Strategic Bombing Tips?

[Q-Ball]

Damaged industry is as good as destroyed anyway, because it's not worth it to spend 1000 supply to fix it. It would only be worth it, IMO, for very valuable air or engine factories that are critical, but other than that I would not be repairing LI, HI, NSY, Refineries, OIL, or anything else. Also why you probably need surplus A/C by the time 1945 rolls around.

Am I wrong there?

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Damaged industry is as good as destroyed anyway, because it's not worth it to spend 1000 supply to fix it. It would only be worth it, IMO, for very valuable air or engine factories that are critical, but other than that I would not be repairing LI, HI, NSY, Refineries, OIL, or anything else. Also why you probably need surplus A/C by the time 1945 rolls around.

Am I wrong there?

I depends upon the time in the game.

Oil is good to repair since it gives 10 oil which then goes to 9 fuel and 1 supply (depending upon the mod) but there is excess refinery capacity. Resources usually are not a good return since there are so many out there but then again, make the effort to bring it back to the Home Islands. Or the mainland so it can go to Korea and then to the Home Islands, whichever is quicker and easier.

Shipyards are essential early as well and I expand Saigon to 15 and Soerabaja up to 20. Although that one should probably be a little lower so any American carriers can't be repaired there but if you lost the DEI, you have probably lost the war . . .

Heavy Industry is used to make Heavy Industry (HI) points which then is used for many things and is especially good at generating supplies at the cost of fuel and resources and the payoff is 500 days - compared to 1000 days for LI. But by expanding the LI at Fusan, that increases the draw for resources so you can shuttle those resources rather cheaply using small xAKs to the Home Islands two hexes away, going through the Tsushima Straight which should be mined at that base along with those 1 point SCs with 8 DC racks performing ASW missions under air cover. Some fuel and oil can also be shipped to the Home Islands from there although you would have to unload oil there to "prime the pump" so to speak for the CS convoys. So it would be more beneficial and quicker to expand the Heavy Industry by 10 points at many locations rather than at one location even though the supply demand is more intense. By expanding the heavy industry in Manchukuo (Manchuria - the land of the Manchu people) and around Peiping, it is relatively safe until the USSR gets into the game.

If the cost of the LI were only 500 supply points, then it would be more beneficial to expand that just for the supply production with no inherent fuel cost . . .

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Damaged industry is as good as destroyed anyway, because it's not worth it to spend 1000 supply to fix it. It would only be worth it, IMO, for very valuable air or engine factories that are critical, but other than that I would not be repairing LI, HI, NSY, Refineries, OIL, or anything else. Also why you probably need surplus A/C by the time 1945 rolls around.

Am I wrong there?

I depends upon the time in the game.

Oil is good to repair since it gives 10 oil which then goes to 9 fuel and 1 supply (depending upon the mod) but there is excess refinery capacity. Resources usually are not a good return since there are so many out there but then again, make the effort to bring it back to the Home Islands. Or the mainland so it can go to Korea and then to the Home Islands, whichever is quicker and easier.

Shipyards are essential early as well and I expand Saigon to 15 and Soerabaja up to 20. Although that one should probably be a little lower so any American carriers can't be repaired there but if you lost the DEI, you have probably lost the war . . .

Heavy Industry is used to make Heavy Industry (HI) points which then is used for many things and is especially good at generating supplies at the cost of fuel and resources and the payoff is 500 days - compared to 1000 days for LI. But by expanding the LI at Fusan, that increases the draw for resources so you can shuttle those resources rather cheaply using small xAKs to the Home Islands two hexes away, going through the Tsushima Straight which should be mined at that base along with those 1 point SCs with 8 DC racks performing ASW missions under air cover. Some fuel and oil can also be shipped to the Home Islands from there although you would have to unload oil there to "prime the pump" so to speak for the CS convoys. So it would be more beneficial and quicker to expand the Heavy Industry by 10 points at many locations rather than at one location even though the supply demand is more intense. By expanding the heavy industry in Manchukuo (Manchuria - the land of the Manchu people) and around Peiping, it is relatively safe until the USSR gets into the game.

If the cost of the LI were only 500 supply points, then it would be more beneficial to expand that just for the supply production with no inherent fuel cost . . .

My assumption is that if the Allies are bombing Japan, it's 1944 at the earliest. At that point, I do not see the benefit to repairing any industry aside from very critical Air or Engine factories. Your calculations are certainly correct, but Japan should not be expanding or repairing any HI or LI after early 1942, because the payoff is just not there.

That's why I think damaging industry via Strategic Bombing is as good as destroying it

[jdsrae]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

My assumption is that if the Allies are bombing Japan, it's 1944 at the earliest. At that point, I do not see the benefit to repairing any industry aside from very critical Air or Engine factories. Your calculations are certainly correct, but Japan should not be expanding or repairing any HI or LI after early 1942, because the payoff is just not there.

That's why I think damaging industry via Strategic Bombing is as good as destroying it

I'm thinking the same Q-Ball.
I'm at 1 Jul 44 now and I can't see myself repairing industry that is bombed from this point forward, except maybe late war engines and fighters/night fighters.
That will depend on the supply situation, which could rule it out even if I want to!

[Lokasenna]

I'd actually argue that even the late war engines and fighters aren't worth repairing. If it's been hit once, it's going to get hit twice. It takes too long to get the points repaired to see any practical benefit (unless you get really lucky with the RNG for that 1 point or 5 points that you repaired before it got hit again).

Better to overbuild before you need them. Once they start getting damaged from bombing, your time is up.

[RangerJoe]

It may also depend upon other factors to include:

1) Do I really need that factory?
2) Can I improve the defenses there as the enemy target list dwindles?
3) Is it far enough away that the enemy has to fly at extended ranges to increase his fatigue and ops losses?
4) Is it not on the coast to avoid shore bombardments?
5) Can I repair it just enough to avoid it being a target?
6) Is there no manpower there to avoid collateral damage if the manpower is hit?
7) Is the factory on the mainland so I can repair it so the enemy does not get VPs for damaging it?
8) Is the enemy close to capturing the factory location?
9) Is the factory location within easy range of enemy fighters?

[rockmedic109]

OK, so I've just discovered the reason for strategic bombing. You collect a lot of VPs in a very short period of time. I never started bombing till 14 NOV 44 when I had Formosa, Philippines, Okinawa, Marianas. I did not want to start till I had fighter coverage. On 16 DEC, I triggered an auto-victory. Over 7000 VPs in a month. But I will have to continue the fight. The IJA staged a coup and is determined to fight to the bitter end.