Strategic Bombers vs subs

[ncc1701e]

I have invested in plenty of strategic bombers to cover the North Atlantic convoy lane. I have invested in Detection & Electronics to increase it to 1944 level.

The purpose of Detection & Electronics is navigation, spotting, detection, jamming, endurance.

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Detection & Electronics.JPG (118.6 KiB) Viewed 631 times

[ncc1701e]

We are in November 1943. Again, I have 1944 level for Detection & Electronics. Historically for me, it means that my strategic bombers have radar to detect subs on the surface, at night, while trying to restore their battery.

It also means that Leigh Light has been developped
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leigh_Light

"Detection by radar-equipped aircraft could suppress U-boat activity over a wide area, but an aircraft attack could only be successful with good visibility. U-boats were relatively safe from aircraft at night for two reasons:
1) radar then in use could not detect them at less than 1 mile (1.6 km);
2) flares deployed to illuminate any attack gave adequate warning for evasive manoeuvres.

The introduction of the Leigh Light by the British in January 1942 solved the second problem, thereby becoming a significant factor in the Battle for the Atlantic. Developed by RAF officer H. Leigh, it was a powerful and controllable searchlight mounted primarily to Wellington bombers and B-24 Liberators. These aircraft first made contact with enemy submarines using air-to-surface-vessel (ASV) radar. Then, about a 1 mile (1.6 km) from the target, the Leigh Light would be switched on. It immediately and accurately illuminated the enemy, giving U-boat commanders less than 25 seconds to react before they were attacked with depth charges. The first confirmed kill using this technology was U-502 on July 5, 1942.

The Leigh Light enabled the British to attack enemy subs on the surface at night, forcing German and Italian commanders to remain underwater especially when coming into port at sub bases in the Bay of Biscay. U-boat commanders who survived such attacks reported a particular fear of this weapon system since aircraft could not be seen at night, and the noise of an approaching aircraft was inaudible above the din of the sub's engines. Subsequently, the common practice of surfacing at night to recharge batteries and refresh air was mostly abandoned as it was safer to perform these tasks during daylight hours when enemy planes could be spotted. A drop in Allied shipping losses from 600,000 to 200,000 tons per month was attributed to this device."

[PanzerMike]

Nice research. What are you proposing?

[ncc1701e]

So, everything is in place. I have Detection & Electronics 1944, which gives an anti-sub value of 6 in theory reduced to 3. But that's ok. What's not ok is that, since several turns, each time I am attacking subs, I have the message "Enemy fleet not found".

Where are the radars? Where are the so-called improvements in spotting and in detection? At 1944 level, I should have a huge boost to locate and destroy few sub steps each turn.

This is just not the case.

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Bombers not finding subs.JPG (106.94 KiB) Viewed 620 times

[PanzerMike]

Hmmm, I see your point. I have no idea how spotting chances are improved by these advancements tho.

[AlvaroSousa]

You still technically spot the same level. The damage is increased when you spot.

Really it is a numbers game.

If you spot 3x in a turn for 1 damage that equals spotting 1x in a turn for 3 damage.

Increasing the damage against the sub is the most reasonable representation of all the factors. Otherwise more spots = more chances for other units to spot which exponentially escalate the balancing issue.

Think of it this way. Say I have a pencil balancing game. You have to balance it on the pointy tip. It's too hard so I give you a foam base you can jam it into. Great you win. But now everyone else playing gets to have it as easy because not there already is a hole to place in.

Instead the alternative is I allow everyone to balance on the eraser end and give a better prize. Still challenging but everyone has to do it instead of just plopping it in the same hole in the foam mat.

WP2 will have this improved though and changed.

[ncc1701e]

You still technically spot the same level. The damage is increased when you spot.

If you spot 3x in a turn for 1 damage that equals spotting 1x in a turn for 3 damage.

Except I have several bombers not spotting anything since at least 3 / 4 turns. I have surely entered in a dice roll bad luck loop. Just want to take the keyboard and explode my PC screen with it.

WP2 will have this improved though and changed.

Thanks, I hope to that this sentence "You still technically spot the same level" will translate into "Each tech level improves your chance to spot something".

[stjeand]

One of the issues within the game is that you know where the subs are.

If they were hidden how would you search for them?
It would be completely random...hence the poor search results.

Once Uboats can't be seen on the map, hidden fleets, I suspect the Allies should get a message...X transports sunk in the north Atlantic and a general area...they have to then send their fleets and air to that spot...
But as an Axis player guess what...I would have moved them off for sure before the Allies could scramble all this air.


I think it would be very interesting to send air to search an area for subs and if they see them they could call in a strike...but outside that would be really tough to find them even with radar...and if you find them you have to hit them. A strategic bomber should almost never hit a sub based on their bomb load.

Overall I read that the Germans lost 250 subs to air attacks...nearly a quarter of their fleet but it was almost exclusively in 1943+...same with surface ships. Not sure how many steps that works out too.

[ncc1701e]

I really hope subs will be hidden. Like in WPP, we will see them only when they attack somewhere at the beginning of Europe 1939.

And then, with tech level, i.e. introduction of ASW radar on bombers, I really hope we will see them more and more moving before they attack end of 1942, beginning of 1943. So we know in advance where to place escort ships.

Also, CV on convoy lanes, their carrier based planes could help in this detection process with increased tech level.

ULTRA should also play a role.

There was a game named CEAW where I particularly liked the sub war since convoys were also hidden. It was really a cat and mouse game.