Picking up paratroopers

[Eskil]

Hello!

Newbie question here but I couldn't find any reference while searching to this issue.

I am just starting out and playing my first scenario. While experimenting around with various game mechanisms I noticed that you are able to pick up previously dropped paratroopers from bases without airfields. This is a bug right or which real world mechanism is this supposed to represent?

/Eskil

[RUPD3658]

I have had it work using float planes but have not been able to do it from size 0 AFs.

[Eskil]

Noone else who knows if this is a known bug?

/Eskil

[Mistmatz]

Which patch level do you have?
And you're surely not talking about float planes picking them up?

[rtrapasso]

You need to provide details about what you are talking about...

What version? Any modes? Which scenario? How are you picking them up? Which bases?

[jwilkerson]

ORIGINAL: Eskil

Noone else who knows if this is a known bug?

/Eskil

I pick up paratroops and other units all the time - so definitely not a known bug!

[Eskil]

I'm running standard 1.8.0.6, no modifications whatsoever.

Playing scenario 5, dropped them on Munda from Guadalcanal and then picked them up using the same C-47 squadron.

Attached info screen of Munda.

[Eskil]

And of the C-47 mission that will succeed.

[Eskil]

Hmm.. noone who could confirm if this is an unknown bug, known bug or intended behaviour?

/Eskil

[Cathartes]

You can't pick-up/drop-off troops at a level 0 airfield.  You need at least a level 1. 

Paratroops can DROP on a level 0 airfield, but no way to pick them up there.

[Eskil]

What I am saying is that I CAN PICK UP PARATROOPERS ON LEVEL 0 AIRFIELDS.

What I am trying to find out is if this really is the intended behaviour (seems highly unlikely) or if this is a known or unknown bug.

/Eskil

[USSAmerica]

Looks like a real bug to me, Eskil.

[Eskil]

Would of course be very appreciated if someone else can reproduce it (or display behaviour that contradict my C-47s..)

/Eskil

[Ken Estes]

I just tried it with C-47s, to no avail, but since it was an island hex, a flying boat did the retrieval job.

[Eskil]

I have confirmed this now. This is a bug. It works like this:

On turn 1 set the orders for a paradrop with a small enough squadron of C-47s (16 planes in my case) so that they will be unable to drop all the paratroopers on the target hex in one turn.
On turn 2 the first sub-unit of paratroopers will be in the target hex. The C-47s will still have orders to drop the rest of the paratroopers. The bug is that now the "Pick up"-option will be active since the zero-lvl-airfield is a valid target for this squadron of C-47 and I can activate this option and "rewind" the paradrop (which normal takes two or three turns since picking up the mortars and such will take an extra turn or two).

So in order to do this you have to use a squadron of C-47s with paratroopers or maybe even the original unit.

/Eskil

[witpqs]

Probably a bug as you say. They did use a trapeze for some pick ups in WWII. I doubt it was enough to be included in the game, but with Grigsby you never know!