Cap Coverage question

Gary Grigsby's strategic level wargame covering the entire War in the Pacific from 1941 to 1945 or beyond.

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RUPD3658
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Cap Coverage question

Post by RUPD3658 »

I had the KB escorting a surface TF off of Java when it was attacked by over 100 4E bombers and 40-50 fighters. There were 4-6 Cvs and 2-3 CVE/Ls (Can't give the exact number due to security reasons) and all had full compliments of Zeros set to 90% Cap.

The strike went after the surface TF (thankfully) and several ships were damaged.

The thing that is weird is that only 28 Zeros intercepted and most were shot down. In addition, it looks like most all of these were from a single CV.

Is this because the strike went after the other TF (in the same hex by the way) or do I need to shoot an officer or two to ensure that the Cap flys?
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KDonovan
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RE: Cap Coverage question

Post by KDonovan »

looks like i got pretty lucky as even 60 zeros would've decimated my forces (and gutted the AVG for 2 months)

in regards to your question, i think you need to use LRCAP orders and not "cap 90%" orders to get the maximum effort of your CAP when you need to get coverage over more than 1 TF.

Personally i like to give my LR CAP squadrens specific orders like "LRCAP to TF 193"

btw.....one of you shot down Zero pilots was captured by ABDA forces, and spilled his guts on how many CV's you got operating in the area....so security measures are futile[:D]
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RUPD3658
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RE: Cap Coverage question

Post by RUPD3658 »

I am sure he fullfilled his mission by providing disinformation. [:'(]

Maybe there were only 2 CVs in the TF that you bounced.........Where are the rest?
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits"- Darwin Awards 2003

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JeffroK
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RE: Cap Coverage question

Post by JeffroK »

For some reason many think that if you order a CAP/LRCAP it works 24hrs a day.

Read up on the Battles, it was far from perfect with gaps between mission, CAP not finding the TF/Base nominated, Attackers sneaking in the unexpected way, CAP at wrong height, weather etc etc etc.

So much of warfare becomes open to circumstances, call it luck, that you must expect that your carefully laid plans go to the doghouse on contact with the enemy.

Therefore, like in real lifem\, you provide 2-3 layers of cover and consider the worst. Probably why the real Admirals didnt swan around like we do in our games.
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Belce
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RE: Cap Coverage question

Post by Belce »

I think that coordination would also apply to cap coverage as well. With that many carriers in a single task force it is possible that it failed its coordination roll and only a few fighters responded to the attack. You could divide your carrier task force into smaller units and have each task force coordinate successfully against an air attack. The way the game works is that cap in a hex is applied to any air attack in the hex, flak is based on the task force or base that is attacked. I think you would find more planes consistently involved with a couple of carrier task forces in the hex than just one big carrier force.

With lrcap the default is 100% effort and while you can cover a task force with this, it provides the cap to the hex that the task force is in. If I lrcap a task force in and that task forces enters a base hex, the cap will also intercept attacks to that base as well, but the task force will not provide falk support to the base attack.

This is what I think and if someone has reason to think otherwise I look forward to the discussion.
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saj42
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RE: Cap Coverage question

Post by saj42 »

As I understand it (and i'm certainly no expert) only a portion of the CAP is airborne at any one time. When an incoming strike is detected a portion of the a/c on the ground are scrambled (the reason for the 'climbing to intercept' message during combat animation). Now the numbers that get scrambled are dependent on several factors, the major one being the presence of air-search radar in your base or TF. As Japan you are lacking in this device early in the game.

Anyway, right or wrong, thats my explanation[&:]
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racndoc
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RE: Cap Coverage question

Post by racndoc »

Look at the settings for your Zero squadrons. If they are on escort with a destination or target specified they may not fly CAP at all...even if set at 90% CAP. Ive learned this painful lesson through prior experience. Also Ive read that if your air groups had more planes than pilots they may not fly.
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RUPD3658
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RE: Cap Coverage question

Post by RUPD3658 »

Yeah, I learned that the hard way. The only way to delete their objective is to stand them down then reassign them a CAP mission.

This was not the case and all had pilots.
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dtravel
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RE: Cap Coverage question

Post by dtravel »

ORIGINAL: RUPD3658

Yeah, I learned that the hard way. The only way to delete their objective is to stand them down then reassign them a CAP mission.

This was not the case and all had pilots.

There is another way. Click on "Select Target" and once the map shows, just right-click. That will set the Target back to 'Commander's Descretion'.
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Charles2222
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RE: Cap Coverage question

Post by Charles2222 »

Or you can hit Esc.
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