Bombardments not targeting port or runways?

[Lowpe]

I can't seem to get my surface bombardments (day, night, mixture of gun ranges) to hit the port or runways.

I have bombarded the island about 10 times with super heavy task forces and they won't hit the facilities.

Good DL. Spotters in use.

[Alfred]

What do they actually hit?
 
Alfred

[Chickenboy]

Possibly a silly follow-up question, but I'm bound to ask: What size are the ports/airfields? If they're both size 0, that may explain an inability to damage non-existent structures.

Also, what do you know about fort levels? I don't recall if high fortification levels reduce port/airfield naval bombardment damage (akin to the way they do for aerial or LCU bombardments), but that would make sense also.

[Lowpe]

I started almost daily bombardment runs, sometimes more than 1 in a day, both day and night (day pictured here), when Tabby was a undeveloped from its at start size (size 0 port, 1 runway i think). Now it is a Size 2 runway and 1 port.

The Allies stuffed 41K troops on it, a little over max, and I bet I have hit it 25 or more times with bombardments.

Only one bombardment (a single CA) early on hit anything other than the troops and I think it did about 3 hits to the runways.

Sometimes up to 30 planes are present, SBD and PBYs.

sample complete bombardment.

Naval bombardment of Tabiteuea at 137,134

Japanese Ships
BB Yamashiro
BB Mutsu
BB Kirishima
BB Hiei
BB Haruna
CA Kako
CA Furutaka
CA Aoba
CA Kumano
CA Chokai
CA Takao

Allied ground losses:
888 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 38 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 62 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 16 (1 destroyed, 15 disabled)
Vehicles lost 8 (2 destroyed, 6 disabled)

BB Yamashiro firing at 2nd Marine Division
BB Mutsu firing at 24th Infantry Division
BB Kirishima firing at 2nd Marine Division
BB Hiei firing at 24th Infantry Division
BB Haruna firing at 24th Infantry Division
E7K2 Alf acting as spotter for CA Kako
CA Kako firing at 2nd Marine Division
CA Furutaka firing at 2nd Marine Division
CA Aoba firing at 2nd Marine Division
CA Kumano firing at 24th Infantry Division
CA Chokai firing at 24th Infantry Division

[BBfanboy]

Looks like the Base Commander is sending his troops out to soak up the shells and protect his airfield and Base Commander Manor! [X(]

[Lowpe]

I kind of thought it might have something to do with over stacking a base...but logically I can't figure out how. Not my strong suit, for sure.[:D]

[Mike McCreery]

The base is not overstacked.

Airfield 2, port 1, forts 3.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

The base is not overstacked.

Airfield 2, port 1, forts 3.

Forts 3....you dog![&:]

[Alfred]

A Bombardment TF will focus on what is the "juiciest" target.  In this instance the attractiveness of having two full Allied divisions (and undoubtedly there will be other land units present) is far higher than the underdeveloped base facilities
 
Combat units are different from the support units which are "attached" to their infrastructure.  Normally a naval bombardment will focus on suppressing units and their "attached infrastructure" which can harm the attacker.  Hence CD units which can return fire (their "attached" is port facilities, disbanded ships IOW maritime assets) and Base Forces (their attached is airfields, aircraft IOW aerial assets) have a higher targeting priority.  Here the Combat Report shows no return fire from shore so that would reduce the threat from that quarter.
 
Alfred

[inqistor]

I always bombard at point-blank (range 1), and rarely with more, than 1 heavy ship, and whole bases are mostly thrashed, after I take them. And I routinely see manpower hits, and fires, if there is manpower at base.

I recall, Clark had like 40k troops, and was 70-80 damaged on all fields (and there was no planes there, for half of the time). Wenchow less damaged, with similar number of troops, and it had no CD guns. Both bombarded more, than 10 times, by Battleships.

[Lowpe]

Yesterdays bombardment...yeah! I should have posted earlier, because the game system loves proving me wrong.

Night Naval bombardment of Tabiteuea at 137,134

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
PBY-5A Catalina: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Kako
CA Furutaka
CA Aoba
CA Kumano
CA Chokai
CA Takao

Allied ground losses:
543 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 40 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 13 disabled
Guns lost 13 (2 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Vehicles lost 10 (1 destroyed, 9 disabled)

Airbase hits 9
Runway hits 13
Port hits 6
Port supply hits 1

CA Kako firing at 2nd Marine Division
CA Furutaka firing at Tabiteuea
F1M2 Pete acting as spotter for CA Aoba
CA Aoba firing at Tabiteuea
CA Kumano firing at 2nd Marine Division
E8N2 Dave acting as spotter for CA Chokai
CA Chokai firing at 2nd Marine Division
F1M2 Pete acting as spotter for CA Takao
CA Takao firing at 24th Infantry Division

[inqistor]

I don't see any return fire. You should try to include Escort into firing. Even alone, DDs tend to pack quite a punch, considering their small armament. And IIRC, you can include AMC, TB, and E into Bombardment TF. Hard to find use for their guns, anyway.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

A Bombardment TF will focus on what is the "juiciest" target.  In this instance the attractiveness of having two full Allied divisions (and undoubtedly there will be other land units present) is far higher than the underdeveloped base facilities

This was/is my theory, as well. It's also why ports with ships in them don't see many hits on ships if there aren't many ships there.