Air strikes and surface battles (Full Version)

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Hrwood -> Air strikes and surface battles (1/3/2008 11:21:52 PM)

Hi,

I just bought the game and tried my first scenario playing as IJN (no. 002: Eastern Salomos). Could you help me with these two questions:

1) US carriers where near Guadalcanal, and when I closed to strike, in my IJN carriers choose to hit some US ships in the Lunga harbor instead of the US carries. The US carriers of course hit me. Result: I lost both CV:s and US lost some small guys in Lunga. Very bad. Can I prevent my carriers from wasting strikes?

2) Later, when the US carries were west of Guadalcanal, my land based planes choose to continue hitting ships at Lunga with dozens of planes and used very very few to hit the US carriers. How can I prevent my land based planes) from wasting strikes?

3). The US carriers moved to south of Guadalcanal, and sent all my BBs, CAs, and DDs to intercept them (US surface ships where nowhere to be seen). For five rounds I tried to engage the US carriers, with no luck. The US CVs where multiple times in the very next hex to my surface ships, but still no surface battle (except ones when they sank one of my damaged BBs on it's way to home). The US carries just kept on hitting me with plane strikes. How can I engage in a surface battle, or are all other ships only targets for carrier strikes?

Thanks!



radar -> RE: Air strikes and surface battles (1/4/2008 9:16:13 PM)

Hi Hrwood,

A couple of things come to mind concerning your failed air strikes. I'm sure others will have more to contribute on this matter.

Since I assume from your post that your're very early in the campaign, experience levels may be affecting the outcome of your engagements. Check the experience levels of the ships and air groups in your Air Task Forces. Early in the game they are probably low. It is generally better to provide both your Air Combat Task Forces and LBA with some airfield and port strikes to improve experience early in the game and as new ships and planes arrive in the theatre. Also give your surface task forces a bombardment mission or two before taking them into battle with enemy capital ships.

Another consideration is the the task force commander selected for surface and air combat groups. If your plan is for these ships to hunt down the enemy then be sure you have selected a leader that is described as "aggressive". Changes can only be made in a friendly port, so a commander should be selected with each mission according to your expectations.

Neither of these suggestions will completely insure that your forces will strike the premium targets, but they should help to stack the odds in your favor.

I hope this helps somewhat. Enjoy the game and let us know how things progress for you.



anarchyintheuk -> RE: Air strikes and surface battles (1/4/2008 9:19:39 PM)

1+2. Try adding more escorts. Your 'CAG' takes into account the expected cap and compares it with the number escorts that you attach to your strike. IIRC, attack aircraft start getting sheepish at less than 1-2 escorts/cap ratio. It's especially true for lba. Make sure you have adequate recon of the expected target area. CS/BB/CA floatplanes help.

3. Intercepts at sea are tricky. They don't occur during the move, only at the end of the move. You have to pick the right hex, not an easy task.


To add to 1+2 above, add some higher target values (BB/CA) to your cvtfs. It helps to disperse some of the opposing strikes. Try to gauge where you think the enemy cvtfs will be and distance yourself accordingly. This works well when the US still has tbds. Even after tbfs appear, their fighters are still relatively shortlegged.



Hrwood -> RE: Air strikes and surface battles (1/7/2008 4:29:11 PM)


Thanks!

O.k, the planes strike only if they have enough escorts. In that scenario the Japan does not have enough fighters, so the land based planes do not hit the US carriers (at least I cannot get them to do it).

I also gave up trying to engage in surface battles - it is just impossible. Once I was able to engage (by saving, seeing where the carries go, and going back to the saved game), but even then the carrier BG sank my ships (because the air battles happen before surface battles!). Dozens of ships moving in narrow straits without meeting, is really not realistic. I wish the surface BGs could engage units in adjacent hexes!

So the outcome depends solely on the outcome of the carrier battle.



HansBolter -> RE: Air strikes and surface battles (1/7/2008 6:54:50 PM)

Surface battles can be made to happen. They just can't, or most likely can't, be made to happen in any random hex by guessing where your opponent will be, nor do they happen between ships merely "passing in the night" (and granted it is a bit unrealistic in restricted waters).

Surface battles will occur and can be made to occur in localities both sides see as worth fighting over. Within the game mechanics surface battles can be precipated by both sides making night forays to bases for bombbarding or intercepting bombarding ships. Read over the manual section describing orders types and you will find a description of how to implement orders that will precpitate night surface actions.



Hornblower -> RE: Air strikes and surface battles (6/22/2008 7:25:30 AM)

bump



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