Notes from a Small Island

[JohnDillworth]

I'm curious, were B-29s ever used against ground troops historically? It seems to be a common practice in game.

Now you did it........this has been a bigger discussion than than trees. No, not B-29's. But the Allies, can, and did, use massed 4EB's against ground troops with devastating effect. Most notably just after D-day in Europe. Coincidentally, The IJA 8th Division, heavily involved in the fighting here, suffered large numbers of causalities due to Allied bombing "11th independent mixed regiment, and sent to Poluwat in June 1944. Because of the lack of food and large number of wounded due American air raids, two of free battalions were moved to Chuuk Lagoon in September 1944".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8th_Division_(Imperial_Japanese_Army)

[MakeeLearn]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

I'm curious, were B-29s ever used against ground troops historically? It seems to be a common practice in game.

I've not read any direct use of B29s against ground troops during WW2. However, during the Korean war the B-29s were frequently used in direct tactical attacks against tank concentrations, troops, truck traffic, arsenals, and supply dumps.

[Canoerebel]

I'm pretty sure B-24s were used against ground units but I doubt B-29s were.

The Allies would have adapted doctrine to exigencies, opportunities, and difficulties, of course. The air war in the game doesn't resemble the real war in 1945 in the slightest.

[Simonsez]

Found this posted on a site that referenced what appears tom be the online side of the Air Force Academy in some manner. (This specific link is broken now.)

How many B-29's have been lost in the game so far?

http://www.au.af.mil/au/afhra/aafsd/aafsd_pdf/t165.pdf

20th Bomber Command
80 total, with 22 due to fighters, 7 from AAA and 51 from "other"
breakdown by year is:
1944 70 total, with 20 due to fighters, 5 from AAA and 45 from "other"
1945 10 total, with 2 due to fighters, 2 from AAA and 6 from "other"

21st Bomber Command
334 total, with 52 due to fighters, 47 from AAA, 19 from fighter/AAA and 216 from "other"
breakdown by year is:
1944 25 total, with 4 due to fighters, 1 from AAA, and 20 from "other"
1945 309 total, with 48 due to fighters, 46 from AAA, 19 from fighter/AAA and 196from "other"

[Bif1961]

The B-29s were the newest wonder weapon and kept to more strategic targets since the Allies had more than enough tactical assets. In the ETO of course the heavy bombers were used occasionally to carpet bomb front line troop concentrations usually right before a major offensive. Their effectiveness was more in keeping with the type of enemy defenses they were targeted against. However tat they were used on several occasions would give you the idea that the Allies thought they were effective more often than not.

[Canoerebel]

283 B-29-1s and 78 B-29-25s lost to date (about 100 of those were destroyed on the ground by nuclear bombardment early in the Siege of Shikuka.)

We all know that America would have shifted tremendous resources to fighters and bombers if faced with an uber Japanese air force in '45. The game prevents us from doing that, so we take other measures. All players, Japanese and Allied, adapt to conditions, as best we can.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

2/14/45

Kushiro D+6: Another fast transport landing to trigger enemy arty bombardment.

Just a suggestion, but instead of having that CL in the bombardment TF, embedding it in the FT TF might have reduced casualties from Japanese gunfire and might have caused more casualties to the IJA than it inflicted in the bombardment mission.

[Canoerebel]

2/15/45

The Allied plan is nearly identical to the those of the past two days. The two things I'm most interested in: (1) how will the Allied deliberate attack at Kushiro go?, and (2) will Erik defend the air space over he beleaguered army in the contested hex?

Kurshiro D+7: The turn opens with a decent bombardment. This is the third visit by this task force but the first time it has registered hits against industry. All setting were the same, so I assume this was purely "luck" (a dice roll).

[Canoerebel]

2/15/45

Kushiro D+7: A strong bombardment of a neighboring enemy base at Kunashiri Island. I don't want Erik using either of the two airfields here to launch "back door raids" against Death Star or other shipping. To this point, Allied bombers have occasionally targeted each island. This raid should keep Erik leery of taking a chance.

This mission also suggest (not conclusively) that a mixed brigade is the backbone of the defenses here. Recon + mouseover indicate a garrison totalling about 20k men, so I now suspect there isn't a division here. I have one division prepping. That, plus bombardments and bombing, should be sufficient, when the time comes.

[Canoerebel]

2/15/45

Kushiro D+7: The first Allied sweep over the contested hex encounters maximum enemy CAP. Erik is all-in, determined to defend his army here. Later in the turn, I'll find out why.

Allied sweeps again come out ahead, but there aren't enough of them to wear out the beefed up enemy roster.

