Strategy help, BTR, Allied 44 campaign

[Mannock]

As the topic states, I'm in need of some help with my strategy and some all around hints and tips, regarding the Allied 44 campaign.

I own the original BTR, so I have played the game before, many years ago, though at best I'm still a novice. Keep that in mind.

So first of all, what should my daytime bombing campaign focus on (when not forced by mandatory targets that is). Take out all ball-bearing factories? Rubber? Focus on the oil? Or should I go after the aircraft factories?

There's so many different factories that the task seems daunting. Not least due to the fact that many of the "fat" targets are located deep into Germany and the eastern parts, which very likely means heavy casualties. I realize there's many ways to go when choosing a target focus, but I'd like to hear some opinions as to what you would recommend, and what the pro's and con's are.

Any advice is appreciated.

[wernerpruckner]

There are many many ways to win the game in a 44 campaign....
here a few strategies:
aircraft industries: AFAC, EFAC, CFAC.......and sooner or later the AI will not have enough to fill out the JGs
oil offensive: OILS, OILR, FUEL (+rubber, chem, ports)....and maybe you will be able to ground the Luftwaffe
power: shut it down and most of the production will stop (maybe [:'(] )
chem/rubber: maybe you will stop anything with it [:'(]
BBFAC: didn´t work in RL, but maybe you get lucky
ARM, STEEL; RUBBER.....and TROOPS....for a faster advance....you maybe get lucky and break the enemy lines earlier.....
...........

but you will see, that you need more than one strategy to win the war........concentrate on enemy pilots...that will help most, other than that go for the biggest industries and for maximum score.....

[Hard Sarge]

make it simple, in both Campaigns, you got to knock out the LW

you bomb targets with the idea of knocking out the LW, you hit the Aircraft factories so, they can't rebuild

you bomb targets to bring the LW to battle, so it can be knocked out

you knock out the LW, bombing is easy

but, that is the HARD part

[Mannock]

Alright, so basically any strategy is viable really. I think I'll go for the aircraft factories, and see how that goes. Thanks.

And another question when I'm here anyway. I have problems attack airfields. I remember doing it in the old game where I had great success with my fighters (or was it fighterbombers?) strafing an airfield, often scoring several destroyed aircrafts.

The bad part is that I don't seem to really remember how I set such missions up and doing it now, I don't get the strafing attacks. I've tried both a regular bombing mission with fighter bombers and doing a sweep over and airfield with fighters but they just seem to attack the airfield itself and not the planes stationed there (all attacks have been made at airfields where recon planes showed enemy planes stationed there the day before).

What am I doing wrong?

[nelmsm1]

ORIGINAL: Mannock

Alright, so basically any strategy is viable really. I think I'll go for the aircraft factories, and see how that goes. Thanks.

And another question when I'm here anyway. I have problems attack airfields. I remember doing it in the old game where I had great success with my fighters (or was it fighterbombers?) strafing an airfield, often scoring several destroyed aircrafts.

The bad part is that I don't seem to really remember how I set such missions up and doing it now, I don't get the strafing attacks. I've tried both a regular bombing mission with fighter bombers and doing a sweep over and airfield with fighters but they just seem to attack the airfield itself and not the planes stationed there (all attacks have been made at airfields where recon planes showed enemy planes stationed there the day before).

What am I doing wrong?

Well you've got to be sure to recon a lot of airfields. If you just recon a few the LW is probably going to be moving those squadrons as they'll be expecting an attack. If you recon a bunch then they can only move so many and you might outguess them. Timing is important also, if you send your sweep over the field while the planes are 100 miles away intercepting a bombing mission you aren't going to accomplish near as much.

[jtareb]

My own strategy:
 
1. recon alot--afs, factories etc..
2. Attack across the spectrum of targets--from italy i attack aircraft factories and oil. From Britain the largest factories available given the weather situation.
3. Use the 9th and the 2nd taf strikes for overlord as secondary strikes along with the big raids--they will draw off the early LW rush.
4. Dont attack too deep too early. You dont have enough of the long range p-47's and p-51's till May to have more than one attack beyond the Ruhr-Bremen line with max protection.
5. Use bomber command to attack the ruhr early--a target rich environment where area damage will cause the max industrial damage as well.

[Mannock]

I set all my commands to recon airfields, so there was plenty of recon of different airfields in the given examples.

But how should I set up my airfield attacks so that I strafe some enemy planes into oblivion?

Is a bombing mission with fighter bombers at 500 feet a sound idea? Or should I set up a fighter sweep at the same level, over an airfield?

[jtareb]

I only attack airfields when required or when i see one quite close to the channel launching aircraft. I use the RAF Typhoons for AF attacks at 10k with a fighter close escort--the fighters will attack the base as well. There are simply too many other targets to hit that have a bigger impact on scoring than AF's, especially given the fast repair time of AF's

As far as recon goes I use them to get info on industrial targets. If you check the map in the beginning you will see that much of your intel is very old and needs to be updated. One trick is to launch the recon flight targeted on a factory on the back side of a city--on its return it will take additional pics of other targets.

[kaybayray]

Mannoc,
I would not set any kind of attack on an airfield at 500 feet unless you are attempting to produce shredded aircraft and KIA crews. Several thousand feet minimum is a must.

