obvert
Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
quote:
ORIGINAL: John 3rd
Well...I am about to 'graduate' about 700 pilots whose Low Nav skill is 50+...
If memory suits, some 4,000 IJAAF and IJNAF men were used in this manner in the war. Will your training programs and / or airframe pools be able to support this level of historical commitment?
Although I haven't been fortunate enough to be in a position to employ the Divine Wind in any of my PBEMs, I prepare accordingly from day one. Once IJAAF 2E bombers are diminished in front-line importance, I have the groups start training for their 'next role'. I have several groups that begin kamikaze training in early 1942 and the number expands progressively throughout the next year and a half (full disclosure: never made it to 1944 in a Sc. 1 or 2 PBEM). So my late 1943 pools have several hundred (thousand +?) already. With almost a full year to go.
A few questions:
1. When did you begin training pilots in earnest for the kamikaze mission?
2. How many do you have available now?
3. What airframes do you have in mind for initial deployment in this capacity?
I've started in late 43 and been fine. I usually train some naval pilots to use in Jakes at 1k and they later serve as kami pilots if they survive. Other 1E and 2E IJAAF pilots are cross trained while doing ASW to low naval. This forms a good base from early on, but those pilots are used and gain a lot of experience too.
Even if you're behind, you can train an enormous amount of kami pilots in the training groups that begin to arrive in late 44. A crop of 70 skill low naval pilots come through every month or so, and there are zillions of training groups by April 45, and they just keep arriving. Good for late war escort training fodder too.
I'd be interested to test how much difference skill level and exp matter for kamis as well. They die in droves and hit sporadically, especially with improved AA. Very effective if they hit though! 
quote:
ORIGINAL: Lowpe
quote:
ORIGINAL: John 3rd
All my IJN pilots and some of my IJA pilots are trained/training in LowNav. Have BUNCHES of IJA pilots trained as bomber pilots. Has anyone ever done a study on sending planes at 1,000 Ft AND planes at HIGH Altitude? How effective might that be to split the CAP?
Just wondering...
Kamikazes prosecute all attacks using LowN. However, the strategy you mention does work, and the high altitude approach minimizes flak loss during that phase.
Nemo was vocal years ago about doing this with enormous numbers involved. This was before enhanced flak and coordination fixes. It should still split the CAP but it means the escorts and kamis might be split and not coordinate too. Especially if many bases are involved. Very hard to make it work.
I tried a lot in late game and found that it's a great strategy if balanced by a combined DB/TB/kami strike from the KB coming in coordinated and busting through the big blue blanket at some point in the masse wave of strikes.
< Message edited by obvert -- 4/28/2017 2:03:17 PM >
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