Strategic Bomber Range

[Dgold]

In 1935, when created, the B-17 had an operational range of 2000 miles, return. This translates to 20 hexes each way in WPP (50 mile hexes).
The B29, which became available in 1943, but in good numbers in 1944, had an operational range of 5830 miles, return. This translates to 58 hexes each way in WPP (50 mile hexes).

Saipan/Tinian and Guam were major US Strategic Bomber bases, for the bombing of Japanese cities, starting in late Summer, 1944.

In WPP, the base SB range is 14. With the SB 44 advancement, the range bonus is +4, so it is impossible to bomb any Japanese industrial cities.
With the SB 45 advancement, the range bonus is +10. This allows US strategic bomber units, based in Saipan or Guam, to bomb Tokyo and Nagasaki, but they will never be able to bomb Osaka and Hiroshima.

Therefore, I suggest that the base US (only) SB range be extended to at least 16, so that all Japanese industrial cities can be bombed from Saipan or Guam, after the US achieves the SB45 advancement.

It must be possible, in the game, to achieve the SB 45 advancement in middle to late 1944, in order to start the strategic bombing of Japan in middle to late 1944.

I notice that using the Editor, it is possible to change the base range for US strategic bomber units, from 14 to say, 16, without changing the base range for the UK, Russian and Japanese SB units. However, it appears that the advancement tables are common to all nationalities, given the same advancement and year. It would be ahistorical to given non-US strategic bomber units B-17 or B-29 ranges.

[incbob]

I would only agree to this if the SB did little to no damage. Of course this would make it not worth doing for the player.

SB did little, if any damage, to the Japanese Industry. In fact, even German industry was little hurt, by far more intense bombing. SB, got the news, SB got the morale, but when you look at the numbers and what it actually did you discover it did little to nothing. Look at the production numbers. It was the US Submarines and their devastation of the Japanese convoys that killed Japanese Industry.

Some might say, "Well, yeah, but SB caused us to invade IWO JIMA." At a certain level this is correct, but it is a myth that we invaded it so that wounded bombers could land on IWO. Only a single handful of bombers ever used this. Approximately about 50 people were saved due to this. It was far more used as an Escort Fighter base allowing fighters to escort the bombers into Japan.

[AlvaroSousa]

That works.

The range needs to stay are the bare minimum to not let the USA indiscriminately bomb oil fields in NEI. The map is slightly compressed in that area.