Air Groups with Zero planes

[Huw Jones]

With 8 Beta,

I have a number of Russian air groups with zero planes, after the T1 onslaught.

Is the best place to put them in the national reserve or something else now?

[Mehring]

National reserve, I'd say. They probably have very low stats so even when fleshed out they'll need a good few weeks, if not months, to gain morale and experience. No scientific reason but I don't take Russian fighters from reserve less than 50 exp and morale, bombers I sometimes accept slightly lower rates. Maybe a number cruncher here will be able to justify better, their thresholds.

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: Huw Jones

With 8 Beta,

I have a number of Russian air groups with zero planes, after the T1 onslaught.

Is the best place to put them in the national reserve or something else now?

Put everything in reserve first turn and don't take it out until the autumn when you should start rebuilding. Well I say everything, I still use VVS ABs with Recon, Transport for supply to Patisans, NTacB for night bombing harassment and one FB for protection not that it'll protect much if the Axis decide to bomb it.

[Longshanks]

It's hard for me to gainsay those with more experience, but I don't put the planes in reserve. Instead, I pull them well back (beyond likely recon) in the middle, but leave them close to the Finns and the Rumanians. Then I bomb the hell out of them. Seems to work to increase experience, but perhaps it would be just as fast to put them in reserve. Still, as the Soviet I like doing SOMETHING with the airforce!

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: Longshanks

It's hard for me to gainsay those with more experience, but I don't put the planes in reserve. Instead, I pull them well back (beyond likely recon) in the middle, but leave them close to the Finns and the Rumanians. Then I bomb the hell out of them. Seems to work to increase experience, but perhaps it would be just as fast to put them in reserve. Still, as the Soviet I like doing SOMETHING with the airforce!

I tried that to some extent. I found loses too large when carrying out offensive missions and experience/moral gain seemed slower than if I put them in reserve. Many of the AGs are in SAD units disband starting in Feb 42 will be sent to the reserve when they do. It is also much easy to reassign units from the reserve than transferring them.

Overall the Soviet airforce is rubbish until winter 41 and it's not worth the effort to use it offensively, losses a way to high and they hit squat. It stays mediocre at best until spring 42 when with good leaders it start to produce worth while results.

As I said earlier I do us VVS bases starting from when the first partisan unit turns up (turn 3 or 4 usually), one per front with Recon, Tr, NTacB and one FB . I do use PVO airbases once I have a number of FB with >50 ex from Sept 42 and build up the rest starting in Oct to support the Winter offensive.

It's only a game so whatever suits you do it.

[micheljq]

I used red army airforce during all of 1941, losses were high. But Luftwaffe was losing planes too, especially bombers, and german ground forces were affected. I used even the I-153.

When an air group losses are high, i can put it back to reserve. Anyway red army produces tons of airplanes, so why not use them, the red army needs all the help he can get, especially in 1941. This is just my 2 cents. Personally i do quite like they did historically, sacrifice yourself for the motherland, or otherwise comrade Stalin will sacrifice you.

Speaking of the strategy of using the red army aviation to bombard german airfields. Do not forget that the red army needs the help of the VVS on the ground too.

Michel.