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My night CAP does nothing (even 100 plus a/c). The combat a2a replay lasts a millisecond, I fail to shoot down anything whilst usually losing 2 or 3 fighters to his bombers, then his bombers unload, maybe destroying a few more a/c on the ground. Even utter crap like the Blenheim and Wellington get through without a scratch.

I cannot counter this by attacking his bomber airfields during the day, too many of them and most are out of the range of the only competitive escort (Tojo) I possess.

Why don't you night bomb their bases yourself?

ORIGINAL: Elladan

Why don't you night bomb their bases yourself?

My bombers are absolutely useless in this role. His are not much better, but he can mass them as he has multiple bases to fly from whereas I have only 1 or 2.

I am more miffed at the fact that his bombers can shoot down my fighters, even at night, whereas my fighters do nothing. Its as if they have been painted fluorescent green with targets on them and the pilots have been told to fly alongside the bombers and stay there until they are shot down......

They are definitely not up to the task, agreed, but then, even if they don't down any bombers they still disrupt them and decrease the bombing accuracy. It would be much worse if you let them bomb unopposed.
As to the airfields, you're sure you cannot find more than 1-2 bases for your bombers? If so, perhaps there is a better frontline somewhere around you could use to improve your defense? Hard to say more without details of the situation.
One more thing, recon is crucial, do you recon heavily before bombing?

ORIGINAL: Miller

ORIGINAL: Elladan

Why don't you night bomb their bases yourself?

My bombers are absolutely useless in this role. His are not much better, but he can mass them as he has multiple bases to fly from whereas I have only 1 or 2.

I am more miffed at the fact that his bombers can shoot down my fighters, even at night, whereas my fighters do nothing. Its as if they have been painted fluorescent green with targets on them and the pilots have been told to fly alongside the bombers and stay there until they are shot down......

try to ban it with a house rule. On the other side, you'll see 100 times more torpedo attacks by the Japanese than real life too and while those didn't happen anywhere near the numbers in the game, the Allied bombed at night, at least late war and burnt Japan. [:D]

I think a lot of players HR it as night bombing is modelled here better than could be expected. These HR's include moon light settings above 85% iirc & alt settings too. AAA and Cap trap might help too.

We have a HR that there must be at least 50% moonlight and a max of one sqd per airbase on night attack, which is fair enough. It just seems to be a case of having to choose either fly night CAP and have 3 shot down in the air and 3 destroyed on the ground, or dont fly it and have 6 a/c destroyed on the ground[:D]

Pilots in Nicks with high exp. 80+ perform somewhat better then your standard squadrons. Thats said they also not realy a solution, just a bit better.

ORIGINAL: Gräfin Zeppelin

Pilots in Nicks with high exp. 80+ perform somewhat better then your standard squadrons. Thats said they also not realy a solution, just a bit better.

I produced these solely for night fighting and they perform no better than other fighters. Unfortunately I dont have many 80+ exp pilots left as it is June 43........[:(]

IMO, any house rule for night bombing should have an escalation so that there are serious restrictions in 1942 and mostly none in 1945.

Agreed, Allied night bombing became effective in 1944 because of air-to-ground mapping radars.

Part of the issue with night bombing is the daytime DL's are used by night bombing attacks. If the possibility existed where that could be toned down by a good amount it would go a long way in putting this issue to rest.

The beta introduced night combat changes.

Basically there is no point in using fighters on night CAP which lack radar. Use only radar equipped fighters for night CAP.

Alfred

ORIGINAL: castor troy

ORIGINAL: Miller

ORIGINAL: Elladan

Why don't you night bomb their bases yourself?

My bombers are absolutely useless in this role. His are not much better, but he can mass them as he has multiple bases to fly from whereas I have only 1 or 2.

I am more miffed at the fact that his bombers can shoot down my fighters, even at night, whereas my fighters do nothing. Its as if they have been painted fluorescent green with targets on them and the pilots have been told to fly alongside the bombers and stay there until they are shot down......

try to ban it with a house rule. On the other side, you'll see 100 times more torpedo attacks by the Japanese than real life too and while those didn't happen anywhere near the numbers in the game, the Allied bombed at night, at least late war and burnt Japan. [:D]

We have limited it to one unit per theater per night. So no more than four attack or so per day. Works fine and brings it under control. It is more of a nuisance. I think we put a limit on units doing night torpedo attacks but can't remember. Perhaps one or two designated units to reflect the extra training needed.

