Ungrouping friendly and enemy groups?

[Owl]

I may be thinking of H3 but I'd swear there was some way to get a group to "ungroup" so you could see the infividual units on the main map (can't remember what it's called right off hand). You have one map that shows individual units - if it's an airbase you can see the planes. You have the other map which shows just groups. My problem is when I spot an enemy aircraft on its patrol, still attached to its base - and I can't click on it and assign an intercept or attack - you have to be on the other map to do that apparently.

I hope that made some sense [&:] My patrols and the enemy patrols are overlapping and getting into furballs... I want all aircraft on both main maps to be seen individually, not as groups!

[MarkShot]

You are thinking of keypad #9 for H3. You don't need that with HCCE, since you have two distinct windows for group and unit.

In H3, there is only one window style (unless you open the formation editor). So, flipping group/unit allows to see what individual units are up to.

[Owl]

The problem is then that I see an enemy unit - usually an aircraft that is still attached to its home airfield or carrier - so it doesn't show up on the other screen.  I can highlight it and see information on what it is, speed etc but the attack or intercept buttons don't appear - they only appear when I highlight a target on the other group screen (sorry, I am not sure what to call the individual display screens).  End result is I can see that there is an enemy unit there, but I can't attack it.  The only alternative is to tell the unit I want to attack to attack the patrolling units home base, then tell it attack air.  This is all well and good, but I'm playing a scenario with several enemy airfields and I don't know which one the enemy patrolling aircraft is from.
Hopefully this make some sense to someone!   To TRY to clarify - you have one screen in which you can see all the ships and aircraft assigned in a group individually.  So if it's a CAG you see the CV, escorts and aircraft.  On the other screen you see one symbol representing the entire CAG, aircraft and all.  This is the screen you set course on, and if you highlight an ememy unit you get the attack and intercept options. 
Again - problem is when I see an enemy unit on the screen showing idividual units not groups - and highlighting them will not bring up the option of attack or intercept.  If they break from their group then they appear on the (the way I play, the right hand screen) group screen - then I CAN attack them.
Whew!  Maybe i need screenshots (if I knew how to post them) to show what I'm talking about, but this is a real problem for the pacific shield scenario I'm in.

[MarkShot]

I think you don't get the option to issue orders relative to individual enemy units; only groups.

However, when the targetting display comes up that is where you will see individual enemy units and allocate weapons specific to a particular unit. That appears to be the finest level of granular control which you have.

[TonyE]

Some scenario designers use that difficulty (which some consider slight and other consider a sleight against humanity) in identifying to which group a unit belongs to their advantage, mixing units of two groups to complicate the player's job. It's a mean and rotten trick but it helps increase the workload and tension of the player which is one of the keys to HC scenario design, to overwhelm the player's ability to cope. I for instance can handle anti-air and anti-surface operations at the same time, but add the third, anti-submarine and I can easily be overwhelmed and start to lose my grasp of the situation. Another way to accomplish the same effect is spreading out the action over a wide area so that the player cannot keep all of the action front and center on the map display, again mean and rotten, but effective!

[Owl]

It is pretty damn sneaky! I can spot my formation of strike aircraft heading in toward an airfield and see the enemy CAP on the unit screen but until or unless the AI releases it from the group to make an intercept, it's pretty much invulnerable to an attack. Sometimes I do get an "enemy in range, do you want to launch?" message, but not always.
Guess I'll have to figure out a work around.

[SteveF2006]

You may want to try this. Keep your unit map over the area of concern. If you see that your units are "overlapping" then you can do one of two things:
 
First, quickly open your formation editor and adjust where your aircraft are. One if the first things I do is check to see the range settings. Most scenarios, the designer never adjusted the range circles so by making those smaller, you can alleviate the overlapping. Also in the formation editor, reposition your aircraft if need be.
 
Second, you may need to separate a certain aircraft group out of the formation to gain control of it and move it from harms way. Then go into the formation editor and replace that group with another one at a different place in the formation that is not going to put your group in the same situation.