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uff, I think I overshoot writing this a little ), take a glance at it between the turns and think about it. It is not from my own head, I had read number of documents about air operations in north africa, italy, france, burma, new guinea, guadalcanal. Also Air division compositon as I designed them are based partialy on their real organization and use.

Missions of Airpower (in exactly that order):
1. Air Superiority
To achieve air superiority you need to:
a. decrease enemy planes production (directly by bombing factories or indirectly by denying resources to build them)
b. kill enemy planes at transport on ships (few subs properly positioned could get lucky shot resulting in whole enemy squadron lost)
c. make enemy bases in the area inoperable (most cost-effective and rewarding in witp)
d. kill enemy planes on ground (side effect of previous tactic)
e. kill enemy planes in the air (lest cost-effective as you are basically trading 1:1)
f. killl enemy pilots (just what I am trying to achieve as this is the weakest spot for the Japs)

In other words as Japan in early phases I would:
a. constitute Air Divisions/fleets of 2+x Fighter sentai/Daitai , 2x Level Bomber Sentai/Daitai, few Recon Chutais
b. use them following way: 2x bomber units +1 escort will be bombing enemy airfields, 1 fighter unit will be free CAP, LRCAP, Sweep, Rest (switch escorting and sweeping units once in a time)
c. target enemy airfields in range to harass your naval/ground operations - they will be abandoned or enemy has to accept loses on ground
d. select 4+ size airfield in range of more enemy bases so you could /switch/ between them
e. Switch targeted airfields often to suppres more airfields and be hard to counterattack
f. When enemy planes are detected on airfield, bomb it for 2 days but not more.
g. dont fly every turn - rest bombers in Rain/Storm, fighters on CAP not to be catched on ground
h. Use best planes in this Air Divisions (Zero/Oscar for escort, Betty, Sally)
i. if base is coastal, use submarine to ease pilot losses
j. Use as primary Air superiority force - Striking force
result: 50 bomber + 25 fighter escorts + another 25 on sweep can deny enemy 2-6 airfields in few turns at longer ranges. In case of Betty/Zero combination this force is enough to take care of at least 2 allied carriers.

a. constitute few Air Divisions of 2+x Fighter sentai/Daitai, 2x Light/Dive bomber, few recon Chutais
b. use them following way: 2x bomber units + 1 escort will be bombing enemy airfields or ground units, other fighter unit will be available for CAP, LRCAP, Sweep, Rest
c. /switch/ targets
d. dont fly every turn - rest bombers in Rain/Storm, fighters on CAP not to be catched on ground
e. Use not the best planes you have: Nate, Claude, Ann, Mary, Lily ...
f. you could try 2 fields from which to operate allowing you to hit two different units
g. you could try to set bombers to operate separately in AM or PM phase
h. Use as Primary Air interdiction/Close Air Support and second-line Air superiority force
result: 50 light bombers + 25-50 fighter escorts can hurt 2 Divisions in ground combat or deny enemy 2-4 airfields close to front line. Also great for bombing places like Singapore, Manila, Mandalay for example. They will eat supplies just as big bombers do and are not so jeopardized as you are pushing forward with your striking force.

a. constitute few Fighter Regiments of 2+x Figter Sentai/Daitai
b. employ your Nates, Claudes here
c. Their mission is to provide you with CAP, LRCAP on forward places
d. You could use them in Low altitude Airfield attacks (fighters suffer smaller "destroyed" proportion to bombers and similar numbers of damaged - I tested this on P-47 and A-20/B-25)
e. When using on Airfield attacks use only one Sentai/Daitai on attack, other use to sweep or escort.
f, Use primary Defensively so they will not be in the point of your attack suffering bulk of your loses.
result: CAP, LRCAP and only 1-2 BF needed

My intention is to use Long range fighters to escort, best fighters to sweep (Sweep is better than CAP) and to use worse and short-legged planes to CAP (as CAP is better than escort).
For US i would use P-38 as escorts, P51 for sweeps and F4U/P-47 as fighter bombers, CAP and short range escorts.

