Tojo's

[Anthropoid]

ORIGINAL: Marshall

Oscars for the early war months,
Switch to Tojos when available.
Push the NJK1 and the Franks early on.

Look at the engines you need when the newer models dive bombers and torpedo bombers come availalbe.
Make a plan and calculation on your industry needs, and stick to it.
Make your plane choices early in the game, changing later will destroy the upgrade factory lines, and you will have to rebuild to get capacity in.
Also keep an eye on ship production, and tank production.
Be flexible in mid game, if you are Lucky you do not need to produce as many if the war is calm, and use the capacity to get extra supply.

But the Industry monster needs resources, and that is the key to your strategy of the war.
How to get that oil and fuel in, and ship these resources back home.

Who needs Guadalcanal when you are hauling in the Fuel and resources that lasts you 2 years of warfare.
Get to the oil fast, create a safe route by sea or land, and start hording the stuff!

Words of wisdom! The AI won't know what hit 'em! (and eventually a human opponent [:D])

[rustysi]

How do Oscars fair?

I think these should be produced in some small numbers throughout the war. They have a good range and an SR of 1, and will be useful as bomber escorts. The last three in the line have armor and the last has 2x2mm cannon in the CL position. Not tons of firepower, but enough. Their speed is a bit low, but they do possess an adequate climb rate which could make them useful for CAP in some cases, especially when layered. They do however have a rather low durability that is a drawback. Hey, nobody's perfect.[:D]

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: Anthropoid

How do Oscars fair?

Well, if you're firing these, you're bound to do some damage. Many people ask me why Oscar has no private parts. The answer is simple: Oscar is a corporal.




Scientific studies have established that Oscar fares very poorly at being fair. Oscar is not fair as he has no hair.

[PaxMondo]

Group your fighters based upon range ... range +12 is offensive, otherwise defensive. So, Tojo is a good defensive fighter for the IJ, but you can't use it well offensively as the range is so short. Of course you need some, but if you have already ceded the offensive in late '42 or even by mid- '43 as the IJ ....

Later in the war you need a lot of defensive fighters, but you still need some offensive ones for counter-attacks. So your build rates offensive:defensive have flipped ... being simplistic here of course, but still valid.

And of course PDU ON/OFF makes a VERY big deal on what you research and build.

[Grfin Zeppelin]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

Group your fighters based upon range ... range +12 is offensive, otherwise defensive. So, Tojo is a good defensive fighter for the IJ, but you can't use it well offensively as the range is so short. Of course you need some, but if you have already ceded the offensive in late '42 or even by mid- '43 as the IJ ....

Later in the war you need a lot of defensive fighters, but you still need some offensive ones for counter-attacks. So your build rates offensive:defensive have flipped ... being simplistic here of course, but still valid.

And of course PDU ON/OFF makes a VERY big deal on what you research and build.

+1

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: Anthropoid

How do Oscars fair?

I'm only now digging in to the plethora of 'Toms, Dicks and Harries' that is the Japanese 'tech tree' and must say it is bewildering.

Trying to decide: what R&D to leave on/ turn on/ build up as part of a "accumulate oil/resource but with a modicum of engines/aircraft/arms/ships being produced at the outset and then upscale and diversity the production outuputs from there moderated by stockpile growth/decline.

Seems like: Tokyo making Nakajima Ha-35 are just about the best choice if you want to restrict yourself to ONE engine for the first few months? -> Nate -> Oscar . . . A6M2->3->4->5, etc.

Oscar...in my experience not well. Too light of guns, no armor. It is a death trap. The only thing it has going for it is that it has the same range as the army bombers, so it can at least act as cannon fodder for the allied interceptors.

As everyone else has said, switch to Tojo as quickly as possible, then choke back the range of your army bombers to match the Tojo range. Having a long range bomber is useless if it doesn't survive long enough to get to the target anyway.

Now then, there is always an exception to the rule. In my current game I have one group of Oscars that has several 80+ XP pilots. I'm currently using it to escort on missions to Darwin and Broome, and it is shredding the allied fighters stationed there for virtually no losses in return against the AI. So the combination of very skilled IJA pilots in Oscar Ic's versus mediocre allied pilots in Kittyhawks, Warhawks and Aircobras is allowing that one Oscar group to do well...like I said the exception to the rule. I also managed to get 1 IJA pilot to 90XP and 17 kills in an Oscar before I sent him to TRACOM, figured he earned it. [;)]

My impression is that in the early war, they are decent. But they become completely obsolete as soon as the first Hurricanes, Spitfires and P-38s enter the picture.

