Allies vs Human in PBEM May 42 my opponent takes Port Moresby after a modest struggle I set up some good bases in Townseville, Cairns and Cooktown, main B-17 base is currently Towns I have 2 questions: What do I want to do to maximize the load/hitting power of the B-17s, heres what I have so far: I have built up Towns to Airfield size 8 I have lots of support I have all B17s at Towns set to same Bomber HQ and I have the Bomber HQ at Townsville w the planning target set to PM anything i am forgetting here? What options would I have to increase B17 survival rate now that he has PM set up as a base I am facing some Zero CAP, should I try night bombing? I always bomb at 10k should I try 20k? If I am flying in without Escorts what can I do to reduce losses? Thanks PS I tried to search on B17 in the forums and my search only went back 1 year, does anyone know if there is some hidden setting that can adjust how far back in time a search can go?
I may be repeating other posts so bear with me.
Bases... Expand airfield sizes at all major coastal bases in NE Australia to maximum. Townsville, Charters Towers, Cooktown and Portland Roads all expand to size 9, Cairns to size 8. You'll need the airfield capacity for any kind of medium to large-scale air campaign over Port Moresby and/or eastern New Guinea. LCU reinforcements to SW Pacific theatre in 1942 include many construction engineer and air base force units, get them to Australia and push as many of these up north as possible along with copious amounts of supply. If done aggressively enough, all the previously mentioned airfields in NE Australia can be fully expanded and ready to go by early-1943. It should be noted that the coastal rail line in NE Australia ends at Cairns, this affecting movement of LCU and supply into Cooktown and Portland Roads. Ports at these two bases should also be expanded. While the secondary road network allows movement of supply and LCU into Portland Roads and Cooktown, sea transport into these bases is useful plus supply can also be airlifted from Townsville and Cairns into both Cooktown and Portland Roads (once these bases have an airfield). You'll also find all these airfields in NE Australia quite useful when launching an invasion to retake Port Moresby.
Other ingredients to an substantial 4E bomber air campaign include supply (lots of it), air HQ's with good commanders plus generous numbers of Aviation Support squads in base force LCU's.
Horn Island also a useful air base if you keep control of it. The airfield here expands to maximum size 6 though you'll also have to build a port here as well. Horn Island especially valuable as a base for fighters (P-38's in particular) and 2E bombers and much closer to targets in New Guinea.
With regard to bomber air ops... Until B-24 Liberators become available in large numbers (mid to late 1943) your supply of available USAAF 4E bomber planes (B-17's) is very limited, especially so for a long-term bombing campaign during 1942 and early 43. Conserving B-17 planes particularly important. B-17 planes damaged in action puts your bombing campaign on "pause" while the planes are repaired, enough destroyed planes seriously reduces or ends your bombing campaign until B-24's become available. Even a slow rate of plane attrition will reduce or end your bombing campaign if continued long enough. Night bombing is safe but not as productive. Daylight bombing is better provided there's no significant Japanese fighter CAP opposition. Pay attention to placement of Japanese flak LCU at bases in New Guinea (AAR's and Sigint reports useful). Bombing at 7000-8000' altitude eliminates most of a Japanese flak problem. Pay attention to numbers of available planes in your Aircraft Replacement pool. AE's production of B-17 planes is not very generous.