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Issues:
1- almost inexistent op losses, transit a squadron to another base 1000 miles away by day and you got more chances of op losses than night bombing 1000 miles away which is a round trip so double distance and at night.
2- US bomber gunners slaughter Japanese fighters like if they have night vision capabilities. In day air combat both can hit each other, by night the advantage goes all to the bombers.
The US basically can have their biggest aces in bombers and by night combat and can win the air war that way.
3- Allied fighters don't suffer this inability and can hit Japanese bombers without issues.
3- Japanese bombers can't down enemy planes by day or night.

Your observations of the issues are spot on.

In my current game we have an HR that bans use of heavy bombers on night bombing until Japan has night fighters. This is my first game for 10 years and I can't remember if Japanese night fighters have the same issue - hoping not

Yakkface wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2026 10:40 am Your observations of the issues are spot on.

In my current game we have an HR that bans use of heavy bombers on night bombing until Japan has night fighters. This is my first game for 10 years and I can't remember if Japanese night fighters have the same issue - hoping not

I think historically the IJA had poor radars and poor coordination of radar with interceptors. Part of the issue (at least before Midway) was that not all Japanese aircraft had radios and those that did were unreliable. So if your ground controllers cannot vector the NF aircraft close enough to spot the allied bombers it will have no chance of intercept.

v1127.2

My IJ night fighters engage just fine against the B-29's as long as I have sufficient radar at the base. Sufficient is generally 3 devices. More is always better. Key targets like Tokyo/Osaka have as many radar as I can find.

Day fighters like J7W/A7M/Ki-94/Ki-83 also work, but not as well as the Randy.

Losses, definitely experience those, but rarely worse than 1:1, generally 2:1 and better in my favor against the early B-29's. The B-29B is generally a duck-shoot, more like 20:1 in my favor.

Need very high pilot exp/skill for night fighters, min 80/80. Less than that, and losses are too high. 90/90 pilots are AMAZING and will quickly climb to 99/99. I collect these 80/80 pilots beginning in '42 and hoard them in the training command until the B-29's arrive, or if the B17/B24 start becoming too frisky at night. I generally have over 1000 of these pilots by early '44.

So, yes, I lose a fair number of planes, but fighting over my bases, I lose far fewer pilots. All my planes have armor, so my pilot losses are mostly WIA's that lose a few points and come back within 30 days. Allied pilot losses are more like 95%, so this is a trade I definitely win at.

Randy also has airborne radar in addition to armor, giving it a real advantage over all other IJ fighters for night operations. As the IJ, you have to prioritize the Randy, you cannot afford to wait until 10/45 for it, you need it in '44, so plan your RnD investments accordingly. Note: the airborne radar device won't arrive until 10/45, but even without it in '44 the Randy is still your best choice. Then in 10/45 when the device activates, your kill rate will just jump up even higher ... kinda like when the Black Widow arrives for the allies, the IJ night bombing losses just sky rocket ...

Use as you see fit ...

BBfanboy wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2026 1:12 pm ... So if your ground controllers cannot vector the NF aircraft close enough to spot the allied bombers it will have no chance of intercept.

+1

"Ground controllers" translates in game as radar to me
higher exp/skill pilots will always react better

Yakkface i will think about that HR. Other i tought was to restrict night bomber to strategic only against industries, ports and not against air bases. That way there will not be a compound issue of air losses.


BBfanboy. I don't have problems with my low number of kills they are ok. I got 5 night air to air kill against Catalina's that have been attacking TFs ,i think a B-26 was also a kill but my kills is not the problem, they should be quite small. As you said, lack of radars,etc limited vision restrict the number of engagements. The problem is the number of Japanese fighter losses in air to air combats vs almost no losses for the bombers when night combat restricts much more the bombers capability of mutual protection.


Thanks Pax for info on pilots. it seems the night code nerfed Japanese fighter night air to air combat which is correct but did not nerfed allied bombers defence and apparently not reduced much the number of engagements. I lost dozens of fighters including with armor and 2 engines like Ki45 FB. I am in 43. The problem is the unjustified losses.

I noticed that Liberators II which only have 4x 0.5 plus 8x.303 have much less kills instead of B-24D with 9x0.5. So gun range is probably an issue and should be the inverse. Gun range matters less at night.
I checked that Randy have 4 guns all with range bigger than the 0.5" in US bombers so that might also be the point.

PaxMondo wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2026 1:36 pm

BBfanboy wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2026 1:12 pm ... So if your ground controllers cannot vector the NF aircraft close enough to spot the allied bombers it will have no chance of intercept.

+1

"Ground controllers" translates in game as radar to me
higher exp/skill pilots will always react better

That was not my complain.

Diliwitm wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2026 2:04 pm ...
Thanks Pax for info on pilots. it seems the night code nerfed Japanese fighter night air to air combat which is correct but did not nerfed allied bombers defence and apparently not reduced much the number of engagements. I lost dozens of fighters including with armor and 2 engines like Ki45 FB. I am in 43. The problem is the unjustified losses. ...

Please note that I am running 1127.2

If you are running a different EXE, YMMV.

Also note the pilot EXP/Skill levels that I am using ... my testing/playing experience has taught me that night operations require this.

Sure, i am in 28b2, i will experiment with quality pilots

Best course of action is to slowly gather 80+ (Exp/Air) pilots into TRACOM. Then fill the night fighter units with them when night bombing attacks become a serious threat.