Rabaul Airpower

[ILCK]

OK, back in PacWar I used Port Moresby as a killing field for the air crews in Rabaul. I'd take bad losses in my horrible fighters but every IJN pilot they killed was worth the losses and eventually flak and fighters would tear up enough of their experienced crews that they'd be much easier to take.

In UCV, the airlosses you inflict are so much lower- and not just due to the time frame there are weeks I'll go without an air to air kill over Moresby.

Now that is likely more accurate and I've pulled my entire fighter structure out of PM since I was just building up the IJN fighters and not building up any EXP for my guys. The air damage just isn't that bad- the naval bombardments are much much worse.

This just doesn't seem right to me but I'm not sure how else to cope. I've got one squadron of P-40's and those are the only things I'd even consider putting in the air vs the Zeros since the P-39's and Wirrway's are just fodder but when I can put 12 of those in the air vs. 80 Zeros there just doesn't seem much point.

[daveja vu]

Until you get more P40 (Kittyhawk and Warhawk) squadrons, you may be better off just sending in extra AA battalions to PM for attriting the Betty and Nell raids, and ground the rest of the fighters or move them elsewhere.  Doing raids on Lae/Salamua with low-level P39's escorted by P40's is a good way for them to build up experience without risking horrific losses.  You're right, air raids don't seem to do as much damage as bombardment.  I try to have some sort of surface group to patrol and at least slow down and damage the bombardment groups enough to where they can be caught by bombers by daybreak (Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, anyone?).  Once the P40's get up to about 68 experience they actually start doing some good against the Zeroes provided they aren't grossly outnumbered.

 BTW historically the P40 really wasn't a bad plane - when used with trained pilots and proper tactics it couIld hold its own against a Zero (reflected well in UV).  Inexperienced pilots got in trouble when they tried to dogfight the Zeroes on their own terms instead of using swoop and zoom tactics.  In low speed dogfights, the Zero could outmanuever anything, even the late war advanced Allied fighters.  The only real weaknesses the P40 had was a poor climb rate, and limited range.  P39/400's were another matter, they were almost as bad as Buffaloes vs the Zero, even with fairly experienced pilots.  I have had success with them using them as CAP for small convoy or surface TF's on the "fringe" of Betty/Nell range from Rabaul.  Often at these extreme ranges Rabaul would send their bombers with minimal, if any, fighter escort.  Then my P39/400's would tear into the unescorted bombers, where the heavy 37mm cannon would come in handy against their thin-skinned airframes.  I've discovered this last tactic a good way to cut down the experienced Betty/Nell crews, thus making Rabaul raids on Allied bases more bearable and making forays past the Line of Death (Betty/Nell range from Rabaul) a little safer.

[ILCK]

I like that "line of death" thing because I feel that way about the game right now. I fear Rabual airpower and way the game seems to dump all their air assets into there.

I finally found a use for the "useless" P39's - I use them at 100 feet to strafe barge convoys from their base at Lunga. I'd like to use them vs unescorted bombers but I can't seem to find anyplace outside the range of the Zeros to bleed them white.

[tocaff]

P-39s are deadly for ground and naval attacks from low leavels if you can get them in range and then as their experience rises some of them convert to P-38s. 

[daveja vu]

P39's do have their use in the game, if you keep them out of dogfights.  I've built some squadrons up past 90 experience doing airfield and ground troop raids.  With sufficient numbers they can really tear up things on the ground.  

Wirraways really are useless in the game, I believe they were originally meant as trainers.  I've thrown them into dogfights before just to occupy the Zeroes so my other planes could get to the bombers, and even that didn't work, the Zeroes just had a party with them.  Probably would've done better with Sopwith Camels.  Boomerangs are an improvement but by the time they replace the Wirraways, the air situation is usually well in hand with plenty of P38's and P47's.  

BTW I tend to have a high attrition problem with P38's.  I try not to push them too much past their morale and fatigue limits but I find myself losing lots of experienced pilots with them, including many high-scoring aces.  They take more than their share of Zeroes with them, but it's not unusual to find myself with P38 squadron experience in the low 60's or worse by June of 1943.  Could this be because pilots are still getting used to handling the big planes and stupidly trying to dogfight Zeroes with them?  P38's had more engine performance, greater climb rate, and far better range than the P40 but was no better in the manueverability department vs. the Zero.  Anyone else have this problem with their P38 squadrons?

[decaro]

Try sending some B-17s at high alt. to bomb Rabaul's airfield; that will keep some Zeroes home as CAP and decrease the Betty's escort.