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In playing the US in the Guadalcanal scenario. one of my problems is the air base at the tip of New Guinea, near Milne Bay. At the start of the scenario it holds a potentially useful P-40 squadron, which however just sits there because the base is completely out of fuel and supplies. Sending a transport ship over, even well escorted, is both impractical and suicidal. All the transports in Australia are down in Sydney and Brisbane, where are also the only two available DDs. Shipping in Noumea is also unavailable, because the little there is is already needed to supply Luganville and Port Vila, also critically short of fuel and supplies (most of the Noumea-based shipping is tied down with the landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi).
Furthermore, any attempts to supply Milne Bay by sea would be plastered by IJN and IJAF air from Rabaul and other bases in New Britain and Eastern New Guinea. I've already tried.
I thought then of trying to send to Milne Bay supplies by air, using some of the many B-17 squadrons based in Townsville. If you click on one of them, air transport is offered as a mission, along with naval attack, search etc.
My question is, how do I tell the B-17s that I want them to fly with these supplies ONLY to Milne Bay. The manual gives no clue. Chapter 7 only says it can be done.
Thank you for any hints.

nanni wrote: Sun Oct 04, 2026 2:35 pm My question is, how do I tell the B-17s that I want them to fly with these supplies ONLY to Milne Bay. The manual gives no clue. Chapter 7 only says it can be done.
Thank you for any hints.

It should just entail setting the bomber squadron to Supply Transport and setting Milne Bay as a destination. Of course, it has to be in range as well.


Your other option is using submarines on sub transport missions to haul in supplies to Mine Bay. They don't carry much but it's pretty much guaranteed to get there and every little bit helps.

Great. I'll try it.

Something to consider:

1. Receiving base has to have at least lvl 1 airfield to utilize supply transport shuttling. Range can be half of max range or less.
2. If there is no AF, supply transport utilizes paradrops, which can be done only up to normal range.

Thank you.

I think airbase damage matters too. I do not know the dmg threshold.

I'll test it out with the Guadacanal scenario as soon as I have some "breathing space".

If there is an airfield in the receiving base, aircaft will try to land on the airfiled to deliver supplies. Thus, you should have a Base Force at the receiving base to provide aviation suoport or you risk operational losses to aircaft on landing/take-off.

I'll check. But the isolated position of Milne Bay essentially means that I can only use the base "as is".

nanni wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2026 10:15 am I'll check. But the isolated position of Milne Bay essentially means that I can only use the base "as is".

Can you post a screenshot of the map area and the base screen....GP

That's ok. I got it to work. 3 squadrons of B-17s in Townsville flying supplies to Milne Bay. I chose the air supply missuon for all three and Milne Bay as destination.
Thanks everyone.

You can use flying boats when there is no airbase but there is water access.

Good idea. Hadn't thought of that.

One of the missing features in AE is ability to use LRCAP to stop that sort of shenanigans...

Sardaukar wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2026 7:52 am One of the missing features in AE is ability to use LRCAP to stop that sort of shenanigans...

Actually, it does work to a certain extent. Any losses would probably show up either as shot down or OPs losses. You don't see the aerial combat like WIS shows for aerial transport missions.