Strategic Bombing Tips?

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: 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.

My understanding is that Admin skill factors into training gains, and might help a bit with recovery of pilot fatigue.

The problem with ignoring plane fatigue (as one poster said he does) is that ops losses begin to get higher with higher plane fatigue. That could be from additional damage pushing the aircraft into the loss column rather than damaged, or just a greater random chance of loss on the mission because of failed systems (like an oil seal perhaps).

[KenchiSulla]

All good, just interested in contributing and finding new nuggets of info on the game.

[rockmedic109]

Thank You all.

Great post Trugrit.

[Maallon]

Trugrit! [&o]

Thanks for this treasure trove of information!

[Treetop64]

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!

The multiple Jaguar analogy you use is apt.

One of the things I've learned with employing B-24s - another annoyingly high-maintenance hangar queen - is to wait until you have enough operational groups available so that you can alternate active and resting/maintenance groups. For example, you have two bomber groups stationed in the Southwest Pacific theater, each consisting of four squadrons, that are all in range of the same potential targets. One bomber group will fly missions with all its squadrons while the other group is stood down for maintenance. After a week or two you then rest the active group and activate the rested group which should by then have all it's aircraft prepared and available. Wash, rinse, repeat...

This enables a much more sustainable bombing campaign over a longer period, though without the shock and awe of using up all your aircraft at once.

If you have just one group available, just alternate between flying two squadrons while resting the other two. Also, assign the 4 reserve aircraft to each squadron.

[RangerJoe]

My personal opinion is that the Admin would be the clerical staff getting the supplies and such as needed.

It is best to have the unit leader not fly so you do not lose them.

The Bettys, Nells, and other IJ twin engined aircraft that carry torpedoes for their main ammo loadout will fly with torpedoes from a level 2 airfield. If the fly on a Naval Strike using torpedoes as the loadout but there are no torpedoes available, they will fly with full ammo loads at 1000' with no Low Naval penalty . . . [X(]

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: 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.

My understanding is that Admin skill factors into training gains, and might help a bit with recovery of pilot fatigue.

The problem with ignoring plane fatigue (as one poster said he does) is that ops losses begin to get higher with higher plane fatigue. That could be from additional damage pushing the aircraft into the loss column rather than damaged, or just a greater random chance of loss on the mission because of failed systems (like an oil seal perhaps).

I ignore plane fatigue on SR1 planes unless it starts getting really bad. I've seen CV groups sometimes with fatigue in the mid-100s. Why that never triggered any maintenance, I don't know.

On 4Es, I'm willing to let it go a little higher, because they're durable beasts and once I stand the unit down, they're going to be hitting the repair shops anyway - and I'm generally operating out of a huge airfield with tons of air support, so I wave my hands and go "they'll probably mostly be repaired in 4 days regardless."

[KenchiSulla]

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna


I ignore plane fatigue on SR1 planes unless it starts getting really bad. I've seen CV groups sometimes with fatigue in the mid-100s. Why that never triggered any maintenance, I don't know.

I've always suspected that carrier groups are treated slightly differently but that is based on feeling, not data. For sure, if you stand them down then they will go in maintenance but I've never tried standing down groups while @ sea. Doing that gives me the shivers....

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: KenchiSulla

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna


I ignore plane fatigue on SR1 planes unless it starts getting really bad. I've seen CV groups sometimes with fatigue in the mid-100s. Why that never triggered any maintenance, I don't know.

I've always suspected that carrier groups are treated slightly differently but that is based on feeling, not data. For sure, if you stand them down then they will go in maintenance but I've never tried standing down groups while @ sea. Doing that gives me the shivers....

The thing about maintenance on carrier aircraft is that they seem to never get to 0 fatigue while aboard. Putting the squadron ashore at a big air base will often result in all 0s within about 3 days, but even if the CV/CVL/CVE is disbanded in port the carrier maintenance crew never seem to get them fully repaired. No paint and dent shop on the ship, I guess.[:'(]

[KenchiSulla]

Sailors have rough hands....

[tolsdorff]

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?

One thing, not explicitly mentioned so far in this post is to fly them at normal range, not extended.
Flying beyond normal range is the shortest road to the repair-shop.

[tolsdorff]

error 500

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: tolsdorff

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?

One thing, not explicitly mentioned so far in this post is to fly them at normal range, not extended.
Flying beyond normal range is the shortest road to the repair-shop.

Only if they make it that far, they may not make it back to their base.

[witpqs]

Although I don't have a link, I recall a developer (I think it was MichaelM???) saying that extra air support at a base does go toward repairing/maintaining aircraft, but they put an upper limit on that. Definitely you need to have at least the 1 to 1 ratio required to not show as deficient on the base display screen.

[rockmedic109]

Question about manpower bombing. My first forays into this seem like there is limited or no effect on the first day. The next day I noted some damage. Is this how it work? If so, is repeated firebombing the way to increase the fire levels to the point needed to cause significant damage? Or is the major effect the destruction of the industry and getting 20 vps instead of 2?

[RangerJoe]

I do believe that it is hard to destroy the industry but the main thing is the disruption of the production.

I don't recall if anyone mentioned this but it is probably best to have the air units within range of the Air HQ that they are assigned to as well as any escorting fighters assigned to the HQ. It is also probably best to have the base and the Air HQ under the same overall command HQ.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: rockmedic109

Question about manpower bombing. My first forays into this seem like there is limited or no effect on the first day. The next day I noted some damage. Is this how it work? If so, is repeated firebombing the way to increase the fire levels to the point needed to cause significant damage? Or is the major effect the destruction of the industry and getting 20 vps instead of 2?

After a manpower raid there are usually some lingering fires that eat away at industrial assets. The higher the fire level gets during the raid, the higher the lingering fire level and subsequent damage. Direct hits on an industry can also cause disablement of some industry points, of course - but never completely destroy them.

I recall Alfred telling us that a firestorm (a very high fire level) was needed to actually destroy industry points (subject to die rolls of course). But in the last couple of years players have been saying industry never gets destroyed and despite their attacks yielding firestorms, they only disable more industry. This makes me think that a patch took away the destruction of industry code, perhaps to balance the game a bit more in favour of the Japanese player under siege?

[jdsrae]

I have just started to be on the receiving end of B29s, so my tips are:
1. fly them every day with no rest
2. Daylight raids, unescorted
3. Low altitude over IJ bases that are known to have AA units
For the consideration of the GOC 20th Air Force.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: jdsrae

I have just started to be on the receiving end of B29s, so my tips are:
1. fly them every day with no rest
2. Daylight raids, unescorted
3. Low altitude over IJ bases that are known to have AA units
For the consideration of the GOC 20th Air Force.

Always remember, it is better to give than to receive . . . [;)]

There are some things to minimize the damage which increasing enemy losses . . .

[Lokasenna]

The only time I have seen industry actually destroyed by bombing is with atomic bombs.

Regular fires from manpower bombing seem to just damage the industry.

It's still a lot of points.