Greetings, fellow Captains!
We have already shown you how to control carrier aviation in World of Warships.
Today we will talk about the different types of aircraft and their efficient use in battle.
The game has four types of aircraft.
Reconnaissance planes are stationed on battleships and cruisers,
fighter planes are designed to destroy enemy aviation,
while torpedo bombers and dive bombers make up striking squadrons
that attack enemy ships.
Reconnaissance planes are the eyes of battleships and cruisers,
increasing their view radius.
Press T to launch a reconnaissance plane.
It will take off and fly around your ship.
It may be extremely useful for detecting enemy ships
with low visibility or approaching torpedoes.
After a reconnaissance plane uses up its fuel,
it will automatically return to the ship for refueling.
Once refueled it may be launched again.
Like any other aircraft in the game
it can be destroyed by fighters or by enemy antiaircraft artillery.
The main tasks of fighter planes are to defend allied ships
and to destroy striking squadrons of torpedo bombers and dive bombers.
If a striking squadron comes under attack, it loses speed and accuracy.
This means, even if you don't manage to destroy the squadron,
your attack will increase the spread of its bombs and torpedoes,
thus helping an allied ship to evade assault or receive less damage.
Another important mission for fighter planes
is the defense of your striking squadrons against enemy fighters.
Don't forget that in a battle between fighters, the higher Tier wins.
With that in mind,
try to engage the enemy in the effective area
of antiaircraft artillery of allied ships.
Fighter planes are also quite efficient in reconnaissance.
Torpedo bombers are the main striking force of aircraft carriers.
Their reticle looks like a circle with a green sector of torpedo spread.
The best way to increase the efficiency of an attack is to launch torpedoes at a ship's side.
The enemy, however, will try to maneuver their bow or aft to your salvo.
For this reason, the initial aim needs to be adjusted.
You can do this by moving the indicator of the attack vector.
The landscape is another thing that you must keep in mind
as islands may easily prevent your torpedoes from hitting their target.
A successful torpedo attack not only damages the ship, but also causes flooding -
the enemy ship will lose survivability points for a certain period after the hit.
Do not forget that a quick and maneuverable vessel may evade a torpedo spread more easily.
With that in mind, aircraft carriers and battleships should be priority targets for torpedo bombers.
An attack on a ship that has powerful antiaircraft armaments may result in heavy casualties.
A good idea would be to send several striking squadrons against such ships.
Seasoned players prefer using area attacks.
Press and hold Alt to switch the reticle mode.
Now you may launch torpedoes at any arbitrary point on the map.
This mode gives you the advantage of a smaller spread
and the ability to attack from a close distance,
making it difficult for the enemy to take evasive action.
On the other hand, you will have to calculate the target lead yourself.
If you order a launch over an island, the torpedoes will fall to the ground.
If the distance to the target is too small,
the torpedo fuses will not be able to arm and detonate upon impact.
Another efficient trick is to put your adversary between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Increase your chance of hitting an enemy ship by attacking it from two sides simultaneously
with two torpedo bomber squadrons flying at approximately 90 degrees to each other.
While the enemy maneuvers trying to evade one salvo,
it will most certainly get struck by the other.
The reticle of dive bombers looks a little different.
It has the same circle as torpedo bombers,
but the effective area is marked by a bright green oval.
This type of aircraft has an advantage when attacking a ship from bow or stern,
maximizing the chance of hitting the target.
Remember that controlling your aim during an attack is still very important
as the enemy might take evasive action to escape the bombing area.
In addition to the damage dealt by explosions, bombs may cause fires.
You may increase the efficiency of your attacks, as well as other ships' characteristics,
by installing additional equipment available in the Port.
Stay tuned for the next episode to learn more about it.