What are Wirraways Useful For?

This new stand alone release based on the legendary War in the Pacific from 2 by 3 Games adds significant improvements and changes to enhance game play, improve realism, and increase historical accuracy. With dozens of new features, new art, and engine improvements, War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition brings you the most realistic and immersive WWII Pacific Theater wargame ever!

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blueatoll
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What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by blueatoll »

I've got 3 squadrons of Wirraways based at Port Moresby flying ground attack missions at 1000' over Buna. Buna is recon'ed daily and I have 8000 troops battling for the airfield. The Wirraways are all 65+ experience, have under 15 fatigue, and are not encountering any Japanese fighters.

Here's the problem, the Wirraways NEVER do any damage to ground troops in Buna. When I switch them to Airfield Attack, again at 1000', the NEVER damage the airfield. The only thing the Wirraways do is get shot down by anemic flak or get damaged during the mission.

What are these crates for?
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HansBolter
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by HansBolter »

ASW close in defense of large ports....it's the only thing I ever use them for.
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Terminus
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by Terminus »

The RAAF only used the Wirracoffin at all because it was the only thing they had.
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Bullwinkle58
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by Bullwinkle58 »

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ASW close in defense of large ports....it's the only thing I ever use them for.

ASW and Recon mostly.
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cdnice
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by cdnice »

I use them for training as well.
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jeffk3510
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by jeffk3510 »

Training and ASW
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geofflambert
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by geofflambert »

Training is mainly what they are good for. On average one third of your sqds should be dedicated to training. You might try lowN to begin with, because you might actually get some early opportunities to use that skill. Regular NB should be a high priority, GA after that. Don't bother with lowG because the planes these pilots will graduate to will have much better uses. Think about training them well on NB so that when the Beauforts show up, you can begin training them at NT with them already being proficient at NB which is important if your target turns out to be out of range for torpedo attack, or the base you're forced to use cannot support torpedo planes with inventory.

Keep in mind that the crews you train are more important than the planes, so don't waste them attacking well defended targets. You will have a huge surplus of them and if you're smart the vast majority will end up on the scrap heap.

You could use them for Naval search training or ASW training but I would counsel that you leave that to the US. Employ your Hudsons for search and search training.

The Aussies never get proper recon planes (IIRC) so leave the recon training to the US Army and Navy. Remember to begin training Navy/Marine pilots on recon early because they get some outstanding Liberator recon planes eventually.

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geofflambert
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by geofflambert »

You may also use some of your Wirraways to train future fighter pilots in strafing and lowG if you wish, but the Aussies never have a whale of a lot of fighters so limit yourself there.

To disagree with HansBolter a bit, the worst planes you have are better trainers than they could ever be doing anything else. They (the Wirraways) are also lousy at ASW because of their limited range. Train, train, train and train.

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JeffroK
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by JeffroK »

Look at the Wirraway as being a brother of the SNJ Texan (actually a distant cousin)

It was a training aircraft, and the vast majority were used in that way.

A small detachment saw combat over Rabaul in Jan 41, disatrously.

Other detachments performed Army Co-operation roles, message and supply drops, showing Generals the terrain etc.

Nos 4 & 5 Sqns used them to mark targets for better equipped Fighter Bombers in New Guinea & Bouganville until replaced by the Boomerang.

Use them as trainers, see what aircraft the Sqns upgrade to and then train them in than role.
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GreyJoy
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by GreyJoy »

Trainers, yes, but also, as others have said, ASW. If well trained in the first couple of months, they can be usefull to protect Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth from the pesky jap subs.
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JeffroK
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by JeffroK »

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Trainers, yes, but also, as others have said, ASW. If well trained in the first couple of months, they can be usefull to protect Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth from the pesky jap subs.
I seem to have enough Hudson Sqn or Detachments for this.

A few more units can never hurt to keep the subs down.
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Jim Stevens
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by Jim Stevens »

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

Training is mainly what they are good for. On average one third of your sqds should be dedicated to training. You might try lowN to begin with, because you might actually get some early opportunities to use that skill. Regular NB should be a high priority, GA after that. Don't bother with lowG because the planes these pilots will graduate to will have much better uses. Think about training them well on NB so that when the Beauforts show up, you can begin training them at NT with them already being proficient at NB which is important if your target turns out to be out of range for torpedo attack, or the base you're forced to use cannot support torpedo planes with inventory.

Keep in mind that the crews you train are more important than the planes, so don't waste them attacking well defended targets. You will have a huge surplus of them and if you're smart the vast majority will end up on the scrap heap.

You could use them for Naval search training or ASW training but I would counsel that you leave that to the US. Employ your Hudsons for search and search training.

The Aussies never get proper recon planes (IIRC) so leave the recon training to the US Army and Navy. Remember to begin training Navy/Marine pilots on recon early because they get some outstanding Liberator recon planes eventually.

