Ground pounders. Tank busters. Panzer crackers. Whatever you call them, they all have one job that they do excellently, killing whatever poor sod that's glued to the ground. Most have defensive gunners of varying usefulness, carry bombs and cannons to destroy ground units. This guide will focus on Air Realistic Battles where AI units are the main foe.

Please leave all criticism, recommendations and comments you have. I want this guide to be as useful as possible to new players of attackers.

Do

• ask fighters for escorts to the target, ask politely and early on. Most fighters don't care about you, however be grateful for those few that do.
  
• set timers for your bombs if you tend fly low in your strafes, the impacting bomb below you may explode and rip your plane apart. I've actually gotten a few kills on fighters trying to kill me that get caught in the blast of my bombs as they pass below.
  
• observe your shots and bombs, correct aiming errors as you fire and don't waste bullets firing at the ground ahead/behind the target. Surgical accuracy with weapons is a good trait to acquire, especially when you get to high potency weapons with limited ammo.
  
• memorize maps and their targets

Don't

• fly too low and carelessly. Learn how your plane responds at different speeds and attitudes, and make sure you can safely pull out of a dive or strafing run.
  
• fire at targets you can't kill. A 20mm cannon is useless against anything beyond a medium tanks and light bunkers, and small caliber machine guns are limited to targets like AAA guns and artillery pieces.
  
• fly high in the sky, you aren't going to stay there and you're only bringing yourself unwanted attention. Stay low and fly into valleys and behind hills to avoid detection.
  
• get tunnel vision, keep a watchful eye out for enemy fighters and notify your teammates of threats to you.
  
• dogfight unless your virtual life depends on it, you may be the master of head ons, but you'll easily be outmanuevered by your agile opponents.
  
• get greedy and spend too much time on one attack run that brushes you against trees and buildings. You can always come around for another run.

You're primarily going to kill via large bombs (500kg to 1000kg) and 7.92mm machine guns (20mm cannons in the D5's case). Unless you can bomb tanks/bunkers accurately (which takes good practice), you are stuck with killing light vehicles and lightly protected emplacements. Stukas from the R2 onwards have powerful 1000kg bombs that can even knock out ships! Your gunner has a 7.92mm machinegun covering your rear, it's a pea shooter that shouldn't be relied on for defense.

Tips

• When diving, use your divebrakes to slow your descent and release bombs at about 800-500m. Flying at too high a speed will result in a prolonged pullout that could easily lead to a crash.
  
• Keep an eye on your MG 17 ammo count, it runs out of ammo quickly after killing a around 5-10 ground targets.
  
• Use your defensive gunner to finish off any stubborn targets you didn't get with your fixed MG 17's as you pass overhead.
  
• (Ju-87D5 only) Using the WB 151 20mm gun pods makes the D5 a quick convoy killer and is a king of head-on duels.

Research

Prioritize radiators and bomb loads. The radiator is vulnerable and overheats easily, and bigger bomb loads means less accuracy required for tank/bunker kills.

The most recognizable and feared variant, the Gustav. You do one job and one job only - busting tanks. The powerful BK37 37mm cannons can kill any tank on the battlefield and can easily kill bombers (don't bother climbing to meet them though). This beast kills in one shot with powerful tungsten HVAP ammo.

Tips

• Watch your ammo and practice with this bird. You only have 12 shots (6 with default ammo) to kill tanks. Set your targeting distance to about 500m (adjust based on your preference if needed).
  
• As with the earlier Stukas, don't rely exclusively on your defensive gunner, especially in tier 2-3 games.
  
• Only head on if you are a good shot, the 37mm destroys any fighter even with AT ammo.

Research

37mm cannon ammo/guns and the radiator. The guns are very innacurate stock and default ammo is half full of useless HE ammo, so prioritization of 37mm weaponry is a requirement.

Germanys only purpose designed CAS aircraft, with a plethora of armament to make ground units go boom and plenty of cockpit armour to survive when they shoot back. Though keep in mind you have no defensive gunner. Prioritize getting the 30mm Mk 103 with HVAP belts to become the best tank buster in the game.

Tips

• Prioritize the Mk 108 cannon and HVAP belts to become a godlike tank buster.
  
• The Hs 129 is a king of head ons with its center mounted 7.92mm/20mm guns and excellent cockpit armour.
  
• Use the 7.92mm MG 17 to guide your aim. Don't be afraid to expend your ammo though, you have plenty of 20mm.

Research

Weaponry, then Flight Performance. Getting the 30mm Mk 103 gun with HVAP belts is a damn good investment (cannot say that enough), and improving speed and climb will make the duck a little more user-friendly.

The B3 "duck with a d**k" is a further evolution of the B2 with the most powerful aircraft gun in the game, is basically a B2 with MG 151's omitted for a 75mm BK75 cannon (the same gun that the Pz IV F2 carries). The BK75 (especially with APCR ammo) can knock out anything on the ground, and you're one of the most armoured aircraft in game. You have no defensive gunner and are extremely sluggish (the B3 is the most shot down aircraft in the game), so you must be careful in planning your attacks and keep awareness.

Tips

• Stabilize for a shot at about 1000-700m, and do not WEP as you aim. Fire at about 500m (adjust targeting range to a setting that fits you well)
  
• Practice with the BK75 and "be the bullet" for best accuracy. Use the 7.92mm MG 17's to guide your cannon fire.
  
• Keep in mind that you have nobody but a fighter escort (if you're lucky) to defend you.

Research

Flight Performance and Weaponry. Improving speed and climb rate will make the B3 slightly easier to control, and improving gun accuracy is crucial with only 13 shots. Default belts are fine for tank busting, however anti tank ammo is even better.