Airpower waste of time?

[sba55]

I'm a noob and am playing the Barbarossa scenario as Germany. It seems to me like managing all the air bases is close to a waste of time. Other than the first turn where I use them to kill off a couple thousand ruski planes (for a measely 2 or so points) I don't see where they make much of an impact.

I am trying alternate strategies against the AI for fun and have currently almost completely surrounded all the enemy central front units including Smolinsk on turn 3 by using all my armor against them in 2 giant pincers with the infantry mass in the middle. (it's the Horns of the Buffalo Zulu strategy) (I was tired of running into the brown carpet defense by playing "normal")

No russian units can stand up to me so far and it doesn't seem to matter whether I use planes or not which is completely anti historic.

What am I missing?

[Disgruntled Veteran]

Your planes are helping quite a bit I imagine. Depending on your air doctrine they are an abstracted modifier in your battles.

[sba55]

I do see them bombing etc from time to time so perhaps it helps. I don't actively do anything with them though. The air doctrine is over my head. I leave it on default and hope for the best. ( I do change it for the first turn based on a recommendation in the forum)

[Disgruntled Veteran]

Airpower serves as an additional SU. I usually keep my ground support at around 65 and my interdiction close to that. Interdiction works in between turns by attacking them as they move...thus dropping they're morale and MP's (I believe). Ground support adds a little additional uumph to every battle. Abstracted air power is a plus in my opinion. I'm, beginning to appreciate the producers design with it. Also, Some ppl use the direct strike function to weaken a particular hex before a major battle. Hope this helps.

[sba55]

I guess I had visions of being able to sic Hans Eric Rudel and his Stuka on the ruski tanks and watch them get smashed. I have tried a few direct attacks but the planes I want to attack never seem to be the ones that actually do.

[Disgruntled Veteran]

ORIGINAL: sba55

I guess I had visions of being able to sic Hans Eric Rudel and his Stuka on the ruski tanks and watch them get smashed. I have tried a few direct attacks but the planes I want to attack never seem to be the ones that actually do.

Hold shift before an attack and you can select the planes you wish to attack.

[tigercub]

Stuka it has too short a range for my liking 90 miles? the plane did a massive damage during the war...but does not get much aof a lookin here!

the Weakest part of the game is the Air war thats for sure!

[glvaca]

I bomb everything I can and especially stacks I'm going to attack. Even if you're not doing a lot of damage, disruption and fatigue will go up for the defenders, increasing your chances of a succesful attack.

Bomb often, bomb everything, bomb some more! Do not ignore your airforce!

[sillyflower]

ORIGINAL: sba55

I guess I had visions of being able to sic Hans Eric Rudel and his Stuka on the ruski tanks and watch them get smashed. I have tried a few direct attacks but the planes I want to attack never seem to be the ones that actually do.

I made an unsuccessful plea for a Rudel counter a year ago

[AFV]

I prefer the air war being abstracted. The only thing that bugs me, is having airbases, with bombers in range, that are 0% used, that simply will not bomb.
And it seems that the shift right click gives varying responses- its like early in the turn I shift right click a hex and there was nothing available, then later I try it again and suddenly planes can fly now. At least it seems that way, perhaps I am mistaken on that. 
 

[KenchiSulla]

Try selecting the airfield where you want to stage from first.

The airforce is useful. Great for disrupting ground forces. Try concentrating them where you need them and then unleashing them on attacks that are critical. You can select ground support on/off to avoid committing them on a certain win attack.

[ETF]

ORIGINAL: Disgruntled Veteran

ORIGINAL: sba55
Hold shift before an attack and you can select the planes you wish to attack.

Really.....can you explain a little further on this?

[AFV]

ORIGINAL:  Cannonfodder
Try selecting the airfield where you want to stage from first.
The airforce is useful. Great for disrupting ground forces. Try concentrating them where you need them and then unleashing them on attacks that are critical. You can select ground support on/off to avoid committing them on a certain win attack.

I have, and with bombers available, at 0%, they will not fly (sometimes).
 
ETF: select F6, then hold shift and right click a hex with enemy units in it.

[schascha]

I'm new in this game and I play only scenarios with soviets. I tryed to bombard a lot of time some ground units without signifiant results. Is it worth ? (sorry for my poor english, I'm french)

[Disciple]

ORIGINAL: schascha

I'm new in this game and I play only scenarios with soviets. I tryed to bombard a lot of time some ground units without signifiant results. Is it worth ? (sorry for my poor english, I'm french)

Bombing units rarely causes many direct casualties, if any. But as glvaca suggests above, it can reduce the targets morale and/or increase it's fatigue. So it's a worthwhile consideration provided you target units you intend to attack with land units later in the same turn. You can also use it as a tactic to destroy enemy aircraft - set your bomber escort percentage to 125 + and you stand a reasonable chance of destroying some enemy fighters that try to intercept the bombing mission.

[dontra85]

bombing as the russians or germans can generate significant casualties. I concentrate my attacks on the HQ units. manage to kill a lot of artillery, engineers and yes AFV's (mainly STUGIII and Jadpanzers). I do both day and night bombing with ground units first and then switch over to airfields if the occasion comes up. I usually do this after i have night bombed an airfield, this disrupts and damages the fighters at the base, and then follow it up with daylight strikes. They also do act as a SU as stated in another post above.