Matrix Games Forums

I just realized that delayed escorts have to fly to the form-up airfield and then follow the whole raid route. Wouldn't it be more logical to fly straight from their own airfield to the reunion point?.

YEAH !!! SOmbody Finally Said IT !!!! [&o][&o][&o][&o][&o]

Gee... wouldnt it be nice to actually be able to "Set Rally Points"... Wow I bet I could extend the "Operational Ranges of my Escort AC by 20-30%". I could actually attack targets the "I" want to with a "Friendly" escort. [8D]

Later,
KayBay

Yep.

yes, it would be a good revise escorts.
BTW, what kind of icon mod you use JapLance?

ORIGINAL: mikkey

yes, it would be a good revise escorts.
BTW, what kind of icon mod you use JapLance?

Modified Icon Set - 3 Zoom Levels

The rubber icon is the same as the set above though the lightning bolt is different so it might be a new icon set.

(I'll admit I have customised a couple of icons in my own set as well).

ORIGINAL: kaybayray

YEAH !!! SOmbody Finally Said IT !!!! [&o][&o][&o][&o][&o]

Gee... wouldnt it be nice to actually be able to "Set Rally Points"... Wow I bet I could extend the "Operational Ranges of my Escort AC by 20-30%". I could actually attack targets the "I" want to with a "Friendly" escort. [8D]

Later,
KayBay

Edit: Misread the question, which is why don't delayed units go directly to the rendezvous point instead of following along behind on the planned mission path.

I'll let the developers answer with authority but several things come to mind:

• Won't the players squeal if the most direct route is directly over the most intense flak trap in the British Isles (or that interceptor unit they were trying to bypass) and the escort is delayed and misses the rendezvous or arrives in no fit state to perform their duties.
• If the developer devise a scheme where the delayed fighter unit uses it's own flight plan, wouldn't that be considered a separate mission?? In the days before satellite navigation and reliable data communications, a rendezvous between separate formations was no mean feat. Far easier just to follow the path of the formation you are trying to find and catch up to it eventually.
• Probably too hard/not worth it and out of scope to implement the code

Edited: see previous post.

edited: see previous post

ORIGINAL: mikkey

yes, it would be a good revise escorts.
BTW, what kind of icon mod you use JapLance?

The one Reg just pointed out, but a bit modified to my taste [;)].

ORIGINAL: Reg

You can already do this by delaying the escort takeoff time and I think they fly directly to the rendezvous* with the bombers.

No, it doesn't work this way.

I added the screen-shot to show it clearly, but I forgot to add that the first unit are the bombers, and the second is the delayed escort from Wissant (I think). The escorts fly all the way from Wissant to the form up airport, and then copy the route of the bombers (green arrows). I don't think they did it this way operationally, I definitely wouldn't if I wanted to maximize the range of an already short-legged escort.

I know it's a very bad example of a properly escorted raid, I only set it up this way so it was clearly seen.

My impression on Reg's example is that the delayed Bf 109's reach a bit further because they can fly at optimal cruise speed until the reunion point (while the not delayed ones have to fly at the bombers speed), but not because they fly less distance.

ORIGINAL: JapLance

ORIGINAL: mikkey

yes, it would be a good revise escorts.
BTW, what kind of icon mod you use JapLance?

The one Reg just pointed out, but a bit modified to my taste [;)].

ORIGINAL: Reg

You can already do this by delaying the escort takeoff time and I think they fly directly to the rendezvous* with the bombers.

No, it doesn't work this way.

...

My impression on Reg's example is that the delayed Bf 109's reach a bit further because they can fly at optimal cruise speed until the reunion point (while the not delayed ones have to fly at the bombers speed), but not because they fly less distance.

Agree. That's how it appears to work.

Why don't you just change the form up point to the fighter airfield when plotting the raid by changing the first way point. That way bombers which have more range than the fighters do the extra distance not the short legged fighters.

Yes that work around does work well as the game engine then changes the nearest base to the raid form-up point.

However it costs you one of your way points.

ORIGINAL: Otto von Blotto

Why don't you just change the form up point to the fighter airfield when plotting the raid by changing the first way point.

I did not realize that you can actually do that.
Can someone explain how to do this?

ORIGINAL: jomni

ORIGINAL: Otto von Blotto

Why don't you just change the form up point to the fighter airfield when plotting the raid by changing the first way point.

I did not realize that you can actually do that.
Can someone explain how to do this?

If you move the first inbound waypoint around it will move to the nearest friendly airbase.
1) You can left click "Inbound 1" then left click on the map and it will position the first inbound there, or
2) You can right-click and drag the first waypoint to where you want it. The form-up base will change as you move the point.

BTW: In TOH the base had to be occupied. Eagle's Day seems to have changed that to any friendly base.

TS

ORIGINAL: jomni

ORIGINAL: Otto von Blotto

Why don't you just change the form up point to the fighter airfield when plotting the raid by changing the first way point.

I did not realize that you can actually do that.
Can someone explain how to do this?

If you drag the first waypoint you can position it anywhere you want to move the form-up airfield. You can drag it up and down the coast to get the airfield you want to leave from.