More CV planes

[msudrala8]

I am seriously getting low on CV planes. How do I get more? Would love to trade in about 100 warhawks on some.

[PizzaMan]

ORIGINAL: msudrala8

I am seriously getting low on CV planes. How do I get more? Would love to trade in about 100 warhawks on some.

More detail would be helpful. What is the cause for the loss?

[crsutton]

Well if you are playing the Allies you cannot get more. The rate is fixed and you will not get them any faster than the allowed rate. For Allied carrier aircraft the replacement rate is very low during the first year of the war-so you will have to use your carrier aircraft very sparingly. Only the Japanese player can work his production to improve the rate of aircraft production. But never the Allies, That is about it. It gets much better in 1943.

And welcome to the forums...[;)]

[msudrala8]

About when in 43? I just entered the year. Also I have several squadrons with only 2-3 planes. Is it better to withdraw them or just sit and wait for replacements?

[msudrala8]

Probably due to poor commanding on my part but they are getting shot down. Land based zeros seem to be doing most of the damage.

[PizzaMan]

ORIGINAL: msudrala8

Probably due to poor commanding on my part but they are getting shot down. Land based zeros seem to be doing most of the damage.

Stay outside of enemy land based aircraft range, unless it is absolutely necessary. Are you aggressively training when not engaged? Cutting down on OPS losses may help too.

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: msudrala8

About when in 43? I just entered the year. Also I have several squadrons with only 2-3 planes. Is it better to withdraw them or just sit and wait for replacements?

early 43, by mid 43 you should get enough fighters and bombers for your carriers that you shouldn't experience any problem.

[crsutton]

You really do not get enough until about april or May of 43 if I recall. The F4F will go out of produciton and you will get around 130 hellcats a month. Life gets better in the following month or so when you get the new SBD5 and helldivers in good numbers. Just stay out of trouble until then.

[Gridley380]

You get 101 airframes a month for most of 1942 - 21 SBD-3, 45 F4F-4, and 35 TBF-1. The F6F-3 starts with a production rate of 130/month in April 1943, and SBD-5 comes in at 88/month in May, along with the SB2C-1C at 45/month. Things keep getting better from there until late 1945.

Starting in 10/44, BTW, you hit over 1,000 USN carrier types per month.

[inqistor]

Check some non-organic CV units. You just need Carrier-Capable planes. USMC have some.

[Gridley380]

ORIGINAL: inqistor

Check some non-organic CV units. You just need Carrier-Capable planes. USMC have some.

For that matter, if you've already put planes in the USMC units, you can put USMC units directly on your carriers.

To state explicitly what is implied above: the USMC and the USN draw from the same A/C pools.

One trick that was actually done historically is to "upgrade" some USMC squadrons from Wildcats to Buffaloes, thus freeing up Wildcats for your carrier groups.

[msudrala8]

ORIGINAL: inqistor

Check some non-organic CV units. You just need Carrier-Capable planes. USMC have some.

How does one specifically do that?

[dr.hal]

Plus in the early stages of the war the Vindicator is a good aircraft and the marines have them. They too can be used on your carriers. They also have drop tanks!

[alimentary]

How do you do it?

Step 1: Find a USMC squadron, possibly in San Diego, Los Angeles or Pearl Harbor
that has plenty of high quality planes.

For instance, VMF-211 which starts in Pearl with a fragment at Wake
Or VMF-122 is a reinforcement arriving in San Diego in February or March
of 1942.

Step 2: Verify that the squadron says "Carrier capable" or "Carrier trained"

Step 3: If the squadron is attached to a restricted HQ (as VMF-122 is),
click on the headquarters to the right of the "Attached to:" and pay political
points to transfer it to an unrestricted HQ.

Step 4: Arrange for one of your carriers to be within transfer range of the
squadron or to be docked in harbor with the squadron.

Step 5a: [Optional] Transfer some of your depleted squadrons from the
carrier to the base by using the "Transfer to Base" pushbutton.

Step 5: Transfer the squadron from the base to the carrier by using the
"Transfer to Ship" pushbutton.

Step 6: If you have fighters in the pool but have the original squadron
set to "No Replacements", kick yourself, turn on replacements and fill it
out from the replacement pool. Do not forget to top up with replacement
pilots if needed.

[LoBaron]

List all land based aircraft (top taskbar), select to display USMC (or USN) only, select to display fighters only, then sort by plane type.