[geofflambert]

Oscars get better over time and since they're Army you shouldn't have a shortage of good pilots if your training program is adequate to the task. They are actually about equivalent to the Zero which served the IJN well for much of the war. Like all Japanese fighters (early) they are undergunned. Because of their range and, beginning with the IIa, their bomb load, they will be quite useful well into the war. With the IIa, if you've trained them in naval attack as well as escort you have something that will be quite dangerous against enemy shipping and auxiliaries like mine layers and sweepers. I haven't tried it but I bet you could train them for ASW roles as well with success. What I want to stress is that the IJN will always be short of air crews and fighter pilots should only be trained for fighter missions and used sparingly at that. Because the Oscar is an IJA plane and because of the capabilities it inherently has, it is a very important aircraft indeed, if used to its potential.

[Marshall]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

Oscars get better over time and since they're Army you shouldn't have a shortage of good pilots if your training program is adequate to the task. They are actually about equivalent to the Zero which served the IJN well for much of the war. Like all Japanese fighters (early) they are undergunned. Because of their range and, beginning with the IIa, their bomb load, they will be quite useful well into the war. With the IIa, if you've trained them in naval attack as well as escort you have something that will be quite dangerous against enemy shipping and auxiliaries like mine layers and sweepers. I haven't tried it but I bet you could train them for ASW roles as well with success. What I want to stress is that the IJN will always be short of air crews and fighter pilots should only be trained for fighter missions and used sparingly at that. Because the Oscar is an IJA plane and because of the capabilities it inherently has, it is a very important aircraft indeed, if used to its potential.

As Japan, the last thing i want to do is fly "zero" equivalent fighters against 1944 allied airframes
To use the Oscar as a naval bomber is not sustainable into 1943.
Best use of Oscars is Kamikaze fodder in 1945.

Even if i train enough pilots for the losses, the training and airframe losses are still vauable production pieces, and pressure on the economy.
I rather go for a airframe that survives combat and gives my hard trained veterans a good chance.

What does Japan get for producing massive amounts of Oscars when they are shot down in droves? it cost fuel, resources, HI and a well trained pilot.

Tojos for me anytime, they cut down allied fighters and bombers in a way the oscar can only dream off, and when the airframe appears that can mingle, it is outdated with the new generation of fighters arriving.
COmplete waste of industry for Japan, use Oscars for the first few months, then switch to Tojos.

[geofflambert]

Don't build tons of Oscars. You need a few squadrons of them. There will be situations where the Tojos simply won't do because they can't get there. If your planes are getting shot down in droves, don't blame the planes, blame your tactics. This goes for the bombers you're misusing in an unsustainable fashion and escorting them with whatever, as well. The allied player can do stuff you can't not because, or just because his planes are better but because he's turning them out like cuckoo clocks and well trained pilots as well. The planes can't win the war. If anything can it is your strategy and tactics.

[Marshall]

My tactics are very sound, but the fact is, the Oscar is no match for allied fighters.
For escort i use the NJk1

Tojos for me are defensive planes, CAP, or Sweep if the enemy base is close by.

I do not send out Bombers to be slaughtered. The fac tis that the Oscar is not good enough, even the japanese pilots after the war stated this
They rather have the Tojo when available, or the Frank later on.

Production wise, there is no forte to keeping the Oscar going, from june 1942, the Tojo rules.
The Oscar is undergunned, and a crappy fighter.
It's extended range to max 14 does not bring anything, if i want to escort long range strikes i use the Zero early on, that gives range with my Betty bombers on naval attack duty.
After 1942, no more Oscars, other then training planes or kamikaze fodder in late war period (clean out the stock)

[m10bob]

Trivia...The Tojo was barely larger than the tiny Polikarpov I 16, and it could climb like a monkey with a scalded bottom!..
Great for local zone defense and bomber interception at altitude.
Was kept in production from its' inception and the engine looked huge compared to the small body..almost like the old "GeeBee Cleveland racers.
Many were used in the final year for home defense vs the B 29's.

