Air Superiority

[jzardos]

Trying to setup my air doctrines, but starting to confuse myself.

If I do my air manually do I have to pick every unit and setup Air Superiority area AD for it? If I don't tell a air group to fly AS, will it not do anything at all? Not even defend itself? Getting most confused when trying to setup missions myself and still allowing AI to fill in gaps I leave? But worried I won't fly planes (fighters mostly) I should or I'll click something auto and override all my missions. If I set training levels and see there are planes below that level, will the automatically train if not set to rest? Manual says so, but thought on forum post somebody mentioned you have to set all AG to train manually or they will not?

Maybe somebody can clarify a bit.

thanks

[marion61]

When you create an AD, the computer will automatically set planes to the mission based on type of mission, if they are in range, supply, ammo, and so forth. You can go thru each AD and set which groups fly and which don't, and you will also see the groups that can't fly and why they can't. Even if you have planes set to no AD, the fighters will defend. Thought I'd mention that you can also make several Air Superiority AD's from the same HQ so long as you have AD's left to create. I've done this on the Allied side by just combining Malta Air Cmd into Tactical AF and having two Air Superiority and Grnd Attack AD's. You can also make several small AD's instead of just one large one so that you can concentrate your air power to just the hexes you really want to disrupt before an assault.

[Carterjon]

ORIGINAL: meklore61
I've done this on the Allied side by just combining Malta Air Cmd into Tactical AF and having two Air Superiority and Grnd Attack AD's.

Is there any downside to combining Malta and Tactical AFs? And how do you do that...simply reassign all the air groups from Malta to Tactical? Seems attractive to reduce the number of commands and offers greater flexibility in assigning different mixes of groups to ADs.

[rjs28023]

If I do my air manually do I have to pick every unit and setup Air Superiority area AD for it?

The best way to learn how to do air manually is look at a Scenario that already has Air Directives set-up.

Let's say you want RAF Fighter Command to Fly Air Superiority over France. You create one Air Directive for Air Superiority after selecting the RAF Fighter Command from the list of choices. I always let the Air HQ (RAF Fighter Command in this case) use AUTO to select which units will fly.

If I don't tell a air group to fly AS, will it not do anything at all?

Interception missions (defensive missions) are always flown and the program does it automatically. Do not worry about Interception Missions being flown.

Not even defend itself?

Interception missions are always flown automatically no matter what other Air Directives have been created like Ground Support or Ground Attack.

Getting most confused when trying to setup missions myself and still allowing AI to fill in gaps I leave?

When you set up your Air Directives manually the AI does not help filling in the gaps. It is just you.

But worried I won't fly planes (fighters mostly) I should or I'll click something auto and override all my missions.

I have played a long time letting the program use AUTO to select Air Groups and the program does a nice job. You should worry about the "loadout" whether it is drop tanks for fighters, or bombs and rockets for the fighter-bombers. Let the computer help you with the rest.

If I set training levels and see there are planes below that level, will they automatically train if not set to rest?

Yes.

Manual says so, but thought on forum post somebody mentioned you have to set all AG to train manually or they will not?

For Training I use the Default Setting of 50. If a Air Group has an Experience Level of 50 or less it is worthless. If a number of pilots have experience of <50 they will Train automatically unless set to Rest. It is better to let them Train and Crash, then to set them to Rest to avoid the training accidents that will come.

Always watch your Morale Level. It should always be at least equal to your Experience Level. If Morale is not at least equal then set the Air Unit to Rest. Fatigue is also deadly. Rest "cures" low Fatigue and low Morale. If your pilots are not ready do not send them up. Let the Infantry take the pain until your fighters are ready.

Randy

[jzardos]

Great stuff thanks.

[jzardos]

Seems like setting lots of groups to training missions really increases operational loses. Did a test and set all non F / FB German units to train and operational loses were like 600! Ouch, training missions seem way too dangerous?

[marion61]

Is there any downside to combining Malta and Tactical AFs? And how do you do that...simply reassign all the air groups from Malta to Tactical? Seems attractive to reduce the number of commands and offers greater flexibility in assigning different mixes of groups to ADs.

I've not seen a downside except for the HQ range really and that isn't a big issue and you don't want to load up one HQ with too many planes to manage. Yes, you assign them to their new HQ, but there is one bomber group in Malta Air that I've never been able to transfer out.

[marion61]

Nvm

[Joel Billings]

ORIGINAL: Carterjon

ORIGINAL: meklore61
I've done this on the Allied side by just combining Malta Air Cmd into Tactical AF and having two Air Superiority and Grnd Attack AD's.

Is there any downside to combining Malta and Tactical AFs? And how do you do that...simply reassign all the air groups from Malta to Tactical? Seems attractive to reduce the number of commands and offers greater flexibility in assigning different mixes of groups to ADs.

This is certainly possible to do. The main downside is the limit on the number of ADs that an air command can issue. Malta can be useful as a command to generate some additional Air Superiority missions with some fighters (how the AI uses it).

[rjs28023]

We have had that discussion in play-testing (Training Losses) and are probably not done with the subject. Low Experience pilots are really an Axis problem. You must give "your boys" every chance to survive and improve their skills. This means keeping Morale High and Fatigue very low. Successful combat will allow you to gain Experience and improve your chances in future encounters.

The Day Fighters of the Luftwaffe are a fragile resource. Get them into the best planes you have as quickly as you can, and make every effort to get and keep their Experience levels up.

Avoiding air-to-air combat is a better choice then being slaughtered. The Allied Player will be happy to trade you one-for-one. You decide the when and the where. Let your Flak defend the ground forces until you are ready.

Randy