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Ian R -> RE: Aviation Support Low-Now What? (4/1/2005 2:58:13 AM)
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An "AV" is a ship. A sea plane tender that adds avaition support for float planes.
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Note that as well as AVs (cruiser size ships) there are also AVD, which are destoyers (usually old ones) converted into seaplane support ships. They support less planes than an AV.
There are also ground units called aviation regiments which come along later, these are very useful, as they contain 250 plus aviation support, and support squads to support the aviation support squads.
On the allied side these usually come as part of a threesome - an air HQ, a base unit, and an aviation regiment. Some US commands, eg 7th Airforce, get multiple aviation regiments and base units later in the game, and usually the bases are bigger and better than the standard 30 aviation support bases that are deposited everywhere at start.
The key thing is that when you hit 250 aviation support squads all planes will get repaired eventually, you are not considered in deficit no matter how many you base there. If you aim at basing about 50 planes per capacity point, and putting 400 planes a places like a built out Port Moresby, you can do it with 250 av support. I haven't worked out if its better to have more.
The USMC aviation engineer battalions are a bit confusing. They are engineers for building bases, not for aviation support. There are some Marine Air Wing units which are like aviation regiments (see SF at start of scen 15).
If you are playing the long campaign as the UN, then once your airpower in the PI, Singapore, and the NEI has been destroyed or withdrawn it is a good idea to use sub transport TFs to bring out frgaments (and if possible more than fragments) of the PAF, MAF, and DAF (x2) units as these firstly eat scarce support and supply where they are and are useless without planes, and secondly will over time (a year) build up into useful aviation regiments once their parent units are destroyed. In my ongoing campaign against the AI IJN I pulled out, by sub, almost all of the PAF and set it up in PM. It provided critical support in the early fighting in PNG, before the 5th Airforce support units turn up, and the Japanese never took Salamaua or Buna.
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