One of your early target should be Kuching (AF4) and not Brunei (AF3). It allow Bettys to carry torpedos, is closer to Singapore, allows you to control Java Sea and free Malaya airfields for army planes.
Also Davao/Cagayan, Jolo, Tarakan Airfields are AF4 effectively cutting of Philipines and covering Malacca strait, Celebes Sea and Malacca Sea.
Think about Airpower as war-winner. All other forces are subordinated to this - navy to supply distant positions and support invasions and army to occupy/garrison airfields.

In the begining of game Japan poses: air initiative, superiority in numbers, superiority in pilots quality, superiority in planes quality. Do not force yourself to deploy your best fighters defensively.
Do not use only your first line Air force in secondary/defensive duties leaving second line air force unoccupied.

Hit-and-run sorties are just what is needed in air-inferiority situation. You will not be carefull when losing say 3 planes a day in a month. But when you loose 1 plane a day in a month and then suddenly lose 60 planes on just one day it is hard not to be carefull. (example: Battle of Britain. In whole BoB Luftwaffe lost 16,7 planes a day at average. On 15 September Luftwaffe lost 60 planes.) Unfortunately allies are not able to use this tactic to my advantage in Burma beacause of Hurricanes short leggs.

2. Air Interdiction
Interdiction is always allowed by air supperiority. Interdiction in air-inferiority situation is not possible in long terms, but could be used when necessary Interdiction mission is to put enemy lines of communications under pressure.
As we have no trains or supply columns in WITP this could be achieved by attacking naval lines of communication and supply usage by whatever means. You have to suck enemy supplies in repairs of Airfields/resources/oil. As the additional by-product of bombing airfields to suck supplies this will also result in uselessness of the airfields targeted.

Naval lines of communications air interdiction will not get into play early because Japs are pushing allies back and no followup supply convoys comes into play while allies am in strike range. But It will come into play later when you will be fighting close-quarter (as IRL happened in Burma, New guinea-Solomons area).

3. Close Air Support
Close air support is the least effective form of offensive capabilities of air power. It helps ground forces directly in their mission, but have no direct effect in the air. Also each plane directed to CAS could be more efficiently employed in Interdiction which have greater effect. One bomb can kill the tank, squad or a gun. But the same bomb can sink a ship with battalion on interdiction. The same bomb could destroy 30 days rations or 15 days combat ammunition for that tank/gun/squad (in witp). In a base with 10,000 supplies (enough to keep Division supplied for 10 month rest or 5 months of combat) just one Supply hit results in destruction of 100 supplies (Divisions 3 days of rest or 1,5 days of combat). Do this for month and you just shortened supplies for division by 3 months rest and 1,5 months of combat in addition tu supplies sucked in airfields repairs.

In witp you could use CAS when deliberately or shock attacking, or to slow enemy down when pursuing (raising disruption slows movement), in invasion preparation to disrupt ground troops (note coastal defences are better destroyed by Port Attack) or in case you dont have enough artillery to maintain pressure. It can be also effectively used when enemy is forced to river-crossing. You can slow one or two of his big units enough, they will not be able to cross with other units resulting in piecemeal crossing. Or those units could have much higher disruption after the crossing and get their asses kicked.

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In our current witp game my Japanese opponent is using brutal force (6BBs and 8 CAs in one atomic blast TF, 8Division+support in china, ...) which can be effective until comparable brutal force come to place. Unfortunately for him, Japan is not the one who will end up with bigger brutal force.

All that brutal force mean that he can push forward only in the limited number of areas where this force is employed - so he is slow in capturing vital objectives. And time is not the thing Japs have in surplus.
There is no need to employ Brutal force of 6BBs and 8CAs in area where he could barely meet 2CAs, 5CLs, 14DDs. 4BBs are enough to close an airfield and 4 CAs to cover invasion force. With Betty/Zero Air division as described above in cover, he dont have to worry much about enemies heavy surface forces.
There is also no need to deploy 4 Divisions on Java when 2,66 were enough IRL. Japanese have only limited assets and to employ them effectively and economicaly is Japanese main task.
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I was writing this to my oponent so you could find places with "you/your/yours" phrasing. I play the allies and I am whining about his Airpower employment. Little bit odd, dont you think? [:D] Feel free to make your comments...

I have printed your view on airpower and you are absolutely correct on the use of airpower, I thank you for posting this Barb.

Well, the things about emloyment were from various sources and are somethink like "dogmas"
The words about how exactly to employ forces as Japanese players are just what I think about that, because I havent big experience in playing the japs. So dont take them word-to-word.

