B-17s won't attack land targets

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: apiazza42

I've got two BGs of B-17s at Port Moresby set to attack Rabaul's airfield (I've tried attacking closer airfields too) and they just won't do it for some reason. I have plenty of supplies, an AF HQ unit there, plenty of support, and the range is set correctly. I thought maybe it had to do with fighter escort, but when I tried to attack Salamaua (3 hexes away) that didn't work either. Any suggestions or ideas?

Here's one other thing to consider that I haven't seen mentioned yet. If you have airgroups at a base, say Port Moresby, that are assigned more than one land target, only one of the targets will ever have missions flown against it. For example, say you have B-17's targeting the airfield at Rabaul, and also at PM, you have B25's targeting the airfield, or port, or ground troops at Lae. Only one of those missions will fly. I can't tell you why, or which will be picked, but I know others have seen this issue and figured it out in the past. I'm only passing along what I've learned from them.

I believe the B-17's are successfully launching Naval Attacks, even if there are other airgroups at their base flying against enemy bases, because of the order in which missions are attempted and resolved. That may just be a wild ass guess on my part, but it is based on my observations.

There may be something discussing this in the Must Read Threads list. It's been a while, and I think I'm going to have to browse through them again soon. VERY good reading there. [:)]

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

I've got a similar problem with both B-17's and A-20's.  The B-17's have very low experience (<60) and won't attack anything.  They're at Kendari (airfield 6) with plenty of supply, and plenty of TF's to attack around Tawi Tawi and Macassar.  They occasionally bomb Macassar but that's it.

The A-20's make even less sense.  They've got 70+ experience, high morale, lots of supply at Eniwetok, but every time the AI runs a resupply convoy down to Kwajalein from Saipan my B-17's and B-25's do all the heavy lifting while the A-20's sit on the runway.  These resupply TF's have no fighter cover and hardly any escorts, but the 2E bombers won't go after them (except for the B-25's).

John, from what I've read and seen, launching Naval Attacks or not is almost always about the detection level of the enemy TF. Make sure you have Naval Search aircraft at Eniwetok, and also try setting 10 - 20% of your A-20's to Naval Search. That last part can make quite a difference. It's like the airgroup skipper's trust sighting reports from their own boys much more than from other airgroups based at the same airfield, and waaaaaaaay more than sighting reports from airgroups based at other airfields.

[John Lansford]

USS America,&nbsp; at Eniwetok I've got two naval search plane squadrons (Catalinas), B-17's on naval search (10% of three squadrons' worth), subs reporting the enemy TF locations, as well as other bases running naval search missions too.&nbsp; I've moved the A-20's to Ponape since they were so useless at Eniwetok.&nbsp; Ponape has a squadron of Catalinas on naval search and some B-25's with 10% search too.&nbsp; Their air search radii overlaps Eniwetok's and the Mitchells have attacked some TF's from Truk but the A-20's still won't fly.&nbsp; They will attack ground targets though; I will put them on 10% naval search and see if that helps.

[Feinder]

A stupid brain fart.
&nbsp;
Is there actually a AF/Port (whatever your target is), at Salamau.
&nbsp;
Before you say, "Duh, yes!"
&nbsp;
I had set planes to attack the AF at Jaluit for&nbsp;week (of no attacks), before I noticed the base at Jaluit is actually a PORT, and the airfield is only AF(0), so the planes were never attacking.
&nbsp;
Just a quick gotcha, that might not be relevant.
-F-

[John Lansford]

Does that mean if you set planes to attack a base that is not garrisoned, they won't fly to attack it?&nbsp; IOW, if there's no base units or anything else there and you order your planes to attack the port, will they fly?&nbsp; Assuming that the port/airbase has a rating >0.

[USSAmerica]

No, I think Feinder meant that if a base has a port (size >0) and no airfield (size 0), any aircraft set to attack the airfield won't fly, but if you set them to attack the port they will fly, regardless of LCU'S being present or not. I've had attacks fly against a port or airfield with no LCU present at the target.

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

Does that mean if you set planes to attack a base that is not garrisoned, they won't fly to attack it?  IOW, if there's no base units or anything else there and you order your planes to attack the port, will they fly?  Assuming that the port/airbase has a rating >0.

The game got something right here you cannot attack something that's not there. No LCU, no ground attack. Nor will they attack any level 0 port or A/F.

[Chris21wen]

I had a similar problem as Japan. My LBs would not bomb a particular hex just NW of Bangkok. Any other hex in the area fine, but not this one. More than a tadge frustating when the allies had hords of LCU sitting there for about 2 months.