Replacement Pilots?

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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> Uncommon Valor - Campaign for the South Pacific >> Replacement Pilots?

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Replacement Pilots? - 7/26/2003 5:46:24 AM

Jocko

Posts: 6
Joined: 6/27/2003
From: Seattle, WA
Status: offline

So... I understand how the replacement planes work. You get some each month, spread out over the month. I've even seen the nice document that someone created that list the amount and what month they start.

But... Does anyone know how many replacement pilots you get each month? I think I saw a thread that said if you take too many losses in a short period of time, your replacement pilots start coming in at a low experience. Does anyone know if that is true, and at what point the experience starts to drop?

Also, does anyone know how you can tell if a pilot has been killed? I know how to tell how many planes have been lost each turn, but I'm assuming that even though a plane is lost, the pilot may still be ok. I've seen individual postings on leaders and big aces, but it doesn't tell you about each pilot. You can even look at your aces list to see if one shows up as MIA or KIA. But there isn't a bomber list, or a list for fighters that haven't made a kill.

Also, since you guys are absolutely awesome when it comes to minute details on this theatre.... Does anyone know the history of the USS Clark? I know she was a Porter class DD that I thought served in this theatre during this time period.

Thanks in advance...

Post #: 1

Re: Replacement Pilots? - 7/26/2003 6:23:00 AM

Spooky

Posts: 816
Joined: 4/1/2002
From: Froggy Land
Status: offline

[QUOTE]

Also, since you guys are absolutely awesome when it comes to minute details on this theatre.... Does anyone know the history of the USS Clark? I know she was a Porter class DD that I thought served in this theatre during this time period.

Thanks in advance... [/B][/QUOTE]

A few links about USS Clark (DD 361) :
http://www.domeisland.com/goldplater/ussclark.html
http://www.destroyers.org/nl-histories/dd361-nl.htm

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Post #: 2

- 7/27/2003 3:16:50 AM

DJAndrews

Posts: 305
Joined: 1/26/2003
From: Toronto, ON, CA
Status: offline

I would like to add to the question. Is there any way to shift pilots between like-squadrons? I am in Scenario 15 against the AI and have two P-39D sqns (the 67th and 68th) both located at Luganville. The 67 FS has 24 a/c and 54 pilots and the 68th has 24 a/c and 13 pilots. The squadrons arrived in this state and have been on training since they arrived (many weeks ago). The number of ready pilots in the under-strength squadron has not changed. Experience has changed in each squadron and the aircraft periodically go down for repairs.

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Post #: 3

- 7/27/2003 1:25:30 PM

OG_Gleep

Posts: 308
Joined: 12/27/2002
Status: offline

Take this with a grain of salt, because I have been away for a bit, and am pulling this out of memory. One of the other guys can answer 100%.

A while ago, someone was talking about the "Withdraw Squad" and "Disband Squad" functions, and if I remember right, one was to send them back to Pearl, and the other one was to send them back in the pilot and plane pool. I think that would allow for them to be used as replacements to bring another squadren up to full strenght.

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Post #: 4

- 7/27/2003 5:26:01 PM

Mr.Frag

Posts: 13410
Joined: 12/18/2002
From: Purgatory
Status: offline

Each group has it's own pool of pilots (Army, Navy, etc).

There is a hidden training school that adds pilots back into the pool, but it only produces a set number. If you ask for more pilots then are available, the school sends pilots that have not been fully trained.

In this way, you will always get a replacement pilot when needed but his skills will be so poor that he is likely to crash and die on his very first flight.

This causes two problems: (a) you now need another plane and (b) you now need another pilot. The new pilot is likely to have even worse skills then the last one who just flew into the ground. This starts a vicious slide down the skill pool where you are basically just throwing away pilots and planes for nothing.

Anytime you take a large batch of losses that need replacements, you need to very carefully watch what happens, ideally grounding the air group while it rebuilds (do not even fly training missions) until you see the skills of the replacement pilots.

Withdrawing or disbanding air groups is your way of countering this to a certain extent. See rule 10.19 in the manual for the exact details and turnaround time.

Poorly skilled pilots are worse then no pilots as at least with no pilots you will not loose planes as well. Be aware that the USA side starts short a lot of aircraft and is quite likely to deplete the pilot pools which means you are likely to get stuck with some of these suicidal pilots. Your only defence is to merge some of these units together to free up some pilots, but this will also remove the group from the theater for 90 days.

I look at it this way: In 90 days, you'll have useable planes and pilots vs no planes and pilots when playing the USA. This is one of the added problems with attempting a forward defence at PM. It becomes a pilot/plane sinkhole, causing all your Army units to fill up with useless level pilots (<60 skill) which means they just become training targets for Japan pilots who continue to climb in skill due to your target donations. The best defence during the opening months are AA units, not planes. (others may disagree on this point)

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Post #: 5

- 7/27/2003 5:46:56 PM

DJAndrews

Posts: 305
Joined: 1/26/2003
From: Toronto, ON, CA
Status: offline

Thanx for the withdraw/disband sugestions but don't you end up with a wack of planes in reserve using that approach? While it solves the pilot problem and initially 2 sqns of 24 planes show as 1 of 48, this changes back to 24 (with 24 in reserve) the next time the sqn flies.

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Post #: 6

- 7/27/2003 7:03:19 PM

Mr.Frag

Posts: 13410
Joined: 12/18/2002
From: Purgatory
Status: offline

It *should* release the planes back into the pool after filling up the air group to maximum size. I have seen various comments about it having strange effects so I would advise you save your game noting why you saved then watch it closely for the next couple of turns to be sure.

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Post #: 7

Re: Re: Replacement Pilots? - 7/27/2003 9:38:06 PM

Admiral DadMan

Posts: 3627
Joined: 2/22/2002
From: A Lion uses all its might to catch a Rabbit
Status: offline

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Spooky
[B]A few links about USS Clark (DD 361) :
http://www.domeisland.com/goldplater/ussclark.html
http://www.destroyers.org/nl-histories/dd361-nl.htm [/B][/QUOTE] Another link to USS CLARK [URL=http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd361txt.htm]DD-361 DANFS[/URL]

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