Matrix Games Forums

Hi,

I used a Battleship led TF to support a AP Troop Convoy.
The Surface Battle Group was attacked by 128 US Aircraft, mainly FB and Fighters on sweep.

This leads me to ask:

1. Why does the Task Force not fire its AA at the Aircraft in the animations?
2. Why do the attacking Aircraft suffer NO losses?
3. How does .303 and .5 cal PENETRATE the 2-4" Belt Armor on Japanese CA and CL's?
4 Since when is a 303 or a 50 cal Machine gun bullet a Shell Hit?
4. Why if the Task Force is not firing at the planes does it use half its AA ammo?
5. Will the Zero's/Oscar's get this benefit if they sweep a US Surface Combat TF or is this just another example of US Air Power in WW2?
6. Apart from BB's do the Japanese have any ship with Belt Armor that a 303 will NOT penetrate?

I foolishly left the TF in place thinking it must fire back next turn, boy have I got egg on my face, my TF is riddled and it has next to No AA ammo left. I know you guys like to win but 250 Aircraft attacking a Surface Task Force in July 42 without loss, does the game derserve to carry the Historical Accuracy accolade?

[&:]
--Bob

Bob,

Some basic questions.

Are you playing the AI? It cheats, you know-especially on the higher difficulty levels.

If so, find a human opponent. You are just learning bad habits playing the AI [;)]

Any fighters that attack a strong surface TF in a head to head game usually take a hard hit. Both in lost planes but even more so in morale.
You will see a lot of shell hits from strafing fighters but really the damage is not to bad on DDs and CLs. Beaufighters and P39s can hurt but it is mostly system damage that accumulates over repeated attacks. System damage represents hits to non armored features above deck that degrade the ships systems and her ability to fight. This can be things such as winches, extra boats, float planes, light AA guns, compasses, repeaters, radar, crew, and so on. Quite frankly, Allied strafers could not sink many DDs or CLs but they could turn them into floating wrecks with 20mm and .50 cal AP rounds. By mid 1943 with the addition of bombs, the second generation fighters- P38s, thunderbolts and corsairs, could sink any light warship.

Oscars and zeros were notoriously poor for anti ship and strafing attacks in general. The Oscars were pitifully armed and the zeros not much better. Both were very easily shot down by AA as well. I never even try to use them as strafers in the game.

Thanks for the reply[:)]

It is a PBEM game, which makes it all the worse.

I have the saves to all I have pointed out (and worse) that have been sent to but not acknowledged by the 'Bugs man'.

It is the IJN CA's that suffer most from US FB's but all ships in the TF lose all their AA ammo but do not fire back[&:]

As this is ver 2.3 my fear is that as it has not been detected, it has been carried over to WITP.[X(]

--Bob