Will there be anti-submarine blimps

[Rudolf Hessbart]

Will there be anti-submarine blimps or will they be simulated by naval bombers like in the previous games. I heard that the USA used them a lot. The advantage is their range, low supply cost and operation time. Their only disadvantage is their low speed.

 

[Ragnar89]

There are no blimps to be researched in the tech tree.

 

[safe-keeper]

Would love to see them. Maybe as a tech you could research that would make ASW missions more effective? Don't know how many of them there were, so I can't say if they should be abstracted or be actual units. To be honest, I don't see them making it into the game, though.

 

[SchwarzKatze]

If they're in, they should only increase submarine detection chance. The only time a blimp engaged a submarine in a gun duel, the blimp lost.

 

[Odysseia]

There is a few drawn on the game's opening screen

 

[Denkt]

Well you could mod them in the game as ships with good submarine detection

 

[Vidkjaer]

I demand a dedicated unit for this and it's carrier variant (irony may be intended)

 

[BaReLy.]

I demand a dedicated unit for this and it's carrier variant (irony may be intended)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Akron_(ZRS-4)#Experimental_use_as_a_.22flying_aircraft_carrier.22

Here you go

 

[Zaku]

I think blimps are out of the scope of the game. Just because the US used a few for convoy defense doesn't mean it should be included as an unit.

Even so, I wouldn't mind for blimps to be the part of the naval doctrine techs, and they could give some spotting bonus/asw efficiency to convoys.

 

[Antediluvian Monster]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Akron_(ZRS-4)#Experimental_use_as_a_.22flying_aircraft_carrier.22

Here you go

That should totally be under secret weapons tech of course. I can't wait to see WW2 decided by jet fighter touting Zeppelins. I mean, it does sound cool right, even just a little bit?

 

[Director]

Wow - I didn't know a blimp could carry an ocean-going escort carrier! Most impressive! (LOL)

From what I remember, blimps were very useful for ASW work, but I think they operated from land bases. Since HoI 4 won't have escorts and escort carrier I doubt it will have blimps.

Yes, the US actually did deploy rigid airships that carried a small number (5, I think) of special aircraft. The airships both crashed... from what I've read, launching and recovering aircraft was pretty terrifying.

 

[Axe99]

I doubt, highly, it would be in the base game, as there were too few and they were only used in a specific theatre (as far as I know), but I could see the value in modding them in for added depth/flavour, if feasible. Initial rough thoughts would be:

- A doctrine unlock isn't really appropriate, as blimps would have been crazy vulnerable to aircraft, so the UK unlocking 'ASW blimps' for a +10 sub detection bonus would be inappropriate (at least on the south coast of the UK).

- An air unit that was slow and vulnerable, but had good range and decent sub detection, would probably be the way to go. That way, it only makes sense to deploy them in theatres where the enemy is highly unlikely to have any aircraft or surface warships with AA that could make short work of them (ie, coastal US - maybe south africa if Germany developed crazy long-range subs but didn't build as many long-distance surface raiders). Would rely on AI being able to be told to only deploy them to air bases in very safe places though, might be a little tricky to achieve.

Will put it on my 'list of things to look into' for the naval mod, thanks to OP for thoughts .

 

[Sharp163]

Anti-submarine blimps??

What about anti-blimp submarines??

 

[3ishop]

Could be worth while for the Allies to base them off Greenland/iceland/Newfound land for added cover over these areas for the cheap. Not sure the full range of the blimps tho.