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So I'm thinking of starting a new PBEM after ending my tour at a certain dusty country in the middle of Asia. I've been away for quite some time and I'm not too certain about aerial ASW anymore. I seem to remember that there were problems with ASW missions and naval search was better instead? Is it still true with the latest patches?

In addition, which skillset should be trained for ASW in addition to either ASW or NavSearch.. does naval or lownav bombing affect the aerial ASW in any way?

Thanks in advance, String.

For ASW, ASW is the skill you want to train. Naval search is second. Naval search allows for more range but it is ASW that leads to more attacks and hits. No other skill matter that I know of.

ASW Air Missions are very valuable. Investing in both the squadrons and pilots will give you good returns.

I play Allied against the AI. In my current game, I'm up to January 1943. About once a month I will do an intel check by opening up both sides (yes, I confess that's terribly close to cheating.... but heck, I'm investing up to four years in one entertainment category, I'm allowed....I am more of a Historian and just can't bear not knowing what is happening to the other side.. ) After a year of war most of the Japanese Subs that were actually destroyed were from Mines at major ports (Sydney, Columbo, Pearl). Seems the AI likes to launch midget sub attacks.
The next major killer of enemy subs were 250 pound bombs hits from my ASW Air Patrols. During your combat resolution phase you will see Airgroup contact and attack reports against enemy submarines and surface targets. Mostly these are inaccurate reports from over-eager pilots.... but a real percentage are actual hits that, even if they don't sink the sub, will force it to return to base for repairs.

For the Commonwealth Countries (British, Australia and New Zealand) the Hudson IIIa is an excellent ASW aircraft. It's one of the first allied bombers equipped with radar. It's really too light of an aircraft to risk for ground attack missions. With good range and some bombs, I've come to rely on it for ASW coverage.

It takes about six months of training to bring your aircrews up to the skill level to make a difference. I will mix their mission levels (say 40% ASW - 40% Training - 20 % Rest). Yes, if you work them at 80% training, they will learn up faster,,,, but in the early days of the war I need Missions flown. Once they get up to the 70% ASW skill level, you can reduce training and concentrate on ASW.

The ASW Skill set will include search levels (against subs). I still like to mix my training for search and ASW squadrons. I use the Kingfisher squadrons to train up ASW and Search Pilots (other threads mention these as great training groups for all your naval air crews).

Note: Not really part of your thread, but I was really surprised at the number of Jap Fleet boats destroyed by Mines (not just the midgets). It's easy to get lost in all the layers of details in this game, but you want to look at Mine Warfare as an ASW defense for your major ports.

Welcome back from 'over there'. We all appreciate your efforts.

this game is blowing my mind...

So neither naval attack nor low naval attack skill plays no significant role in the ASW effectiveness?

ORIGINAL: String

So neither naval attack nor low naval attack skill plays no significant role in the ASW effectiveness?

Correct.

And, in my experience, aerial ASW can disclose a submarine's location to nearby ASW task forces, enhancing their chances at hits (I believe) and reducing the submarine's chances of a successful torpedo attack (I hope). If this is all true, aerial ASW efforts do not have to achieve hits themselves to be quite valuable. Not to mention that you can redirect potential target task forces once a submarine is spotted.

I am still trying to figure out how effective a light, medium or heavy bomber is at ASW spotting, compared to patrol craft. Any test done on this, or guesses?

ORIGINAL: olperfessor

And, in my experience, aerial ASW can disclose a submarine's location to nearby ASW task forces, enhancing their chances at hits (I believe) and reducing the submarine's chances of a successful torpedo attack (I hope). If this is all true, aerial ASW efforts do not have to achieve hits themselves to be quite valuable. Not to mention that you can redirect potential target task forces once a submarine is spotted.

I am still trying to figure out how effective a light, medium or heavy bomber is at ASW spotting, compared to patrol craft. Any test done on this, or guesses?

Yep, spotting the sub make him useless. I don't noticed better result with the asw task force in the area though.

From what I remember, it make no difference what plane you use but the bigger the bomb is the best are the chance to destroy the sub. The range help too because it is divide by 2 so 2E are quiet useful, although float plane get less operationnal loss over the sea.

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

ORIGINAL: String

So neither naval attack nor low naval attack skill plays no significant role in the ASW effectiveness?

Correct.

I could have sworn someone else said you needed LowNav skill for better chance to hit ? GRRRR... I have dozens of pilots training for LowNav [:@]

ORIGINAL: Xargun

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

ORIGINAL: String

So neither naval attack nor low naval attack skill plays no significant role in the ASW effectiveness?

Correct.

I could have sworn someone else said you needed LowNav skill for better chance to hit ? GRRRR... I have dozens of pilots training for LowNav [:@]

I have seen someone say that, but it was not a developer and I do not know the source of the claim. I do not train LowNav for attacking subs.

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Xargun

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar



Correct.

I could have sworn someone else said you needed LowNav skill for better chance to hit ? GRRRR... I have dozens of pilots training for LowNav [:@]

I have seen someone say that, but it was not a developer and I do not know the source of the claim. I do not train LowNav for attacking subs.

Me either. That's why there is an ASW skill. Because it ISN'T LowNav.

Sometimes people invent ways to make this beast harder.

I train my starting B-17s at PH and the USA for ASW. They hit subs some times and never do I get a skill increase in anything other than ASW and very rarely NavSearch. I think the NavSearch increases are when they can't or don't make an attack on the sub.

A question that has puzzled me, for the float planes flying night search to look for subs do their pilots benefit from naval search or ASW skill or both?