1943 - Best Japanese ASW aircraft

[KPAX]

folks,

What iare the best, say, 3-4 aircraft in 1943 to use for ASW as a Japanese player?

[WO Katsuki]

good to use some old IJAAF bmbrs to do it

like sallys (replaced by other stuff with armor by 1943)

kate is also good if they're not busy

jill gets radar at some point

[pharmy]

I actually like producing the Ann for choke points (3 hex ASW range) since the PP charge (switch from one to 2 engine) got introduced - 250 kg bomb and uses an existing engine - Ha-5 - which I use for the Sally transport as well (and until my Topsy line upgrades). There are a lot of 1E squadrons you would really only use for training that you can upgrade to the Ann. Until 6/44 it doesn't really matter which bomber you use as the Japanese a/c have no radar (as long as it carries at least a 250kg bomb). After 6/44 MAD and H-6 equipped a/c only.

[Miller]

Sally or early Helen.

[pharmy]

ORIGINAL: Miller

Sally or early Helen.

as early as PPs and engine economics allow yes (scen 2 or RA). I keep the early Helen for the MAD capability into the late game. I use the Ann for the narrow straits (Korea/Hokkaido/Singapore/Java etc..) and some of the shimas

[Empire101]

ORIGINAL: icepharmy

ORIGINAL: Miller

Sally or early Helen.

as early as PPs and engine economics allow yes (scen 2 or RA). I keep the early Helen for the MAD capability into the late game. I use the Ann for the narrow straits (Korea/Hokkaido/Singapore/Java etc..) and some of the shimas

Me too!
The early Helens MAD capability gives great versatility to the Helen Ia's.

[koniu]

ORIGINAL: Empire101

ORIGINAL: icepharmy

ORIGINAL: Miller

Sally or early Helen.

as early as PPs and engine economics allow yes (scen 2 or RA). I keep the early Helen for the MAD capability into the late game. I use the Ann for the narrow straits (Korea/Hokkaido/Singapore/Java etc..) and some of the shimas

Me too!
The early Helens MAD capability gives great versatility to the Helen Ia's.

MAD is not available until 6/44 So for `43 Helen is as good as any plane

[pharmy]

indeed, I meant keeping one small factory and a healthy stock of Helen 1a till 6/44. I don't think any of the other army bombers get any other aid.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: koniu
MAD is not available until 6/44 So for `43 Helen is as good as any plane

Yes-this was my recollection as well. The airframe advertisement of MAD functionality is somewhat belied by this. The earlier (earlier than 6/44) are MAD-capable, but you won't be able to fit the airframe with this device until late in the war.

So-that impacts my recommendations and usages. I'll use Helen IIa for the most part. Decent bomb load for IJAAF and armor to fend off the pesky occasional AA return fire from the subs.

[Rising-Sun]

Well i didnt think two-engine planes would be suitable for ASW, but having floatplanes training as naval search and ASW make the different as well their payloads. one-engine planes are more agile than two engines, most of them are less range. When i had my campaign running awhile back, i had couple of naval search and couple of ASW airgroups in training. Believe i had one or two single-engine army bomber groups as well. But not for twin-engine, only for search and bombing land targets mostly.

[pharmy]

Yeah I wrote the same regarding radar, basically till 6/44, any army plane with a 250kg bomb, range matters only in some parts of the convoying route. I just find it a waste of PPs to convert my all my 1E groups.

MAD and H-6 arrive on 6/44, N-6 10/44, FM-3 6/45 and FD-2 10/45

ORIGINAL: icepharmy

After 6/44 MAD and H-6 equipped a/c only.

Later on the training Kate 2 groups are probably the most effective combining a large bomb, MAD and H-6 and they have a semi-decent range. I'm wondering if naval search at night is any good at detecting subs. Daytime an ASW umbrella combined with some dedicated hunter escort groups seems to keep subs submerged and ineffective (relatively) even if no hits are scored (and you do lose a couple of DDs). Overall day time the hunter killer group concept seems to work the best for me as even convoys with more escorts then AKs get almost 100% while transiting sub infested waters (and I mean real high exp escorts, not PBs)

[PaxMondo]

MAD only adds 5% bonus ... better than nothing, but not that big of a deal.  Sally or Helen are prolly your best IJA.  Nell or Betty your best IJN.