Air management questions

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Air management questions - 10/14/2017 3:05:12 PM

blackcloud6

Posts: 489
Joined: 8/13/2002
Status: offline

I have the game set to have the computer move the air forces forward. But now the 8th Army is stalled at Gabes (in Torch to Tunisia)and has out run the 9th US AF and the Desert AF. I also note that these two air forces are showing a lot of units a "out of fuel" or "low fuel." There are airbases near the front lines but no squadrons are going there. So I think I've run the two air forces out of gas and they can't do anything. How can I fix this? or is there something else not causing them to move forward?

I read in the air tutorials that you need to rest the air units when they get to 25% or so effectiveness. Isn't there a screen I can bring up to see the squadron's effectiveness/fatigue and then stand them down? I can't seem to find how to do this.

Thanks.

Post #: 1

RE: Air management questions - 10/14/2017 4:18:33 PM

loki100

Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline

Two bits.

For your second question the commander's report is your best mate. Use the filters and criteria and you can spot issues and reset stances in a few clicks. Takes a bit of learning but really time well spent.

In this scenario I wouldn't let the AI move your air units. Getting fuel etc to your ground units is a big enough challenge without lots of planes sat near the front.

I don't have access to the game at the moment but for the British bombers near benghazi should be able to hit the tunis/Libyan border. I'd only have a couple of fighter units near the front.

Put your transports where there is good supply and air drop every turn to airbase near the front - if you can put a corps HQ on this base.

The US bombers can operate quite far to the west but are more likely to run into German fighters, so you need more of your own fighters at the front

The scenario is a fascinating puzzle of force optimisation and constraint solving

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Post #: 2

RE: Air management questions - 10/14/2017 6:40:58 PM

HMSWarspite

Posts: 1401
Joined: 4/13/2002
From: Bristol, UK
Status: offline

I would modify the advice slightly. The big supply routes are to the ports as you move along the coast. The speed of port repair is the limiting factor on supply movement, and the 8th Army needs to leave exhausted/out of supply units at the furthest west repaired port. However eventually a new port will repair and the ground units can move west with the supply. At that stage I move twin engined aircraft forwards to use the supply from the first port. I have a couple of SE fighter units further west, and the 4E aircraft stay well to the east (as they have the range but are major supply hogs. With the ports between your 2E bases and Egypt, cut the supply priority to 0, to maximise shipping for the ones to the west. It is the supply situation that governs the 8th Army advance, nothing else. You can just run the army west as fast as its legs will carry it, but they will be unable to do anything when they get to the Mareth line.

I keep pressure on the Axis with 4-6 regiments (Divs broken down) and rest/refit the rest, to rotate them in to rest the active ones.

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I have a cunning plan, My Lord

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Post #: 3

RE: Air management questions - 10/15/2017 4:20:20 PM

FireDog

Posts: 37
Joined: 2/22/2016
Status: offline

Loki suggested putting a corps HQ on airbases near the front that you are dropping supplies to. Is this to better supply the support units for that corpse or are there other benefits.

(in reply to loki100)

Post #: 4

RE: Air management questions - 10/15/2017 6:06:13 PM

loki100

Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline

Two reasons. One is that its always more efficient to target an airbase for supply delivery. Second is that putting a unit or hq on the base directs who benefits. So a combat unit will retain the drop for its own use ... this can be very handy in the pursuit phase. Move a tank reg onto a base, drop supply and watch it regain movement and combat capacity.

If you target a hq it'll tend to keep the supplie s for its own command

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Post #: 5