[Canoerebel]

2/15/45

Kushiro D+7: That first sweep missions yields the best results and shows the extent of Erik's countermeasures - he's employing Randy's in this battle for the first time, and I think this is the first appearance in the war of the Sam.

From this and what's to come, I feel sure Erik intends to duke it out over this hex. I like this environment and will adjust accordingly, allocating more good fighters to the sweep role tomorrow.

[Canoerebel]

2/15/45

Kushiro D+7: Allied sweeps did a fine job, but there weren't quite enough of them. Too many enemy fighters remain. They tear into a bunch of 1EB strikes - land-based carrier air, some escorted, some naked.

These missions were based on "all hands on deck now, for this great battle." But the 1EB suffer grievous losses, as the Air Loss table (to be shown in just a little bit) will bear out.

One good aspect is that these raids will succeed in pretty much tuckering enemy opposition, so that the 4EB coming later won't suffer grievious losses.

[Canoerebel]

2/15/45

Kushiro D+7: 150 undamaged Resource points remain at Kushiro, probably ripe for the plucking (all enemy fighters are engaged elsewhere). There is a chance that the Allied deliberate attack today will take the base, so a bunch of 1EB, 2EB and 4EB target this industry. They score a lot of hits.

[Canoerebel]

2/15/45

Kushiro D+7: By the time the first 4EB strikes arrive over the contested hex, Allied sweeps and sacrificial 1EB-raids have cleared enemy fighters from the skies.

This is the largest of the day's raids. It's effective but not on yesterday's scale.

The roster of units "picked on" mentions only one division. There's part of another there, confirmed by yesterday's events. What I'm going to find later in the turn will be surprising.

[Canoerebel]

2/15/45

Kushiro D+7: The Allied attack goes well but is not decisive. Japanese suffer considerably higher casualties (and proportionately drop now to about a 1:7 ratio). Forts drop to 3 on the 3:1 attack. My guys will need several days rest. The next attack probably takes the base.

[Canoerebel]

2/15/45

Kushiro D+7: Allied bombardment in the contested inland hex reveals critical information - enemy reinforcements arrived. That means Erik allowed them to advance despite the absolute carnage his units suffered in this hex yesterday. That, in turn, means he is determined to take this hex to open an escape route for his Kushiro army. He'll probably succeed (my force is relatively weak) but his army (and later combined armies) will remain in this hex, subject to repeated sweep and bombing attacks, for better than a week. It's going to be all-out war under circumstances rarely advantageous to the Allies. There will be surprises (either of us could switch off to another target or pull other shenanigans), but this is a key opportunity to batter a very large Japanese army.

[Canoerebel]

2/15/45

Air Losses: Brutal air losses due to the ruinous 1EB missions over the contested hex. The points Erik harvested are real and meaningful, but the underlying numbers provide information critical to the air/ground battle for this hex.

The battle for this hex will be determined by which side runs out of air-worthy fighters first and by how long I can mount large bombing raids.

Today, the Japanese lost 116 fighters, the Allies 91 (and a healthy percentage of those were flying escort missions for the 1EB, which is disadvantageous).

Because Japanese fighters got tuckered out picking off the small guys, I lost one B-24J and no Superforts today (and next to none the preceding two days).

Erik's fighters have trouble competing during LRCAP missions. I think, but I'm not sure, that fatigue is or soon will be a major issue for his fighters.

Allied fighters and 4EB are in good shape to continue the fighting for days to come. The one thing I can do better is try to employ more sweeps and less 1EB sacrifices.

[Kofiman]

If it's truly all-hands over Kushiro does that mean there are any momentarily soft targets for strategic bombing? Maybe some aircraft plants or a raid on Tokyo..

[Canoerebel]

There are opportunities like that, and I've considered them. This turn Erik had more than 1500 fighters based on Hokkaido (!), leaving only about 300 over Tokyo and undoubtedly reduced numbers at other key bases.

To this point, I've deemed it more important to hit his vulnerable army and to take on his fighters in the best environment I'm likely to encounter. If the missions weren't succeeding or were taking unacceptable losses, I'd divert to something else.

My B-24s and B-29s have been flying for about seven consecutive days. They are accruing aircraft-frame fatigue and soon I'm going to have to stand down a lot of them. If I take them off this mission to fly a more distant mission, that will definitely reduce what I can do to his army. As of this moment, there's a chance they can so disrupt that 900-AV army that it won't be able to overcome my 200-AV army (that already happened on his opening attack). If that happens, he won't be able to extract his Kushiro army. So my bommbers will stay on this mission at least until the ground campaign is determined, and probably longer.

[Canoerebel]

2/15/45

NoPac: The cauldron boileth.