CAP

[ndworl]

I think I'm doing something wrong on CAP. I've got quite a few zeros on escort with 50-70 cap. They tend to intercept raids but then decide to go home without engaging, leaving allied crappy bombers (we're in December 1941) free to plaster the APs unloading at a recently captured base. I thought it might be height. They were set on 20,000 feet and the bombers came in low. So I set three different heights, with detachments at 5,000, 10,000 and 15,000. Still nothing. They are 80+ experience and are not tired and morale is not less than 60.

(I know now not to put supplies on APs, as they seem to take forever to unload, which is why they're exposed. I did it in the first turn because that was the only way to get supplies to go with invasions.)

[tocaff]

Is there damage to the airstrip and it's facilities? This would effect the ability to get planes in the air.

I set my CAPs at their max alt., depending on the threat level up to 60% and it works fine.

Japanese fighters were good dog fighters early in the war, but against bombers, not the greatest.

[ndworl]

Nothing wrong with the air strip. They get up all right, just when they get there they faff around and then go home. Not as bad as that of course, but there is definitely some poor performance. Yes it is against bombers, so I suppose it could be just that.

[wga8888]

If the Dutch bombers strike fear in to the Zero-san, the B17s will be terrors as they shoot back. Typical air battle is 3 Brewsters and 3 Martins (or TIVs) which somehow get past 6 Zeros who wave them on through.

[tocaff]

Having radar would help with the intercepts, but the Japanese are light in this department.

[turkey]

Have you checked the air group C.O. stats? Fighter commanders need high aggression above all else. Might be the source of your problem if aggression is low?