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Hi, what about the CVE's which don't have an airgroup stationed on them. I tried to place VMF-212 on the Long Island (oh, well, the first CVE you get as the allied... I think that is what it is called), placed the airgroup on LRCP, but it somehow didn't seem to work. Am i doing something wrong here???
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The Long Island has an air capacity of 16. A VMF squadron has 24 aircraft. The LI is overloaded and will not fly any missions, but you can transport them somewhere.

I have been successful with a 16 aircraft Marine SBD squadron on the Long Island. It is the only one that will "fly" off that ship.

NEVER use fragments of squadrons.

The LI can hold a SBD squadron with some success, but be aware there is a bug that will sometime "eat" planes off the LI never to return, although this may have been fixed in 2.30.

A clue about VMF-212. It will reduce down to 9 pilots with 24 aircraft (bug). If you can get them into combat fairly quick, say Port Moresby, as soon as they start taking casualties the pilot quanity will go up to 24. This seems to be the only airgroup that has a pilot shortage bug. As far as the Long Island, strictly airgroup transport for land based air between Noumea, Brisbane, or secure forward bases. Be in the base hex when you transfer the airgroups. Only transfer totally repaired air groups to or from any carriers, or you'll get fragmented groups. A lesson I have learned the hard way!

In some of the other posts that I've read, some people just use the Long Island as a decoy to get sunk. My opinion, don't do it. That is a waste of equipment, personnel, and victory points. The Long Island is the best way to transfer the short legged land based air. Wirraways, P-400's, P-39's, P-40's to the New Hebrides, or back to Australia.

ORIGINAL: Nomad

The Long Island has an air capacity of 16. A VMF squadron has 24 aircraft. The LI is overloaded and will not fly any missions, but you can transport them somewhere.

What is the situation generally with an overloaded carrier? One of my carriers was damaged and squadrons transfered to others carriers in the group. Although I have flown off some to a land base, there are still a couple of carriers that exceed capacity by only one or two planes.

Is there a graded scale that increases the carrier effectiveness as overloading increases?

I believe, but don't quote me, a CV can carry up to 110% of its' air capacity. More than that and it is considered a transport and won't fly missions. I think I saw that in one of the other forum posts. Can't remember which tho. One other thing, do not disband or withdraw partial air units. If you do this and the parent unit still on the damaged CV gets sunk, they are gone forever. It will show them on the reinforcement display, but they will never reappear.

Side problem when you lose a carrier and the air groups land on your other carriers you lose their ability to fly missions. So if you sink one carrier in a TF and don't destroy the A/C you can stop any other other carriers from launching. So no CAP to stop your attacks.

The Long Island was not used for combat missions. Actually she was operating airplanes in the Midway campaign and had one of the last operational squadrons of Buffalos-but by the time of the Guadacanal campaign she was only performing ferry duties. In game terms she will not fly a fighter squadron but you can put a SBD squadron on her. Use her as an excort for a transport TF and set the bombers on ASW duty.

Early in the game you will need her to get your short legged P40s and 39s between Brisbane and Noumea. Load the planes onto here while at base and then fly them off after the LI spends one turn a sea. You can fly LB fighters off of carriers but can not land them. She actually is a very useful ship if you use her for here intended purpose. To waste her in any other role is just foolish.

I did use the LI as part of a ruse in a PBEM game.

I had an SBD group on the LI, and created a CV TF with the Wasp and LI. I took the remaining 4 CVs in a another TF.

My IJN opponent who was down a two CVs already, and wary not to face my CVs had to be lured out to do battle.

With the Wasp and LI conducted air raids vicinity Nevea without being "spotted", my opponent moved his CVs out vicinity GG to respond to a surface TF raiding GG.

He was quite surprised when 4 US CVs pounced on him

The fact that the CV TF launched airstrikes with 50 SBDs convinced my opponent that at least 2-3 CVs were near Nevea and not athreat to him.

If done carefully, the LI can be used creatively.