Strafing

"Strafe" redirects here. For other uses, seeStrafe (disambiguation).

For the video game maneuver, seeStrafing (video games).

A-10 Thunderbolt-II 30mm GAU-8 cannon conducting a strafing run against suspectedTalibanmachine-gun crew, footage captured by overhead U.S military-operated reconnaissance drone, Afghanistan.

A German vehicle column destroyed byground-attack aircraftclose toArnhem,23 September 1944

Strafingis the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mountedautomatic weapons. Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such as fast boats, using smaller-caliber weapons and targeting stationary or slowly-moving targets.

Etymology

The word is an adaptation ofGermanstrafen(pronounced[ˈʃtʁaːfn̩]), topunish,specifically from the humorous adaptation of the Germananti-BritishsloganGott strafe England(May God punish England), dating back toWorld War I.

Description

U.S NavyVought F4U Corsairstrafing Imperial Japanese Shipping during the Second World War.

Guns used in strafing range incaliberfrom 7.62–14.5 mm (0.300–0.571 in)machine guns,to 20–40 mm (0.79–1.57 in)autocannonorrotary cannon.Although ground attack using automatic weapons fire is very often accompanied withbombingorrocketfire, the term "strafing" does not specifically include the last two.

The term "strafing" can cover either fixed guns, or aimable (flexible) guns. Fixed guns firing directly ahead tend to be more predominant onfixed wing aircraft,whilehelicopterstend to use gimballed weapons which can be fired in many different directions independent of the direction the aircraft is pointing in (in most cases, flexible guns on a fixed wing aircraft are for defense purposes only, although they can sometimes be used to fire on ground targets to limited effect).

Beaufightersstrafing aVorpostenboot,1944

Some fixed wing aircraft, likefighter-bombers,are capable of flying eitherair-combatmissions or ground attack missions (P-47 Thunderbolt), while others are dedicated ground-attack types (Il-2 Sturmovik). In cases where an aircraft is capable of both types of combat, when it is assigned to a ground attack role, and thus expected to be using the guns mostly for strafing, the fixed weapons are often mounted so that theconvergence pointis lower and at a greater range than would be used for air combat. This is helpful because it allows the pilot to aim at a target without having to dive towards the ground as steeply, decreasing the risk of collision with the ground and increasing the amount of firing time available before having to pull up, and it also increases the range from the target, helping avoidanti-aircraftfire and potential damage from exploding targets. Consequently, several types of aircraft-mountedgun podslike the Soviet SPPU-22 allowed for a mechanical depression of their barrels.

A USAFA-10C Thunderbolt IIcombat exercise at Nevada Test & Training Ground against hard targets

Because of the low altitude and relatively low airspeed required for accurate strafing, it is very risky for the pilot, who is exposed not only to the risk offlight-into-terrainand obstacles such as power lines, but also to anti-aircraft weapons, includingsurface-to-air missiles(both vehicle mounted andhand-held), anti-aircraft artillery and small caliber weapons fire (such asmachine gunsandsmall arms). Planes purposely designed for ground attack may include additionalarmouraround and underneath the cockpit and other vulnerable areas such as engines to protect the pilot and key flight components, while aircraft designed mostly for air combat tend to have most of their armor placed to protect directly ahead or to the rear, where fire from other aircraft is most likely, leaving them more vulnerable to fire from directly below or to the sides, where much ground fire often comes from.

History

World War I

The Strafing,C. R. W. Nevinson,1916, collectionMuseum of Fine Arts, Ghent

While the earliest use of military aircraft was for observation and directing of artillery, strafing was frequently practised inWorld War I.Trenches and supply columns were routinely attacked from the air in the second half of the war. Strafing withmachine gunswas used when precision was needed (facing small targets), but non-strafing attack methods (primarily small bombs) were preferred for larger targets, area targets, or when low-altitude flying was too risky.

The German army was the first to introduce a class of aircraft specially designed for strafing, theground-attack aircraft.Planes built specifically for strafing include the German World War IJunkers J.I,which was armored to protect it from ground-based gunfire. The Junkers J.I. had two downward-facing machine guns that were used for strafing.

