Escorting Transport Aircraft

[Icedawg]

Can anyone tell me how to escort transport aircraft assigned to airdrop missions?

I like to use my two para regiments on the first few days of scenario 17 to secure unoccupied Allied bases that can serve as handy little fighter airfields (to cover my transport task forces bound for Palembang and Java). I've been thinking of using them instead to drop onto lightly manned (as opposed to unoccupied) bases. But, if I do this, I want to make sure they are properly escorted.

I did one quick little experimental (suicidal?) drop from (already secured) Toboali to Batavia. I had no intention of actually capturing that base, but just wanted to see how the routine worked - or more accurately, didn't work! I had airdropped most of the 1st Para regiment onto Toboali and transported part of an aviation support unit, a few air transport units and a fighter squadron. I then tried airdropping onto Batavia and got a quick message that the transports had been intercepted. There was no air-air combat however between the interceptors and my escorts.

I reran the turn a few times thinking it was just a fluke and got similar results. In every instance, there was no opportunity for my escorts to defend the transports. The escorts were clearly within range (zeros with range set to 11 hexes) and were assigned escort mission with 0% CAP. What's up here? Why can't fighters escort transports?

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Icedawg

Can anyone tell me how to escort transport aircraft assigned to airdrop missions?

I like to use my two para regiments on the first few days of scenario 17 to secure unoccupied Allied bases that can serve as handy little fighter airfields (to cover my transport task forces bound for Palembang and Java). I've been thinking of using them instead to drop onto lightly manned (as opposed to unoccupied) bases. But, if I do this, I want to make sure they are properly escorted.

I did one quick little experimental (suicidal?) drop from (already secured) Toboali to Batavia. I had no intention of actually capturing that base, but just wanted to see how the routine worked - or more accurately, didn't work! I had airdropped most of the 1st Para regiment onto Toboali and transported part of an aviation support unit, a few air transport units and a fighter squadron. I then tried airdropping onto Batavia and got a quick message that the transports had been intercepted. There was no air-air combat however between the interceptors and my escorts.

I reran the turn a few times thinking it was just a fluke and got similar results. In every instance, there was no opportunity for my escorts to defend the transports. The escorts were clearly within range (zeros with range set to 11 hexes) and were assigned escort mission with 0% CAP. What's up here? Why can't fighters escort transports?

Fighter jocks hate transport jocks? [X(]

More likely, the designers forgot to code for it, and/or didn't think it was worth it. At any rate, it does not seem to be possible (see also the current "wish list" thread...)

[Nikademus]

Transport missions are not escorted. If your going to attempt a drop near (or on) a base defended by fighters you should probably conduct a few sweep operations before-hand to ensure that at least their strength is diminished. Overall it shouldn't be too much of an issue though since transport-fighter interactions were de-fanged.

[Icedawg]

Thanks guys.

So the take-home message is: "You can't escort transports (rtrapasso), but you don't need to worry since the losses they take from CAP are minimal (Nikademus)."?

I can live with that, although it does seem to be a bit weird/unrealistic.

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Icedawg

Thanks guys.

So the take-home message is: "You can't escort transports (rtrapasso), but you don't need to worry since the losses they take from CAP are minimal (Nikademus)."?

I can live with that, although it does seem to be a bit weird/unrealistic.

Be sure to run those sweeps, or you might find they are not so minimal...

[Speedysteve]

Indeed.
 
I've seen P38's eat swarms of Japanese transports for dinner............

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

ORIGINAL: Icedawg

Thanks guys.

So the take-home message is: "You can't escort transports (rtrapasso), but you don't need to worry since the losses they take from CAP are minimal (Nikademus)."?

I can live with that, although it does seem to be a bit weird/unrealistic.

Be sure to run those sweeps, or you might find they are not so minimal...

True.....the disruption from landing alone can be signifigant. My current record is 12 transport planes downed (due to the KB being next to the target hex)

[m10bob]

Nik is right (as usual) about those sweeps. Just treat any parachute drop zone like Sicily, (presuming enemy presence), and be glad you won't be hit by your own ships![8D]

[RUPD3658]

ORIGINAL: Speedy

Indeed.

I've seen P38's eat swarms of Japanese transports for dinner............

I've lost them to P-35s and I-16s. Sad really. [:(]

[niceguy2005]

Losses during any air transport can be siginificant if fighter cover is heavy. I airlifted in elements of the 1st USMC to a blockaded Canton Is. and had a couple of days where very few AC made it through. Sweeps are very important.

[rokohn]

The ideal situation that the allies always tried for was total enemy fighter suppression.  The best way to do this was to make sure the enemy planes were nothing more than scrap metal.  In the case of Overlord and the Arnhem operations, there were no fighter planes around to offer any resistance.  In the Pacific, the Americans would take weeks/months to isolate any target and destroy any air and naval resistance before invading.  Guadalcanal was not the way America wanted to invade enemy territory, it was definately a shoe-string operation.
 
I know the Japanese do not always have this option, so fighter sweeps seem to be the best alternative.

[Nikademus]

Well there were TWO planes around for Overlord on the German side. [:D]

[bradfordkay]

Another option would be LRCAP over the target base. I  try to use a combination, with the first choice being LRCAP (the second squadron chosen gets to run a sweep).

[Mynok]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

Well there were TWO planes around for Overlord on the German side. [:D]

[:D][:D][:D]

[Sonny]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

Another option would be LRCAP over the target base. I try to use a combination, with the first choice being LRCAP (the second squadron chosen gets to run a sweep).

Maybe I missed something but when I tried this my LRCAP did nothing as far as escorting my transports.

[bradfordkay]

Neither will a sweep, but either can cause combat with the enemy CAP, though after thinking about it I believe that a sweep is more likely to cause that combat.

[niceguy2005]

That is the purpose of a sweep.

[Sonny]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

Neither will a sweep, but either can cause combat with the enemy CAP, though after thinking about it I believe that a sweep is more likely to cause that combat.

CAP fighting LRCAP? That is what I thought did not work.

[Sardaukar]

LRCAP will not fight CAP. Sweep will, even though it's not 100 % sure to cause combat.