Strategic bombing of Rabaul

[swainscheps]

I'm a relative novice (I've been playing for about a year) and I've been focusing on the smaller scenarios against the computer.

I'm playing the Guadalcanal campaign and I've massed all my heavy bombers in PM. Every turn I put raids full of B-17's and B-24's (each raid varies between 40-70 ships, depending on which bomber group I'm resting at the time) over Rabaul to pound the IJN at anchor. I want to cripple Japanese striking power and I want to sink ships, but I can't really tell what effect I'm having.

I get hit after hit after hit on the capital ships in the harbor - the cruisers, destroyers, and auxilliary ships will take damage. But the BBs seem impervious. Every now an then I'll score a turret hit on a BB. But 99% of the time I just get the combat message "Deck armor hit" - I'm never sure how to interpret that. Does that mean that my 500lb bomb is effectively bouncing off?

Am I wasting my bomb crews' time (and lives)?

[jwilkerson]

Against the BB's the "deck armor" msg means pretty much a miss. You might be getting 0-3 sys dmg out of each hit.

But against targets smaller than cruiser, you're probably tearing them up. Each hit on a merchant ship might be getting 20-30 system dmg and some floatation as well. So if you have some smaller targets you probably aren't wasting your time.

[wdolson]

Heavy bombers can devestate anything smaller than a cruiser in port.  Though ships take a lot more damage than is realistic when attacked in port.  A lot of ships will go to 99 Sys damage and sit there while you hit them over and over again.  Cruisers won't be at risk from sinking if you hit them over and over again, but they can be put out of action.  In one game, the Aoba in port became a bomber magnet with wave after wave hitting it turn after turn.  It had fire damage and Sys damage, but never floatation damage.  Eventually the Sys damage got to 99 and she was eventually scuttled when my troops later took the port.

BBs will fare better from bomber attack.  They are almost unsinkable in port.  If you can get torpedo bombers to drop torpedoes in a port attack (rare), you might be able to sink them.  From bombs alone they might get to about 20 Sys damage, but that's about it.

Bill

[swainscheps]

Ha - and there I was, thinking I was making all this progress. I was just a gnat buzzing around an elephant. Thanks for the advice.
 
The bomber crews, with their ~17 morale etc after weeks without rest, will be very glad you set me straight. They can finally sleep.

[rockmedic109]

Your bombers will strip the BBs of their AA guns and secondary batteries.  The SYS damage will make them slow {if they leave} and ineffectual and they are out of action {and likely as good as sunk}. 
 
Bounce the rubble around their airfields and send in a BB force on bombardment orders, or send a carrier unit on port attack.

[Gem35]

rotate your air squadrons so they are able to recover morale and you still will be able to consistanly pound the Jap base.
Keep it up and have fune.

[AHFlattop]

Are larger BBs and CA suseptable to critrical hits by 4E bombers conducting port attacks? I remember reading somewhere that each hit has a 3% chance of a critical hit. I recall when playing the AI, I could sink the AI's BBs and CA by critical hits in port (after hitting the BBs with 100+/- hits). But thats been months ago. What is the damage caused by a critical hit?

[KPAX]

I am not certain of this, but It seems if morale is low you do not gain much XP.  You may still fly, but maynot be gaining XP.
 
I normally but them on "rest" once they get to <90% morale.&nbsp; It seems like at about 88+, morale comes back in a turn or two to 99% or close.&nbsp; If you get moral further down than that it seems to take a lot longer for it it to come back up.
&nbsp;
Not sure about low morale affecting XP or how quickly you gain XP.&nbsp; Anyone know ?

[Feinder]

Think of them as 500 lb. ping-pong balls.&nbsp; It doesn't make them any more effective, but it'll put a smile on your face when you watch them bouncing off those battleships.
&nbsp;
-F-

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: KPAX

I am not certain of this, but It seems if morale is low you do not gain much XP. You may still fly, but maynot be gaining XP.

I normally but them on "rest" once they get to <90% morale. It seems like at about 88+, morale comes back in a turn or two to 99% or close. If you get moral further down than that it seems to take a lot longer for it it to come back up.

Not sure about low morale affecting XP or how quickly you gain XP. Anyone know ?

Commander inspiration has a lot of effect on morale bounce back too. I've noticed that units with commanders over 60 inspiration tend to bounce back fairly quickly and it takes a lot for them to drop below 50 morale. With a 70+ commander, they can take several losses and still have decent morale.

I usually try to keep the morale levels over 50. If I find I let one drop into the 30s because I wasn't looking, I will try to swap leaders and put a high inspiration leader in the unit to bring it back.

Bill

[Navychop]

OK, picture this one. Like "Swainscheps", I have massed 5 squadrons of B-17E's in PM (~150 planes, if every one is repaired), and am alternating pounding the airfield and the port at Rabaul.&nbsp;&nbsp;A month ago, they caught a Japanese CV TF replenishing in port and pounded it over 3 days, sinking Ryuho, Junyo, Shoho, and Shokaku (yes, in the port).&nbsp; Then a week ago, they caught Musashi there, replenishing prior to crushing my invasion fleet heading for the Shortlands (an opportunity created by the savaging of the carriers).&nbsp; She acted as a bomb magnet for the next three days, with the intrepid flyboys ignoring everything else in port in favor of pounding her (and, as I assumed, doing little damage).&nbsp; As they were departing after their fourth go, the tailgunner on Tail End Charlie saw her roll over and sink into the mud (well, actually I saw the message "Musashi sinks" flash by).
&nbsp;
Now, I have the messages zip by at 0.1 secs, so I don't really see what happens in combat.&nbsp; I didn't see a critical hit, or anything. I say we whipped her!
&nbsp;
Keep sending those "Queens" over.&nbsp; You just may get lucky.

[VSWG]

Congrats, and welcome to the fourm! [:)]

What was the date? A patch added 2000 AP bombs for heavy bombers, maybe they sank the Musashi?

18) Allied dive bombers may now sometimes use 1000 pound AP bombs, after August, 1942. Heavy Allied bombers may use 2000 pound AP bombs beginning in 1943. Skill rolls, experience rolls and, in the case of heavy bombers, adequate supply [needed x 2] apply. These AP bombs can only be used to normal range, against naval targets. This feature will function in games started with version 1.50 or later

[Navychop]

Thanks!&nbsp; Been lurking for about 2 yrs... never got around to posting before.
&nbsp;
The date was Jan 19, 1943.&nbsp; As I said. I can't really read the messages because they flash by so quickly.&nbsp; Could have been 2000 pounders... there is plenty of supply (60K+) in PM.
&nbsp;
My flyboys are bumming now.&nbsp; It's Feb 6, and they have reduced the airfield and port to a smoking shambles (100% damage each).&nbsp; The AI finally got smart and quit using the port, so my flyboys are reduced to carpet bombing the ground units.

[rockmedic109]

I believe the critical hit routines only check for a critical hit if a bomb/shell has penetrated.&nbsp; Thus the 500lb ping-pong balls are not going to explode in the Magazines.&nbsp; The fire level which will be raised by constant bombing might cause greater SYS damage than the actual bombing itself.