Coral Sea -- Lethargic US LBA

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Smokechaser
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Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:57 pm

Coral Sea -- Lethargic US LBA

Post by Smokechaser »

Have played through Coral Sea scenario 3 times as US against IJN AI: combining and moving the US CVs to the west to intercept and destroy MO invasion fleet has proven to be a reliable strategy. Downside: dealing with a powerful IJN CV force on flank or rear, and no escape route towards Brisbane and Noumea. After TF-17s (Yorktown) first strike on Tulagi, seems best to save their air strength for a united effort with TF-11 (Lex) against the MO fleet. I did get suckered into chasing the MO fleet too far back towards Rabaul, wasting some of my carrier strike force (especially fighter escort) that I needed for the eventual showdown with the IJN CVs. When the showdown came it was ugly, losing both US CVs to heavy IJN strikes: there's no sneaking up on the IJN CVs, their air recon is all-seeing. The best I achieved was sinking a CV, CVL, and badly damaging the last IJN CV in return, leaving me with a bruised and blinded cruiser force trying to sweep up the mess with very limited fleet air recon. But the MO invasion fleet was largely destroyed, and all IJN CVs sunk or damaged yielding a marginal US victory due to loss of the US CVs and their air assets.

I might have been able to achieve the same without sacrificing both my carriers if the US land-based bombers had not been so oddly lethargic: does anyone have some tips on mobilizing these boys? I moved a squadron of P-40s up to Moresby where they provided badly needed CAP, but the "big friends" didn't accomplish much beyond some unhelpful and confusing recon reports along the Aussie coast. I shuttled the B-25/26 squadrons along the coast as needed, and set orders for naval searches and attacks into the area of a known IJN CV force (found by the always helpful PBYs), with nice tight search arcs and distances; lowered altitude settings, and varied attack patrol levels from 20 to 100%: nada. I didn't expect much from the 26s due to their short range but those Mitchells let me down bad. [:@]

Are adjustments to V US Bomber Command HQ necessary to get them out of combat -defend posture? Or is this lethargic behavior by the USAAC built into the scenario?

Also, am I correct that varying attack patrol levels from low (say 20%) to high (say 90-100%) during a naval attack will provide a higher chance of detecting the target, but leave fewer assets to perform the attack (ie: they're all out scouting)?



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BletchleyGeek
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Location: Living in the fair city of Melbourne, Australia

RE: Coral Sea -- Lethargic US LBA

Post by BletchleyGeek »

ORIGINAL: Smokechaser
Also, am I correct that varying attack patrol levels from low (say 20%) to high (say 90-100%) during a naval attack will provide a higher chance of detecting the target, but leave fewer assets to perform the attack (ie: they're all out scouting)?

You are right [:)]. Bombers detached on nav search will not take part in any strike later in the day. However, they will engage targets of opportunity, with the rather weak 250kg bomb payloads.
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n01487477
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RE: Coral Sea -- Lethargic US LBA

Post by n01487477 »

Coral Sea scenario according to the Dev's doesn't have a fully functioning AI (because it is too small iirc) ... and having played through it a few times it's easy to know exactly what will occur ...
Smokechaser
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Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:57 pm

RE: Coral Sea -- Lethargic US LBA

Post by Smokechaser »

thanks guys!
 
oh, my bad -- I meant A-20s, not B-26s
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Sardaukar
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RE: Coral Sea -- Lethargic US LBA

Post by Sardaukar »

Isn't there morale check involved if other than heavy bombers fly without escort against target defended by CAP?
"To meaningless French Idealism, Liberty, Fraternity and Equality...we answer with German Realism, Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery" -Prince von Bülov, 1870-

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