Leningrad and Air Lift

[Sorta]

This is my third GC and strangely the first when I believe that Lenningrad will be surrounded. I've looked in the rules and searched the forum and saw some comment sabout bugs on earlier patches.

Does anyone have instructions on how to do airlifts eg:
1) put transport aircraft in the Leningrad air base?
2) where to put the base - Osinovets OK? (light woods/town)

Any hints?

[morvael]

You need transport aircraft (level bombers will do, but not as effective) outside - no more than 5 MP from railhead. The number depends on how many troops will be inside and the range to target. 150-200 will be good IMHO.
And you need an airbase inside Leningrad pocket, placed in clear, light woods or city terrain (light urban, heavy urban, rough, swamp, heavy woods is not good).

[VigaBrand]

Are you sure with city terrain?
In the manual is written only clear and light woods.

[Sorta]

Thanks - I am doing a test but still having difficulties.

I have a VVS airbase in light woods with an inf brigade with 13 MP on it
Also 2 VVS airbases 8 hexes away (on a rail line) full of IL4s plus an Li2 (in night mode)

I'm clicking on the brigade after F10 and then right clicking on the non-surrounded airbase but not moving.

Sorry bit confused

[uw06670]

I did my first airdrops this weekend. After being in air mode I did shift right click ON THE UNIT I WANT TO DROP SUPPLIES TO

then it brought up choices of which units (if more than 1 in hex) and fuel or supplies, etc.

I found I couldn't get the air drop to work until my air transport AB was within about 2 hexes of the rail head.

[Sorta]

I'm still stuck - I want to transfer units out of Lenningrad (not drop supplies in). I've re-read the manual - have people done this successfully?

[morvael]

Maybe it's impossible due to source air base being far from supply?

[JAMiAM]

ORIGINAL: Sorta

I'm still stuck - I want to transfer units out of Lenningrad (not drop supplies in). I've re-read the manual - have people done this successfully?

As far as I know, the only units you can move by air, are airborne units.

[Sorta]

The airbases are 8 hexes away from each other and both on rail - Lenningrad is not surrounded yet but wanted to make sure I knew how to do it in advance.

Is the LB be on night a problem?

[charlie0311]

Maybe just move your stuff out via sea movement. Think the no air transport remark, above, is correct.

[Sorta]

This is the section I'm looking at:

16.3.5. Air Transport of Units.The air transport of units from a hex with a friendly air base unit to a hex with or adjacent to another friendly air base unit can be conducted only by transport air group units with aircraft that have a maximum load rating (5.4.18) of at least 2000. Any non-motorized unit may be transported, but only non-vehicle ground elements and smaller guns can be lifted. Any unit lifted will expend all of its MP's. The eligible unit must have at least one movement point remaining and be located in the same hex as an air base unit, which will be used as the staging base.

[charlie0311]

check toe of rifle xx, too many big guns for air transport, Sillyflower and Sapper are the most uber commies IMHO (:

[morvael]

So, Il-4s in your base do not count as they are bombers, not transports.
Maybe you need to put more Li-2 there?

[morvael]

Test setup completed (5 x Li-2 groups in airbase located in Osinovets with ~75 aircraft and a rifle brigade ready to move). Now time to find out why they won't fly. Range to railhead in Osinovets is 11 MP, I fear this may be the culprit. I used GC 42 as a starting point.

[Sorta]

The manual says that heavy 'stuff' in excess is transferred

When an non-motorized unit is air transported, those ground elements that are not allowed to be air transported will be transferred into combat units in or adjacent to the hex with the air base unit that the unit flew from. If there are no eligible combat units, then the ground elements will be transferred back to the production pool. Any vehicles and excess supply will be transferred to the airbase unit that the unit was stacked with prior to being air transported.

[Sorta]

Thanks - right now Leningrad isn't surrounded so all rail are working. I'll transfer more Li-2 in but thought big LB worked as well. Also LBs are on night.

[morvael]

I checked and they won't fly units out (as transport planes must be at source airbase and this airbase must be within 5 MP from railhead). I was able to fly a rifle division in though (~75 aircraft transported ~2800 men and all became damaged or lost).
Found many bugs related to leftover elements and supplies in the process, and these will be corrected in .05.

[charlie0311]

Morveal to the rescue, ride 'em cowboy!!

[juv95hrn]

Can you air transport supplies from AB to AB? Unlike air dropping them from an AB to a ground unit, which I know how to di. If you plan on air supplying Leningrad (fx.) you want to do it as efficient as possible. You'd think landing and unloading on an air base should be more efficient than dropping stuff in parachutes.