Where do bombers go when they die?

[greg_slith]

When watching the combat replays I've often seen fighters break off due to damage, fall away trailing smoke or fire or just plain turn away. This is ok and I assume the ones trailing fire will probably crash and the other less so. But when the interceptors attack bomber then only three things seem to happen:
1) They fight their way through to the target,
2) They break off (i.e. elements of X bomber squadron breaks off, usually in bunches), or
3) They die.
My question is: If I see 10 Betties get "shot down" do they all really die or do some of them turn back due to damage? I know about the whole FOW thing but how much does FOW affect the combat replays? Wouldn't it be more realistic if some of the damaged bombers turned back (like B-25c aborts due to damage)?
Thoughts?

Greg

[michaelm75au]

There is a damage check between rounds where if a bomber is too damaged will not proceed with the bombing attack, and is marked to RTB.
IIRC, the cutoff point is a combination of the a/c durability and current pilot morale - higher morale, more damage needed to turn back.

[ilovestrategy]

Old bombers never die. They just fade away......

[greg_slith]

But is there any indication that the player can see that this is what is happening?

[dr.hal]

They get a "prop"er burial......[>:]

[seydlitz_slith]

ORIGINAL: ilovestrategy

Old bombers never die. They just fade away......

.....Or get transferred to Dutch service.

[usersatch]

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

They get a "prop"er burial......[>:]

groan [:D]

[ilovestrategy]

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

They get a "prop"er burial......[>:]

You guys never cease to crack me up! [:D]

[WLockard]

Right here, in the boneyard

[Gregg]

I have been tracking allied 4 engine bomber losses from the Japanese side by switching sides each turn and looking at the allied results.
A fair number of damaged 4 engine bombers are lost as operational losses.
Unescorted 4 engine bombers do appear to suffer a fair unumber of losses due to both flack damage and air to air combat damage.
The Allies are loosing a fair number of B24's returning from Canton Island flying out of Pago Pago, and returning from Johnson Island flying out of Hawaii.
Starting about September 1942 until mid March 1943, the allies have lost over Canton Island 14 B24's shot down outright by fighters and 5 more due to flack, but have lost 31 more due to damage on the returm flight.
Johnson Island has bagged 9 due to fighters, 6 due to flack and 17 on the return due to damage.
I have had one 36 plane Zero and one 9 plane Float Zero unit at Canton Island, and two 9 plane Zero units on Johnson Island most of the above time.
I normally fly 60% CAP, range 1 over both islands.
One pilot on Canton Island is an Ace with 6 B24 kills (they have to be B24 kills, as the only other thing that comes over Canton are PBY's).
Gregg

[Mistmatz]

Certainly not to heaven...

[greg_slith]

But how many are shown shot down during the replay?

[Gregg]

You see a/c shot down and damaged during the replay, but the shot down number is often overstated (fog of war).
The score card tells you shot down air to air and by flack, or lost to operations (I assume there are mostly damaged aircraft lost on landing).
I'm also keeping tabs of the bomber groups on Pago Pago and in Hawaii, and find the score card on the allied side of the game is accurate as to a/c lost air to air, by flack and by operations (again assuming a large number of them are damaged planes being lost upon landing).
Gregg