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This works for 17 as one can hold PM for a while...As for 19 probably out of the question....

I love to get my P-39s (to a smaller extent p-400s and wirraways, but as they have low replacement rates I tend to be more wary) and bomb Lae
every day (ok, rest during thunderstorms to get back a little morale)...So why?

Well at the beginning you can kill a few thousand IJN troops pretty easily over the course of a month (of course, expect to lose a few planes (30) the first month as the pilots stink and AA chews them up....

But as they gain experience, they get rather good at avoiding casualties. And that is the whole point, experience. By July, some will have experience in the 70s and by October, upper 70s to lower 80s. And that means if any fast convoy, bombardment run, normal transport run comes in, a bombing run at 100 feet is just vicious. That and for the reconquest of NG, very few IJN troops can hack 2 weeks of daily poundings of 3 squadrons of P-39s (with 75 experience)....It is a great way to help with your reconqest. Only when necessary do I use them as fighters as zeroes will shred them. But as close air support (given experience) they are outrageous...

But it gets better! Because late in 42, some units change into P-38s. OBviously, the FB thing disappears, but you can now escort your bomber to Rabual. So for the guys who like to put up 100 zeroes in defence, about 50 P-38s (with experience in the 80s!) as escort is a very nasty shock....


Of course, one has to hold PM, and that is not always possible. That said, having well trained P-39s can be a key part of PM defense!

By most hated, I mean that some opponents thought it was dodgy. In particular, for the first month, until experience is about 62-63, expect to lose 2 planes a day....

Even in #17, holding Port Moresby against a competent Japanese player is nigh impossible. This is also a highly historical situation, even without the carriers lost at Midway.

As usual, the Japanese employed half-measures to achieve their goals in New Guinea, as elsewhere. Shoho was stupidly grafted to convoy escort when her presence could have made Coral Sea a decisive Imperial victory, sparing damage to Shokaku's flight deck and Zuikaku's airgroups. Had the latter two been ready for the Central Pacific, the battle near Midway would almost certainly tipped the other way.

You're completely correct about stressing the experience of the Iron Dogs. In the beginning they'll decimate airbases and later will shoot up any floating thing that moves within their operating radius.

I'm not in entire agreement with you about the Lightnings. They were indeed excellent aircraft, even in the ETO, but in uv I've witnessed a swarm of them nearly eradicated by proper Zero deployment. It is not easy mind you, but possible...and extremely gratifying I must say. [:D]