PS: At least someone who posted a reply [:D]

Sorry Barb, I would have answered, but your post causes deep thought. You drove me into my copies of Douhet, Mitchell, Arnold and John Boyd. I'll get back to you with a semi-intelligent comment , in about six months or so! [:D] You've obviously put a very great amount of thought into this. We should all give it a very detailed going over. It deserves a great deal of thought , and some discussion. Thanks for the effort. [&o]

Couple of points:
 
I think it would be beneficial to differentiate between aerial superiority and supremacy. In addition I think a discussion of the benefits of initiative vs allowing the enemy the initiative whilst in such a situation that the enemy uses that initiative to impale himself on your defences/target you are offering. Lastly, CV operations... Not really covered here separately and I think it should be as CV operations have quite different aims and methods.
 
 

W1Steve: Well I have the time to wait.[:D]
Nemo: Yup, Superiority and supermacy are different animals at least. Somehow I consider Japan could acquire only Air superiority on the point of contact - which was IMHO their goal in SRA offensives. As the allies, Air suppermacy is reachable in 1944-1945.

Initiative is also important: As allied player I am giving troubles to my Jap opponent because I am free to strike wherever I choose. His bombers are training over Manila and Medan, I have no clue where his Oscars are. Just what I see are few Zero Daitais CAP/LRCAPing his invasions. My Dutch fighters got shot down pretty easily but bombers got through. We are in end of march 1942 and loses are 1100 allied vs 1016 japanese planes destroyed by all means.

CV operations are bit different to this. Their primary goal is to gain Sea superiority/supermacy by mean of air. Havent put many thoughts into this yet.

ORIGINAL: Barb

W1Steve: Well I have the time to wait.[:D]
Nemo: Yup, Superiority and supermacy are different animals at least. Somehow I consider Japan could acquire only Air superiority on the point of contact - which was IMHO their goal in SRA offensives. As the allies, Air suppermacy is reachable in 1944-1945.

Initiative is also important: As allied player I am giving troubles to my Jap opponent because I am free to strike wherever I choose. His bombers are training over Manila and Medan, I have no clue where his Oscars are. Just what I see are few Zero Daitais CAP/LRCAPing his invasions. My Dutch fighters got shot down pretty easily but bombers got through. We are in end of march 1942 and loses are 1100 allied vs 1016 japanese planes destroyed by all means.

CV operations are bit different to this. Their primary goal is to gain Sea superiority/supermacy by mean of air. Havent put many thoughts into this yet.

I had always understood the main difference in Air superiority and supremacy was duration. Superiority is owning the battlespace at a given place and time (like when you need it). Supremacy was 24/7. There is also local air superiority. I think the consideration here is "what's good enough" versus they can't even put a plane in the air for any reason, any where , any time. Air superiority allows you to do what you need to do (carry out an invasion, protect a convoy , destroy an enemy base or unit). When you reach the air supremecy stage , you are simply trying to annilate the enemy air force.

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

ORIGINAL: Barb

W1Steve: Well I have the time to wait.[:D]
Nemo: Yup, Superiority and supermacy are different animals at least. Somehow I consider Japan could acquire only Air superiority on the point of contact - which was IMHO their goal in SRA offensives. As the allies, Air suppermacy is reachable in 1944-1945.

Initiative is also important: As allied player I am giving troubles to my Jap opponent because I am free to strike wherever I choose. His bombers are training over Manila and Medan, I have no clue where his Oscars are. Just what I see are few Zero Daitais CAP/LRCAPing his invasions. My Dutch fighters got shot down pretty easily but bombers got through. We are in end of march 1942 and loses are 1100 allied vs 1016 japanese planes destroyed by all means.

CV operations are bit different to this. Their primary goal is to gain Sea superiority/supermacy by mean of air. Havent put many thoughts into this yet.

I had always understood the main difference in Air superiority and supremacy was duration. Superiority is owning the battlespace at a given place and time (like when you need it). Supremacy was 24/7. There is also local air superiority. I think the consideration here is "what's good enough" versus they can't even put a plane in the air for any reason, any where , any time. Air superiority allows you to do what you need to do (carry out an invasion, protect a convoy , destroy an enemy base or unit). When you reach the air supremecy stage , you are simply trying to annilate the enemy air force.

