Use of Luftwaffe in '42
Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 8:38 pm
Playing the '41 GC as the Axis at custom difficulty (SU all 110, Axis 90-100). Really didn't make much use of the Luftwaffe in '41 after the first turn. Casualties in airfield attacks generally favoured the SU from Turn 2 on and attack on ground units always appeared to be a total waste of time and aircraft - trading a bomber for each 5 or so SU casualties seemed like bad math (and I'll believe in 'invisible effects' when I see them, so to speak). Plus my Stuka pilots seem to have been well trained in the precise art of missing SU AFVs. Automatic air support seems to be the one functional aspect of the air war and with the latest patch, interdictions have gone all the way from extremely rare to very infrequent, so recon at the start of each turn and auto from there forward. Annoyingly, the SU airforce appears to be 2-3 times more effective than the Luftwaffe, per bomber, even this early in the war.
Anyway, enough preamble, on to the question - or potentially more preamble. I have just over 4000 planes in May '42, the SU 11,000+. I also have over 2000 front line combt planes, maybe 65% level bombers, in my pool, where they appear to be very happy. And I actually modded the game to add 2 JGs, 1 StG, 2 KGs and some miscellaneous squadrons. No planes,just the units which the AI dutifully filled out and went into active status in Nov. '41. Otherwise I would have 3000 planes in my reserve, out of maybe 6200 total. So I have restarted bombing SU airfields, averaging 2:1, or slightly better, casualties (favourable). Not going to win the war but I have so many 'spare' bombers that it seems like a less bad idea than doing nothing. Looking at the reinforcement schedule, looks like I lose as many air units as I get new ones so I don't need to have a pool to fill new units.
So what do other people do with the Luftwaffe in '42 (and beyond) and/or suggest doing? Bonus points for anyone who knows how to get Stukas to hit an AFV. Thanks.
Anyway, enough preamble, on to the question - or potentially more preamble. I have just over 4000 planes in May '42, the SU 11,000+. I also have over 2000 front line combt planes, maybe 65% level bombers, in my pool, where they appear to be very happy. And I actually modded the game to add 2 JGs, 1 StG, 2 KGs and some miscellaneous squadrons. No planes,just the units which the AI dutifully filled out and went into active status in Nov. '41. Otherwise I would have 3000 planes in my reserve, out of maybe 6200 total. So I have restarted bombing SU airfields, averaging 2:1, or slightly better, casualties (favourable). Not going to win the war but I have so many 'spare' bombers that it seems like a less bad idea than doing nothing. Looking at the reinforcement schedule, looks like I lose as many air units as I get new ones so I don't need to have a pool to fill new units.
So what do other people do with the Luftwaffe in '42 (and beyond) and/or suggest doing? Bonus points for anyone who knows how to get Stukas to hit an AFV. Thanks.