Strategic Bombing Tips?

[rockmedic109]

Or How do you keep a B-29 flying.

Any ideas on how to keep B-29s flying? They seem to take forever to repair or maintain.

I am keeping them at Level 9 fields {Formosa}. I have above the minimum air support. Does having more than the required air support help? I know that HQ can increase the chances of flying, but does that increase the repair times? Does the HQ attachment of the squadron help with this at all?

I've never gotten this far before. The B-29 seems like an early 80s Jaguar....if you want to drive one every day, you have to own three of them!

[Ian R]

No developer ever said having > than the required av support didn't help.

Unit leaders with good admin ratings give you DRMs.

However, B-29s have very high service ratings, so best to put the groups on 40 or 50% rest (except when on 100% training, at zero range, and 10k ft).

That will also significantly reduce your ops losses, because both airframe and pilot fatigue are reduced to insignificant levels.

I think they are more like a Maserati than Jag - they only spend 50% of their time in the workshop.

[Ian R]

ASP500

[rockmedic109]

Thanks Ian. As allies, I should be swimming in the air support...just gotta get it to the right location. I've never tried putting them on rest.

Thank You

[Nomad]

I have had success with having 4 extra aircraft per unit, using 50% rest. You will still need to periodically stand them down.
You can stand down units in some sequence. I look at airframe fatigue and stand down any units that have a number of aircraft
above 25% fatigue. Or if there are more in maintenance than I have spares for.

[rockmedic109]

I never looked at aircraft fatigue. Only a week or so into this stage. Fly them when pilot fatigue is 0 or nearly so and when more than half of planes are serviceable. First attack with 30% rest in a few minutes. I've never used extra planes or pilots though that will keep pilot fatigue down and make it not so long a wait for replacement planes. The game keeps getting deeper.

[Trugrit]

I picked up some tips over the years.
I don’t remember exactly where I got them from.

Airfield Size:
Size 0: Seaplanes only - if coastal
Size 1: Fighters / Recon
Size 2: Fighters (full ability), Dive and Torpedo bombers
Size 4: Level Bombers
Size 5: B-17s
Size 7: B-29s

The B-29:
History Documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UDLnjh9Y0M
A very good one. Warning…..You may see a some pin-up art.

The B-29 was designed for high altitude and suffered from extreme engine fatigue
At high altitudes. This is one of the reasons it changed to lower altitudes.

In the game the B-29's have a service level 5 air frame. That needs constant attention.
Provide bulk Aviation Support (1 per engine, not 1 per plane).
Your Aviation Support LCUs should be free of fatigue & disruption if possible.
Repair and maintenance can be very slow in the game.

If you fly at 0% rest, you'll need at least 2-3 days of stand-down after each raid.
If you fly continuous ops, use 60% or more of rest.
Night bombing and range works the same for B-29’s as far as fatigue
build-up for the other bomber types.

Give each group 4 reserve planes if possible.

The Outlaw…..(His Point number 4)
fb.asp?m=3371795
Read the whole thing.

Staff B-29’s with the best pilots available (75+ Experience, 80+ skill in Ground Bombing).
Assign Commanders with high ratings in leadership and Inspiration.
Fly only from level 8/9 airfields.

Pilot Skill:
Pilot experience affects operational losses.

Level Bombers must pass three tests before flying an offensive mission.
Each test failed reduces the number of aircraft flying by 25%:

Experience test.
Test against the leader’s Air Skill.
Morale test.
Pilot experience affects the chances to find the target in a strike mission.
Pilot experience affects air-to-air combat results.
Leader’s air skill affects results in air-to-air combat.

Inspiration – Influences the number of strike aircraft that will fly.
Influences air group morale recovery.

• Air Skill – Influences the number of strike aircraft that will fly.
• Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
• No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Watch the fatigue level of pilots and rest them or rotate them.

Altitude:
Fly low. 7000' or 8,000' at night.
Longer range, more fatigue.

For Night operations fly when the moonlight is 50% or greater.
Mix up your strikes. Sometimes attack Manpower, but mix in other types.
Sometimes go deep, sometimes go very deep, sometimes go close.

The B-29's range gives you the ability to spread out enemy CAP.

