Strategic Bombing For Dummies

[LiquidSky]

Strategic bombing other targets is a viable strategy....but it is a long term one, and you won't easily see or know the results.

The Germans suffer shortages in trucks. So bombing the vehicle factories will have an effect. So will interdicting around troop concentrations. Trucks wills suffer attrition in the logistics phase.

The airplane factories are also a good target. Any spare planes I have as the Germans I use to increase the quality of my pilots.

AFV factories are good too....some of them are quite rare, like armoured cars/halftracks. But again...its a long term affect. Bomb early...bomb often.

Ahhh..speaking of timing...

In 1943, the allies should only bomb the Ruhr...and occasionally the U-Boat factories. Try not to be predictable on the U-Boat bombing however...you only have to damage them. I usually fly on bad weather turns to reduce the damage to my bombers.

I put the BC on night bombing over the Ruhr. They bomb only manpower.

I put the 8th Air Force over the same hexes...but during the day only..escorted by whatever can reach.

The fighters that cant reach, I put on random AS missions in around Netherlands....Belgium...Northern France.

All the hurricanes and typhoons I do ground interdiction around the Pas d'Calais. All the spitfires, 2 engine bombers...I use in Italy.

In 1944, you start to get more Lightning/Mustangs that can reach farther into Germany...start out bombing HI and Manpower...but feel free to switch to other targets. By the end of 1944 you will be able to bomb everything. In large 10 x 10 boxes.


Always look out for opportunities to destroy the Luftwaffe. The easiest way to do that is to get the Germans to use it. Don't be afraid to switch up the 8th air force to bombing airfields....if you know where the Luftwaffe is hiding..go nail it.

Ploesti looks inviting....but it really is a death trap. Be prepared to lose a lot of planes when you want to hit it.
Southern Germany can also be a death trap....but at least you can 'test the waters' by flying AS missions first.

Oh...the Air Superiority mission is an offensive one. It is designed to attrit the enemy by trading fighter for fighter. Since the Germans have only 35-ish pilots a turn, they don't want to trade pilots for the endless supply of allied pilots.


Hitting railyards is very useful in large areas like in France. What happens is the German depots get less and less supply. But if the Germans aren't using that supply, you wont notice a big difference....but with continued fighting....they will run out..And they will have to use trucks more and more...which attrits them as well.

Also...know your enemy! Where are the German factories? For example...Mainz has a HUGE vehicle plant. Fighter factories are basically in three different cities.....and so on.

[Gilmer]

ORIGINAL: LiquidSky
Ploesti looks inviting....but it really is a death trap. Be prepared to lose a lot of planes when you want to hit it.

I used to work in a pharmacy and we had this judge that was a customer. He flew in the Ploesti Raids. Crusty old guy, but for some reason I kind of liked him. Very irritable, though. Retired judge. I don't know how it came up but he told us, "The people that ordered that raid should have been put in jail. We were murdered up there."

I only knew him as Judge Faulkner. He's passed away now.