Were the Stukas,IL-2s,Typhoons etc. really effective as tank busters? Be it with rockets or cannon-fire. Who flew the best one?

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FramerT maybe ask more specifically ? The question you propose is pretty general and could be answered I suppose in a multitude of ways although that maybe the way you would like it ?

considering rockets, from what I have read a direct hit would be needed to take out a Panzer although a close hit could damage the tracks of Panzers and soft skinned vehicles especially such as halftracks were they could be put out of commission.

Cannon of course would rip up M/T and it would have to be a high velocity larger caliber than 2cm with hard core tip to take out a tank. Upper deck, engine and rear of turret as well as the top of the turret were all suspect. this case in point was the consideration of the Ju 87G-1 with the 3.7cm weapons, the Stuka would make a characteristic dive from above and a short pull up to aim and let go it's firepower and then climb and bank around for another attack from the side or rear, although cine films do show these Panzer birds even attacking from the front and above. although you have not aksed about the Hs 129 armored bath-tub it came in low like the present A-10 and fire away with it's effective 3cm Mk 103 rounds.

hope this is of some help. I think our English friends could help considerably with their knowledge of the rocket equipped Typhoon. anyone with Il-2 info. please........

E ▼

Zetterling's book 'Normandy 1944' has an interesting essay on air power.

My own sources give a 4% chance of a hit with a rocket fired from a Typhoon...

Will try to dig them out...

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"Watch that Fu*ker, he'll 'ave someones eye out!" King Harold at Hastings 1066.

Typhoons and other aircraft could be effective in certain situations. But, as simple technical details go to really bust up tanks aircraft generally had to either mount larger caliber cannon (37mm +) or use bombs or rockets.
The Typhoon could easily destroy a tank using rockets, provided it could locate the target. Tanks are hard to spot from the air and, of course, their crews were determined to make it all the harder by using cover, camoflauge, etc. So too could the US P-47 or 38 both of which were used in a similar role. In the drive across France for example, US P-47's would toss bomb tanks (and did so at the battles around Nancy in late September) by flying just off the ground and then pull up as they released the bomb skipping it into the side of the tank.
Dive bombing was also used. Even with rockets diving attacks were often the best way to ensure a hit on as small a target as a tank.

Say when the weather cleared during Battle/Bulge were the high-level bombers more successful[damage] or fighter-bombers? An even better example was Kursk; Russian IL-2s and German Stukas always over-head. Was German tank ace Rudel an exception with 500? kills in a Stuka?

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See: http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/tankbusters.htm

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and Discussion forum

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Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website