Ju-88s and RHSEOS family scenarios

[el cid again]

Looks like we will plug in the Ju-88A (5 or 4) as a dive bomber in place of the Ki-48 II in EOS family. It will show up slightly later than the Ki-48 II - but it has more load, more range, slightly better defensive armament.

Looks like the Ju-88C (2? 6? not sure ) as a night fighter will replace the land based Japanese night fighter (J1N1-S/Ki-37) with radar. Its great assets are available sooner and the best possible radar. Not sure if it is better armed? By most theories, maybe not. But it is better than a Me-110 or a Ki-45C.

Being direct functional substitutions, air units will automatically get the new planes without a lot of data entry work (which using a different function slot would entail).

Look for the release tomorrow.

[el cid again]

It appears the Ju-88A4 can be in EOS and AIO from about 10/43 (that is, 15 months after the attempt to bring them in begins, in 7/41 and six months after the Ki-48 II would be available, in 4/42). In EEO - where the decision for war dates from the end of 1937 - it can be operational when the war begins (and thus Ki-48 I production will be nil, while Ju-88A4 production will have taken its place).

It appears the issue for the Ju-88C is when radar is available. This is from 2/42. The aircraft and engines themselves can be in the process of transfer before then - as can the negotiations to licence the radar. So we need the time to transfer, tool up and produce = 8 months = about 10/42. No reason to use anything but the main version - C6 - by that point. This is exactly a year sooner than the J1N1-S.

[el cid again]

The weak point of the Ju-88A4 is maneuverability: it is only 9. This because it is slower than even a Ki-48 II - and because it does not have an impressive ROC - due to its loading.

But it has good durability at 20 as well as more and heavier defensive guns.

Endurance is 205 minutes for an internal drop tank plus 275 minutes on normal fuel = 30/10/7 hexes.

RHS Operational Ceiling is 24,210 feet.

Normal Load is 2 x 500 kg plus 4 x 250 kg bombs = half what the plane can carry

so

Extended Range Load is 1 x 500 kg plus 2 x 250 kg bombs

Defensive weapons include 1 x 7.92 MMG forward, two to top rear
PLUS 1 x 13 mm HMG forward and one to bottom rear. In both cases the actual weapons were in Japanese
service so they are in the record. The engines are Kawasaki Ha-41s - defined by power rating in RHS.

Slower than a Ki-48 II - its max speed is 292 mph and cruise speed is 231 mph.

Initial ROC is 1312 feet per minute, also less than a Ki-48 II. These two factors conspire with remarkably poor wing loading and power loading to create the low maneuverability rating given above.


The aircraft is classified as a dive bomber.

[Dili]

I am afraid that as a dive bomber it will kill everything. Well lets wait and see.

[el cid again]

In EEO there is just enough time for two units - a squadron and a recon element - to start with the Ju-88A4. The recon element is up in China, and it is so new all 3 planes are disabled. The bomber squadron (51st Independent Chutai) is in Cambodia. Since they enter assigned this aircraft (and no other air units ever do) they can have an alternate loadout. We are using 10 x 50 kg bombs internal and (as pure non-functional chrome) two small external drop tanks. [Wierdly, code looks at squadron loadouts for weapons, but NOT for drop tanks]

Also in EEO there is enough time to start with 135 new (plus 3 imported) Me-109s. These mainly outfit the CVL and CVE fighter squadrons - and the one JAAF unit sent to Hawaii which was fitted with carrier fighters (so it could evacuate on a flight deck if need be - although it arrives on an AK). This latter unit is all disabled of course.