The Good The Bad & The Indifferent

[Canoerebel]

8/21/44

Peep Show: No enemy CAP over Formosa. Four of five enemy airfields showing 100% damage; Takao damage in the 80s.

Night Bombing: Scattered small groups of B-29s target Harbin, my first night-bombing raid of the war. No CAP encountered; no damage done.

China: US divisions and combat engineers will reach Swatow tomorrow.

Indochina: Allied troops mess up a battered mixed brigade NW of Saigon; it declined to retreat, so it oughta really get messed up tomorrow.

Also, enemy combat TF at Cam Ranh Bay. No reason for it to be there unless it's going to Formosa (I think). But I don't think KB is up/over here. I think it's in the Java Sea or at Singers.

[Canoerebel]

8/21/44

Death Star: DS and Mini DS have merged in the Philippine Sea. Who cares? Big deal! Why even mention it?

Well, truth be told, getting these reinforcements into theater without loss is hugely important. So I went ahead and mentioned it.

[Lowpe]

If you want to track night bombing effectiveness, you need to look at damage in a day or two...first reports are always low, and you can cause damage without getting any hits on the replay but there always seem to be a lag in seeing the results....best look at VP screen.

Moonlight is 21%. What altitude did you fly at? Full bomb loads or partial? DL on the day before, and did you fly recon on the night of the attack? AA present: light, medium or heavy?

What attack did you do --- manpower, plane factory, light industry, etc?

Harbin was a good first pick...but if you were playing me...you would have run into night fighters too, there.[;)]

[Canoerebel]

10k altitude; no enemy CAP or flak; extended range, so reduced bomb load; no recon (that'll come later, but not prior to the first attack of the war); target was aircraft factory.

[Lowpe]

What do you have that can fly night recon missions at that range? Anything?

I forgot to ask what the weather was?

I am assuming you have decent leaders and flying from a large runway with a good HQa present.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

10k altitude; no enemy CAP or flak; extended range, so reduced bomb load; no recon (that'll come later, but not prior to the first attack of the war); target was aircraft factory.

Pinpoint night bombing on specific industries, especially without recon, is a low-return proposition. You can go lower; just avoid balloon heights. And Manpower bomb. Fire is your friend. You won't get your hoped-for target every time, but you have a lot better chance of getting something.

[Canoerebel]

Flying from a level 8 field; I didn't pay attention to the weather; pilots and leaders are good; I don't have an air HQ present yet, though some will get there eventually. I do have a ground HQ - 8th Army. I wonder if it would help to install a leader with an high Air rating. It probably would work?

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

10k altitude; no enemy CAP or flak; extended range, so reduced bomb load; no recon (that'll come later, but not prior to the first attack of the war); target was aircraft factory.

Pinpoint night bombing on specific industries, especially without recon, is a low-return proposition. You can go lower; just avoid balloon heights. And Manpower bomb. Fire is your friend. You won't get your hoped-for target every time, but you have a lot better chance of getting something.

What he said. Even if you burn resource on the HI you still get strategic points. Hit some areas that only have that once in a while to keep him on his toes :]

[BBfanboy]

Pretty sure an Army or Corps HQ will not assist air ops under any circumstances, so save the PP on the leader switch. A Command HQ would help with air admin tasks like replacement and upgrade, but not sure if it would affect air ops at all.

[Canoerebel]

8/21/44

14th Air HQ: Turns out I do have a big air HQ at Foochow....with an excellent commanding officer to boot.

[JohnDillworth]

so put the planes under him, get some excellent detection on your next target and lets see what happens. This HQ stuff is voodoo sometimes strategic bombing is not much clearer

[Canoerebel]

Man, I don't have enough political points.

I have 500 saved up, by the highest priority is to buy out an Indian division.

[Canoerebel]

Chenault is commander of the 14th USAAF attached to the XX Bomber Command.

Half of my B-29s (all of those that arrived via Aden) are assigned to XX Bomber Command (which is under Southeast Asia HQ). The other half (all that arrived via Eastern USA) are assigned to XXI Bomber Command, also part of SE Asia HQ.

XX Bomber Command is currently at Aparri (hey, that's not far from Foochow - I can transfer it by air, if that would be helpful). XXI Bomber Command currently isn't in the game. Southeast Asia HQ is currently at Saigon.

Is the current arrangement satisfactory or do I need to do something to enhance the command of the Superforts? Should I pay PP to switch all the Superforts to 14th HQ for about 25 PP each (that'll be roughly 500 PP). Should I pay PP to switch Chenault from 14th USAAF to XX for about 140 PP? Should I do nothing and wait for people who know what they're doing to chime in?

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Chenault is commander of the 14th USAAF attached to the XX Bomber Command.

Half of my B-29s (all of those that arrived via Aden) are assigned to XX Bomber Command (which is under Southeast Asia HQ). The other half (all that arrived via Eastern USA) are assigned to XXI Bomber Command, also part of SE Asia HQ.

