Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: traskott

Hello.. I have just a little question:

If u have an AA unit, will it use its guns against an incoming enemy landing?

I'm asking especifically for USA AA units, employing 37, 75 and 90 mm guns.

Thank you !! :)

quote:

ORIGINAL: traskott

Thanks...so, placing heavy AA units at places where the enemy is likely to land can be a nasty surprise for him...interesting... 

quote:

ORIGINAL: Blackhorse


To effectively shoot at the invading fleet (transports and escorts) you want devices labeled as "naval guns" -- or "dual purpose." The only DP US AA gun is the 90mm M2, which doesn't arrive until 4305.

Other AA units are still helpful against invasions. They "shoot" at landing infantry, and help increase casualties and disruption -- those are most of the "shots fired" that you see. From playtesting, I don't think they are as effective as, say, infantry and MG devices, but they do contribute.

Early in AE playtesting I once mistakenly coded the 3" AA gun as dual-purpose. The eight 3" M1918 Anti-aircraft guns on Wake, added to the battery of 6x 5" CD guns, shredded every attempted Japanese landing.

Historical note: The 90mm AA/DP gun is one of the 'unsung heroes' of the Pacific War, IMHO. It was second only to the 105mm howitzer as the most-produced American artillery piece in the war. The M2 was a "triple-threat" weapon -- the US' primary heavy anti-aircraft gun, also used for direct and indirect artillery support, and also replacing all the pre-war CD guns <6" as the primary light Harbor Defense weapon. Unlike the 90mm M1, the M2 could depress 10-degrees, allowing it to direct-fire at ships and land targets.

Game note: At the beginning of the war, the effectiveness of the 3" AA guns were limited by old, poor quality ammunition and fuses (Philippines) or lack of range-finders and other equipment (Wake). To reflect that, the last patch distinguished between the US World War I-era 3" AA guns (3" M1918) and the later versions (3" M3) which were the same weapon, but manufactured only a few years before WWII began. The M1918 has only about half the accuracy of the M3. In 1941 the US had already stopped manufacturing the 3" AA gun, and started producing the 90mm, which eventually replaced all the 3" guns in TO&E units.