"Killer" B-17's?

[ADavidB]

Okay, the wife's off at the spa for the afternoon, the daughter is off at the library studying, and the dog is sleeping. So I'm downstairs at the new PC, continuing my v2.11 scenario 16 game. I've now got three B-17 squadrens in Lunganville, all with high morale and low fatigue, and I've set them at 1000 feet/naval attack, because there is an AI AC TF wandering around south of Guadalcanal and I'm not sure if it will come in for a raid or not.

Well, the AC TF goes back north a couple of hexes, but the bombers in Lunganville find out about some juicy transport TFs in Lunga. So a flight of 12 B-17's go off and attack three transports. A "mighty" force of 6 Rufes, pull off the water with their floats dripping, and attack the B-17's.

Are those poor, slow, Rufes slaughtered? Nah, they aren't even touched. Half of the B-17's are damaged, and they don't hit a thing, even at 1000 feet.

Sure, it's only one time. But I've got those B-17's now on "stand down" and they're not going to be good for much of anything for a while. I think I'll keep them "killing worms" from now on, and at altitude if there are any fighters at their targets.

Dave Baranyi

[Snigbert]

You could set the B-17s for an altitude where the Rufe's couldnt reach them...but then they wont hit any ships with their bombs most likely.

[ADavidB]

Originally posted by Snigbert
You could set the B-17s for an altitude where the Rufe's couldnt reach them...but then they wont hit any ships with their bombs most likely.

That's part of my point - that even at 1000 feet the B-17's didn't hit any of the transports. But the second part of my point is that I didn't see the B-17's slaughter the Rufes either.

Now, when I think about it, the results aren't unexpected for July 1942 - the B-17 crews shouldn't be too good, and they aren't. I'll have to send the B-17's in on air field attacks and see how well they perform against air field CAP.

Dave Baranyi

[DoomedMantis]

B17's are better used to supress airfields and ports than as transport killers

[U2]

Originally posted by DoomedMantis
B17's are better used to supress airfields and ports than as transport killers

Hi

I agree. I tend to save my B-17s for large airfield attacks in support of big offensives. But sometimes I get desperate and use them as ship killers too:) (well damage ships is perhaps a better word for it)

Dan