Soviet air commands

[Isokron]

It seems like what the game wants you to do is to have one air command per front since they come in pairs.

Given that air leadership seems to be effectivly unlimited in both number of units and command range it should be more effective to put all operational aircrafts (except long range bombers perhaps) under a single air command with the best possible leader (Leningrad at start of 41 game I think) and then assign that air command to support all fronts.

Advantages would be that all aircrafts get the best possible commander and that all aircrafts could support all operations. Disadvatages would be that long range aircrafts might fly far away to support units and that it might be harder to organize stuff (although it might also make it easier sometimes I guess).

Obviously this only work with manual air control but is there anything else i'm missing?

[M60A3TTS]

ORIGINAL: Isokron
Given that air leadership seems to be effectivly unlimited in both number of units

You are limited in the number of units that can be assigned to an air commmand. It is a lot, but won't be near enough for what you will want.

[carlkay58]

Another downside to all aircraft in a single command with Ground Support directives for all of the armies is that your aircraft will be flying long distances to support your combats. This will increase their accumulated mileage which will increase your operational losses which also loses trained and experienced pilots. You are better to have front level assignments. I.e. select the AOGs to support the specific front/army to limit the range that they fly.

[Dereck]

I'm going to try to set up my Soviet Air armies similar to how I do thing in WITW (An air wing dedicated to air superiority and a tactical wing dedicated to ground support and ground attack with single engine fighters and city bombing of railyards and V2 sites with 2 engine bombers).

Not sure how this will work and I know it won't be as devastating as in WITW but it's worth a shot.

+--> Moscow Military District General-Armii Ivan Tyulenev
| |
| +--> Moscow Air Command General-Mayor Aviatsii Nikolai Sbytov
| | |
| | +--> Air Superiority
| | |
| | | 6 IAK PVO Air Corps
| | | |
| | | +--> Lyubertsy
| | | | - 16 IAP F
| | | |
| | | +--> North Moscow
| | | - 176 IAP FB-F
| | | - 177 IAP FB-F
| | | - 178 IAP PVO FB-F
| | | - 233 IAP FB-F
| | |
| | +--> Interdiction/Ground Support
| | |
| | | 77 SAD
| | | |
| | | +--> Orekhova
| | | | - 172 IAP FB
| | | |
| | | +--> North Moscow
| | | | - 309 IAP FB-F
| | | |
| | | +--> Lyubertsy
| | | | - 27 IAP PVO FB
| | | | - 34 IAP PVO FB
| | | |
| | | +--> Kubinka
| | | - 11 IAP PVO FB
| | |
| | +--> Tactical Bombing
| | |
| | | 47 SAD
| | | |
| | | +--> Podolsk
| | | | - 170 IAP FB-F
| | | | - 173 BAP LB
| | | |
| | | +--> Kalinin
| | | | - 95 BAP LB
| | | |
| | | +--> Rhez
| | | - 99 BAP LB
| | | - 134 BAP LB
| | |
| | +--> Reconnaisance
| | |
| | | Moscow Recon Group
| | | |
| | | +--> Manushkino
| | | - 9 ODRAE REC
| | |
| | +--> Transport
| |


In the above:

6 IAK PVO Air Corps will be assigned specifically to Air Superiority.

77 SAD won't be assigned specifically to an air directive so it can be used in both Ground Attack and Ground support missions. When I get enough squadrons I am thinking of adding another AOG so I can have dedicated Ground Attack and Ground Support units.

47 SAD will be assigned City Bombing which will go after railyards behind the Axis lines.

Reconnaisance and Transport are self explanatory.

If I end up with enough squadrons and AOGs it would be nice to have two AOGs assigned to Air Superiority, Ground Attack, Ground Support and Tactical Bombing so I could rest 1 each turn while the other performed the missions.

I will see how well this works.