Air Unit Redeployment?

[Capt Cliff]

Is there a lag in air unit effectivness when they are moved? I assume it takes more than a week to pack up an airfields equipment and move it some 100 or 200 miles then set the equipment up? Is there any impact on whether air units will fly missions after moving?

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: Capt Cliff

Is there a lag in air unit effectivness when they are moved? I assume it takes more than a week to pack up an airfields equipment and move it some 100 or 200 miles then set the equipment up? Is there any impact on whether air units will fly missions after moving?

Yes, moving airbases affects the ability to fly missions and vice versa.

[wiking62]

Do you have to construct new airfields prior to moving air units or is the construction calculated as part of the move effects?

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: hart2412

Do you have to construct new airfields prior to moving air units or is the construction calculated as part of the move effects?

Airbases are like units in that they have MP's and stacking limits. You do not build anything to move them.

[wiking62]

How are the airbases allocated, by Luftflotte/Fliegerkorps or do you receive a preset number of airbases that you distribute as you see fit?

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: hart2412

How are the airbases allocated, by Luftflotte/Fliegerkorps or do you receive a preset number of airbases that you distribute as you see fit?

They are historical but you can reassign if you want to.

[Fred98]

If it were up to me it would work like this:

In the production screen, you purchase a fighter airbase.

You allocate the airbase to a specific hex.

It takes “X” turns and then the fighter base is ready to be placed on the map.

If, in the meantime the hex is overrun by the enemy, the money you spent is lost.

Once an airbase exists it can only carry fighter aircraft.

If you want the fighter airbase to be large enough to carry bombers then:

In the production screen, you purchase a bomber airbase.

You allocate the airbase to a hex with an existing fighter airbase.

It takes “X” turns and then the fighter base becomes large enough to carry bombers.

If, in the meantime the hex is overrun by the enemy, the money you spent is lost.
-

[Helpless]

ORIGINAL: elmo3

ORIGINAL: hart2412

How are the airbases allocated, by Luftflotte/Fliegerkorps or do you receive a preset number of airbases that you distribute as you see fit?

They are historical but you can reassign if you want to.

Small clarification - air groups are historical for Axis and Soviet (Soviet at the start of scenarios). Air bases are virtual and non-historical units.

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: Helpless

Small clarification - air groups are historical for Axis and Soviet (Soviet at the start of scenarios). Air bases are virtual and non-historical units.

Thanks Pavel. I tend to think of them as the same, since I never reassign air units, which is not completely correct.

[wiking62]

ORIGINAL: Helpless

ORIGINAL: elmo3

ORIGINAL: hart2412

How are the airbases allocated, by Luftflotte/Fliegerkorps or do you receive a preset number of airbases that you distribute as you see fit?

They are historical but you can reassign if you want to.

Small clarification - air groups are historical for Axis and Soviet (Soviet at the start of scenarios). Air bases are virtual and non-historical units.

If air bases are virtual, is there a preset number or can you create them as and when required?

Also, as your frontline moves forward, what happens to the previously occupied airfield? Does it disappear?

I'm a little confused as to how airbases/airfields are handled by the game.

[jaw]

ORIGINAL: hart2412


If air bases are virtual, is there a preset number or can you create them as and when required?

Also, as your frontline moves forward, what happens to the previously occupied airfield? Does it disappear?

I'm a little confused as to how airbases/airfields are handled by the game.

The air forces in the game consist of two elements: a ground element called an air base which has a movement rate like other ground units, and air groups which are "on" the air base and contain the actual aircraft. You can assign up to 9 air groups to an air base.

You cannot build new air bases or air groups but may receive new ones as reinforcements. The Axis player will also occasionally see air bases/air groups withdrawn to other fronts.

Air bases and the air groups they contain cannot be destroyed (although the actual aircraft can be destroyed or damaged) and if an enemy combat unit moves adjacent to them they will automatically relocate to another hex.

[Helpless]

There is one more important Air Force component - Air Command HQ (Air Army, Air Corps, Luftflotte, Fliegerkorps, etc). All airbases attached to Air Command HQs. With on exception - Germans have air bases attached directly to Armies (one per Army) used for army recon units.

[wiking62]

Thanks for the extra information jaw and Helpless.

Makes sense now.[;)]

[critter]

What happens to the air units that aren't on the withdrawal list when an airbase withdraws? Should we keep the units and bases together for that reason?

In the game..Are there any mesg's about what units will soon be withdrawn? I assume the TOE boys will use "your" replacements to rebuild the units before their trips to other fronts.
Leads to another question..Baby the withdrawing unit so it doesn't get to shot up and keeps your repls for your other units? Or Damn the torpedoes and let the withdrawing unit lead the attack and the "survivors" rest up in France?

[jaw]

ORIGINAL: critter

What happens to the air units that aren't on the withdrawal list when an airbase withdraws? Should we keep the units and bases together for that reason?

In the game..Are there any mesg's about what units will soon be withdrawn? I assume the TOE boys will use "your" replacements to rebuild the units before their trips to other fronts.
Leads to another question..Baby the withdrawing unit so it doesn't get to shot up and keeps your repls for your other units? Or Damn the torpedoes and let the withdrawing unit lead the attack and the "survivors" rest up in France?

The scenario designers will have to answer what becomes of air groups assigned to a withdrawing air base since I am not sure exactly how they are handling that. As for units in general, a unit must be at 75% TOE to withdraw or it will sit frozen on the map edge until it re-builds to that strength. There is no advantage in trying to use up a unit slated for withdrawal.

[Great_Ajax]

There are not any withdrawing airbases and I just revised the 1941, Typhoon, and 1942 scenarios on the German side. Airbases are purely administrative holder units and are not historical. They are a ground unit to represent the ground logistics and air defenses associated with supporting the various Air Groups and the player can swap squadrons in and out as much as they like. Airbases can also be reassigned to different Luftflottes. Currently, I think there are around thirty German airbases (not including the airbases assigned to the ground armies) and each one can assign up to nine airgroups.

Trey

ORIGINAL: critter

What happens to the air units that aren't on the withdrawal list when an airbase withdraws? Should we keep the units and bases together for that reason?

In the game..Are there any mesg's about what units will soon be withdrawn? I assume the TOE boys will use "your" replacements to rebuild the units before their trips to other fronts.
Leads to another question..Baby the withdrawing unit so it doesn't get to shot up and keeps your repls for your other units? Or Damn the torpedoes and let the withdrawing unit lead the attack and the "survivors" rest up in France?

[wiking62]

Are there no penalties for the number of airgroups assigned to each airbase? Nine airgroups on one base seems like too many.

[jaw]

ORIGINAL: hart2412

Are there no penalties for the number of airgroups assigned to each airbase? Nine airgroups on one base seems like too many.

The air "bases" are actually an abstraction for playability purposes. The actual air groups would have been at airfields all over the area behind the forces they were supporting. Trust me, when you play the game you'll be glad we did it this way.

[wiking62]

ORIGINAL: jaw

ORIGINAL: hart2412

Are there no penalties for the number of airgroups assigned to each airbase? Nine airgroups on one base seems like too many.

The air "bases" are actually an abstraction for playability purposes. The actual air groups would have been at airfields all over the area behind the forces they were supporting. Trust me, when you play the game you'll be glad we did it this way.

Okay, thanks for the reply jaw. I'm sure it will all make sense once i get my hands on the game.
[;)]

[oldman45]

Weren't most of the "airbases" just big clear fields?