Later,
KayBay

[Mannock]

ORIGINAL: kaybayray

Mannoc,
I would not set any kind of attack on an airfield at 500 feet unless you are attempting to produce shredded aircraft and KIA crews. Several thousand feet minimum is a must.

Later,
KayBay

Yeah, I'm trying to figure out the appropriate tactic for an airfield attack with fighter bombers. I know I did it successfully in the old game, I just don't remember what setup I used.

[kaybayray]

Mannoc,
I typically look at the weather..... IE the Cieling and set my alt just below that or somewhere between 8-12k dependig on which is lower. If the cieling is below 4-5k I typically wont fly it unless I absolutely know that field has nothing but BB guns and Tennis ball launchers for AA.

Later,
KayBay

[Golden Bear]

You aren't going to shoot up fighters on the ground if they are not active. Oh, might get a couple now and again but you want to get your FS to the airfield while it is running operations. To get them on the ground the best is probably after the planes have landed and are preparing to relaunch. Best is to get there slightly before they arrive and shoot them down as they land. To do this you have to estimate when they are going to take off to attack a bomber raid and then when they are going to be back.

Also, shooting down landing planes is not as effective as it was before. Still just more fun than Christmas but doesn't yield as much. Curse Harley and Sarge anyway.

Carlos

[TechSgt]

Mannock;

Remember the weather base. You have to fly at least 100 feet below that, or you risk the clouds getting in the way.

Something I do is...

A fighter sweep -- target point at the airfield coordinates -- will arrive 1 to 2 minutes before the fighter-bombers -- not the other way as dust will obscure the target. I try to come in just above the maximum altitude of the field's AAA guns.

FB's do dive bombing above 10k altitude -- more accurate. Below that altitude, it is skip bombing not as accurate.

TS

BTW: Be sure to escort the FB's! [;)]

[TechSgt]

ORIGINAL: kaybayray

Mannoc,
I would not set any kind of attack on an airfield at 500 feet unless you are attempting to produce shredded aircraft and KIA crews. Several thousand feet minimum is a must.

Later,
KayBay

*** Top Secret ***

It seems like an early first mission of the day escapes will little flak. The gunners must be having breakfast?

A fighter sweep with durable fighters -- P-47's or P-38's -- at 400 ft on a coastal airfield; Shipol, Calais, etc. seems to get in and away before the defense gets alerted.

You can get a couple of these in if they all have the same TOT.

TS

[kaybayray]

TechSgt,
Yeah I have done that many times but I have also been shredded many times. So IMHO it is not worth the risk. At least for me it isnt. To be successful with Fighter Sweeps one must pay attention to the fluidity of forces in motion and obtain a feel for some sense of Timing. You must time the moment of engagement of your sweeps so that you hit an airfield where aircraft are readying to takeoff.

The way to obtain this is lead off your strategic strikes with sweeps and pay attention to when Luftwaffe assets launch and where you Fighters are then this ocurrs. Then work to adjust your timing. After a few missions you should start catching the Luftwaffe on the ground and "Light em Up" as it were [8D]

Later,
KayBay

[Mannock]

ORIGINAL: TechSgt

*** Top Secret ***

It seems like an early first mission of the day escapes will little flak. The gunners must be having breakfast?

A fighter sweep with durable fighters -- P-47's or P-38's -- at 400 ft on a coastal airfield; Shipol, Calais, etc. seems to get in and away before the defense gets alerted.

You can get a couple of these in if they all have the same TOT.

TS

Hm, I'll give that one a try, just to see what happens. Thanks.

[Mannock]

ORIGINAL: Mannock

ORIGINAL: TechSgt

*** Top Secret ***

It seems like an early first mission of the day escapes will little flak. The gunners must be having breakfast?

A fighter sweep with durable fighters -- P-47's or P-38's -- at 400 ft on a coastal airfield; Shipol, Calais, etc. seems to get in and away before the defense gets alerted.

You can get a couple of these in if they all have the same TOT.

TS

Hm, I'll give that one a try, just to see what happens. Thanks.

16 Thunderbolts pancaked. Not trying that again.

[kaybayray]

Like I was sayin [8D]

[TechSgt]

ORIGINAL: Mannock

ORIGINAL: Mannock

ORIGINAL: TechSgt

*** Top Secret ***

It seems like an early first mission of the day escapes will little flak. The gunners must be having breakfast?

A fighter sweep with durable fighters -- P-47's or P-38's -- at 400 ft on a coastal airfield; Shipol, Calais, etc. seems to get in and away before the defense gets alerted.

You can get a couple of these in if they all have the same TOT.

TS

Hm, I'll give that one a try, just to see what happens. Thanks.

16 Thunderbolts pancaked. Not trying that again.

Sorry dude;
I hope you didn't try this on an airfield with 90+ AAA. [:(] I failed to mention that part.

I never intend to strafe any airfield if the light AAA is above 20+. I just use the medium bombers @ 6700 ft if no 37mm, or 14,500 ft if 37mm is stationed at the airfield. I seem to get the best results with a properly timed A-20 or B-25 raid. The B-26's do a great job, but they are slow at getting in and out.

The only time I strafe "heavily" defended airfields is when my fighter sweeps are engaged with enemy aircraft and they go off on their own unplanned strafing missions. [:@] It is never pretty; only occasionally very lucky.

I have not tried using my fighter-bomber in a strafing mode -- an addition to BtR -- since I'm currently in the process of taking down the coastal radar.

TS