Long Range thing again

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Marquo

The point of attaching BAK to a front is so they can support the Front's combat; it really pisses me off to see BAK airbases fully loaded with level bombers which do absolutely  nothing to support ground combat flaring a mere 10 hexes away from Moscow; it's like the Western Front is on it's own and STAVKA won't like a hand to help.

good point, but I just station them near a few stavka armies, so they don't sit idle. also, I attach about half fighters, not just bombers.

[Don77]

Another way of looking at this? Perhaps BAK is exactly what is should be - long range aviation? If so, we could use one or two BAK DBAD and/or IAD to support Stavka units. But really, the majority of BAK should be used (by the player) for strategic bombing of rail junctions, cities, HQ or logistics (Ploesti)? That would make sense - a long range bombing force

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Don77

But really, the majority of BAK should be used (by the player) for strategic bombing of rail junctions, cities, HQ or logistics (Ploesti)? That would make sense - a long range bombing force

Yeah, except as far as I can tell, this is pretty much useless in-game, and I don't think the Sovs had any kind of emphasis on such strategic bombing. Using them for interdiction is probably more useful and more realistic, and their long-range can also be used in such role.

[Don77]

Thanks 76mm. I agree the Sov's may not have done this in RL, but in the game, I think this is a reasonably realistic equivalent, no? And if so, using your suggestion, how would you use them for interdiction then, by active use and deliberrately targeting something (rail), or leave them for the AI to use?

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Don77
Thanks 76mm. I agree the Sov's may not have done this in RL, but in the game, I think this is a reasonably realistic equivalent, no? And if so, using your suggestion, how would you use them for interdiction then, by active use and deliberrately targeting something (rail), or leave them for the AI to use?

Interdiction is a pretty blunt tool in WitE, you have to rely on the computer to figure out what it will attack. That said, there are two steps the player can take to increase the effectiveness of interdiction: 1) conduct lots of air recon (planes will only interdict targets which have been ID'd); and 2) crank up interdiction settings in the air doctrines screen. I think at some points in my campaign I've turned Interdiction settings up to 300% or even 400%, although only when the Germans were making threatening moves.

As far as using bombers based in the BAK air bases for long range bombing: I'm not really hung up on what the Sovs did in real life, but I suspect that the end result of using the bombers as you suggest in-game would be massive bomber losses with little to show for it. Of course the results of interdiction are hardly dramatic either, but at least I can imagine that it played a role in stopping an attack, etc.