Matrix Games Forums

I bought the Orignal "12 O'Clock High Bombing The Reich" when it was released years ago. I got hooked on playing it for a while, but work and other commitments took me away from playing on a regular basis.

One of the problems I seemed to have was that while playing as the Allies, I consistently sustained more aircraft losses than the Axis, regardless of the numbers of escorts assigned to a raid.

Fast forward about seven years and with the purchase of the latest release where I actually took the time to read the manual!

I am assuming everyone else already knows this, but it was new to me. By layering the high level escorts from 1500 to 3000 feet, my bomber losses have dropped off drastically, Previously I was sustaining 30% and greater losses, with this simple alteration and a little better planning, losses are at about 5%. Now, I see the Axis losses consistently greater than my own.

Also by mixing some RCM aircraft into a bomber stream during night raids, the allies aren't getting chewed up (previously, it wasn't uncommon for me to loose close to half of the aircraft assigned to a raid.) nearly as bad and with the attached NI and RCM aircraft Axis losses at night have risen appreciably.

I guess the point is, that reading the manual carefully has resulted in more realistic results.

Thanks

some times it helps

but, all in all, depending on what you will help also, timing of raids, decoys, sweeps, type of raid plots

(old forum, we had details on a lot of raid types, outriggers, starbursts, drags, bait and switch

also, something to watch, the AI on the attack, likes to make a pass and then try to get into the trail of the raid, once there, they can pick off any of the bombers/fighters which start to break off of the main raid, so, knowing that and planning for it, you can always set up a 2nd or 3rd raid, to follow a couple of minutes behind the lead raid, the fighters flying with the follow up raids, have a chance to bounce the tailenders (one hassle is, you are always going to run out of followers sometime

which is also why, when you can, you can plots some sweeps to fly along side of the main raid plot, and or crisscross along the path (when done right and everything goes right, can be well worth the effert, when it don't, it can be a waste of time