Fires can cause a lot of damage to industry.
Michaelm in posts #23 and #25:
fb.asp?m=2583075

From the manual:
"When a city is attacked, there is a chance that a fire can be started.
A fire level shows up when the mouse cursor is rolled over a base, just above the list of enemy industry.
City attacks on Manpower have a chance of creating high fire levels that will cause damage to any and all
industry. The fire level can get as high as 40 million, and is divided by 10 each 12 hours as the fire
is put out. Very high levels will continue to cause damage. The greater the target manpower, the easier
it is to get a fire storm going."

[Zovs]

Thanks TrueGrit that is pure gold.

[btd64]

ORIGINAL: Trugrit


I picked up some tips over the years.
I don’t remember exactly where I got them from.

Airfield Size:
Size 0: Seaplanes only - if coastal
Size 1: Fighters / Recon
Size 2: Fighters (full ability), Dive and Torpedo bombers
Size 4: Level Bombers
Size 5: B-17s
Size 7: B-29s

The B-29:
History Documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UDLnjh9Y0M
A very good one. Warning…..You may see a some pin-up art.

The B-29 was designed for high altitude and suffered from extreme engine fatigue
At high altitudes. This is one of the reasons it changed to lower altitudes.

In the game the B-29's have a service level 5 air frame. That needs constant attention.
Provide bulk Aviation Support (1 per engine, not 1 per plane).
Your Aviation Support LCUs should be free of fatigue & disruption if possible.
Repair and maintenance can be very slow in the game.

If you fly at 0% rest, you'll need at least 2-3 days of stand-down after each raid.
If you fly continuous ops, use 60% or more of rest.
Night bombing and range works the same for B-29’s as far as fatigue
build-up for the other bomber types.

Give each group 4 reserve planes if possible.

The Outlaw…..(His Point number 4)
fb.asp?m=3371795
Read the whole thing.

Staff B-29’s with the best pilots available (75+ Experience, 80+ skill in Ground Bombing).
Assign Commanders with high ratings in leadership and Inspiration.
Fly only from level 8/9 airfields.

Pilot Skill:
Pilot experience affects operational losses.

Level Bombers must pass three tests before flying an offensive mission.
Each test failed reduces the number of aircraft flying by 25%:

Experience test.
Test against the leader’s Air Skill.
Morale test.
Pilot experience affects the chances to find the target in a strike mission.
Pilot experience affects air-to-air combat results.
Leader’s air skill affects results in air-to-air combat.

Inspiration – Influences the number of strike aircraft that will fly.
Influences air group morale recovery.

• Air Skill – Influences the number of strike aircraft that will fly.
• Leadership – Influences the air group’s experience gain.
• No other skills or qualities have any influence.

Watch the fatigue level of pilots and rest them or rotate them.

Altitude:
Fly low. 7000' or 8,000' at night.
Longer range, more fatigue.

For Night operations fly when the moonlight is 50% or greater.
Mix up your strikes. Sometimes attack Manpower, but mix in other types.
Sometimes go deep, sometimes go very deep, sometimes go close.

The B-29's range gives you the ability to spread out enemy CAP.

Fires can cause a lot of damage to industry.
Michaelm in posts #23 and #25:
fb.asp?m=2583075

From the manual:
"When a city is attacked, there is a chance that a fire can be started.
A fire level shows up when the mouse cursor is rolled over a base, just above the list of enemy industry.
City attacks on Manpower have a chance of creating high fire levels that will cause damage to any and all
industry. The fire level can get as high as 40 million, and is divided by 10 each 12 hours as the fire
is put out. Very high levels will continue to cause damage. The greater the target manpower, the easier
it is to get a fire storm going."

Hit the nail on the head Trugrit....GP

[Ian R]

Excellent post TG.

Only one query: What of the group leader admin rating? Does it have any effect?

I rather thought it gave a positive DRM on repairs/maintenance rolls.

Edit: if it's over 50, that is.

[Trugrit]

ORIGINAL: Ian R

Excellent post TG.

Only one query: What of the group leader admin rating? Does it have any effect?

I rather thought it gave a positive DRM on repairs/maintenance rolls.

Edit: if it's over 50, that is.

As far as I know it does not.
But I could be wrong. Seems there is something about this that I remember.
I'll look back through my notes and come back if I see something.

[Trugrit]

ORIGINAL: Zovs

Thanks TrueGrit that is pure gold.

Thanks Zovs

I think that our views on many things are very similar.
I’m impressed by your common sense which is not so common these days.