The main advantage of carrier over land based air in WWII was that the mobility of the ship allowed the airgroup to surge during a visit to enemy airspace. (During a surge, maintenance is deferred, allowing two or three times the normal number of sorties to be generated. Hence a 54-fighter airgroup had the effect of a 108 or 162 fighter land based unit.) So a CVTF could maintain air superiority for a few days despite lacking air supremacy.

Hi Barb

I am interested in your comment "i: if base is coastal, use submarine to ease pilot losses."
Does this mean that you would post a friendly submarine in your target hex to pick up downed pilots? I know this happened in real life, but I didn't know this was posible in WITP. If it is true, its a great plan. Have you seen this happening in the game?

ORIGINAL: turkey

Hi Barb

I am interested in your comment "i: if base is coastal, use submarine to ease pilot losses."
Does this mean that you would post a friendly submarine in your target hex to pick up downed pilots? I know this happened in real life, but I didn't know this was posible in WITP. If it is true, its a great plan. Have you seen this happening in the game?

Excuse me for jumping in , but the answer is an enthusiastic YES! Lifeguard submarines definately help rescue pilots (as they did in real life). Also , having flying boats in range , like PBY's , do wonders. Many times I have seen this work. [:)]

Hope my oponent doesn't read this post. I'm heavily into defending coastal bases in DEI aginst many Japanese LBA strikes and cutting a swathe (I hope and presume) through his pilots. [:D]

Actually any friendly unit in target hex serves as if you were fighting over your own airspace. There is some difference in suffered pilot loses over friendly and enemy airspace.
This could also be used by posting a sub in hex with enemy carriers when major engagement is about to be fought. But its more luck than anything else in witp.[:D]

Air supermacy: That degree of air superiority wherein the opposing air force is incapable of effective interference.
Air superiority: That degree of dominance in the air battle of one force over another that permits the conduct of operations by the former and its related land, sea, and air forces at a given time and place without prohibitive interference by opposing air forces.

This is a very clear exposition on air operations, but at the risk of pointing out "jointness", close air support does little for one-dimensional air operations, but may be key to the overall campaign.  In the case of the historical campaign, the Allies needed bases close enough to Japan for their strategic bombing campaign to take effect, and close air support was part of mix that allowed the Allies seize the islands.  Likewise, a Japanese player in WitP can wage an aggressive campaign in China to acquire resources, industry, and victory points, and that will generally need CAS. CAS can lead to ground changing hands and that is key in advancing toward victory (along with the usual caveats of taking the right ground at a tolerable price). Certainly, the cautionary note here is to be careful about blindly attacking ground units in non-training circumstances in order to prevent your units from suffering needless attrition.

CAS without having air superiority situation isnt what you are definitely looking for. [:D]
Doing CAS in case that AVG is there somewhere at full strength eager to go on hunt isnt a good idea. Got shot down 77 of 120 planes doing CAS from Wuhan to Changsha with 49 P-40B in the air. Half of those japs were Nates and Oscars, but on fighter-bomber mission.[8D]

ORIGINAL: engineer

This is a very clear exposition on air operations, but at the risk of pointing out "jointness", close air support does little for one-dimensional air operations, but may be key to the overall campaign.  In the case of the historical campaign, the Allies needed bases close enough to Japan for their strategic bombing campaign to take effect, and close air support was part of mix that allowed the Allies seize the islands.  Likewise, a Japanese player in WitP can wage an aggressive campaign in China to acquire resources, industry, and victory points, and that will generally need CAS. CAS can lead to ground changing hands and that is key in advancing toward victory (along with the usual caveats of taking the right ground at a tolerable price). Certainly, the cautionary note here is to be careful about blindly attacking ground units in non-training circumstances in order to prevent your units from suffering needless attrition.

I very strongly agree, both IRL and in WITP. Barb's very excellent analysis does seem to have the one issue that it isn't taking a joint operations look. I agree that air superiority is a highly desirable prerequisite to CAS and that CAS can't be sustained or nearly as effective in contested air space.

However, CAS plays a vital role in successful ground attacks. It can easily mean the difference in taking a hex, or not.

Edit: IN fact I think I've argued several times that air superiority is the first job of any Air Force.

