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So I had this really weird combat result where 23 zeroes of the KB cap flew against 11 unescorted vildebeests attacking at 7k and did not manage to intercept them, letting them get free shots at my carriers. The cap was at 30%, altitude at 10k and rewatching the replay it seems that both before and after the bombing the only message I got was air combat finished. I would really like to know whether this was an unlucky roll or something is wrong with my cap settings.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Kalidjati at 53,98

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 15 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 23

Allied aircraft
Vildebeest III x 11

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 6 damaged
Vildebeest III: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
CV Akagi, Torpedo hits 1
CV Zuikaku, Torpedo hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x Vildebeest III launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo

CAP engaged:
Akagi-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
3 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 15000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 14 minutes
Soryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 19000 and 21000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 61 minutes
Hiryu-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 4 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 16000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes
Shokaku-1 with A6M2 Zero (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
4 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 19000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 15 minutes
Zuikaku-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
5 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 15000 and 19000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
Kaga-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) not yet engaged, 0 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters to 19000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 9 minutes

Looks like torpedo bombers got through due to Heavy clouds , you can minimize your chances of such thing happening by layering your cap at different altitudes.Radar would help too but you are playing Japan so no radar for a long time .

Ah thank you, so the problem was the weather? But what about the fact that the fighters were scrambled to such high altitudes (Group patrol altitude is 10000 , scrambling fighters between 19000 and 21000) even though the reported attack altitude was 7k? Is that fog of war somehow factoring in or something else?

What range setting was on your CAP?

Max range was on 9 for the zeroes, but I thought that concerned mission range and not cap range. According to the manual, cap can react up to two hexes away, but as far as I can see it doesn't mention max range influencing it. Closest thing I can find is LRcap being limited by the setting.

ORIGINAL: Heclapar

Max range was on 9 for the zeroes, but I thought that concerned mission range and not cap range. According to the manual, cap can react up to two hexes away, but as far as I can see it doesn't mention max range influencing it. Closest thing I can find is LRcap being limited by the setting.

If the fighter unit has a target hex for another mission, I think it will fly there regardless of the range setting, but CAP does use the range setting. A range of nine would yield less than one aircraft per hex in range! I never set CAP beyond range 1, and even that dilutes it considerably.

ORIGINAL: Heclapar
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes
...
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 14 minutes
...
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 61 minutes
...
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes
...
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 15 minutes
...
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 19 minutes
...
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 9 minutes

Looks like your cap was too dispersed to get there in time for the bombers that were spotted only at 15 miles out. I guess you are setting all fighter groups both at CAP and escort with max range? This means that your CAP is dispersed around a large area and most of it will have hard time reaching where it really counts - above your CVs. Better practice is to divide fighter groups into dedicated CAP ones very small or zero range to keep them concentrated, and dedicated escort groups

Indeed.

Most of CAP seemed to be too far or too high for this attack. So most could not arrive before attack and bombers also slipped through under CAP present.

Happens sometimes, less for Allies with good radar.

Thanks for the education everyone. Every day I learn new things about this monster game [:D]

Perfectly reasonable result - no IJ radar and weather that limits visibility left the Zeros insufficient time to respond .

Every day I learn new things about this monster game

And that will never change.[:D]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

Every day I learn new things about this monster game

And that will never change.[:D]

Every day that you learn something new, the day is not wasted. [8D]

A good use for the CVLs and CVEs early on with Claudes is to set the Claudes on CAP at 5k feet with 0 range. That is your anti-torpedo plane and low level bomber CAP. They will also only have to climb 1k feet to reach the optimum Naval Search altitude to shoot down or damage those planes.

Remember, ever plane has its use. Early on, there are not many effective dive bombers in the DEI and Zeros can handle those at altitude.