Thanks for this post. I am sure it's full of good information but speaking as a freshman player the prolific use of abbreviations in the text made me give up trying to understand the post. Please give consideration to those folks who may not live and breath this game so we too can benefit from the wisdoms posted here. Thanks...
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dr.hal
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by dr.hal »

I wouldn't say they were "lousy" at ASW, as I think ASW really is a short range concept (close to the port in question) and thus this A/C is fine. But yes, training is important. But as it trains only OZ flyers that's of limited use.
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Sardaukar
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by Sardaukar »

Wirraway turned out to be quite good FAC/arty observer aircraft. Obviously during air superiority.
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Empire101
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by Empire101 »

As a JFB, Wirraways are GREAT for target practice [;)]
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Phanatikk
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by Phanatikk »

They are good for making Japanese aces.
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Wirraway_Ace
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by Wirraway_Ace »

ORIGINAL: JeffK

Look at the Wirraway as being a brother of the SNJ Texan (actually a distant cousin)

It was a training aircraft, and the vast majority were used in that way.

A small detachment saw combat over Rabaul in Jan 41, disatrously.

Other detachments performed Army Co-operation roles, message and supply drops, showing Generals the terrain etc.

Nos 4 & 5 Sqns used them to mark targets for better equipped Fighter Bombers in New Guinea & Bouganville until replaced by the Boomerang.

Use them as trainers, see what aircraft the Sqns upgrade to and then train them in than role.
This is how I use them too...
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Wirraway_Ace
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by Wirraway_Ace »

ORIGINAL: JeffK

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Trainers, yes, but also, as others have said, ASW. If well trained in the first couple of months, they can be usefull to protect Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth from the pesky jap subs.
I seem to have enough Hudson Sqn or Detachments for this.

A few more units can never hurt to keep the subs down.
Hudson's in combo with the reasonably numerous depth charge equipped minesweepers the Aussies get are an effective ASW package. To my mind, the Wirraway is a very poor ASW platform. Short legs, light loadout.
Thayne
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by Thayne »

ORIGINAL: Jim Stevens

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

Training is mainly what they are good for. On average one third of your sqds should be dedicated to training. You might try lowN to begin with, because you might actually get some early opportunities to use that skill. Regular NB should be a high priority, GA after that. Don't bother with lowG because the planes these pilots will graduate to will have much better uses. Think about training them well on NB so that when the Beauforts show up, you can begin training them at NT with them already being proficient at NB which is important if your target turns out to be out of range for torpedo attack, or the base you're forced to use cannot support torpedo planes with inventory.

Keep in mind that the crews you train are more important than the planes, so don't waste them attacking well defended targets. You will have a huge surplus of them and if you're smart the vast majority will end up on the scrap heap.

You could use them for Naval search training or ASW training but I would counsel that you leave that to the US. Employ your Hudsons for search and search training.

The Aussies never get proper recon planes (IIRC) so leave the recon training to the US Army and Navy. Remember to begin training Navy/Marine pilots on recon early because they get some outstanding Liberator recon planes eventually.

Thanks for this post. I am sure it's full of good information but speaking as a freshman player the prolific use of abbreviations in the text made me give up trying to understand the post. Please give consideration to those folks who may not live and breath this game so we too can benefit from the wisdoms posted here. Thanks...

Translation:

Training is mainly what they are good for. On average one third of your sqds should be dedicated to training. You might try [Low Naval attack; Naval attack, altitude 1000 ft] to begin with, because you might actually get some early opportunities to use that skill. Regular [Naval Bombardment; Naval attack, Altitude 5000 ft +] should be a high priority, [Ground attack; airfield, port, ground units, altitude 5000 ft +] after that. Don't bother with [Low ground attack training; airfield, port, ground units, altitude 1000 ft] because the planes these pilots will graduate to will have much better uses. Think about training them well on [Naval bombardment; alt 5000 ft +] so that when the Beauforts show up, you can begin training them at [Naval torpedo attack; naval attack, armed with torpedoes] with them already being proficient at [Naval bombardment] which is important if your target turns out to be out of range for torpedo attack, or the base you're forced to use cannot support torpedo planes with inventory.
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jeffk3510
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RE: What are Wirraways Useful For?

Post by jeffk3510 »

All said and done..all planes are useful. Planes that should never be sent to the front line, but can't be upgraded becuase of the lack of planes should be set to 100% training. Any guy with a library card can hop in a Bolo in the game and perform a naval search regardless of his skill until something better comes along. It is better than nothing.

Would I send a 60exp pilot up in a Wirraway to bounce enemy fighters? I would have better luck marrying Diane Lane.
Life is tough. The sooner you realize that, the easier it will be.

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