Yak-9T - incredible firepower (or maybe incredible tank's lack of armor?)

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by bf-110

I was wondering that the other day.How effective were air attacks against tanks.

Also I guess that some of the effectiveness was based on making the tank crew freaking out and leaving the tank?

There are some reports that you can dig for and dig up. The ultimate answer is that direct attacks against tanks weren't very effective at destroying actual tanks. Most rocket attacks didn't score the needed direct hits, bomb blasts were a similar story... what I have read is that IL-2s themselves were most effective against tanks when employing PTAB bombs. Initial reports were apparently not believed and additional field reports were conducted confirming their effectiveness. I haven't read the corroborating story but my understanding is that the PTAB bomblets were useful... the 37mm anti-tank cannons were less so. Similar story for the Stuka with the BK 3,7 where direct hits were effective but only from some angles on the heavier tanks. The massive 75mm gun on the Hs129B-3 and a Ju88 variant was found to be very effective, however, the recoil effects were immense.

That all said... attacks against tanks had secondary effects. Decreased morale, panic, etc. In Normandy the Thunderbolt and Typhoon attacks against tanks didn't destroy many but they reduced the overall effectiveness of whatever group was attacked. Also, air attacks against support vehicles that supplied the tanks were devastating. Destroying the fuel trucks that supplied the tanks caused no small impact.