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I understand that this is a nebulous question but what are the keys to go on the offense.
I am at 05/05/42 of the complete campaign against AI. What are the deciding factors. When you get the Essex class , when you get better fighters and dive bombers.When you build up enough infantry. When the CVE’s and CVL’s show up. Are is it the landing craft as it was in the German front?
Thanks

You can go on the offensive now but you have to be very careful since the Japanese carriers and air wings are better than yours. Hit him where he is not, keep track of his carriers. Most of the landing craft is abstracted although you will get some independent units. Look in your ship reinforcements and you will see types such as LSTs and LCMs. But when your APs and AKs convert to APAs and AKAs your assault unloading will be much faster. On atolls, you will want to unload all attacking units in one turn along with some ships only carrying supplies for the assault.

Right now, train your pilots, have your ground units prepare for diverse targets, and build up your bases to operate your fleets from. Always stockpile fuel and supplies for your possible advances.

A lot depends on whether you've managed to hang on to most of your pre-war carrier fleet and how many the AI has lost in turn. I generally prefer to wait until the Corsairs and Hellcats start to show up in meaningful numbers.

Thanks Ranger Joe and Platoonist
I have kept all my pre war carriers and I have struggled with air defense because of inferior and too few fighters. Waiting for Hellcats and Corsairs makes sense. Just the waiting is hard.

As part of your pilot training for carrier pilots, send some smaller ships around the map to probe and find where air defences and search are weak. Then take your carriers there and do a single day strike before retreating. Think of the US raid on Marcus Island - designed to do some damage but also force the Japanese to increase defences everywhere which weakened their assault resources. In the end the US found out there was a lot of things they were not good at during that raid - so the training value was very good!