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WW2 Allied Attack for Armor Procedure?

starbage1

starbage1

Members +
If an attacking allied aircraft could not make out a vehicle by its star or sign how would they engage?
On the first flyby would aircraft radio to the target to see if it a friend or foe?
Then attack on the 2nd run, if no response let loose? I doubt this since a radio can be broken.
 
I know from D-Day on, it was fairly standard practice for fighter bomber to patrol above a battlefield while in radio contact with a controller attached to an infantry unit. The controller would describe a target and direct aircraft to attack it. I'm not sure when this system was developed or how it was done before that.
 
starbage1 said:
If an attacking allied aircraft could not make out a vehicle by its star or sign how would they engage?
On the first flyby would aircraft radio to the target to see if it a friend or foe?
Then attack on the 2nd run, if no response let loose? I doubt this since a radio can be broken.
Click to expand...

Well, in pre-D-Day ETO, it was fairly easy, of course, but in other theaters, with changing front lines, there probably was a good deal of friendly fire. Thusly, the FAC (Forward Air Controller) was born/reinvented. See these two links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_air_control
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_air_control#World_War_II

Note that the Luftwaffe already used a similar system during the Blitzkrieg days and that the very idea dates back to WWI. Also, in addition to gecko's remarks, you can think of brightly coloured (cloth) panels and coloured smoke to mark positions.
 
True, I forgot about the smoke to mark targets as well. Probably used mortar. The high wing spotter planes probably did some location finding as well.
 
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