Bombers attacking unwanted targets...

[cplprice]

OK, I have a strongly defended target that I don't want to bomb. There are several less heavily defended targets located peripherally to the strong target. I have been having air units from several bases concentrating against each of these peripheral targets in turn, then switching to the next target. On a couple of occasions due to bad weather over the target, instead of standing down some of my squadrons go ahead and attack the target I don't want to attack with heavy losses. Is there a setting I'm not using that can prevent these squadrons from attacking a target I don't want attacked?

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: cplprice

OK, I have a strongly defended target that I don't want to bomb. There are several less heavily defended targets located peripherally to the strong target. I have been having air units from several bases concentrating against each of these peripheral targets in turn, then switching to the next target. On a couple of occasions due to bad weather over the target, instead of standing down some of my squadrons go ahead and attack the target I don't want to attack with heavy losses. Is there a setting I'm not using that can prevent these squadrons from attacking a target I don't want attacked?

Either set them to stand-down or adjust the range... that's what I can think of.

Klink, Oberst

[cplprice]

ORIGINAL: Oberst_Klink

ORIGINAL: cplprice

OK, I have a strongly defended target that I don't want to bomb. There are several less heavily defended targets located peripherally to the strong target. I have been having air units from several bases concentrating against each of these peripheral targets in turn, then switching to the next target. On a couple of occasions due to bad weather over the target, instead of standing down some of my squadrons go ahead and attack the target I don't want to attack with heavy losses. Is there a setting I'm not using that can prevent these squadrons from attacking a target I don't want attacked?

Either set them to stand-down or adjust the range... that's what I can think of.

Klink, Oberst

Thank you for the quick reply. The problem with standing them down is that I order them to hit a target, then when the turn is run I'll get the target obscured message and they'll switch to the target I don't want hit.
I'll give the modifying range a try for this particular situation because the target I don't want hit is two or three hexes farther away. It won't work if I run into the problem again and the targets are equidistant.
I didn't know if there's a setting that can override commanders discretion, if I needed to assign less aggressive commanders or if the Air HQ the squadrons were assigned to should have their target reset each time instead of having it set to the base it's located at.

[BillBrown]

A screenshot would help. I have not had that problem. If I give them a target and weather precludes the attack, they just do not fly.

[Canoerebel]

BillBrown is right.

The only way bombers will attack an unassigned base or land hex is if you've set them to "Ground Attack" but haven't given them a target. In that case, the squadron commander may choose any target within range.

So if you set a bomber to a specific target it will either fly against that target or not fly at all (if weather shuts it down or if it fails the dice roll due to fatigue or the leader's lack of aggression etc.)

[btd64]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

BillBrown is right.

The only way bombers will attack an unassigned base or land hex is if you've set them to "Ground Attack" but haven't given them a target. In that case, the squadron commander may choose any target within range.

So if you set a bomber to a specific target it will either fly against that target or not fly at all (if weather shuts it down or if it fails the dice roll due to fatigue or the leader's lack of aggression etc.)

+1. Got to assign a target....GP

[crsutton]

If you are bombing a hex and the hex is vacated or the unit eliminated, then the unit doing the bombing will switch to (commander's decision) unless you reassign the mission. Units assigned to attack a target will not divert to another target under any other circumstance than this. It happens to all of us once in a while.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

If you are bombing a hex and the hex is vacated or the unit eliminated, then the unit doing the bombing will switch to (commander's decision) unless you reassign the mission. Units assigned to attack a target will not divert to another target under any other circumstance than this. It happens to all of us once in a while.

I will offer a slightly different version:
• If an air unit is bombing a hex it will (automatically) pick a specific unit to target.
• If the unit targeted leaves the hex, the air unit will continue to target it provided it is still within range.
• If/when the unit targeted moves out of range, or the unit targeted is destroyed, the air unit will switch to Commander's discretion and bomb 'some other ground unit' that is within range.

I have learned the hard way that whenever such switching might prove to be a problem you just have to check the air units' assignments each turn.

