13.3; bombs will be reloaded in 20 seconds instead of 40.
Weapon Maintenance - reduces the chance of weapons jamming due to overheating by up to 3 times, reduces the angular velocity of bombs, rockets and torpedoes by up to 3 times, thereby significantly improving their accuracy.
Qualification
Unlike skills, qualifications are acquired only for a named aircraft or tank. Qualification is an exceptional skill of the crew in controlling this particular vehicle. To learn it, a certain crew level needs to be achieved. Crew level is a total of all skills learned by a the crew.
The first level of qualification, "Expert", increases Keen Vision, Awareness, Precision and Fire Accuracy of gunners, Repair and Reload Speed skills by 30; the second level, "Ace" increases these skills by another 20 points.
In order to use these skills at their maximum level, a pilot needs to research them up to level 50 and obtain two qualifications. For instance, a pilot who levelled the "Keen Vision" skill up to 50 will detect targets approximately 6 km away; after getting the “Expert” qualification he will then see enemy targets at 7.2 km; finally, reaching “Ace” grade qualification will increase this detection distance to the maximum of 8 km.
Take advantage of the weekend’s special offer and purchase experience points and qualifications with a discount!
Join the discussion of the aircraft crew skills here!
We continue new video series under the project: “This Is War Thunder - Top 5 Epic Plays of the Week” with PhlyDaily as our host! This is not only your chance to showcase the most amazing moments of your game play with everyone, but it is also a chance to win Golden Eagles in the process! The show will be aired weekly with five videos being showcased and five players being rewarded for their awesome plays:
First place – 3000 golden eagles Second place – 2000 golden eagles Third, Fourth and Fifth places – 1000 golden eagles each
You can submit your videos by sending youtube links of your game play (quality must be 720p or higher) or a replay file with description of the moment at the top5@warthunder.com
Record your epic Game Play videos, create awesome gifs and glorious screenshots – share them with your friends on facebook and twitter using hash-tag #ThisisWarThunder. The most epic creations will have the chance to be featured on our website!
We continue new video series under the project: “This Is War Thunder - Top 5 Epic Plays of the Week” with PhlyDaily as our host! This is not only your chance to showcase the most amazing moments of your game play with everyone, but it is also a chance to win Golden Eagles in the process! The show will be aired weekly with five videos being showcased and five players being rewarded for their awesome plays:
First place – 3000 golden eagles Second place – 2000 golden eagles Third, Fourth and Fifth places – 1000 golden eagles each
You can submit your videos by sending youtube links of your game play (quality must be 720p or higher) or a replay file with description of the moment at the top5@warthunder.com
Record your epic Game Play videos, create awesome gifs and glorious screenshots – share them with your friends on facebook and twitter using hash-tag #ThisisWarThunder. The most epic creations will have the chance to be featured on our website!
The Fourth of July marks a significant date in the history of the United States of America. This is the day that is commonly known to both Americans and the rest of the world, as Independence Day.
ndependence Day is a federal holiday in the US which commemorates the signing, adoption and publication of the Declaration of Independence from The Kingdom of Great Britain. However, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies happened on the 2nd of July 1776, after the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of independence. The Declaration, which had been in writing by Thomas Jefferson and the Committee of Five since June 11th the same year, was then published two days later. The Declaration reads that all men are born equal, and that they have a right to choose their own government. This was the basis on which American democracy was formed.
Independence Day is a federal holiday, meaning that all non-crucial federal institutions (such as post offices and schools) are closed down. It is usually celebrated outdoors with family or friends, with a barbecue or picnic. Every small town or suburb usually has its own celebration party, with various games and events. Some of these include eating contests, tugs-of-war, swimming, and other sporting events, such as minor league baseball, basketball and football. At these events, in larger towns, many politicians appear to give speeches, patriotic and sympathetic to the first generation of Americans who fought for this future country. In years following the war, it was a tradition to call out the British, challenging them to come and fight them. This ‘twisting the lion’s tail’ was greeted with great zeal by the American people.
The oldest celebration of Independence Day that was ever documented was the Bristol Fourth of July Parade, in Bristol, Rhode Island. It started in 1785, and is still ongoing today. Most modern celebrations today include floats in various themes, and of course, fireworks. The Fourth of July fireworks are one of the biggest fireworks display in the entire world. Macy’s in New York holds the biggest fireworks of them all, with over 75000 lbs of fireworks lighting up the sky for about half an hour.
Independence Day is arguably the most important day in American History, so jump into some Havocs and Corsairs and rule the skies!
