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Is there any tick to this? I figured splitting up the planes would give better results, but apparently no go. I am doing Scen 19, AI as the USN, historical AI as well as all historical options. I currently (June of 42) have a 3 CV TF, with Lexington, Yorktown, and Enterprise, all with original squadrons plus Yorktown with VMF-212 embarked aswell. I figured splitting them up would work good, but apparently no. I had set altitudes like this:

Fighters:

VF-2 15,000 (Lexington)
VF-6 20,000 (Enterprise)
VF-42 15,000 (Yorktown)
VMF-212 15,000 Solid CAP (Yorktown)

SBDs:

VS-2 16,000
VB-2 17,000
VS-5 18,000
VB-5 19,000
VS-6 15,000
VB-6 20,000

TBDs

VT-2 5,000
VT-5 5,000
VT-6 6,000

Out of or so 15 strikes launched (All against merchant or surface TFs), only one was a full coordinated effort (40+ F4Fs, 80+ SBDs, 30+ TBDs). All the rest were penny packets, 18 SBDs going here, about 60 SBDs with 10 F4Fs here, or 11 TBDs, 24 SBDs, 6 F4Fs here. What is the deal? When the enemy carriers launch, it is all one big coordinated strike (usually), or 2 large strikes. When I launch, its all jumbled and confused, with large formations of SBDs arriving unescorted (half turning back), or the small strikes getting most of the escorts. Is there any way to fix this? I held Gilli Gilli, GuadalCanal, and Tulagi (lost Buna), but the Japanese just launched an assault and took Lunga, so I need to take it bake ASAP, but if I can't even put a dent in their carriers, or lose all three of mine in one swoop then its gonna cost more than it should. What can I do? Thanks.

I think the main reason is that the computer (AI) assigns/launches airstrikes versus all the TFs that have been sighted and in range. So if you have sighted ten TFs (even if they are all in the same hex) the AI will try to strike at each of them. Because one TF might have one TK- it launches a few SBDs against it. Another TF might a 3-4 APs so the AI launches a few more planes against that. It keeps going it until it runs out of resources (your available planes). In return, the enemy has sighted only your one TF. So when it launches its strikes there is only one target - so pow, you get hit by a well co-ordinated strike. You need to present more targets- then the AI will make your opponent's strikes scattered too. I usually have a bombardment TF with a couple of ships and replenish TF. This way the AI will try to launch three attacks instead of only one.

Another problem is that the AI only launches planes according to the targets contents., without regard to other TF in the hex. This is why the AI launches unescorted strikes against a AO TF (thinking that there is no CAP). Even if you have your CV TF in the same hex. That's why if you send your CV in one TF along the Australian coast, no planes will launch. But if you take some TK in a separate TF but same hex as the CV TF, the Allied bombers come out thinking it is an easy mark, and your CAP can attack them. IF the bombers get through they only attack the TKs.