World War II

These developments continued throughWorld War IIwith dedicated aircraft including the concept of the heavily protected cockpit or "bathtub" to permit the pilot to survive counterfire from anti-aircraft batteries.

A Ju 87 G with itsBK 3,7guns ingun pods

The Luftwaffe's best strafing plane was theJunkers Ju 87 Stuka.The Ju 87 G variant had two Rheinmetall-Borsig 37 mm (1.5 in) Flak 18 guns each mounted under the wing.

For the RAF, the best ground attack plane was theHawker Hurricane II.It was armed with four 20 mm (0.79 in) wing-mounted cannon.TheHawker Typhoonand its derivativeHawker Tempestwere used in the later stages of the war. They also had four 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons, while also being able to carry up to 8 "60 lb"RP-3rockets.

For the US, theRepublic P-47 Thunderboltwas one of the key ground attack planes. It was armed with eight.50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns. Another aircraft that was important in that role was theNorth American B-25 Mitchell.It was used for low-altitude strafing runs in the Pacific War.

The RussianIlyushin IL-2 Sturmovikwas one of the key Russian ground attack planes. It had heavy armour around the engine, underside and canopy. It was armed with 20, 23, or 37 mm (0.79, 0.91, or 1.46 in) cannon, depending on the model.

AnRCAFSpitfireof412 Squadronpiloted byCharley Foxstrafed the command car ofErwin Rommelon 17 July 1944 nearSainte-Foy-de-Montgommery,affecting his possible participation in the 20 July 1944Operation Valkyriecoup.

Postwar

In theKorean War(1950–1953),US Air Forceplanes strafed targets deep behind the front line and had a perceptible impact on the progress of the ground war, but the concept of strafing was already in decline.

In the 1960s, whenprecision-guided weaponsbecame widespread, strafing temporarily fell out of favor as unnecessarily risky and some Americanfighter aircraftorattack aircraft(such as theF-4 Phantom IIandA-6 Intruder) then did not have built-in cannon or machine guns. In theVietnam War,that was found to be a deficiency, and improvised "gunships"had to be used in strafing missions. Gunships like the AC-47 Spooky, AC-119 Specter, and early models of theAC-130 Spookygunship proved to be devastating defenders of besieged US Special Forces camps.

TheA-10 Thunderbolt IIis an American twin-engine, straight-wingjet aircraftdeveloped byFairchild-Republicin the early 1970s which is the only United States Air Force aircraft designed solely forclose air supportof ground forces. The A-10 was built to attacktanks,armored vehicles,and other ground targets with limitedair defenses,often through strafing.

A-10's 30 mmGAU-8 Avengercannon is used for strafing tanks, armored vehicles and other ground targets.

The A-10 was designed around theGAU-8 Avenger,a 30 mm (1.2 in)rotary cannon,which is the airplane's primary armament and the heaviest such automatic cannon mounted on an aircraft. The A-10'sairframewas designed for survivability, with measures such as 1,200 pounds (540 kg) ofarmorfor protection of the cockpit and aircraft systems that enables the aircraft to continue flying after taking significant damage. The A-10's official name comes from theRepublic P-47 ThunderboltofWorld War II,a fighter that was particularly effective at close air support. The A-10 is the main US plane designed to do strafing runs.

Since 2001, Coalition pilots inIraqandAfghanistanhave used strafing runs to support ground forces in areas where explosive ordnance could cause unacceptable civilian casualties. Strafing runs done byF-16sare very risky for the pilot. The cities ofDamascusandAleppowere strafed by helicopter gunships in theSyrian civil war.

In 2004, the United States Air Force accidentally strafed one of its own country's middle schools while training in thestrafing of the Little Egg Harbor Intermediate Schoolincident.

See also

• Ground-attack aircraft
• Military aviation

External links

• AROUND THE WORLD; Manila Acknowledges Strafing Japanese Ship,January 19, 1982, The New York Times.
• Major Andrew Duncan DFC, SAAF no. 103023V,Biplane fighter aces: The Commonwealth 16 May 1920 – 31 May 1942, surfcity.kund.dalnet.se
• Slaughterhouse Five,November 18, 2009, lettersofnote.com