How to use Bomber Command

[mbatch729]

OK, with the hype around WitE 2, reread a bunch of the tips/tricks and fired this back up. Going pretty good except for Bomber Command. I try to manually set their AD's in the radar range but they still get slaughtered, averaging over 100 losses per week, and I fly them at most one week a month. Any suggestions on how to better use them?

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: mbatch729

OK, with the hype around WitE 2, reread a bunch of the tips/tricks and fired this back up. Going pretty good except for Bomber Command. I try to manually set their AD's in the radar range but they still get slaughtered, averaging over 100 losses per week, and I fly them at most one week a month. Any suggestions on how to better use them?

bit hard to answer in the abstract, one suggestion is to read the opening posts in the AAR I did with GloriousRuse as I tried to give a rationale for my choices.

I'm not sure 100 per week would overly worry me, what matters is managing morale so the majority still fly the next week. So try to find a sweet point where the formations that hit low morale (your judgement here) is not too many and the bulk are available the next week.

The Stirling I is a flying coffin, so ground those and get them onto Halifaxes asap. The Wellingtons are great for secondary raids but get hit badly by flak. So really as soon as you can, make sure you are hitting the Ruhr with Lancasters and Halifaxes.

Beyond that, don't bomb more than 3 (pref 2) days a week.

Given the game design, crudely BC is a victory point generating force, esp for HI/manpower, just keep up a steady stream of damage in the Ruhr/Rhineland and they should deliver. I tend to see 8 AAF as my tool for the more creative missions.

[cfulbright]

Are you using the NF's as Night Intruders to suppress the German NF's? You should be able to kill dozens of them a week, which helps a lot.

Swap into Lancasters as soon as you can. Fly at 23K'. Make sure you're flying around flak centers.

Cary

[mbatch729]

Thanks for the replies. Managed to get a Minor Victory as the AI strongly garrisoned the Western Front at the expense of the Eastern one and the Soviets took Berlin the second week of March. One major mistake I made was not setting all the Bomber Command groups to Night Only. Duh!!!

[GeneralDad]

I have been using the NFs as escorts by transferring them to Bomber command. I will try the intruder thing.

When I have plenty of fighter replacement air frames, I find that I can bomb escorted 4 days a week in daylight. Some times in the game there are not enough fighter replacements, so I cut back to three days. Two is about all I can manage with RAF Bomber at night - maybe not enough escorts. Morale is the limiting factor - I rest below 50 most turns FWIW.

A non-historical trick. Spitfire LF.IXE can reach the Ruhr from Eastern England. So I pair ~160 escorts with ~320 bombers and go daylight with part of RAF Bomber when these aircraft are available. This when US bombers are going deeper into Germany with P-38 and P-51 escorts.

Gen. Dad.

[cfulbright]

The night intruders should get a lot of those German night fighters off your back.

Cary