The Fourth of July marks a significant date in the history of the United States of America. This is the day that is commonly known to both Americans and the rest of the world, as Independence Day.
ndependence Day is a federal holiday in the US which commemorates the signing, adoption and publication of the Declaration of Independence from The Kingdom of Great Britain. However, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies happened on the 2nd of July 1776, after the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of independence. The Declaration, which had been in writing by Thomas Jefferson and the Committee of Five since June 11th the same year, was then published two days later. The Declaration reads that all men are born equal, and that they have a right to choose their own government. This was the basis on which American democracy was formed.
Independence Day is a federal holiday, meaning that all non-crucial federal institutions (such as post offices and schools) are closed down. It is usually celebrated outdoors with family or friends, with a barbecue or picnic. Every small town or suburb usually has its own celebration party, with various games and events. Some of these include eating contests, tugs-of-war, swimming, and other sporting events, such as minor league baseball, basketball and football. At these events, in larger towns, many politicians appear to give speeches, patriotic and sympathetic to the first generation of Americans who fought for this future country. In years following the war, it was a tradition to call out the British, challenging them to come and fight them. This ‘twisting the lion’s tail’ was greeted with great zeal by the American people.
The oldest celebration of Independence Day that was ever documented was the Bristol Fourth of July Parade, in Bristol, Rhode Island. It started in 1785, and is still ongoing today. Most modern celebrations today include floats in various themes, and of course, fireworks. The Fourth of July fireworks are one of the biggest fireworks display in the entire world. Macy’s in New York holds the biggest fireworks of them all, with over 75000 lbs of fireworks lighting up the sky for about half an hour.
Independence Day is arguably the most important day in American History, so jump into some Havocs and Corsairs and rule the skies!
Aviation in Japan in the 1930s and 1940s differed from many nations in that Japan did not possess an independent air force; like the United States, Japanese military aviation was split between the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF) and the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF). Put in very basic terms, army aviation existed to support ground forces whilst naval aviation as in place to support the fleet, although operationally there was much more of a cross over between the two roles. Without an independent air force and with a limited budget for military aviation, a great rivalry grew between army and naval aviators in Japan.
In the late 1930s a period of restructuring saw large changes in the organization of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. The basic unit was the Hiko Sentai, normally shortened to Sentai (戦隊). This was derived from Hiko (飛行) meaning ‘air’ or ‘flying’, Sen meaning ‘war’ or ‘battle’ and Tai meaning ‘unit’ or ‘group’. In western terms, the Sentai was roughly equivalent to an Air Regiment and was normally commanded by a Major. The Sentai’s Commanding Officer carried a great deal of authority and could autonomously prescribe his unit’s organization and tactics and even the criteria for confirming victories; this led to a lack of standardization in many aspects of the IJAAF and furthermore makes post-war research problematic in some areas. At Sentai level the unit had approximately 320 repair and maintenance personnel which were divided and assigned to the next level of the organization and commanded by an engineering Lieutenant or Captain.
The next division was the Hiko Chutai; the word Chutai (中隊) had its origins as a cavalry term and was roughly equivalent to a squadron. Commanded by a Captain, the Chutai often operated as an independent unit from different locations to other squadrons within the Sentai, in a similar manner to Luftwaffe Gruppen.
Next was the Shotai, or Flight (小隊). The Chutai would typically be composed of three or four Shotai, each of three aircraft to give a total strength of 12-15 aircraft. Shotai leaders were junior officers such as Lieutenants or Senior NCOs such as Warrant Officers or Staff Sergeants. The second aircraft in each flight was ideally an experienced NCO whilst the third place would be reserved for a new or inexperienced pilot; an interesting point which separated the Japanese system to that of western air forces was that any pilot of sergeant rank or below was still considered to be under tuition.
Aside from the organization described above was the Sentai Hombu (本部); the Regimental HQ. The Major commanding the Sentai would often fly with one of the Chutai, but also would on occasion fly with his adjutant and an experienced NCO to form a separate Shotai. The Hombu HQ element also covered the fifty or so men who made up the supporting roles such as administration, intelligence, stores, signals and medical staff. This covered the regular units within the IJAAF but more specialized units such as reconnaissance or even some specialist fighter units were organized outside of the normal command structure: Dokuritsu Hiko Chutai were often accountable directly to Brigade, Division or even Air Army level.
