Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Otto20000

I have 100 x zero fighters going up against 12 B-17's and all I can do is maybe damage one of them. What can I do to stop them?




thanks otto

quote:

ORIGINAL: Otto20000

I have 100 x zero fighters going up against 12 B-17's and all I can do is maybe damage one of them. What can I do to stop them?




thanks otto

quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe 98

My experiences, playing as the alllied side, is that B17s rarely do any damage. But losing them costs valuable victory points.

How can I use B17s to inflict damage?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Joe 98

My experiences, playing as the alllied side, is that B17s rarely do any damage. But losing them costs valuable victory points.

How can I use B17s to inflict damage?
[/quote}

Joe,

I must admit, that is the first time I have heard anybody say the B17s were not effective enough. Most people here think they are too strong. I suspect your problem is how you are using them.

First of all, early in the game, I protect them and use them sparingly. I do not bomb airfields or send out raids unless I really think there is a good reason. My goal is to build up the number of bombers until I have a large force. Generally, I wait until some Liberators are on the scene as well. You need to pick and choose your targets because with the low replacement rate for B17s, you can't affort to waste them in penny packet raids.

However, that said they make excellent patrol bombers and due to the high experience level that they come with are excellent sub killers. If the enemy is keeping his subs too close to one of your bases. Load it up with 17s and place them on about 50-60% sub patrol. They will do a great job.

Once you have a force of about 100 (150 is better) bombers saved up, you can pretty much close down any Japanese base within range. Operating out of Lungaville, you can cloes Lunga down in about two weeks-even if heavily defended. Just use airfield attacks, after closing a base-switch to port attacks to kill of enemy supply. Start out bombing high 17,000+ and lower the altitude as resistance falters. I find a heavy B17-liberator force out of Lungaville combined with B25s from Nevea makes for a nice deadly cocktail.

Massed bombers also can do serious ship damage when used against ships docked in port. I find that many players do not use this enough. If you own Nevea, you can prevent the Japanese from basing ships in Shortland Islands by launching a massive raid from Nevea. You will lose a lot of bombers (10-12) due to the very long range and small air base, but it is well worth it if the Japanese are foolish enough to base carriers or surface ships there. You can break that habit fast.

Once you take Port Morsby, both Kaveng and Rabaul become targets as well.

So, IMHO, the allied heavy bombers are the most important force in the game, better even than the deadly bettys.

_____________________________

I am the Holy Roman Emperor and am above grammar.

Sigismund of Luxemburg

(in reply to Fred98)