ORIGINAL: CT Grognard

Agreed, Allied night bombing became effective in 1944 because of air-to-ground mapping radars.

Not really. It became effective when the decision was made to use saturation firebombing of large city targets over Japan. Air mapping radar was a leap forward but still very new.

Daylight raids continued to be the norm for the Americans in Europe and the Brits use saturation bombing at night.

Basically there is no point in using fighters on night CAP which lack radar. Use only radar equipped fighters for night CAP.

The British and Italians had some light success in moonlights. Also the British had integrated system with searchlights on ground and it worked sometimes.

really house rules to not allow 24 hour a day attacks against hte jap bases.. in late 42 through late 43, ehen bases came within range of bombers they lost effectivity.. I remember seeing some 25 footage, awesome seeing a 75 mm cannot tearing up ground targets... I object to crying foul that I hear..
Really? day and night bombing happened, we can argue over allot fo minuetee, but this?
Sorry I do not see the problem.. unless its the other way where I cannot park dead groups on the side of the tarmac, send there pilots to rear for coffee and donuts.. in real life dead
"on the ground groups" would de activate... cannot do that in my game without lossing the planes and pilots of groups.. I know.. jump through hoop A to get to square b rational.. I can " disband" or " transfer or load on ship or ..withdraw.. non of which is me just parking the planes on the side and focusing the ground assetss on the remaining active groups...
what becomes of my planes in my fantasy" real world" ? The sit, are cannabalized for parts or a wave of new planes arrives by ship and the group reactivates in place with fresh pilots .. refreshed from ll the donut eating ..
My point is the caps on base size are anti US vs what I see recorded in history...
 
ok
rant over ...
where where we.. ok .. what to do about Allied night bombing.. one think my oponenet did was use some bombbers as anti air platforms at night.. odd and it worked! lol [X(]

In my game with Chez, I had concerns about night bombing due to reports here in the forum.  When he started some night bombing attacks, I simply told him that if he did 'em, I'd do 'em, but that if he didn't do 'em, I wouldn't do 'em.  He's doing 'em now and then, so one of these days I will pay him back with interest.

ORIGINAL: crsutton

ORIGINAL: castor troy

ORIGINAL: Miller




My bombers are absolutely useless in this role. His are not much better, but he can mass them as he has multiple bases to fly from whereas I have only 1 or 2.

I am more miffed at the fact that his bombers can shoot down my fighters, even at night, whereas my fighters do nothing. Its as if they have been painted fluorescent green with targets on them and the pilots have been told to fly alongside the bombers and stay there until they are shot down......

try to ban it with a house rule. On the other side, you'll see 100 times more torpedo attacks by the Japanese than real life too and while those didn't happen anywhere near the numbers in the game, the Allied bombed at night, at least late war and burnt Japan. [:D]

We have limited it to one unit per theater per night. So no more than four attack or so per day. Works fine and brings it under control. It is more of a nuisance. I think we put a limit on units doing night torpedo attacks but can't remember. Perhaps one or two designated units to reflect the extra training needed.

We haven't limited it per se in my game, but this is the way it's been working out. A few squadrons in a few theatres results in a few aircraft destroyed nightly on the tarmac. An annoyance, but nothing more-which is fine for gameplay.

I've reciprocated a few times in larger numbers, but the results don't appear worth the bother.

Chez has been occaisionally night bombing my main airfield at Suva, but I have my only squadron of P70s there so there has been no damage with four Betties lost so far. I've got a squadron of PV-1Ns training up to add to my defenses soon (we are in late July '43).

I have been occasionally night bombing the oilfields and refineries in Burma with the RAF night bombers. This has been done with a total of five Wellington or Liberator squadrons. If the artwork shows a black belly on the aircraft, it is a night bomber in my book.

Once I get the B29s within range of serious industry I might use them for night bombing. Then again, I might not.