In terms of the tactics used in air-to-air combat by fighter pilots of the Japanese army, Japan entered hostilities using a modification of the standard ‘vic’ used by many other nations. The three aircraft ‘vic’ was, however, a looser and more flexible formation than that of, for example, the RAF and also employed a height stagger between aircraft. The wingman in eschelon starboard was also nearly twice as far away from his leader as the wingman in eschelon port, spaced at some 50 and 30 metres respectively. This spacing allowed a quick and simple formation change to line astern if consecutive attack runs on a single target were required. The option of changing to line abreast to then initiate a scissor attack against faster moving targets was also viable. There were pros and cons to the rigidly drilled and practiced system of flying and fighting; pilots would become so accustomed to fighting alongside regular wingmen that verbal communications were rarely necessary; however, the close knit fraternity which developed could lead to promotions within a Sentai being based on comradeship rather than merit.
Whilst the tried and tested three aircraft formation had proved its worth in the war torn skies over China the success of the four aircraft ‘Schwarm’ or ‘Finger Four’ was eventually adopted by the IJAAF, who even went as far as to adopt German terminology. However, old habits were to die-hard and once the system of energy fighting with two pairs broke up in combat it was often the case that pilots would fall back onto the old ways of maneuver dogfighting. This had been so successful in the early days of the Sino-Japanese conflict that doctrinally it was difficult to adapt and progress. Another reason which hindered the success of the change in tactics was experience; the initial plan was for both pairs within the schwarm to be led by experienced pilots, with more junior pilots as the wingmen. However, as the IJAAF suffered more casualties as the war progressed, more and more junior pilots with less training were given the responsibility of leading a rotte or pair, sometimes when the individual was not ready but there was no other option.
This account gives only a very brief and highly simplified description of both organization and tactics employed by certain elements of the IJAAF. In both cases there were large amounts of variation and a great deal of further information and considerations. The subject of Japanese military aviation history is a complex one requiring a very unique understanding and specialist knowledge; with this in mind the author wishes to express his most sincere thanks to aviation historian Nicholas Millman, without whose research and texts this article would not have been possible.
Aviation in Japan in the 1930s and 1940s differed from many nations in that Japan did not possess an independent air force; like the United States, Japanese military aviation was split between the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF) and the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF). Put in very basic terms, army aviation existed to support ground forces whilst naval aviation as in place to support the fleet, although operationally there was much more of a cross over between the two roles. Without an independent air force and with a limited budget for military aviation, a great rivalry grew between army and naval aviators in Japan.
In the late 1930s a period of restructuring saw large changes in the organization of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. The basic unit was the Hiko Sentai, normally shortened to Sentai (戦隊). This was derived from Hiko (飛行) meaning ‘air’ or ‘flying’, Sen meaning ‘war’ or ‘battle’ and Tai meaning ‘unit’ or ‘group’. In western terms, the Sentai was roughly equivalent to an Air Regiment and was normally commanded by a Major. The Sentai’s Commanding Officer carried a great deal of authority and could autonomously prescribe his unit’s organization and tactics and even the criteria for confirming victories; this led to a lack of standardization in many aspects of the IJAAF and furthermore makes post-war research problematic in some areas. At Sentai level the unit had approximately 320 repair and maintenance personnel which were divided and assigned to the next level of the organization and commanded by an engineering Lieutenant or Captain.
The next division was the Hiko Chutai; the word Chutai (中隊) had its origins as a cavalry term and was roughly equivalent to a squadron. Commanded by a Captain, the Chutai often operated as an independent unit from different locations to other squadrons within the Sentai, in a similar manner to Luftwaffe Gruppen.
Next was the Shotai, or Flight (小隊). The Chutai would typically be composed of three or four Shotai, each of three aircraft to give a total strength of 12-15 aircraft. Shotai leaders were junior officers such as Lieutenants or Senior NCOs such as Warrant Officers or Staff Sergeants. The second aircraft in each flight was ideally an experienced NCO whilst the third place would be reserved for a new or inexperienced pilot; an interesting point which separated the Japanese system to that of western air forces was that any pilot of sergeant rank or below was still considered to be under tuition.
Aside from the organization described above was the Sentai Hombu (本部); the Regimental HQ. The Major commanding the Sentai would often fly with one of the Chutai, but also would on occasion fly with his adjutant and an experienced NCO to form a separate Shotai. The Hombu HQ element also covered the fifty or so men who made up the supporting roles such as administration, intelligence, stores, signals and medical staff. This covered the regular units within the IJAAF but more specialized units such as reconnaissance or even some specialist fighter units were organized outside of the normal command structure: Dokuritsu Hiko Chutai were often accountable directly to Brigade, Division or even Air Army level.
