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LargeSlowTarget -> Fighter Frustration - need advice (3/13/2003 6:33:06 PM)
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Okay, I have to confess that I'm an inept player. Historically Allied 1st-generation fighters fought the Japanese to a stalemate, but I'm not able to repeat that feat in UV. My fighter squadrons suffer high losses with little to show for in return. Obviously I'm doing something wrong, so I would like to hear some advice.
I have browsed similar threats, but most hints are not really helpfull (rest, train, Wirraways is a dog etc. - that's all self-evident). What can you do while waiting for 2nd-generation fighters to show up?
Here's the situation in my current game that triggered my frustration. I'm playing Scen 16 as Allies against the AI. It is October 42 and I have played rather defensively because I know my air force is weak, and until four days ago I only had a two-carrier force available.
In PNG I'm holding PM, Gili Gili and the Aussies are on the Kokoda trail on their way to recapture Buna. I know my fighters are no good, so from the start I had kept the Aussie Kittyhawks at Cairns and Cooktown on 60% CAP at 10.000 ft to guard against long-range Bettys and Nells (which nevertheless managed to hit a couple of ships) and to built up experience - which they did very slowly. I also did sent all fighter-bombers to PM and set them on Naval Attack/Ground Attack at 100 ft to inderdict shipping and harass Japanese ground forces at Buna. The Airacobras and Wiraways have built up experience nicely. On the other side, the Japanese are bombing PM almost daily. Since there is nothing I can do about this, I have sent lots of engineers there and damage is quickly repaired.
Of course, sooner or later I would like to oppose the incoming raids with CAP. What is bothering me is that Japanese Zero escort started with 25+ planes but now often reaches 80+ Zeros. So I have waited for the additional squadrons of Warhawks and Kittyhawks to arrive. In the end I had three squadrons of Kittyhawks (exp 60, 64, 67), three squadrons of Warhawks (exp 64, 69, 70), four squadrons of P-39D (exp 80, 82, 84, 90) and two squadrons of P-400 (exp 80, 83) assemled at PM. I had them rest for a couple of days and although their morale and fatigue still wasn't at optimum condition, I figured that this would be even worse with the opforce, since they attacked almost daily from far-away Rabaul.
So when I finally put all my planes at PM on 80% CAP at 10.000 ft (Airacobras) and 12.000 ft (P-40s), I expected that my squadrons at least would be able to hold themselves (needless to say that I have four working radar sets at PM).
Well, didn't work out that way. First of all, only part of my planes on CAP engaged the enemy - okay, this is to be expected. But the 100+ planes that actually threw themselves against the 60+ oncoming Zeros escorting 18 Bettys only served as cannon fodder - 23 Airacobras and 37 P-40s destroyed (and many more damaged) against two Zeros destroyed and one damaged!! Triple Japanese losses for FOW and it is still loopsided. I could have lived with a 2:1 ratio, but not with 10:1. Of course morale and replacement pool now are both scraping the bottom and experience has dropped, too. I have put the Airacobras back on Naval Attack and the Warhwks on escort/0% CAP to give them a little rest and regain experience.
In the Solomons, the AI has built up Lunga pretty quick, and with only Sara and Big E versus 3 CV and 2 CVL on the Japanese side I decided to play save and go for Irau first. I have maxed out that base and put four squadrons of F4F4 (exp 60, 62, 64, 70) on 100% escort duty (10.000 ft) for the B-17s bombing Lunga (8000 ft) out of Luganville. I rotate the Wildcats daily, three squadrons are flying, one is put on rest.
Now, my 60+ Wildcats escorting 18 B-17s have run into four Rufe and nine A6M3 fighters. Well, 60 Wildcats outnumbering their opponents 6:1 - three Rufe and two Zeros killed against 16 F4F4 destroyed. Oh come on! This has been going on for a couple of days - my squadrons are exhausted, low on morale, experience drops and the Wildcat pool is depleted. The opforce seems to know no fatigue.
So, I'm suffering heavy losses that I cannot sustain, while the AI fighter losses are negligible. Air-to-Air losses are now (Allies:Japan) 280:110, with the balance of Japanese losses being Bettys, Vals and Kates, Allied losses being Wildcats and P-40s. Losses of fighter types from all causes stand at 342:170, many Japanese losses derive from airfield attacks by bombers and P-39 strafing as well as Air-to-Air engagements with B-17.
Of course I have to reckon with losses on my side. But the idea is that the Allies can replace losses easier than the Japanese can replace theirs - but unfortunately my losses outstrip the replacements, and the Japanese losses don't.
The tactical dilemma: If I use massive force hoping to inflict some damage, I only suffer massive losses myself and have to rebuilt all units before the next try. If I use only part of my forces and rotate my exhausted units between the front and the rear, I end up with only a few squadrons fit enough for duty at any given time. Outnumbered, they also suffer massive losses and have to be rotated back. Either way, my forces dwindle and the opforce grows stronger in time. Except for keeping my forces in the rear and let the Japanese fly and bomb at will until I have enough P-38s and Corsairs - what can I do? What is the best altitude, CAP-%, minimum moral/exp/fatigue to make things work?
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