Op fire?

[James Ward]

I'm using patch 1.04 and have noticed something I didn't notice before. When I attack with subs the unit I attack perform Op fire on me when I try to leave after combat. Is this right? I t sure makes it tough to attack a carrier as you can't kill the planes with your subs so they always get an Op fire if you shoot and scoot.

[Svend Karlson]

Carrier-Air groups have always op-fired at subs leaving their sea area James. This is not something new to the latest patch.

If you destroy the carrier, the air group is also destroyed however, and no ships are able to op-fire upon you.

[James Ward]

If I just had combat with them? I don't recall that happening.
I thought that op fire from units in areas where you passed through, units that were not in the combat, not in the area you stopped and had the combat in and then left to go back to the same base you started at.

[James Ward]

Here is the situation. There is a group of WA ships off the coast of Scotland, 1CV with air group 2HV 2LT 2TR. I send my group of 8 5EV 4TPD subs out to attack. I sink or damage all WA ships and take 2 losses to my subs. The CV plane is still in the area and has a 4 sub attck rating. As I move my remaining subs back to W Germany the plane Op fires at each one, damaging 4 more.
Is this right?

[Svend Karlson]

Yup, as far as far as I can recall, that has always been the case. The only way I have seen to remove the Carrier-Air Group is to destroy the Carrier that held it.

Even if you do manage that, check to see if the air-group was actually linked to a carrier in the first place (they will both have tiny numbers next to them). It may be that it had simply ended it's turn covering the sea province in which there were ships. This is a common Allied tactic & in which case there is no way to remove the air-group short of shooting it down.

[James Ward]

Yup, as far as far as I can recall, that has always been the case. The only way I have seen to remove the Carrier-Air Group is to destroy the Carrier that held it.

I don't recall it being the case before this patch but I could be wrong.
I know it happens if you move through the area but I thought the units that were the target of the attack didn't also get Op fire at the survivors. For exampleI've never seen surviving fighters/AA/arty get Op fire at bombers after a bombing run in the territory but they do if I move through it to another territory. It's like they are getting free shots simply because they survived the attack on them.

[Svend Karlson]

ORIGINAL: James Ward
I don't recall it being the case before this patch but I could be wrong.
I know it happens if you move through the area but I thought the units that were the target of the attack didn't also get Op fire at the survivors. For exampleI've never seen surviving fighters/AA/arty get Op fire at bombers after a bombing run in the territory but they do if I move through it to another territory. It's like they are getting free shots simply because they survived the attack on them.

Let me put it this way - was definately the same in the last patch. I cannot remember as far back as the original unpatched version.

You are correct about the flak/fighters etc. It's just air-groups and naval forces. If you try to leave a sea province that has an air-group in it, you get op-fired at.

[James Ward]

Thanks for the explanation. I know what I'll be using for my sub killers from now on! Maybe I can finally come up with a strategy that keep the German u-boats confined to a small area [8D]

[Svend Karlson]

ORIGINAL: James Ward
Thanks for the explanation. I know what I'll be using for my sub killers from now on! Maybe I can finally come up with a strategy that keep the German u-boats confined to a small area [8D]

Check the 2nd AAR in my signature James if you like. In this game I have been performing reasonably well with my submarines as the German player, but my perfidious foe has begun 'blockading' my ports by leaving huge numbers of air-groups in the single exit zones.