Method to provide Escort to B17 attacks

[wga8888]

Playing Guadalcanal scenario [both vs AI and pbem]. My B17s are in Townsville, I have F & FB in Port Moresby. My B17s plan to attack either Buna or Owen Stanley mountains. Cannot afford significant losses due to low replacement rates and most groups start under-strength, zero pool, and low replacement rate which barely offset operational losses. Possibility of Japanese CAP over target. Is there a method to secure the chance of Fighter escort for the B17s via either CAP or LR CAP. If I assign a Sweep mission instead, no idea if will occur before or after the B17 raid. Attacking Zeros is always iffy.

Similar situation on right side; B17s in Noumea targeting Tassafaronga, F at Lunga next door to target.

[BBfanboy]

Lowpe recently posted a method of getting the bombers to arrive after sweeps - give the bombers a Naval Attack mission with a secondary mission of Airfield or Ground attack. The bombers must spend the morning waiting for naval sightings before taking off for the afternoon ground bombing raid. Sweepers from Lunga should have done their sweeps by then.

[Yaab]

You could try putting Airacobras as escorts in Port Moresby. Give them the same altitude/objective as the B-17s. Airacobras have comparable cruise speed to B-17s, thus they should join the raid.

You could also try sweeping first using the following method
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3734794

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Yaab


You could try putting Airacobras as escorts in Port Moresby. Give them the same altitude/objective as the B-17s. Airacobras have comparable cruise speed to B-17s, thus they should join the raid.

You could also try sweeping first using the following method
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3734794

Isn't the range too far from Port Moresby for the Airacobra?

[GetAssista]

For longer range fighters put them on LRCAP over the target, with droptanks too. They will be there to help bombers.
Otherwise put fighters on same altitude, under same command, preferrably into same base as bombers and pray to the gods of coordination