BoM: Wonder if they'll model the poor Soviet Plexiglass?

[*Buzzsaw*]

Originally Posted by vranac

For the VVS pilots disengage was not an option.
Pilots who did that few times were sent as gunner in Il-2 to gather some courage.
But that was very rare.

Salute

With all due respect to the sacrifice of many Russian and other Soviet nationality lives, this as an example of inflexible Soviet tactical doctrine, (from Stalin) requiring pilots to stay and fight when a better situation would be to disengage and return later, is just one reason why the Soviet losses were so huge. (they admitted losing 60,000 planes, claimed 80,000 Germans, but German loss figures were about 15,000)

Requiring Fighters to load rockets and bombs, and sending them in at low altitudes, the whole lack of a high altitude air superiority fighter, meant the Germans were default given complete dominance up high, as well as the initiative and the ability to make attacks when and where they chose, all of this led to the losses, and the creation of the high scoring East Front Luftwaffe Aces.

It wasn't till Alexander Pokryshkin and others developed better tactics, and began to fly at higher alts that the Soviets began to turn the tables. And their gaining air superiority really had more to do with simple numbers than any good planning by the VVS higher ranks.