[rockmedic109]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: crsutton

If you are bombing a hex and the hex is vacated or the unit eliminated, then the unit doing the bombing will switch to (commander's decision) unless you reassign the mission. Units assigned to attack a target will not divert to another target under any other circumstance than this. It happens to all of us once in a while.

I will offer a slightly different version:
• If an air unit is bombing a hex it will (automatically) pick a specific unit to target.
• If the unit targeted leaves the hex, the air unit will continue to target it provided it is still within range.
• If/when the unit targeted moves out of range, or the unit targeted is destroyed, the air unit will switch to Commander's discretion and bomb 'some other ground unit' that is within range.

I have learned the hard way that whenever such switching might prove to be a problem you just have to check the air units' assignments each turn.

Alternatively you can watch the combat replay and when one of your air units strike somewhere you haven't targeted, take note of the unit/where it came from and check it out when setting up next turn.
Not much you can do to eliminate the occurrence before the turn other than careful turn setup {and even then it's not guaranteed}. If it happens, chalk it up to the flight leader ordering the attack against your orders and have him reassigned to counting bears on Kodiak Island.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: rockmedic109

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: crsutton

If you are bombing a hex and the hex is vacated or the unit eliminated, then the unit doing the bombing will switch to (commander's decision) unless you reassign the mission. Units assigned to attack a target will not divert to another target under any other circumstance than this. It happens to all of us once in a while.

I will offer a slightly different version:
• If an air unit is bombing a hex it will (automatically) pick a specific unit to target.
• If the unit targeted leaves the hex, the air unit will continue to target it provided it is still within range.
• If/when the unit targeted moves out of range, or the unit targeted is destroyed, the air unit will switch to Commander's discretion and bomb 'some other ground unit' that is within range.

I have learned the hard way that whenever such switching might prove to be a problem you just have to check the air units' assignments each turn.

Alternatively you can watch the combat replay and when one of your air units strike somewhere you haven't targeted, take note of the unit/where it came from and check it out when setting up next turn.
Not much you can do to eliminate the occurrence before the turn other than careful turn setup {and even then it's not guaranteed}. If it happens, chalk it up to the flight leader ordering the attack against your orders and have him reassigned to counting bears on Kodiak Island.

It is guaranteed, if you set the unit correctly.

A best practice when setting ground attack is to make sure your bombers are set to range 0. They will still fly against your target, but if/when the target moves to a new hex (which can be done via air transport as well) your bombers won't change hexes with them.

[rockmedic109]

Ack!!

I thought the set range was a hard limit and if you set a target farther than the range you set, it wouldn't engage the target!

As far as guarantees go, I am guaranteed to make a mistake in the several hundred clicks and thousands of options available. Not the fault of the game engine, just my lack of concen.....OH, piece of candy.

[cplprice]

Thank you all for the information.

I did go back in after the turn and checked the squadrons in question,and they had the correct target selected, and it was still shown, but a different target had been hit. It's happened three times with different squadrons. I'll get a screenshot if it happens again and post it.
If the set to zero trick Lokasenna mentioned works then that should solve my problem. I wasn't aware you could strike a designated target 8-9 hexes away if the squadron was set to zero. I'll start using that for squadrons I don't want to default to commanders discretion.

Ya'll are the best, a great source of information for such an indepth game.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: rockmedic109

Ack!!

I thought the set range was a hard limit and if you set a target farther than the range you set, it wouldn't engage the target!

As far as guarantees go, I am guaranteed to make a mistake in the several hundred clicks and thousands of options available. Not the fault of the game engine, just my lack of concen.....OH, piece of candy.

For naval attack (for which you don't set targets, but the commander chooses a target within range), this is the case.

When you set a target manually, the range "spinner" is irrelevant except insofar as the group commander may choose to attack a target within that range if the target you gave him is no longer where it was.

[Jellicoe]

It sometimes happens if the target has been so badly hit it is almost destroyed, then the odd squadron may go and hit another target of opportunity