DD Air - Need some pointers maybe...

[Panzerschiffe]

Well, im starting a decent UK game, sort of a test game of sorts.

So i prepared my Fortress Britain by basically placing 10 radar everywhere near the channel and 10 AA in about every province in the south. Ive also got a bunch of fighters (6, i just lost 4 over the channel!!) and a few INTs (4) patrolling london and cardiff areas. Fighters are '40 model and its oct '.40

Yet, with all this planning, rotating pairs of 4 Fighters over the channel and using INT to defend my industry, i still got my ass kicked...and i think thats an understatement.

Anyone have any tips on how not to get my ass kicked as Britain and possibly other nations as well?


I was getting quite owned by germany's fleet (convoy raiding) and still am but ive succeeded in pinning the surface fleet at brest with 6 BBs and 2 carriers. I dont want them to even move before i can get a chance to bomb them.

It also seems like ESC are quite the suxorz. I tag em on each of my 4 bombers yet they get owned and come back at half org and 3/4 STR. Are escorts usually that crappy? Mind you, ive still got a radar bonus if that helps ESC (i doubt it, since they are bombers? then again, im not sure)

My air strategy hasnt been effective thus far, except maybe stalling the germans a bit, im not even sure i do much damage to their fighter/interceptors.

I need some pointers.

 

[TheLand]

Well, im starting a decent UK game, sort of a test game of sorts.

So i prepared my Fortress Britain by basically placing 10 radar everywhere near the channel and 10 AA in about every province in the south. Ive also got a bunch of fighters (6, i just lost 4 over the channel!!) and a few INTs (4) patrolling london and cardiff areas. Fighters are '40 model and its oct '.40

TBH that's not many fighters.

However it would help if you could be more specific about your objectives . .what are you trying to do? strat bombe them? attack their fleet? fend off enemy air superioritY?

 

[Crazyhorse]

I agree that that aren't many fighters/interceptors.

As Germany I usually have 20+ Fighters/interceptors based along the coast against the UK.

 

[Panzerschiffe]

well, i had 10 fighters, i lost 4 over the channel due to the non changing mission org thing, they were flying their mission at 15% org, so they got totally creamed. Well, lesson learned, always check the mission org.

I wanted to have 2 sets of 4 with 2 spares to fly over the channel, with lv 10 radar, i beleive that gave me a huge edge in fighting, so i didnt have to build so much.

However it would help if you could be more specific about your objectives . .what are you trying to do? strat bombe them? attack their fleet? fend off enemy air superioritY?

Strat bombing them doesnt seem to work, the ESC seem way too weak. Fleets kick my NAVs butts and then i get intercepted by fighters above the channel and my NAVs almost die.

Basically, air superiorty, stay defensive and just survive.

With bismark and its buddy stuck in brest for a while, my ASW fleets are now safe, so ill hunt subs now, though even my best DD and CVL fleets cant seem to find any, i even checked with nofog cheat and they were everywhere, i cant imagine how they are tracking them.
I also managed to have a stalemate going in libya/egypt with no land changing sides even though i have about 9 divisions there to their 30 or so.

So right now, vs germany, stay defensive, vs italy, i could afford to do something with my fleets and hurt them to some extent.

 

[unmerged(3221)]

You are better off with Interceptors rather than fighters. Int get a big combat bonus that fighters do not get:

# Combat Modifier: Interceptor vs Bomber Mod
0.25

There is little advantage to using fighters in your situation. And you need lots more and make sure that they are commanded by superior tacticians to get that bonus in any air battles.

When you are fighting over the channel, look at the combat modifiers by pausing the game. If you are getting a bonus from radar, then it's worth fighting over the Channel. If you are not getting the radar bonus, then just do air superiority over your provinces. I'm not sure how this works for DD. You will benefit from province AA over your territory, so perhaps a more passive air defense just over your land areas would be better than aggressively trying to dominate the air over seazones.

You might also want to use a few stacks of interceptors on night missions with night flyer leaders. They can tie up bombers at night which might allow you to attack them during the day.

 

[wright1331]

You are better off with Interceptors rather than fighters. Int get a big combat bonus that fighters do not get:

# Combat Modifier: Interceptor vs Bomber Mod
0.25

There is little advantage to using fighters in your situation. And you need lots more and make sure that they are commanded by superior tacticians to get that bonus in any air battles.

When you are fighting over the channel, look at the combat modifiers by pausing the game. If you are getting a bonus from radar, then it's worth fighting over the Channel. If you are not getting the radar bonus, then just do air superiority over your provinces. I'm not sure how this works for DD. You will benefit from province AA over your territory, so perhaps a more passive air defense just over your land areas would be better than aggressively trying to dominate the air over seazones.

You might also want to use a few stacks of interceptors on night missions with night flyer leaders. They can tie up bombers at night which might allow you to attack them during the day.

Can someone confirm, or better yet give a ScreenShot of Radar actually working in adjacent sea zones in DD.... As germany i tried building radar for the purpose of covering the channel, but i never once got the bonus. So I didnt think it actually worked as per say the manual.

 

[Panzerschiffe]

You are better off with Interceptors rather than fighters. Int get a big combat bonus that fighters do not get:

# Combat Modifier: Interceptor vs Bomber Mod
0.25

There is little advantage to using fighters in your situation. And you need lots more and make sure that they are commanded by superior tacticians to get that bonus in any air battles

INT get bonus vs bombers, but i thought id get FTR and cream enemy INT, though it didnt seem too effective.

Can someone confirm, or better yet give a ScreenShot of Radar actually working in adjacent sea zones in DD.... As germany i tried building radar for the purpose of covering the channel, but i never once got the bonus. So I didnt think it actually worked as per say the manual.

Now that you mention it, i havent seen it, i dont think. Which would explain why my fighters sucked so bad maybe.

Ill have to try it and get a screenie

 

[unmerged(51002)]

You'll need at least 12 ints. At the very least.

 

[Permanganate]

INT get bonus vs bombers, but i thought id get FTR and cream enemy INT, though it didnt seem too effective.

In Doomsday, Int F now have the same Air Attack as Ftr, and almost as much range, Soft Attack, and Hard Attack. Because Int F have always had a better Air Defense, Ftr now lose to everything. Large AI corps of Bomber-Esc F beat Ftr, Int F beat Ftr. Don't build Ftr unless you really need that longer range. I haven't researched or built any since I noticed how much better Int F are now.

 

[Panzerschiffe]

In Doomsday, Int F now have the same Air Attack as Ftr, and almost as much range, Soft Attack, and Hard Attack. Because Int F have always had a better Air Defense, Ftr now lose to everything. Large AI corps of Bomber-Esc F beat Ftr, Int F beat Ftr. Don't build Ftr unless you really need that longer range. I haven't researched or built any since I noticed how much better Int F are now.

Good to know, so its a good idea to ignore the FTR techs and concentrate on INT and other useful stuff.

Good old useless fighters

 

[SonofWinter]

Good to know, so its a good idea to ignore the FTR techs and concentrate on INT and other useful stuff.

Good old useless fighters

What is a good idea, is paying attention. Sorry, but any player who sends out his air squadrons to fight at 15% strength isn't going to survive no matter what air planes he uses, ever.