Long Range Cap

[Patbgaming]

What settings seem to work best to maximize the number of fighters over the target for long range cap ? I had a sqd of 25 fighters set to 50% LR and 50% Rest. When the air combat ocurred there were only 2 figthers protecting the target at a range of 1 from the their base. Any assistance would be appreciated.

[Itdepends]

Apparently army fighters don't LRCAP naval squadrons very well (not sure if this is your situation). I find anything over 30% LRCAP results in high fatigue levels/

What are you trying to LRCAP?

[Puhis]

Usually I use 70 LRCAP 30 rest. After 3 days pilots have high fatigue. Usually my setting work fine, but sometimes LRCAP fail to intercept. Also cap altitude might be important, don't fly toi high.

[crsutton]

There are a number of variables. Range being only one of them. Leadership and experience would probably be another. Weather would be another. Then the game engine itself does a number of "checks" before any event can happen. Consider these the same as die rolls (but not actually). You could have done everything right but just had a number of crappy die rolls. It happens.

Long range cap is useful but does tire a squadron out. I would have put the at least one squadron (or more) on 100% CAP to ensure more CAP over the target. Then just rest the squadron the next turn. If the squadron is flying from a base that can be attacked, and has radar, you can set it at a low CAP rate for the next turn (20%) and the squadron will get enough rest in the next turn or two to be just fine,and still be ready to fight if the base is attacked.

I suppose it is a matter of personal preference, but I never set planes in a front line squadron to "rest" as I don't think resting aircraft will ever fly under any circumstance, and are always very vulnerable to attack.

[Patbgaming]

In this case I was trying to beef up the cap on my carriers as I was expecting combat the next day. I have also tried LRCAP over ground forces in a non base hex and while they do seem to provide more than 2 fighters from a 25 plane unit, it is not many more.

[Puhis]

There's a special rule about LRCAP over carrier TF, it doesn't work. I believe LRCAP over carriers provide only 30% planes.

[Puhis]

LRCAP is only 20 % effective over carrier TF.

Manual, page 153.
Long Range CAP over Air Combat TF’s is only 20% as effective as over other units since it’s harder to coordinate with an Air Combat TF that is constantly changing course and is using radio silence.

[Alfred]

Nothing particularly surprising about the outcome experienced by the OP.

1. Only 50% of the 25 plane unit was allocated to LRCAP.

2. Unlike normal CAP, aircraft at rest do not get up and join LRCAP in battle over a distant hex.

3. Thus the theoretical maximum number of planes which could fly the LRCAP mission was only 12 aircraft. That assumes perfect conditions and die rolls. In practice a smaller number only would actually fly. Thus the maximum theoretical number, assuming perfect conditions and die rolls, of planes flying LRCAP over the CV TF would have been 2.

LRCAP flown at any setting less than 100% (particularly if the target is a CV TF), at best only provides nuisance value. If it is important enough to provide LRCAP, use only 100% setting per unit so tasked.

Alfred