aircraft transfers

[expatbrit]

In a two carrier scenario when one carrier goes down the other planes are shown as transferring and are not lost at the end of the game even though the other carrier is sunk. Do you assume that they refuel and fly to some hypothetical land base? Also if they land on the other carrier can they be used for further strikes? I am just curious about how you see it.

[Gregor_SSG]

ORIGINAL: expatbrit

In a two carrier scenario when one carrier goes down the other planes are shown as transferring and are not lost at the end of the game even though the other carrier is sunk. Do you assume that they refuel and fly to some hypothetical land base? Also if they land on the other carrier can they be used for further strikes? I am just curious about how you see it.

What happens is this. Planes return from a mission to the hex where their carrier was i.e. they don't get a heads up on the way back that their carrier is sunk. When they discover the awful truth, they search for another base, carrier or land, within 3 hexes or 60 nm. If they can find one they fly there. If not they splash, and you lose the VPs for the planes' destruction.

Normally the planes that arrive at the replacement base will be listed as stowed and will take no further part in the battle but of course since they haven't splashed you don't lose any VPs. However there is a squadron at the new base that operates exactly the same plane type as the arriving planes, then the arriving planes can act as replacement planes for that squadron and fly again if the receiving squadron has more pilots than planes.

Gregor

[Ophion]

Yeah in a particularly bad Coral Sea scenario I managed to have the Lexington's Dauntless squadron with 18 operational planes and 22 reserves.... (i lost)

[BlindOldUmp]

IIRC - The US managed to send out the strike against Hiryu only with the help of surviving Yorktown planes. Same situation with the Cactus Air Force at Guadalcanal. Too bad we can't simulate that but I guess 2-3 being simulated days makes it hard to put in the transfer mechanisms.