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

ORIGINAL: turkey

Hi Barb

I am interested in your comment "i: if base is coastal, use submarine to ease pilot losses."
Does this mean that you would post a friendly submarine in your target hex to pick up downed pilots? I know this happened in real life, but I didn't know this was posible in WITP. If it is true, its a great plan. Have you seen this happening in the game?

Excuse me for jumping in , but the answer is an enthusiastic YES! Lifeguard submarines definately help rescue pilots (as they did in real life). Also , having flying boats in range , like PBY's , do wonders. Many times I have seen this work. [:)]

I did not know this either. I swear I pick up something new constantly. I will use this when I go over to offense later in the war.

In critical battles CAS has its value and is definitely worth more as air superiority.
I dont know this exactly (as my memory is not perfect), but I think Battle of Kasserine Pass was fought in something like Air parity. And both sides used CAS extensively.

Damn.  Well said and written Barb.  I must print this out and add it to my 'must read and remember' WitP files.  Nicely done.

Well if this is going to be in "Must read" I should consider to polish it a little (i.e. split "doctrine" from "suggestion", clarify few things out).

Edit: I just did it...

Employment of Airpower

Think about Airpower as war-winner. All other forces are subordinated to this - navy to supply distant positions and support invasions and army to occupy/garrison airfields from where airpower will operate.

1. Air Superiority
To achieve air superiority you need to:
a. grab/hold the initiative
b. identify enemy weakneses:
1. enemy planes production
2. interrupt enemy lines of communications (plane without supply will not fly or destroy planes at ships in transfer)
3. strafe and bomb enemy airbases to make them inoperable
4. destroy enemy planes on ground
5. destroy enemy planes (least cost-effective as you are basically trading 1:1)
6. without pilots planes wont fly
c. choose critical enemy weakness and strike him where it hurt most
d. even when you achieved air superiority dont stop all air superiority missions in favor of interdiction/CAS.

2. Air Interdiction
Air interdiction mean to utilize airpower against such ground/sea targets which require no other friendly ground/sea other units coordination. Mission of Air interdiction is to put enemy ground/sea lines of communications under pressure. This alone will not destroy the enemy forces, but increases his supply shortages which in combination with pressure on the ground could force enemy to retreat.
Interdiction is always allowed by air supperiority. Interdiction in air-inferiority situation is not possible in long terms without excessive or even prohibitive loses, but could be used when necessary.

(Note: As we have no trains or supply columns in WITP this could be achieved by attacking naval lines of communication and supply usage by whatever means. You have to suck enemy supplies in repairs of Airfields/resources/oil. Basically when you are doing Air supperiority mission of suppressing enemy airfields, you are also indirectly doing Air interdiction of his supplies needed to repair the damage.)

3. Close Air Support
Close air Support is that kind of airpower mission which require close cooperation of involved ground troops.
Close air support is the least effective form of offensive capabilities of air power.
It helps ground forces directly in their mission, but have no direct effect in the air. Also each plane directed to CAS could be more efficiently employed in Air Interdiction which have greater effect.

(Note: One bomb can kill the tank, squad or a gun. But the same bomb can sink a ship with battalion on interdiction. The same bomb could destroy 30 days rations or 15 days combat ammunition for that tank/gun/squad (in witp). In a base with 10,000 supplies (enough to keep Division supplied for 10 month rest or 5 months of combat) just one Supply hit results in destruction of 100 supplies (Divisions 3 days of rest or 1,5 days of combat). Do this for month and you just shortened supplies for division by 3 months rest and 1,5 months of combat in addition tu supplies sucked in airfields repairs.)

CAS can be most effectively used in following situations:
a. direct support of attack
b. slow enemy movement in attack/retreat (This normally fall into air interdiction, but WITP is little different in reflecting reality)
c. invasion preparation (disrupt enemy ground forces - Dday-1 and Dday)
d. lack of ground artillery to maintain pressure on enemy forces
e. "trap" enemy forces on river-crossings (slowng part of crossing units to arrive on separate turns)

(Note: WITP pre-invasion bombardment tasked with destroying/damaging/disrupting Coastal defences could be provided by Port Attack on previous turns. Use of Medium bombers is preferred to CAS due to their larger bombload.)r