Minumum Ops Number?

[Icedawg]

What does this number do?

From what I've gathered, if a squadron has fewer than this number of ready aircraft, none of the planes will fly. Is this the case? If so, why?

[Unhappy]

I found the operational minimum to be quite frustrating as well...playing Coral Sea when I had 31 operational Dauntlesses (on board the Lex and Yorktown) between four squadrons but none of them would carry out a mission because neither squadron met the 9 plane minimum. Fortunately reducing the operational minimum to 1 is about the easiest thing you can do in the editor - so now my pilots fly until they are either successful or dead (yup - I'm the commander and that's a decision I want control over).

You can locate the operational minimum setting on the 'Edit Squadrons' tab in the editor. Make sure you save your scenario using a different name.

[Icedawg]

Thanks for the confirmation and the solution. I'll try editing the scenarios tonight.

Would you happen to know the rationale behind this number? It seems kind of ridiculous if you ask me.

[Unhappy]

I have no idea what the rationale is...there may be a good one but I don't really care - I just want them to keep flying. I find it particularly odd in the USA case for scenarios in the first half of 1942 when (I always thought - but perhaps incorrectly) that they were back on their heels and sort of desperate to stop the Japanese.

[carnifex]

Yeah I'm not sure why this was implemented.  I mean if the operational minimum is 6 and the carrier has three 5-plane bomber groups and it detects an enemy in range, wouldn't they just launch the 15 planes instead of going oh no sorry we need 18 planes to launch let's go back to Noumea.

[JD Walter]

Perhaps the minimum reflects demoralization of the squadron due to damage or loss?

I note that the minimums seem to be set as a proportion of the starting strength of a squadron. So without tracking morale, this might be how Roger & Ian account for attrition of one's air assets over the course of a battle (scenario).

Just a guess, though.