Some pilot losing moral quickly

Chris21wen · Post by **Chris21wen** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 2:31 am

The RAAF 30 Sqgn using Beaufighters loses moral very quickly. For instance I set them to escort with 30% on cap, morale was 59, exp is over 70. During the attack on Rabul they shot down two Jap A/c and had 3 damaged. When I checked them next turn their morale was down to 10?

This is consistent not an isolated case with this A/c grp. I've also noticed similar problems with other RAAF sqns, (mainly level bombers). Is this diliberate, am I doing something wrong or is it a bug?

ADavidB · Post by **ADavidB** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 3:26 am

I've also noticed that with the beaufighters, and occasionally with some of the F4F pilots. But not always, and not in all scenarios.

It's just one of the "mysteries" of the game I guess...

Dave Baranyi

demonterico · Post by **demonterico** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 9:56 am

Perhaps moral drops quickly for Aussie pilots when a distant mission takes them away from their beer for to long.

Bradman · Post by **Bradman** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 3:46 pm

Or their fantastic women.......

Yamamoto · Post by **Yamamoto** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 6:01 pm

Originally posted by Bradman
Or their fantastic women.......

It can't be that or Japanese pilots' moral would plummet even faster (except for the ones assigned to operations in China).

Yamamoto

Feinder · Post by **Feinder** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 7:02 pm

Darn pilots and their low morals! All that drinkin' and womanizin'!!!!!

-F-

Luskan · Post by **Luskan** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 7:35 pm

No no no, Yamamoto - see, the IJN pilots would be lusting after our Oz-bred beauties so their morale would improve the closer they get. Whole squadrons of IJN pilots have been known to fake engine problems and bail out over northern queensland while rehearsing their pick-up-lines in english!

Snigbert · Post by **Snigbert** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 1:03 am

This morale problem was solved when a small cooler full of Fosters was added under the seat of the Australian's Wirraway and P-40 fighters in late 1942. Unfortunatly their rate of losses went up exponentially.

SoulBlazer · Post by **SoulBlazer** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 1:16 am

Were'nt Japanese ace pilots given their own private Geisha girl as a reward?

Why can't the Allies do that?

Yamamoto · Post by **Yamamoto** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 4:16 am

Originally posted by SoulBlazer
Were'nt Japanese ace pilots given their own private Geisha girl as a reward? Why can't the Allies do that?

LOL. Maybe we could have done that in WWI before women got the right to vote but I think it would be too late by WWII.

Yamamoto

Cap Mandrake · Post by **Cap Mandrake** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 4:50 am

Originally posted by Luskan
No no no, Yamamoto - see, the IJN pilots would be lusting after our Oz-bred beauties so their morale would improve the closer they get. Whole squadrons of IJN pilots have been known to fake engine problems and bail out over northern queensland while rehearsing their pick-up-lines in english!

<cut to "Engrish for horny pilots, 101">

Instructor: "OK crass, now repeat after me....Hey rovery rady, you are quite a rooker"

Class: rassafrasa.rassafrassa

Instructor: "Good! Excerent! Now crass, if you at Drinking place, prease not to order Asahi, prease to order Fosters. And prease, prease, not to eat the shrimps before they are burned. ............

LargeSlowTarget · Post by **LargeSlowTarget** » Fri Apr 18, 2003 8:20 pm

I've been told that the beer known as 'XXXX' ('Four X') is better than Fosters - consequently, if supplied to the pilots it might improve morale at a faster rate? Maybe our Aussie friends can shed some light on this?

Bradman · Post by **Bradman** » Sun Apr 20, 2003 2:17 am

I truly don't know of anyone that actually drinks XXXX or Fosters here in Australia.

Fosters, has somehow won the marketing battle as Australia's beer overseas, but isn't liked here.

XXXX is just s**t.

Is this off topic? Oh yeah, we were talking about using beer to improve pilot morale, so we're safe...

Snigbert · Post by **Snigbert** » Sun Apr 20, 2003 8:58 pm

What do you all drink down under?

Hard Sarge · Post by **Hard Sarge** » Mon Apr 21, 2003 5:10 pm

well back to the idea of the posts

I thought we were not suppost to mircomanage the war from our post of over all commander, don't seem like we should have to tell each squadron that, I dont want this guy flying today, he has flown 2 days in a row and must be tired, let him have the day off

also, I can see bombers getting bad morale from having to fly missions into heavy flak/planes, but do not understand why fighters would lose morale from flying CAP, combat, yes, but flying around in circles should not lower morale (get them tired yes)

I mean, they did it in combat zones and out of combat zones, it is sort of what fghter pilots do for a living, in a combat zone it is duty and work, out of it, it is training

HARD_Sarge

denisonh · Post by **denisonh** » Mon Apr 21, 2003 9:10 pm

I personally like VB myself, though it is hard to come by in the States

crsutton · Post by **crsutton** » Tue Apr 22, 2003 1:10 am

What I have noticed.

If you got poor fighters such as P-39s fighting zeros. The morale will drop fast.

If you like to fly low against opposition, (like heavy AA) your morale will drop fast.

If you fly a mission and have a lot of damaged planes or even moderate losses, your morale will drop fast. (Historically a bomb group of 16 planes that lost three aircrews in one mission would most likely suffer a major pyschological blow)

If you like to skip bomb (deadly but dangerous) your morale will drop fast.

If you fly missions at extended range, your morale will drop fast.

If you fly groups with high fatique, your morale will drop fast.

If you fly lots of planes out of a base with improper support levels, you will have more crashes and your morale will drop fast.

If you fly bombers out of small bases, you will crash a lot and your morale will drop fast.

Not sure but if you are operating out of a base with low supply, your morale might drop.

Even groups with morale over 50 (marginial at best) will lose a lot of morale if flown for long missions or at high cap levels.

Rotate your planes and crews as best as you can.
Get the morale up over 80 and it does not seem to drop as much after a mission. Keep your fatigue below 30-better if below 20. Build your airbases up for large bombers and keep them well supported. I am sure there is more but this might help.