Makes sense, but it's still silly

[Lou]

My forces are currently storming ashore in Italy and I noticed something odd.

German planes came swooping down on me from behind. No problem, I thought. The landing craft are practically bristling with .50 cal AA. Plus, there are a LOT of landing craft. This should be fun.

NOT!

The German pilots put a hurting on the landing force. Ok. I reckoned I'd lose a few of my guys. But, I didn't expect the slaughter. Hmmm, the landing craft were not suppressed and a few hadn't even moved. What's up with that, I think to myself. Normally, landing craft crews are as nervous as cats. The should have caught a few of the attackers. Then I try something.

While wiping a tear for my fallen heroes, I reload the turn. This time, before saving again, I turn the landcraft in the opposite direction..facing the expected attack.

Big Difference.

Now the German pilots have to run a gauntlet to get to my FO and leader barge (How do the a/c know where my big cheese is all of the time?) The weather forcast is calling for partly cloudy skies with occasionly heavy parts precipiation.

I'm beginning to better understand just how important vehicle facing is.

Lou

[Flashfyre]

Better call the Navy, Lou. Chew out the commander for not giving you AA support. If you got attacked from behind, then those planes must have flown over the naval group that was SUPPOSED to be supporting you.

------------------
The Motor Pool
http://www.geocities.com/aurion_eq/index.html?976419304550
kmcferren@cvn.net

[Lou]

Originally posted by Flashfyre:
Better call the Navy, Lou. Chew out the commander for not giving you AA support. If you got attacked from behind, then those planes must have flown over the naval group that was SUPPOSED to be supporting you.

No kidding. And what happend to my air superiority? I know that the skynet isn't perfect, but somehow twelve bombers made it though. Of course, turning the landing craft around solved the problem nicely. Of all the things that happen during a game, watching an enemy plane going down in flames maybe among the finest.

Lou

[Major Destruction]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Lou:
My forces are currently storming ashore in Italy and I noticed something odd.........

I adopt the procedure, for all AA defence, of facing my AA guns in the direction that I expect the air attack to come from.
Halftracks following armour will always be facing rearwards at the end of a turn.
AA guns seem to fire more accurately when they can see the aircraft coming for a fair distance. If the AA gun sees only a glimpse of a plane it might fire and miss, but most likely will not fire. Same thing with a gun that spots a plane only after the plane has passed overhead.