[George Hopp]

I guess the jet fighters and the Me 163 found that a major problem in attacking Allied bombers was the extremely high closing speed during the approach. The pilot would be trying to line up with the intended target while trying at the same time to avoid hitting any of the other a/c in the air. It would be easier for this type of attack because the pilot would just have to approximate the lead on the target since the rocket patterns were normally setup to form an oval pattern with the long axis horizontal. But, he would still have to level his wings for an effective attack, and not scatter the rockets. And, at the same time he would be approaching the target at 300+ mph. while attempting to ensure that the rockets were fired between ca. 250 yds. and ca. 800 yds. To counter this, some jets would slow down and so become vulnerable to escorting fighters as well as the bombers' guns. For the Ba 349 this would not be an option unless the rocket was burned out and he was gliding into the attack. So, experienced pilots would need to be used.