In terms of the tactics used in air-to-air combat by fighter pilots of the Japanese army, Japan entered hostilities using a modification of the standard ‘vic’ used by many other nations. The three aircraft ‘vic’ was, however, a looser and more flexible formation than that of, for example, the RAF and also employed a height stagger between aircraft. The wingman in eschelon starboard was also nearly twice as far away from his leader as the wingman in eschelon port, spaced at some 50 and 30 metres respectively. This spacing allowed a quick and simple formation change to line astern if consecutive attack runs on a single target were required. The option of changing to line abreast to then initiate a scissor attack against faster moving targets was also viable. There were pros and cons to the rigidly drilled and practiced system of flying and fighting; pilots would become so accustomed to fighting alongside regular wingmen that verbal communications were rarely necessary; however, the close knit fraternity which developed could lead to promotions within a Sentai being based on comradeship rather than merit.
Whilst the tried and tested three aircraft formation had proved its worth in the war torn skies over China the success of the four aircraft ‘Schwarm’ or ‘Finger Four’ was eventually adopted by the IJAAF, who even went as far as to adopt German terminology. However, old habits were to die-hard and once the system of energy fighting with two pairs broke up in combat it was often the case that pilots would fall back onto the old ways of maneuver dogfighting. This had been so successful in the early days of the Sino-Japanese conflict that doctrinally it was difficult to adapt and progress. Another reason which hindered the success of the change in tactics was experience; the initial plan was for both pairs within the schwarm to be led by experienced pilots, with more junior pilots as the wingmen. However, as the IJAAF suffered more casualties as the war progressed, more and more junior pilots with less training were given the responsibility of leading a rotte or pair, sometimes when the individual was not ready but there was no other option.
This account gives only a very brief and highly simplified description of both organization and tactics employed by certain elements of the IJAAF. In both cases there were large amounts of variation and a great deal of further information and considerations. The subject of Japanese military aviation history is a complex one requiring a very unique understanding and specialist knowledge; with this in mind the author wishes to express his most sincere thanks to aviation historian Nicholas Millman, without whose research and texts this article would not have been possible.
Formed in 1909, the French Armée de l'Air claims the title of the first air force in history. While not immediately an independent branch of the military, the original Aéronautique Militaire was a pioneer in using airplanes as a weapon of war.
During the First World War, France was one of the most advanced air powers in the world. French aviators scored the first air-to-air victory using an aircraft mounted machine gun as well as the first victory by a fighter firing a machine gun through the propeller. France also had the top scoring Allied ace of the war: René Fonck claimed a total of 72 solo victories flying different variants of SPAD fighters.
After peace in 1918, the French continued to develop their air power. The law to establish the Armée de l'Air as a separate branch of the military was finally passed on the 2nd of July 1934, exactly 80 years ago. As Germany began to remilitarize during the late 1930s, France and her allies were forced to compete with their neighbor in military equipment. By the Battle of France in May 1940, France and Britain together should have had an air force to match the Luftwaffe.
When the Germans invaded, France was completely unprepared for Blitzkrieg. The Armée de l'Air was equipped with Curtiss H-75A Hawks, M.S.406s, and with some new D.520s and MB.150s, which should have been competitive against the German Bf 109s and Bf 110s. However, they could barely slow down the invaders. This was a result of several problems, such as underfunding, delays in modernization, severe rivalry between military branches, obsolete tactics and organizational problems, and being totally unprepared for the attack. The Luftwaffe could also field more and better aircraft than the Allies. Despite the circumstances, the Armée de l'Air fought back valiantly until France surrendered on the 22nd of June.
After the armistice, French aviators had three choices how to continue flying. Some joined the Free French Air Force to strengthen the resistance while others chose to fly for the Vichy French Air Force under German occupation. The Vichy Armée de l'Air operated French equipment, and was mainly in charge of protecting Vichy interests in the colonies. When American forces began their attack on Morocco in November 1942, the Vichy Air Force fought back briefly before surrendering. The Germans dissolved the Vichy French armed forces soon after this.
After France had surrendered, many French aviators joined the Free French Air Force, which continued the fight against the Germans with the Cross of Lorraine as their symbol. After the dissolution of Vichy French forces, the liberated Vichy units were united with Free French units to form the Fighting French Air Force, or the FAFC, which would continue the work of the Armée de l’Air. The FAFC formed several squadrons under US and RAF command, and they fought in North Africa operating American P-39 and P-40 as well as British Spitfire V fighters. Perhaps the most famous French pilot to serve in the Western theater was Pierre Clostermann, who first flew Spitfires with No. 341 Squadron, and towards the end of the war transferred to a Hawker Tempest unit. Clostermann was credited with a total of 33 victories.
Free French pilots also flew in the Eastern Front. A unit of French aviators joined Soviet forces in March 1943. First operating the Yak-1, then Yak-9Ds and eventually Yak-3s, the Normandie-Niemen achieved acclaim both from the French and the Soviets alike. As well as numerous unit honours, several pilots such as Marcel Albert and Roland de la Poype became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Grateful for their service, the USSR gifted the Yak-3s the unit had been operating to France.