[Anthropoid]

Sounds like the Oscars should be imported to China.

[geofflambert]

Escorting bombers does not achieve air superiority. For that you have to sweep. If Tojo can't get there and Oscar can, you need Oscars. LR CAP is a better technique than escort as well. If your pilots are good enough they can handle Hurricanes and Spits and P-40s and P-39s and P-38s in these roles. Make sure your pilots are exp. 80. Once the Allied player transitions to the offense you're not likely to accomplish much bombing his bases in most cases except China and Burma. Your bombers should be transitioning to Naval Search, Naval Attack and ASW. The more tasks your air crews learn the higher their experience level goes and in some cases their defensive skill which helps preserve planes and crews. Again, in the escort role it doesn't matter how good the fighter is, they could be shot down in droves, so don't do that.
Ask yourself if the bombing campaign will accomplish more than those fighter pilots' worth. Also, after the first few months do not use Bettys or Nells in bombing campaigns unless you've lost most or all of your carriers and it doesn't matter anymore. Bettys and Nells are for search and training carrier aircrews.

[Marshall]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

Escorting bombers does not achieve air superiority. For that you have to sweep. If Tojo can't get there and Oscar can, you need Oscars. LR CAP is a better technique than escort as well. If your pilots are good enough they can handle Hurricanes and Spits and P-40s and P-39s and P-38s in these roles. Make sure your pilots are exp. 80. Once the Allied player transitions to the offense you're not likely to accomplish much bombing his bases in most cases except China and Burma. Your bombers should be transitioning to Naval Search, Naval Attack and ASW. The more tasks your air crews learn the higher their experience level goes and in some cases their defensive skill which helps preserve planes and crews. Again, in the escort role it doesn't matter how good the fighter is, they could be shot down in droves, so don't do that.
Ask yourself if the bombing campaign will accomplish more than those fighter pilots' worth. Also, after the first few months do not use Bettys or Nells in bombing campaigns unless you've lost most or all of your carriers and it doesn't matter anymore. Bettys and Nells are for search and training carrier aircrews.

Betty for search only, you are joking!

I have had great results with my Betty bombers, reaching out long range to interdict shipping.
But then again you need to place them at the strategic locations.


And Oscars sweeping hahaha try that in end 1943! you will have lots of space in the hangar after the mission.

About the bombers, the bombing missions i plan have a goal, and only then i commit the units to it.

Sweeping missions need to be planned well, and executed well.
And my plans do not have any oscar in it. It is a crappy plane and a PBEM game as japan will show it.

And thats final!
Green lizard or not!

[geofflambert]

Naval attack wasn't what I meant by "bombing campaign" and Naval Search incorporates Naval Attack, just one plane at a time. I did mention mid '43, didn't I? Build your Oscar IIa's and use them. If you think they're crappy, that still makes them good enough to sweep the Allied player's crappy planes (with inferior pilots) out of the sky. By late '43, the American (not necessarily the Brit) air crews will be equal or better than yours but even then Oscars will be fine at shooting up (or down) Allied search or recon planes. Don't build any Nates. Do maintain some production of Oscars. And manufacture those HA-35 engines to excess. I use Anns and Marys for ASW at choke points. Those Oscar IIa's and beyond will be far better after you run out of the others or use them as trainers. Stopping production of Oscars in my view is foolish. Very versatile planes and the IIb has armor so using them over friendly territory is less risky.

[Alpha77]

It is all meaningless if your good pilots die in the first months - this is why I pulled the top 3-4 out from all Nate and Oscar units. Also some from Zeros, these planes are too fragile to send elite guys out with them. And the RAF and AVG can hand Oscars generally their ass on a plate Even P40s are good enough vs. the Os. 1c and ZeroM2... if the Allies mass their planes at least (this means PBM) the AI can be beaten cause it splatters its plane over the map and also brings not enough stuff to the front. Also does not pull out depleted units or dissolve them, so it may end up with 20 squadrons with 3-6 planes each left on a base.

Sweep and escort mission with Oscars are costly in pilots, other than CAP (this is normally over own territory which means pilots may survive)