I don’t play by E-mail anymore but sometimes I do so by invite only.

This is your invitation.
If you ever want to play a small scenario I’m available.
I suggest Downfall and I’ll play the Japanese.

I’m easy to beat but if you want I’ll modify any scenario
you like to give you a tremendous advantage.
You can PM me anytime.

For information:
When I signed up for the forum I did not misspell “True Grit”

At the time I of course knew that True Grit was a book and movie and I had
Watched the movie many times. I thought the name might be copyrighted.

On purpose I took the “e” out of true to avoid that. It was probably not necessary.
I was an inexperienced puppy on social media in those days and I still am.

The WITP-AE forum is the only social media I have ever used.

K

[KenchiSulla]

ORIGINAL: rockmedic109

Or How do you keep a B-29 flying.

Any ideas on how to keep B-29s flying? They seem to take forever to repair or maintain.

I am keeping them at Level 9 fields {Formosa}. I have above the minimum air support. Does having more than the required air support help? I know that HQ can increase the chances of flying, but does that increase the repair times? Does the HQ attachment of the squadron help with this at all?

I've never gotten this far before. The B-29 seems like an early 80s Jaguar....if you want to drive one every day, you have to own three of them!

A lot of excellent tips already provided by the forum. Nothing left I guess but to hammer it home -> If you commit the B-29 to battle it will need downtime.... There is no way around it, adjust your tactics accordingly!

[Ian R]

I'm struggling to isolate what positive effect a good air group leader admin rating might provide, if it's not airframe availability.

That's the marvelous thing about this game.

After 13 years, back to the drawing board [;)]

[Yaab]

ORIGINAL: Trugrit

For information:
When I signed up for the forum I did not misspell “True Grit”

At the time I of course knew that True Grit was a book and movie and I had
Watched the movie many times. I thought the name might be copyrighted.

"Truegrit" has the best sentence ever uttered in English:

"We ain't got no lemonade neither!"

[tolsdorff]

After all the discussion lately, I keep misreading a frequently used term on the forum.

ORIGINAL: Trugrit



Alfred Size:
Size 0: Seaplanes only - if coastal
Size 1: Fighters / Recon
Size 2: Fighters (full ability), Dive and Torpedo bombers
Size 4: Level Bombers
Size 5: B-17s
Size 7: B-29s

[KenchiSulla]

Tolsdorff, why don't you take that to one of the dedicated threads and let's keep this one on topic.

[KenchiSulla]

ORIGINAL: Trugrit


I picked up some tips over the years.
I don’t remember exactly where I got them from.

Airfield Size:
Size 0: Seaplanes only - if coastal
Size 1: Fighters / Recon
Size 2: Fighters (full ability), Dive and Torpedo bombers
Size 4: Level Bombers
Size 5: B-17s
Size 7: B-29s

Size 2: Fighters (full ability), Dive and Torpedo bombers and 2-engine level bombers, reduced load.

[Trugrit]

ORIGINAL: Ian R

I'm struggling to isolate what positive effect a good air group leader admin rating might provide, if it's not airframe availability.

That's the marvelous thing about this game.

After 13 years, back to the drawing board [;)]

I went back and took a look at what I have on fatigue/repair as related to the group leader.
I don’t see anything on the leader having influence on repair.

I think the Devs made a clean break between pilots and Aviation support (fatigue/repair.)

That is the way it is in real life…...The pilots fly the planes they don’t fool with them on the ground.

The Group Leader can fly or not fly but he has nothing to do with plane fatigue or air frame repair.
Unless there is a Grigsby factor in there somewhere that I can’t find.

I think the Group Leader’s admin rating may be related to another check somewhere else.
I think it may factor into airfield stacking….etc.

I found a lot on fatigue. Much on CV planes but some of it applies to B-29s.

michaelm…...Running CV planes into the ground.
fb.asp?m=2859589

Shark….
fb.asp?m=2858788

michaelm…...Fatigue.
fb.asp?m=3068898

michaelm…...Fatigue.
fb.asp?m=3067409

michaelm…...Carrier Fatigue.
fb.asp?m=2614446

Greyjoy…..Fatigue
fb.asp?m=2918076

[tolsdorff]

ORIGINAL: KenchiSulla

Tolsdorff, why don't you take that to one of the dedicated threads and let's keep this one on topic.

nou nou, gaat alles verder goed met je?