XX Bomber Command is currently at Aparri (hey, that's not far from Foochow - I can transfer it by air, if that would be helpful). XXI Bomber Command currently isn't in the game. Southeast Asia HQ is currently at Saigon.

Is the current arrangement satisfactory or do I need to do something to enhance the command of the Superforts? Should I pay PP to switch all the Superforts to 14th HQ for about 25 PP each (that'll be roughly 500 PP). Should I pay PP to switch Chenault from 14th USAAF to XX for about 140 PP? Should I do nothing and wait for people who know what they're doing to chime in?

I wouldn't pay PP to change air commands, unless you notice them really having trouble.

Just make sure the base isn't over stacked, or crowded, and has adequate AV support, good commanders, etc.

I would not bomb without good DL...otherwise it is a big hex!

[AcePylut]

I was under the impression that “any” air HQ would work for the air groups in its HQ range. I’d really like to know if there is an increase in “air group effectiveness” if the air group is part of that air HQ’s command vs “any” air HQ’s command.

Like what Canoe asked… If my Air Group is part of the XX air HQ TOE, and the XX Air HQ is at this air groups base, does the air group perform “better” than if it would if the Air Group HQ was, say, the XIV Air HQ...

...because if it does, omg there’s a whole ‘nother layer of micromanagement to be done! No longer is it “slap an air HQ at the base and roll with it”. Now it’s “make sure the air HQ is the same HQ as the planes at the base”

[GetAssista]

Leaders (HQa and Airgroup ones) matter for making planes fly. While they are in the air, it is weather/DL/height/skill/xp that determine your accuracy. And target size - much easier to hit large industry pieces. Aircraft factory is a small one, I doubt John has something large (100+) built up in Harbin.
Anyway, with no DL and no large raids your best bet so far is keeping John honest, making him CAP in the rear. Also port bombing

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Chenault is commander of the 14th USAAF attached to the XX Bomber Command.

Half of my B-29s (all of those that arrived via Aden) are assigned to XX Bomber Command (which is under Southeast Asia HQ). The other half (all that arrived via Eastern USA) are assigned to XXI Bomber Command, also part of SE Asia HQ.

XX Bomber Command is currently at Aparri (hey, that's not far from Foochow - I can transfer it by air, if that would be helpful). XXI Bomber Command currently isn't in the game. Southeast Asia HQ is currently at Saigon.

Is the current arrangement satisfactory or do I need to do something to enhance the command of the Superforts? Should I pay PP to switch all the Superforts to 14th HQ for about 25 PP each (that'll be roughly 500 PP). Should I pay PP to switch Chenault from 14th USAAF to XX for about 140 PP? Should I do nothing and wait for people who know what they're doing to chime in?

My experience is that strike coordination will be increased--I don't know how much--if every group is under the same air command. At this point in the war I'd spend PPs there before I'd buy an Indian LCU. Bigger strikes mean less disruption from CAP.

But your previous issue isn't HQs, it's bombing the wrong target at night. That isn't an HQ issue. Hitting one building at night from 10,000 feet while getting shot at is really hard in 2017. It was pretty much blind luck in 1944. I've had OK results night bombing oil fields if they're large. Very little success targeting even HI, and that's many buildings (abstracted.) In AI games where I did mass night bombing the only way I've really damaged aircraft industry targets is with fires caused by Manpower targeting. Maybe 9000-11000 feet. Above the balloons and above almost all the AA.

[MakeeLearn]

Synchronize all... Air Command with Air Forces - with recon for high DL - with the weather and you will be dancing on clouds!

[Canoerebel]

I don't think air HQ is more important than an Indian division at this point, but only for reasons that I know and you don't know.

At the moment, the air war is in good shape. Really I'm focusing only on keeping Formosa suppressed, and that's going very well: 95% of my active bombers and fighters are employed in that capacity from nearby airfields. It won't be until Formosa falls that I'll turn my attention fully to strategic bombing. At that point I'll need to make sure all my ducks are in a row. That may be a six to twelves weeks down the road.

In the meantime, I'm leaning pretty far forward in Indochina. My troops are concentrated near Saigon and near Hanoi. If John gets creative and lands three or five divisions at Moulmein or east of Bangkok, I'll have major problems on my hands. There is a chance he could sever my LOC. I do have 2nd UK Division posted at Bangkok in reserve, along with some Indian brigades and one big Chinese corps. I'll feel better once I get that next Indian division paid for an properly posted in reserve (I'm going to buy them out one RCT at a time). Allied air power should also help keep John cautious.

There is a chance he'll do something of this nature. And if he succeeded in cutting off supply to my forward units so that they had to stop or withdraw, an important part of the growing China campaign would come to an unfortunate standstill.

So PPs for an Indian division have a very high priority at the moment.

[Canoerebel]

Makee: Words will not suffice....