Something to discuss about - Employment of airpower

[Barb]

Personal WITP suggestions:

In other words as Japan in early phases I would constitute:

Air superiority - Striking force:

a. form Air Divisions/fleets of 2+x Fighter sentai/Daitai , 2x Level Bomber Sentai/Daitai, few Recon Chutais
b. Use best planes in this Air Divisions (Zero/Oscar for escort, Betty/Sally as bombers)
c. use them following way: 2x bomber units +1 escort will be bombing enemy airfields, 1 fighter unit will be free CAP, LRCAP, Sweep, Rest (switch escorting and sweeping units once in a time)
d. target enemy airfields in range to harass your naval/ground operations - they will be abandoned or enemy has to accept loses on ground
e. Switch targeted airfields often (each turn or two) to suppres more airfields and be hard to counterattack
f. When enemy planes are detected on airfield, bomb it for 2 days in row but not more (you are easy target for counterattack thereafter)
g. dont fly every turn - rest bombers in Rain/Storm, fighters on CAP not to be catched on ground

result: 50 bomber + 25 fighter escorts + another 25 on sweep can deny enemy 2-6 airfields in few turns at longer ranges. In case of Betty/Zero combination this force is enough to take care of at least 2 allied carriers.

Note: As allies: One P-38/P-51(or other long legged)FG for escort and B-17/B-24 BG for bomber missions

Air Interdiction/Close Air Support and second-line Air superiority force:
a. form few Air Divisions of 2+x Fighter sentai/Daitai, 2x Light/Dive bomber, few recon Chutais
b. Use the planes not required for the first force: Nate, Claude, Ann, Mary, Lily ...
c. use them following way: 2x bomber units + 1 escort will be bombing enemy airfields or ground units, other fighter unit will be available for CAP, LRCAP, Sweep, Rest
d. switch targets often
e. dont fly every turn - rest bombers in Rain/Storm, fighters on CAP not to be catched on ground
f. you could try 2 fields from which to operate allowing you to hit two different units if doing CAS
g. you could try to set bombers to operate separately in AM or PM phase if doing CAS

result: 50 light bombers + 25-50 fighter escorts can hurt 2 Divisions in ground combat or deny enemy 2-4 airfields close to front line. Also great for bombing places like Singapore, Manila, Mandalay for example. They will eat supplies just as big bombers do and are not so jeopardized as you are pushing forward with your striking force. In fact due to airplane ranges if Primary striking force push enemy airforce of all airfields in its range, this Second line air force is out of enemy airplane effective range.

Note: As allies: One P-40/P-47 FG for escort or strafing, A-20/B-25/B-26 BG as bombers

Fighter cover/Fighter bomber force
a. constitute few Fighter Regiments of 2+x Figter Sentai/Daitai
b. employ your Nates, Claudes here
c. Their primary mission is to provide you with CAP, LRCAP on forward places
d. You could also use them in Low altitude Airfield attacks (fighters suffer smaller "destroyed" proportion to bombers and similar numbers of damaged - I tested this on P-47 and A-20/B-25)
e. When using on Airfield attacks use only one Sentai/Daitai on attack, the other use to sweep or escort.
f, Use primary Defensively so they will not be in the point of your attack suffering bulk of your loses.
result: CAP, LRCAP and only 1-2 BF needed

Note: As allies: At least 2 P-40/Hurricane/P-47 Squadrons (Wing of 3-4 works fine)

[Barb]

Other suggestions for WITP:

As Japan:
1. One of your early target should be Kuching (AF4) and not Brunei (AF3). It allow Bettys to carry torpedos, is closer to Singapore, allows you to control Java Sea and free Malaya airfields for army planes.
Also Davao/Cagayan, Jolo, Tarakan Airfields are AF4 effectively cutting of Philipines and covering Malacca strait, Celebes Sea and Malacca Sea.
2. In the begining of game Japan poses: air initiative, superiority in numbers, superiority in pilots quality, superiority in planes quality and is also able to engage enemy air forces on longer range. Use it well.
3. It isnt bad idea to go after P-40s. Their pool is fairly limited in WITP.
As Allies:
1. Dont allow yourself to be catched with planes on the ground.
2. P-39 isnt that bad fellow, you just have it to work on missions under 10k ft. (low level airfield or ground attack, fighter escort for bombers up to 7000. I Havent tried sweep at 10k ft yet.) Dont try to use them on CAP. Dont be afraid of their use, just use them in environment they fit in.
Common:
1. My intention is to use Long range fighters to escort, best fighters to sweep (Sweep is better than CAP) and to use worse and short-legged planes to CAP (as CAP is better than escort).
2. Try to wrest air initiative from your oponent.
3. Do not use only your first line Air force in secondary/defensive duties leaving second line air force wholy unoccupied. Somewhere must be a target worth it.
4. Air-inferiority situation: Hit-and-run sorties are just what is needed. Dont let your oponent to be careless. If he lose 3 planes a day in a month it is not a big deal. But when he loose 1 plane a day in a month and then suddenly lose 60 planes on just one day it will force him to think about carelesness.
5. If friendly unit is in hex where air combat is waging, your pilot loses will be calculated as over friendly area. (Use subs in coastal hexes)