Most effective air mission type to soften up coastal artillery???

[Ronzy]

Which air mission type is best for pre-pre-invasion bombardment (especially by medium and long range bombers) to neutralize enemy coastal artillery [so your ships you send in to bombard don't get toasted by a nasty surprise]???

A. Port attack

B. Ground attack

C. Airfield attack

[I'm thinking it might be 'B' ... or 'A' even ... but I'm a nube and would like a hint before I try it again. Last game I sent a fleet in for pre-invasion bombardment and they got barbecued by coastal guns. So this game I want to try softening things up with some B-17s and B-25s first. ]

[Feinder]

Port Attack.

-F-

[Dereck]

ORIGINAL: Ronzy

Which air mission type is best for pre-pre-invasion bombardment (especially by medium and long range bombers) to neutralize enemy coastal artillery [so your ships you send in to bombard don't get toasted by a nasty surprise]???

A. Port attack

B. Ground attack

C. Airfield attack

[I'm thinking it might be 'B' ... or 'A' even ... but I'm a nube and would like a hint before I try it again. Last game I sent a fleet in for pre-invasion bombardment and they got barbecued by coastal guns. So this game I want to try softening things up with some B-17s and B-25s first. ]

I believe it would be a Port Attack. All three are important in the overall picture though - just plan on spending a while softening up your target before you invade. I'm at the stage where I could send 4CV and 1 CVL against each of those three targets (and do) along with shore bombardment by as many battleships as I can (I had 12 or so shelling Saipan).

If you're attacking a base somewhere like New Guinea you really can't neutralize Japanese air since they have so many bases which would be in range if they have planes stationed there. If you're invading an island in the Central Pacific then you CAN neutralize Japanese air bases that are within range of where you want to invade. When I took the Marshalls I hit air bases in Truk, Ponope and Saipan and didn't have a single air strike against my invasion force.

Port attacks - I believe - will take care of CD guns as well as destroy supply points that may be at the base. This is especially good if you're taking on an island which you can effectively isolate.

Ground attacks are also beneficial in that you can cause fatigue and disruption by your attacks.

Also, when you send in ships to bombard, choose the option "Escorts do not bombard" and only your capital ships (BB, CA and maybe CL) will bombard and the other ships will stay well out of range.

[Sardaukar]

Port attacks will target CD guns. If I recall right, when base goes out of supply CD guns stop firing. Thus, Airfield and Port attacks are very effective many ways:
1. They directly do suppy hits, each taking out 1% of remaining supplies
2. Airfield and Port repairs cannot be turned off, so enemy will use lot of supplies repairing them
3. Port attacks destroy CD guns directly

But if you play against AI on Very Hard setting, it's *very* difficult to get enemy base out of supply because of supply cheating AI gets on Very Hard.

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

Port attacks will target CD guns. If I recall right, when base goes out of supply CD guns stop firing. Thus, Airfield and Port attacks are very effective many ways:
1. They directly do suppy hits, each taking out 1% of remaining supplies
2. Airfield and Port repairs cannot be turned off, so enemy will use lot of supplies repairing them
3. Port attacks destroy CD guns directly

But if you play against AI on Very Hard setting, it's *very* difficult to get enemy base out of supply because of supply cheating AI gets on Very Hard.

Also, other more exerienced players correct me if I am wrong, but while port attacks are the most effective at nuetralizing coastal guns, don't count on too many guns getting knocked out directly. My experience is that it is very difficult to directly kill a CD. Best strategy is to go after the supply.

[Yamato hugger]

ORIGINAL: niceguy2005
Also, other more exerienced players correct me if I am wrong, but while port attacks are the most effective at nuetralizing coastal guns, don't count on too many guns getting knocked out directly. My experience is that it is very difficult to directly kill a CD. Best strategy is to go after the supply.

Sometimes you cant or dont want to destroy supply, or dont want to take a lot of time to prep the target (like Wake for example). Knock out a few CD guns and land. I usually send in the BBs on a bombard mission with escort fire off when I am doing this.

Edit: supply doesnt seem to affect the CD guns fire anyway.

[rtrapasso]

Edit: supply doesnt seem to affect the CD guns fire anyway.

I have to disagree with this. Once they are very low/out of supply, the CDs (at least ones at Bataan/Manilla) won't fire. This has been shown more than once.

[niceguy2005]

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ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

Edit: supply doesnt seem to affect the CD guns fire anyway.

I have to disagree with this. Once they are very low/out of supply, the CDs (at least ones at Bataan/Manilla) won't fire. This has been shown more than once.

I would also agree that very low supply or no supply will stop CDs. Its just a question of having the time and will for such a siege.

[Yamato hugger]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

Edit: supply doesnt seem to affect the CD guns fire anyway.

I have to disagree with this. Once they are very low/out of supply, the CDs (at least ones at Bataan/Manilla) won't fire. This has been shown more than once.

I have a game currently in Mar 42. Bataan has been cut off since Dec 41. I have bombed it daily with over 300 Sallys (well except the few times I had rain at Clark). I sailed an AK into Bataan just to check that very thing (there is no way Bataan has any supplies left). AK was sunk by 14" gun. This was ver 1.6xx.

Edit: I forgot to add, my opponant has launched several attacks and has been bombarding me every turn when he hasnt attacked. His bombardments cause no damage.

[Sardaukar]

Note that CD units will have to be *out* of supply (or very low) before they stop firing. And I suspect that if they are the strongest unit in base they are last to go out of supply. And again, with supply cheat on Very Hard, against AI very difficult to achieve. AI has been able to land into Bataan in one earlier games after base went to very low supply. But against Human or playing with Hard setting, that should be easier to achieve.

[hosho]

Also, when you send in ships to bombard, choose the option "Escorts do not bombard" and only your capital ships (BB, CA and maybe CL) will bombard and the other ships will stay well out of range.

I tried that at Port Moresby. Lost a CA,2CL and 4 DD due to CD fire while the setting was "Escorts do not bombard". why the CL and DDs didn`t stay away I don`t know [&:]

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: hosho

Also, when you send in ships to bombard, choose the option "Escorts do not bombard" and only your capital ships (BB, CA and maybe CL) will bombard and the other ships will stay well out of range.

I tried that at Port Moresby. Lost a CA,2CL and 4 DD due to CD fire while the setting was "Escorts do not bombard". why the CL and DDs didn`t stay away I don`t know [&:]

That's part of what I love about this game is that it isn't predictable. I don't know if its bugs or should I say unplanned features, or if it is that there is designed that there is a much lower chance that DDs won't get hit. Whatever, its great because it simulates human error and misinterpretation of orders. Something real life commanders have to deal with. [:@]

I had a game eons ago on my Atari 800 that was a simulation of Waterloo. There the commanders frequently did things that were against their orders. The chaos was excellent! [:D]

[hosho]

ORIGINAL: niceguy2005



That's part of what I love about this game is that it isn't predictable. I don't know if its bugs or should I say unplanned features, or if it is that there is designed that there is a much lower chance that DDs won't get hit. Whatever, its great because it simulates human error and misinterpretation of orders. Something real life commanders have to deal with. [:@]

I had a game eons ago on my Atari 800 that was a simulation of Waterloo. There the commanders frequently did things that were against their orders. The chaos was excellent! [:D]

i believe that the chaos was excellent [;)] but as i am a dictator in nature i`ll have a few of my captains shoot for insuboridination!!! after i fish them out of the bottom of the sea of course[:D]