Countering allied bombers

[SuluSea]

Poor early warning radar on the Japanese side even in comparison to '42 systems plus the weaker type armament in the fragile fighters  the Japanese used in comparison to other adversaries would mean a tank like the B-17 could sustain damage but be difficult to bring down. B-17s in the game are  modelled fine. For unrealistic Tojo wet dream scenarios there is always the editor.

[TheTomDude]

ORIGINAL: rattovolante

ORIGINAL: TheTomDude

I'm in a GC in October '42 against the AI and I was not able to stop them. [...]
All I know is it is not possible to stop the B-17s with Zeros or Oscars which is all you have until mid '43.

Have you tried using Nicks? I plan to experiment this when I reach mid-42 in my GC vs. AI

5th Sentai, 13th Sentai and 84 I.F. Chutai convert to Nicks (you have to buy out 5th and 13th from the HI). 4th Sentai converts too, but it's permanently restricted.

From Dec 1942 there is also the Ki-46-IIIb Dinah which is a fighter (i.e., with PDU on any IJA fighter unit can convert to it) mounting a 37mm cannon, but I have doubts regarding its worth, as it has very low climb rate and WitPStaff gives it an abysmal combat rating (it's actually so low that I suspect WitPStaff might undervalue heavier cannons vs. heavy bombers, I plan to test this out).

Yeah I know. But I have missed the "if you upgrade the Nate to an other aircraft like the Oscar you cannot go back and use Nick (a)" -part of the game so I have to wait for later models. But I'm tinking about a restart with patch 1 or 2.

[Deca]

ORIGINAL: tigercub
But the Bigest key of all is to win in 43 and stop the Rot.

I am trying to keep up with the terms & acronyms for WitPAE, but what exaclty does that mean? Can you elaborate?

[tigercub]

The Japanese player can win the game early if he gets a 4:1 point Advantage over the Allied player any time in the year 1943.


Tiger!

[Deca]

ORIGINAL: tigercub
The Japanese player can win the game early if he gets a 4:1 point Advantage over the Allied player any time in the year 1943.

Funny thing is that because there are so many acronyms & euphemisms relating to the strategies and tactics of WitP that I literally thought that "43 and stop the Rot" was a term for a specific play/tactic (ie like the sir robin). LOL

[stuman]

ORIGINAL: Deca

ORIGINAL: tigercub
The Japanese player can win the game early if he gets a 4:1 point Advantage over the Allied player any time in the year 1943.

Funny thing is that because there are so many acronyms & euphemisms relating to the strategies and tactics of WitP that I literally thought that "43 and stop the Rot" was a term for a specific play/tactic (ie like the sir robin). LOL

[:D]

[hmota]

aprezto:
in Guadalcanal scenario you have in pool some 50 claudes so you can downgrade one of Zero units to them

[Streptokok]

Yup, I got ridiculed [:D]

I dont mind, fire away. All is good until my Claudes continue to bash those nasty B-17's...

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: Mynok


Um....4E bombers are much tamer than in Witp. MUCH tamer.

But they are still the best Allied fighters of the early war... [;)]

[crsutton]

Well, it it is any consolation, I have yet to see a bomber of any type actually shoot down a fighter.

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Well, it it is any consolation, I have yet to see a bomber of any type actually shoot down a fighter.

I have, though honestly it isn't nearly as bad as it was in Vanilla...at least now using B-17s to perform a long range fighter sweep isn't a viable option.

[P.Hausser]

Make the JACK or GEORGE, it will down the Heavys in mass scale ...

[kfmiller41]

I have done quite a bit of reading and according to what I have read the B-17 was very hard to shoot down, given the Japanese doctrine of fast highly maneuverable lightly armed and armored aircraft. Even Zero's cannons couldn't maintain position long enough to shoot them down because of the defensive fire coming back. I play Japan as well and it is frustrating but really is better in AE than in vanilla.

[aprezto]

Hi Miller41;

There are some good answers here, most are aimed at the GC, which is really what I was worried about. Basically it appears you are toast in the Guad scenario. Just do your best and try to hang on to anything you obtain (PM, guad, milne bay). This is very difficult because the allied bombers can hit all bases on the map if PM is held. There is no refuge for your navy.

I think my main worry was the fact that they can't be halted COUPLED with their incredible range now. This may be indicative of the real situation, I don't know - in your reading to you see heavies hitting Truk in late 42? The game certainly lets you.

I am happy I bought this up because it seems to bear out that the problem mainly lies with the guad scenario. I had a start, as the Japs, that was better than my wildest dreams: sunk 4 allied carriers, 2 BBs and other shipping, took PM and Milne Bay, and lost 1 medium CV, two CVLs and a BB, plus other sundries. I thought this put me in a pretty insurmountable position, since I can't use Rabaul as a naval base though, I have very little ability to respond to threats on PM or Milne Bay. I am now quite unsure I can take the scenario.

The problem I have with that is that I don't know how you can do much better as the Japs...? Anyway, that's a bit OT.

[Mynok]

That's impressive that you took PM in the Guad scenario. Haven't been able to do that yet.

Your point on the difficulties with them in Guad is well taken. They are a pain. Just not as much as they used to be. I think it will be better in the GC game, but I've no experiental data to confirm that with...yet. [:'(]

[anarchyintheuk]

I've only played a couple of ai games as the Allies in the Guad scenario. I couldn't accumulate enough supplies for a sustained bombing campaign (especially from the Aussie side). Just started a new one as IJN. I guess I'll find out if the ai has unlimited supplies.