Using rockets and A8 Sturms

[vimhawk2]

One day in my game the 8th AF might, just might, try to do something a bit more offensive than flying as far as The Netherlands. They haven't bombed the Ruhr let alone tried to get past it. Anyway, point is that when they do so I will need more than I have now to stop them. So I wonder firstly if you use rocket armed aircraft, and if so what proportion of your units are rocket armed? I was thinking about this together with how I'm supposed to remember which are... I don't necessarily want to launch rocket armed fighters against other fighters!

My initial thought was to arm the 12 aircraft units with either rockets, or convert them to 190A-8 Sturms. Which leads to the second part of the question about whether you use Sturms at all. One of the reason to use the 12 aircraft thing is not so much tactical, but practical. I really don't want to be checking each unit I send up.... the game already takes up enough time! So if I know all my 12 aircraft units are different it makes it easier.

I am particularly looking for an alternative to the Me410. They just seem so... fragile. Sure the range is great, and their firepower is good (though I'm not sure enough to have them just for that reason, plus of course they use two engines). Another factor with the range is of course that it gives them longer to crash when they leave combat! Sturms are relatively short ranged, but in Northern Europe that's not too much of a factor if you are defending the area of the Ruhr I think. So maybe they do the Me410 job in that area?

Anyway would be interested in others experience. Am currently nearing the end of Oct 43 (and going to receive 109AS, 190A-8 at the start of November, with the Sturms at the start of December). I gave up my original game in early December when I realised I was completely unprepared for the 8th AFs escorts, not that I probably ever will be! But so far doing better (in my own terms), though not engaging much in Italy.

[vimhawk2]

And one more thing about the A8 Sturm.

I'm going with it on the basis that it is "newer", so should be better. Yet the only advantage I can see it has over the A6/R1 is a few points of durability. On every other point it seems to be inferior. So is that extra durability the decisive factor that overcomes everything else?

So is there any point in them?

[mark dolby]

Hi.
I load rockets onto my twins, use @6 groups of 109 G6R6 and a couple of 190A6R6. Maybe a couple of groups of 190 Sturm.
Some JG also get rockets but they will be in the 2nd line of bases.
However you have to remember that I generally pull 95% of LF3 back into LF Reich and LF2 is using bases in the Udine/Klagenfurt area, with a bit covering Turin/Milan and the approaches to Nurnberg.
Everything is up to how YOU want it and find out how it works. You should have kept at the other game as it represents how the LW, reacting on the success of 17/8 and 13/10 1943 invested in twins and armoured single engined fighters never expecting an enemy single engined fighter to have the range to go beyond the Rhur.
In my last game I removed all rockets from SE fighter use on 8/2/44 as it was just too dangerous for them.
Trial and error my friend.
Mark.