Mahan: 1 Airpower:0 ?

[MikeS4269]

First off, I would like to thank all those who helped me out on my earlier posts. As suggested, I refused to be bullied by a big game, and like so many times before with the complicated ones, I waded in and didn't look back.

I started as the Jpn in Scenario #2. I set one and only one goal: take the PI.

I have been playing around and experimenting with a large grin most of the time. At night, I give the game an hour or two at a time. At work... I think about the game and what I will do once I get home.

I know there have been literally hundreds of threads in the past over various subjects (I have followed this board on and off for about a year now), but after two weeks of turns, I have noticed a major trend in my game at the moment.

Air power has little-to-no bite to it.

I will site two examples:

- I had a light carrier off the east coast of the PI, and I managed to detect a group of five un-escorted Allied AP. I launched a group of 18 Kates after them, and my planes were at a range of two hexes. Weather was clear, and it was daytime.
My planes, after all the expectations I had, managed to only score a single torpedo hit on all the ships. I launched a second wave the next day, and pretty much the same thing happened.

It seemed a bit.... off.

- For weeks now, the British have been launching air strikes against everything off of the Malay coast. I have counted over 100 or more planes. They have attacked BBs, and at times, un-escorted APs and AKs. Today was the first day (and only day) that they have managed to place one single bomb on target.

I have no air cover. My ships have been in the same hex for two weeks.

Not more than 1 hit from over a 100 attacking planes?

It seems... a bit off.

It has to be more than just altitude. I mean, even the greenest of pilots should be able to hit a 10 knot moving tubby freighter if they attack it over 10 different times....

Right?....

I am starting to get sloppy with my escorts/air cover. I just send transports anywhere without any major cover. I don't even go in an neutralize enemy air before hand. They seem almost totally worthless.

I can't say much better about my own forces.....

Anyhow, just wanted to share my thoughts for the day.

I apologize ahead of time for any controversy this might create among the veterans.

-Lb

[Speedysteve]

Hi Lb,

A couple of thoughts from my end.

With airpower one of the keys in the game is numbers (after plane type of course). Who has numbers will more often than not smash what they are going after. At least with air combat something to keep in mind is that the game will produce bloody results when you exceed 50-100 aircraft. Below this number you will obtain 'nice' battles with a fairly realistic flavour.

I digress.......

Looking at your examples in hand:

1. Mini-KB attacks on the transports -

I know you would think that against 5 relatively impotent ships that more hits would be achieved but this is war. The pilots may have mis-judged their approach, dropped the torp too high, at too fast a speed, the ships may have dodged them etc, dud torpedo. The AA fire (although not intense by Allied standards) may have put the pilots off. Also to consider - the experience of your pilots, their morale and fatigue.

2. Allied attacks off Malaya -

I'm not surprised you're seeing that. Most of the pilots in Malaya have experience in their 50's at game start. These are relatively inexperienced pilots who are not used to/heavily trained to bombing small moving targets. Once exp hits 70+ they can hit more. The height they are bombing from will also have an impact.

Regards,

Steven

[MikeS4269]

Steve, thanks for the quick reply. I can see where you are coming from. I don't know the Allied XP yet. My own Kates had 74 experience, 66 morale, and 0 fatigue.

I only have one case to base this on right now, so I am going to pay closer attention to them. (Though, as if to poke at my previous post, a luck B-17 from 20,000 feet planted a bomb on the carrier, and now she is port bound for repairs.)

I will have a "chat" with those pilots once they pull into port.

-Lb

[Speedysteve]

No prob Lb,

Any other queries or questions just give us a shout.

As for The Fort hitting your CV....watch out.........you'll see some people around here FUME aboutthe number of hits that heavies can achieve on shipping.

I too enjoy having a 'chat' with leaders etc who fail me. The 'talk' normally goes well with me 'replacing' them.

Actually reminds me - one other thing to check is the leader of your airgroups. Even more important for FG's - you'll want someone with a high air skill in charge of these boys. Aggression can be handy also if you want them to put the boot in.

[aletoledo]

I love the first couple of weeks of operation around malaya, the allies can't hit a thing no matter what they send. after awhile though they start to get one or two bomb hits. the swordfish in the area can be trouble though, I don't know what their experience is, but even the first couple of days, if you get to close they'll land a torp.

as far as your carrier air not having any bite to it, I find that its a waste to use carrier planes against hardened fortresses. bring your land based level bombers and start pounding them with that. try to stay within the normal range, because going to extended reduces your bombload.

however, airpower is only a means to an end. you'll need to have troops on the ground to really do some damage. the airplanes will disrupt the enemy enough to give your troops the edge, so don't expect the enemy to die off simply because you dropped a few bombs on them.

[BossGnome]

goddamit you're absolutely right about those sworfishes being trouble. In the first days of the war, they actually managed to sink battleship Kongo!! I was absolutely fuming with rage... but the brits mostly not hitting anything off malaya is absolutely normal. don't worry about that!

[Ideologue]

Nah, airpower works.

The failure to kill those APs just sounds like bad luck--usually CVs are the best commerce raiders around. Which can be kind of a problem when an enemy air combat group is around, since your own CVs will still semi-randomly launch at unthreatening enemy task forces.

Late-war Allied airpower is just awe-inspiring. You can practically eliminate whole divisions as combat-capable forces with massed ground attack runs, and I think I've actually destroyed a few base forces.

[niceguy2005]

Hey, LB sounds like you've got things going in the right direction.

I think the Kate attack is pretty accurate, although over the course of the game, I think you'll score more hits than that on average.

The Malaya air force can't hit much, but don't let that lull you into complacency. They are getting better with every turn and will start hitting some of your transports. You need to achieve air superiority over Sing immediately if not sooner. You should be flying sweep missions with zeros - shooting down those Buffs will be great training for your pilots - and you need to start pounding the AF with your Sally's. Once you have sufficiently smashed the Brittish air force you can go about working on the ground troops. No mercy.