After victory in Europe, France began rebuilding their air force. Initially using WW2 era aircraft such as P-63 Kingcobras and Fw 190s under the designation NC 900, they quickly advanced to operating first generation jets such as the de Havilland Vampire and their first indigenous jet fighter, the Dassault Ouragan.
However, propeller-powered fighters were not abandoned, as they were used in the attempt to maintain control of French colonies. In addition to the P-63s, a number of American F6F Hellcats, F8F Bearcats, and navy F4U-7 Corsairs were delivered to the French to fight in the First Indochina War from 1946 to 1954. The Hellcats and Corsairs operated under French Naval Aviation, the Aéronavale, which will soon receive a their roundel in War Thunder.
Formed in 1909, the French Armée de l'Air claims the title of the first air force in history. While not immediately an independent branch of the military, the original Aéronautique Militaire was a pioneer in using airplanes as a weapon of war.
During the First World War, France was one of the most advanced air powers in the world. French aviators scored the first air-to-air victory using an aircraft mounted machine gun as well as the first victory by a fighter firing a machine gun through the propeller. France also had the top scoring Allied ace of the war: René Fonck claimed a total of 72 solo victories flying different variants of SPAD fighters.
After peace in 1918, the French continued to develop their air power. The law to establish the Armée de l'Air as a separate branch of the military was finally passed on the 2nd of July 1934, exactly 80 years ago. As Germany began to remilitarize during the late 1930s, France and her allies were forced to compete with their neighbor in military equipment. By the Battle of France in May 1940, France and Britain together should have had an air force to match the Luftwaffe.
When the Germans invaded, France was completely unprepared for Blitzkrieg. The Armée de l'Air was equipped with Curtiss H-75A Hawks, M.S.406s, and with some new D.520s and MB.150s, which should have been competitive against the German Bf 109s and Bf 110s. However, they could barely slow down the invaders. This was a result of several problems, such as underfunding, delays in modernization, severe rivalry between military branches, obsolete tactics and organizational problems, and being totally unprepared for the attack. The Luftwaffe could also field more and better aircraft than the Allies. Despite the circumstances, the Armée de l'Air fought back valiantly until France surrendered on the 22nd of June.
After the armistice, French aviators had three choices how to continue flying. Some joined the Free French Air Force to strengthen the resistance while others chose to fly for the Vichy French Air Force under German occupation. The Vichy Armée de l'Air operated French equipment, and was mainly in charge of protecting Vichy interests in the colonies. When American forces began their attack on Morocco in November 1942, the Vichy Air Force fought back briefly before surrendering. The Germans dissolved the Vichy French armed forces soon after this.
After France had surrendered, many French aviators joined the Free French Air Force, which continued the fight against the Germans with the Cross of Lorraine as their symbol. After the dissolution of Vichy French forces, the liberated Vichy units were united with Free French units to form the Fighting French Air Force, or the FAFC, which would continue the work of the Armée de l’Air. The FAFC formed several squadrons under US and RAF command, and they fought in North Africa operating American P-39 and P-40 as well as British Spitfire V fighters. Perhaps the most famous French pilot to serve in the Western theater was Pierre Clostermann, who first flew Spitfires with No. 341 Squadron, and towards the end of the war transferred to a Hawker Tempest unit. Clostermann was credited with a total of 33 victories.
Free French pilots also flew in the Eastern Front. A unit of French aviators joined Soviet forces in March 1943. First operating the Yak-1, then Yak-9Ds and eventually Yak-3s, the Normandie-Niemen achieved acclaim both from the French and the Soviets alike. As well as numerous unit honours, several pilots such as Marcel Albert and Roland de la Poype became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Grateful for their service, the USSR gifted the Yak-3s the unit had been operating to France.
After victory in Europe, France began rebuilding their air force. Initially using WW2 era aircraft such as P-63 Kingcobras and Fw 190s under the designation NC 900, they quickly advanced to operating first generation jets such as the de Havilland Vampire and their first indigenous jet fighter, the Dassault Ouragan.
However, propeller-powered fighters were not abandoned, as they were used in the attempt to maintain control of French colonies. In addition to the P-63s, a number of American F6F Hellcats, F8F Bearcats, and navy F4U-7 Corsairs were delivered to the French to fight in the First Indochina War from 1946 to 1954. The Hellcats and Corsairs operated under French Naval Aviation, the Aéronavale, which will soon receive a their roundel in War Thunder.