Do like to Bomb?

[OG_Gleep]

I am starting to realize I don't play like most people. My attatchment to my aircrews is probably hamstringing me. So strictly a question on how you play:

If you have an enemy base within easy bomber reach, do you set your bomber ops to contantly bomb it?

Scenario, You hold PM, enemy holds Gilli and Buna but they pose no threat and you have no intention of trying to capture it anytime soon. Do you set your bomber crews to attack anyway? How do you manage the campaign? Making sure they are bombed non-stop, or do you send them en-masse, stopping only to rest your aircrews? If not en-masse, do you set it up for constnat bombing, Night, alternating units etc so that every turn they are being hit?

Currently I save my bomber crews for Naval targets, only targeting bases when there is a specific need that outweighs the pain of Ops Losses. If I think I am going to attempt to take the base, or if I need to dmg either the airfield or Port. Other then that, I let my crews rest.

Trying to get a sense of how it "should" be done. For some warped reason I treat a name and stat line as I would a live Aircrew and don't risk them unless absolutley nessisary. I seriously doubt anyoen else feeels that way by reading the forum. Trying to get a sense of what I should be doing. The Power-Gamer efficency at all costs and this carebear attatchment to my crews are at odds with eachother.

[HansBolter]

In your scenario description I make my decisions based on the supply level of the base (ie...it's ability to sustain a bombing campaign of several days or weeks), the morale level of the squadron and the fatigue level of the squadron.

I almost never look at individual pilots.

I also make the decision based on how well developed my enemies base is and the apparent rate at which he is improving it regardless of whether or not he has anything of value or threat to me stationed there.

Trying to run a sustained bombing campaign from PM when it is marginally supplied will drain it quickly.

My current game against Tocaff is a good example. He has taken all the perimeter bases around PM. Until recently he hasn't stationed any air at them yet. GG is developing very slowly. Buna isn't developing at all. He has an engineer working to build up Dobodura and it's airbase is currently at level 2. With my supply at PM somewhat tight, I have not made a conceerted effort to hammer these bases yet even though my rested bomber squadrons (little naval bombing oppurtunities lately) have very high morale. Every few days I send a bombing run against Dobadura to slow it's building rate, but not sustained in a manner that will drain PMs supply.

He hasn't been bombing PM or using the tactic the AI does of sending 2 bombers escorted by 75 fighters in order to sweep my CAP....I haven't been flying any CAP to avoid having my inexperienced P-40 squadrons get trashed by his Zeros as he is currently capable of bringing in far greater numbers than I can deploy.

Recently he did send a group of about 10 Zeros to Lae. I immediatley pounced on them by sending two squadrons of B-26s and one of A-20s escorted by two full squadrons of P-40s (Cap set to 0). The reason I only sent 3 squadrons of bombers was to minimize the supply drain while still having a chance to do reasonable damage to the airfield. The real purpose of the mission was to sweep any CAP he put up. The fight ended up with 47 P-40s against 9 Zeros. The P-40s shot down something like 4-5 Zeros without losing a single plane.

The mission succeeded.

As I see it the real trick is to balance threat to you, damage to the enemies forces and bases, supply, morale and fatigue.

[tocaff]

Pilots are expendable.  You do what you deem needed and loses will happen one way or the other.  It's a war after all.

[decaro]

Planes are cheap, esp. as the Allies when you have enough of them to afford the losses.

[tocaff]

Your strong point is what you should play to as much as your opponent's weaknesses.  The Allies are very strong with LBA, so use it.

[borner]

Early on, I have found that rotating your bombers through PM and sending them to hit bases can increase exp levels. Just don't have too many there to get caugh once Japan gets serious and closed the airstrip.

[bigbaba]

ORIGINAL: Joe D.

Planes are cheap, esp. as the Allies when you have enough of them to afford the losses.

aye. as a japanese player losing 10-15 bettys or nells in one mission can realy hurt because of the poor replacement-rate and can force you to let the guys on the ground for several days so they can revocer.

as for the allies, you dont need to take care about the japanese CAP shooting down your medium and heavy bombers. also, you have a much better replacement-rate and (later in the war) a huge number of bomber groups to rotate them out. as a ally player, i would hit the japanese airfields hard and with mass-attacks. even when they are no real threat for you, repairing the base damage will cost a lot of supply which he has to fill up with AK/AP/AG which are perfect targets for your bombers.

[tocaff]

Another reason to temper the Allied player's desire to pour resouces into hold PM.  Once the Japanese player has taken PM keeping it in supply is a difficult proposition as the base itself and ships are great targets.  It's faily easy to prevent the Japanese player from building up the defenses there if the damage levels keep the airfield and port crippled.