The early Corsairs are not CV capable, every other marine fighter should be (Wildcat versions or the old Buffaloes if you are really desparate...).

With April ´43, when the Hellcat production kicks in with 130/month, your fighter issues are solved, so question is whether it is not better to simply wait
before draining units and spending PP you could use for other locations.

[inqistor]

An example with pictures. I am not sure, why you need FIGHTERS, because Allies begin at serious disadvantage in number of CVs, and their torpedoes work only 50% of the time, so best use of CVs is to pick unprotected Amphibious TFs. That means you should search for attack planes (DB mostly)

ORIGINAL: alimentary

Step 1: Find a USMC squadron, possibly in San Diego, Los Angeles or Pearl Harbor
that has plenty of high quality planes.

For instance, VMF-211 which starts in Pearl with a fragment at Wake
Or VMF-122 is a reinforcement arriving in San Diego in February or March
of 1942.

There are only 2 sides in this game, so US CV do not need to have only US units, you can also put there some British. I think, there is SWORDFISH unit in Malaya, and British also get some CV Fighters early.
Look at the picture:
Chose LAND BASED AIR UNITS, check only type you want to find (in this case Dive Bombers), if you chose Fighters there will be many types, so you can safely remove Countries, which definitely do not employ Carrier Capable planes (like China).
On picture there is SB2U-3 VINDICATOR unit in Eastern USA. Click it.

Step 2: Verify that the squadron says "Carrier capable" or "Carrier trained"

That means, it can operate from Carriers. But there is catch, if you put only Carrier Capable, it will get increased operational loses on Carrier, so you better minimise its operations (that means NO CAP, only Escort for Fighters, and no NAVAL SEARCH for DB/TB).
Carrier Capable/Trained is by unit basis, so if you fill your Carrier unit with new planes, it will be still Carrier Trained.

Step 3: If the squadron is attached to a restricted HQ (as VMF-122 is),
click on the headquarters to the right of the "Attached to:" and pay political
points to transfer it to an unrestricted HQ.

On picture unit is indeed restricted, but you actually need only planes. If you have some last two SBD-1, just rearm this unit with them, and you will have brand shiny "new" 18 DBs to put on your CVs in few days.

[msudrala8]

[quote]ORIGINAL: inqistor

I am not sure, why you need FIGHTERS, because Allies begin at serious disadvantage in number of CVs, and their torpedoes work only 50% of the time, so best use of CVs is to pick unprotected Amphibious TFs. That means you should search for attack planes (DB mostly)

The reason I need the fighters is I am attempting to take the Marshall Islands and need them to protect my TF's as Japan has quite a few planes in that area and are especially kicking butt on my BB's. Currently I have two empty CV's in PH.
Thank you guys for the great information. I now have hope!

[Knavey]

May '43 will see the arrival of the Hellcat. That takes the pressure off your Wildcat groups and should help out with your present situation.

[msudrala8]

ORIGINAL: Knavey

May '43 will see the arrival of the Hellcat. That takes the pressure off your Wildcat groups and should help out with your present situation.

Can't wait. I'm may '42 now and taken back 2 of the Marshal Islands, working on the 3rd. It's killing me watching Japan take over the world and so little I can do.

[Gridley380]

ORIGINAL: msudrala8

Can't wait. I'm may '42 now and taken back 2 of the Marshal Islands, working on the 3rd. It's killing me watching Japan take over the world and so little I can do.

I'm sure it hurt worse in real life. :-}

As to F vs. DB vs. TB, FWIW I also prefer USMC fighter squadrons to DB squadrons. Several reasons:
1. Until July, you have more DB on board than F already.
2. If KB shows up, you need every fighter you can scramble.
3. US carriers have a very limited number of sorties in proportion to their capacity - once they're expended your DB are pretty useless, but your F can still fly CAP.
4. I keep my TB squadrons on board and have them fly Nav Strike with a high percentage set to ASW patrol. You'll have a surplus of TB airframes sooner than any other type, so you want them up front. Using them for ASW patrol seems to do a pretty good job of keeping the I Boats at bay.
5. The USAAC has lots of fighters to fly escort, but very few DB and almost no replacements. A combination of land-based USMC DB and USAAC F can slaughter IJN shipping unless they bring a carrier in. This is where I use my Vindicators, SBD-1's, and some SBD-2's.