Search Squadron Use

[Johnus]

When I set a search pattern, does that automatically use up one of my dive bomber squadrons ?? If not, do I save anything by searching only a portion of the 360 degrees ??

[Gregor_SSG]

ORIGINAL: Johnnie

When I set a search pattern, does that automatically use up one of my dive bomber squadrons ?? If not, do I save anything by searching only a portion of the 360 degrees ??

On a carrier, the Task Group's search will first use any search capable planes carried on any surface ships in the TG. The Japanese have these, the US doesn't, so in a US TG, your searches will always use the dive bombers. No side should search unecessary sectors, but this especially applies to the US, so you should only search those sectors where you can reasonably expect to find something.

Gregor

[Johnus]

I did not make myself clear. When I search say half the compass, do I use up the whole dive bomber squadron ?? Say the carrier has two dive bomber squadrons, does searching at all leave only one squadron left for bombing ?? Can I use part of the squadron for bombing if I search only a small portion of the compass ??

[Gregor_SSG]

ORIGINAL: Johnnie

I did not make myself clear. When I search say half the compass, do I use up the whole dive bomber squadron ?? Say the carrier has two dive bomber squadrons, does searching at all leave only one squadron left for bombing ?? Can I use part of the squadron for bombing if I search only a small portion of the compass ??

No, you don't necessarily use up the whole squadron, you can check this on the carrier screen by seeing how many planes are on mission and how many are still available for missions, or get the same info with a little but more detail from the squadrons report.

The search system attempts to keep a search plane on an outbound leg in each active search sector. So the first search plane of the day will take one plane per sector, but that will soon translate into two planes per sector as planes turn innbound and
new planes are launched.

Any planes in squadron that aren't used for a search mission are available for strikes, so long as there are enough planes to meet the operational minimum for the squad, usually four planes.

Gregor

[decaro]

Historically, I read that US carriers had 2 flights of fighters -- escort and CAP -- and two of SBDs, one of which was used as scouts. Then throw in a flight of TBs.

But a flight dedicated to scouting-out the enemy fleet was before naval radar, or isn't that a factor in this game.

[82nd Airborne]

Gregor, is there any value in saturating a search zone. Ie, two carries in a TG both sending search planes to the same zones. Does it improve sighting chances or just wasted redundancy?
thanks

[Johnus]

Gregor:

Thanks for the response.

[Gregor_SSG]

ORIGINAL: 82nd Airborne

Gregor, is there any value in saturating a search zone. Ie, two carries in a TG both sending search planes to the same zones. Does it improve sighting chances or just wasted redundancy?
thanks

Each search mission flies independently of any others, so subject to concerns about depleting bomber resources, two search missions are better than one.

Gregor

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Joe D.
Historically, I read that US carriers had 2 flights of fighters -- escort and CAP -- and two of SBDs, one of which was used as scouts. Then throw in a flight of TBs.

But a flight dedicated to scouting-out the enemy fleet was before naval radar, or isn't that a factor in this game.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear. Re finding the enemy in C@W: all I hear about is scouts/scouting. Isn't naval radar a factor in this game, or didn't we have that at the time of the Coral Sea encounter?

I'm still waiting for my boxed set to arrive -- any day now, I hope -- so I'm trying to get in as many tips as possible.

[JD Walter]

Hi Joe,

Good question! [:)]

I can't find a specific reference anywhere in the rules, so I base this solely on play observation. But it appears to me radar affects only air raid warnings & CAP interception. I don't think it actually affects TG contacts, etc. - that seems to be abstracted should you end up in Surface Combat.

[Gregor_SSG]

ORIGINAL: Joe D.

ORIGINAL: Joe D.
Historically, I read that US carriers had 2 flights of fighters -- escort and CAP -- and two of SBDs, one of which was used as scouts. Then throw in a flight of TBs.

But a flight dedicated to scouting-out the enemy fleet was before naval radar, or isn't that a factor in this game.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear. Re finding the enemy in C@W: all I hear about is scouts/scouting. Isn't naval radar a factor in this game, or didn't we have that at the time of the Coral Sea encounter?

I'm still waiting for my boxed set to arrive -- any day now, I hope -- so I'm trying to get in as many tips as possible.

Each ship is rated separately for its Air and Surface radar capability, so having decent Surface radar will help in surface combat. The US carriers are the only ships with air and surface radar at Coral Sea, the cruisers Australia and Hobart have surface radar only. By the time of Santa Cruz, anything USN that floats, probably down to ships boats and liferafts, has radar while the Japanese are relying, as usual, on their devotion to the Emperor to make up for their technological and economic deficiencies.

Gregor

[Rick Bradley]

Maybe I didn't make myself clear. Re finding the enemy in C@W: all I hear about is scouts/scouting. Isn't naval radar a factor in this game, or didn't we have that at the time of the Coral Sea encounter?

I'm still waiting for my boxed set to arrive -- any day now, I hope -- so I'm trying to get in as many tips as possible.

The range of radar was very limited. The best scouting was done by the Mark I eyeball from an aircraft. US carriers forces used the SBD usually armed with one 500 lb bomb instead of the standard 1000 AP to give it a little extra range but still some sting. It was a two man plane and could scout well beyond 200 miles. The disadvantage to using it was every plane used was one less plane that could be flown in concentrated strike.

[decaro]

OK, this makes sense to me and explains why (in UV) a scout would sometimes "hit" a spotted target, usu. w/o much damage as it's only packin' one 500 lb. bomb.

Gregor: Is surface radar synonomous w/gunnery radar, or was that another techno advance. I know the USN had gunnery radar by the invasion of the Philipines.