heavy losses & no replacements

[Kingfisher]

What does one do with squadrons whittled down so they are no longer combat effective, yet there are no replacements available? I currently have a F4F3 that is down to one aircraft, and has been that way for weeks even though I've withdrawn them to Noumea. The frustrating thing is the squadron has 22 pilots assigned to it, with an average experience of 78. Meanwhile the F4F4s are getting chewed up over Guadacanal. An extra 22 experienced pilots would be a welcomed help.

Any suggestions?

[tocaff]

How many F4F-4s do you have available in the replacement pool?

[HansBolter]

He is probably caught between a rock and a hard place. It has happened to me before. I think, as is the case in WitP, that a squadron needs a minimum number of planes to upgrade, so this squadron can't upgrade to F4F4s. The pool has probably run out on F4F3s with no further replacements of that plane type. Since it is likely the last squadron of F4F3s it also can't disband or withdraw.

[anarchyintheuk]

IIRC there's only one F4F-3 squadron, it starts on the Lex or the York at the beginning of Scen. 17 or 19. If it's a fragment of that squadron (i.e. Lex or York is sunk), it wouldn't rebuild in any event. Check your ac reinforcements just in case. If it's the parent unit for the squadron, you're screwed per HansBolter's explanation. However, if its the parent unit or the squadron was landed and you can get to 48 replacement F4F-4s (36 x 133%) it might, emphasizing might, just upgrade.

[fuelli]

In Sc 17 there are two squadrons of F4F3s. Apart from this you´ll need enough F4F4s to let them replace. So, you should not involve your F4F4s in combat too much. Sounds easy I know....

[Kingfisher]

The scenario in question is #14 A Hard Road Ahead, and the squadron (VMF-212) starts the game based at Luganville. I'm up to mid-November '42 and as far as I can tell they were the only squadron flying that plane.

So the obvious question then is, if I was to send this single plane/22 pilot squadron back into combat and it gets shot down then what happens to the other 21 pilots?

BTW, can someone explain to me how the replacement schedule works? I ask because in this particular scenario VMF-212 starts off with 24 aircraft, and the aircraft loss table shows 23 having been shot down. So far so good except the replacement table shows 5 used. The numbers don't add up.

I also see aircraft listed that to date I've yet to see in UV. What scenario features the Brewster Buffalo, Hurricane or Mustang?

[fuelli]

Doesn´t one of the starting carriers you have also fly the F4F3? So maybe the 5 used planes were replaced there.

[Kingfisher]

ORIGINAL: fuelli

Doesn´t one of the starting carriers you have also fly the F4F3? So maybe the 5 used planes were replaced there.

I start with Saratoga, Enterprise and Wasp. All have F4F-3, as does Hornet which arrives a little later one.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Kingfisher

ORIGINAL: fuelli

Doesn´t one of the starting carriers you have also fly the F4F3? So maybe the 5 used planes were replaced there.

I start with Saratoga, Enterprise and Wasp. All have F4F-3, as does Hornet which arrives a little later one.

If any of them still have F4F3s on them, get them to port, transfer their squadron to the base, disband the squadron with only one plane, the plane and pilot will go to the other squadron at the base, the excess pilots "should" go into the pool, and eventually the disbanded squadron will return upgraded to F4F4s.

If all your other F4F3 squadrons have already upgraded, then you are probably stcuk with that one plane squadron for good.

[Kingfisher]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: Kingfisher

ORIGINAL: fuelli

Doesn´t one of the starting carriers you have also fly the F4F3? So maybe the 5 used planes were replaced there.

I start with Saratoga, Enterprise and Wasp. All have F4F-3, as does Hornet which arrives a little later one.

If any of them still have F4F3s on them, get them to port, transfer their squadron to the base, disband the squadron with only one plane, the plane and pilot will go to the other squadron at the base, the excess pilots "should" go into the pool, and eventually the disbanded squadron will return upgraded to F4F4s.

If all your other F4F3 squadrons have already upgraded, then you are probably stcuk with that one plane squadron for good.

Sorry, my goof. All carriers have F4F-4, not F4F-3 as I had previously posted.

No problem if I am stuck with this oddball squadron. I get the feeling I'm turning the corner with regards to the air war, and this is before the Corsairs and Hellcats arrive.