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el cid again -> RE: RHS Level I Thread: RHS Carrier Air Groups Query and Answer (4/23/2016 9:25:59 PM)
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Question from Dr Brian:
Is there a reason why the USN CV's have there aircraft capacities reduced and not the IJN CV's? From what I have read both in the past and present indicates that most large CV's in the USN could carry 96 aircraft and still function. Althought normally only between 70 and 92 aircraft were carried.
Also, do you have any idea when your extended map version of 105 will be ready. I'm thinking about doing a PBEM with someone?
Reply:
RHS uses a common standard for both sides. But IRL USN used a DIFFERENT
standard from RN and IJN, at least after the first part of the war, when USN didn't
yet have enough planes to operate oversize air groups. The difference is the concept of a 'deck park.' We do NOT permit the deck park (something dating from WITP days RHS) because there is no risk of loss of planes in bad weather, so players will not be forced to make unpleasant choices real world commanders had to make.
These included (a) lose the planes on deck; (b) run for shelter in a good anchorage or port; (c) evade the weather at sea by NOT moving where operational considerations would otherwise dictate.
Related to air group size is aircraft size. Over time the SAME carrier has a DIFFERENT capacity. Older IJN carriers have much larger air groups than RHS uses - because when they were built - planes were smaller. Later USN carriers could have operated much larger air groups if earlier planes, which were smaller, were carried (e.g. F4Fs instead of Corsairs for example). RHS rates carriers either for
their capacity in late 1941, for aircraft of that era, or for the date the first ship is operational, if later in the war.
Note code DOES permit players to "fudge" the air group size. That is, air groups will operate up to 7/6th of the rated capacity. Thus a carrier rated for 72 aircraft may, in fact, operate up to 84. And it can carry still more, just not conduct flight operations with more. In a sense, players may operate more planes than the hanger capacity of the carriers, but only in small numbers.
Note also that the Midway class carriers actually could NOT operate their full air groups! Their capacity exceeded their capacity to carry machines. So in that special case, capacity is limited to the number they could actually operate, in that age before the angled flight deck was invented. So the Midway class is limited to 96 (which means it can operate 112, very close to the historical practical limit which was found to be 110) instead of the 135 it nominally could carry. The similar sized Shinano class is rated at only 43 planes IF built to the design historically used (which itself was an increase from the first design with something like 26), OR 96 planes if the modified "full hanger" option is built. But in fact, Shinano might have carried 120 machines and Midway 135, if one ignores practical operational limits.
Note, as well, the precise number that could be carried varies somewhat with the precise mix chosen: the idea of dedicated carriers with specialized air groups was under study when the war ended. If implemented, there would have been "fighter carriers" with larger groups of fighters and night fighters, "dive bomber carriers" with dive bombers and escort fighters only, "torpedo bomber carriers" with torpedo bombers, recon planes and escort fighters only, as well as "ASW carriers" - an idea actually implemented during the war - with specialized ASW bombers and cheaper, smaller fighters than used by "attack carriers." But we are limited to defining air groups for mixed groups, one size fits all carriers of the same class. Typically, I assume operates four squadrons of 18 planes, but IJN operates only 3 - two of 27 and one of 18 - when the war begins. Later in the war, this changes, and both sides operate more complicated air groups, sometimes with small flights of recon planes and/or night fighters, and with somewhat different sizes and mixes of types - it varies with typical practice. Over time the fighter compliment increases, as does the specialist aircraft compliment, while torpedo squadrons get smaller. A late war Unryu class CV carries 24 fighters, 18 dive bombers, 9 torpedo bombers and 6 specialized recon planes = 57 aircraft, its theoretical ideal air group.
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