Is this normal???

[daddog]

I have learned a lot. Rest the squads, provide escorts, keep the number of AC at an airfield below what that field can handle, supply, set naval search to 20% for all bomber squads, provide enough air support at the fields, yet something does not see right.

At both Port Morseby and Noumea I have the enough aviation support and several squads set to escort the bombers. All bombers squadrons are also set to have nav search at 20%. Here is the layout.

Port Morseby
76th FS – Ready 15, Experience 68, Morale 72, Fatigue 31
35th FS – Ready 21, Experience 62, Morale 33, Fatigue 31
75th FS – Ready 9, Experience 65, Morale 46, Fatigue 27
36th FS – Ready 20, Experience 62, Morale 55, Fatigue 29
408th BS – Ready 16, Experience 56, Morale 55, Fatigue 11
23rd BS – Ready 16, Experience 56, Morale 43, Fatigue 12
89th BS – Ready 15, Experience 58, Morale 67, Fatigue 12

Noumea
67th FS – Ready 11, Experience 55, Morale 51, Fatigue 9
90th BS – Ready 11, Experience 59, Morale 15, Fatigue 13
93rd BS – Ready 14, Experience 78, Morale 46, Fatigue 21
32nd BS – Ready 9, Experience 67, Morale 51, Fatigue 18

There are several enemy task groups well within range. I have one right in the same hex at Port Morseby! In fact I forgot to list the AC I have at Buna which were a FS set to escort and two BS. Both have over 10 AC ready, Experience in the 50’s, Morale in the 50’s and Fatigue is less then 10 for the BS’s. Also the dive bombers and torpedo bombers on the Yorktown that is at Port Morseby! Yet in the last two turns not a since BS has attacked any enemy ships.

What on earth could be wrong??? Granted the Morale is low and the fatigue is high, but in this short Coral Sea scenario you work with what you have. Some turns I have several attacks, but at least every other turn, nothing and now it happened twice in a row. IJN is at my front door and nothing happens. I will not mention the DD’s and CA I at PM that will not attack the ships there, yet they are set for surface combat.

All ears…
------------------------
CO daddog
332nd Flying Mongrels
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[daddog]

Cup just shared with me the ships in the PM hex are subs so that is why they are not being attacked. Still can't understand why they don't attack his other TG in range. He has it CAP'ed well, but should not my BS attack anyway with some escorts?

Also I have BS's in Noumea that are well with in range of some enemy ships that don't have any fighter protection. Yet they don't attack.

[mogami]

Hi, And your not getting the no fly icon on the base or target (only need one)

[Mr.Frag]

Port Morseby
408th BS – Morale 55
23rd BS – Morale 43
89th BS – Morale 67

Noumea
67th FS – Morale 51
90th BS – Morale 15
93rd BS – Morale 46
32nd BS – Morale 51

Just looking at the moral numbers, these are some pretty unhappy guys. probably getting a fair number of morale check failures.

btw:

89th BS – Ready 15, Experience 58, Morale 67, Fatigue 12

which is your likely to fly group will not be able to hit anything at that skill level. Skills < 60 make for completely useless Level Bombers against moving targets.

One of the reasons I like charging for Townsville so much with the latest patch is I can decimate those bomber groups before they get enough skill to actually be able to hit my AP's

[daddog]

No fly icon? Nope...don't see anything like that.

Well I guess it is a strong cap that is keeping those at PM from attacking ships, but that would not explain why those down south in Noumea are not attacking. Those ships don't have a CAP.

Rgr about skill. They don't hit much when they attack.

This look normal to you guys or could it happen/does it happen normally?

[Mike_B20]

I'd try to rotate the squads more, although I'm not sure what scenario you're playing and what sort of pressure you're under.

The morale is very low.

If you could stand a few squads down for a few turns and try to get fatigue down close to zero and morale into the 80's and 90's you'd probably notice much better performance.

[Mr.Frag]

... but that would not explain why those down south in Noumea are not attacking. Those ships don't have a CAP.

Targeting beyond 10 hexes from the airbase is not a sure thing at all from what I have seen. Don't know exactly what your Noumea air groups have or do not have in range, but if you are expecting them to hit targets up near Gili Gili type of thing, it will be a rare event to get them to actually do it.

Same thing happens as Japan, although the Nells and Bettys can reach down and smack ships at Cairns and Lunga from Rabaul, it doesn't happen all the time. Things have to be just perfect for it to kick off that type of a long range attack.

Strong CAP vs low Morale = no attack. Even if they do manage to attack, the first fighter to shoot in their direction will have them aborting and running for home.

[daddog]

It is first very short (15 days) Coral Sea Scenario. Don't really have time to rotate and rest them. At least not more than just a few days.

It is about over. Will be moving up to one that is a bit longer.

Question. When you guys rotate your troops/squadrons for a rest. How long till their morale is up in the 90's or so? Say they are starting with something in the 50's.

Thanks for the help gents.

[Mr.Frag]

If you move them to a non-malaria base and completely ground them, it's not too long ... It depends on just how badly you abused them.

Aircrews that have been abused at low level (100 ft against AA) tend to be slow.

This is also related to the group commander's skills sadly enough and some of them you are literally better off trying to kill him off hoping for a better commander even if it means trashing the entire group to do it

They do get better over time, but time in this case is MONTHS of ground school :rolleyes: