Nuances of Interdiction

[Q-Ball]

Hello all! I am still learning the air game despite having played this game a bit. I'm pretty comfortable with Strat Bombing at this point, but Interdiction is still something that eludes me. Can the more experienced players help?

I am invading France, and set up the following settings. Needless to say, results are very underwhelming. Am I missing something?

Aircraft: Approx. 900 RAF Rocket-Equipped FBs (Typhoon, Hurri, Mosquito), and 700 USAAF FBs (mostly P-40 and P-47 equipped with bombs)

Loadouts are 8 Rockets for all RAF FBs, and max number of bombs for the USAAF (2 or 3 bombs)

Alt: 13,000 Ft.
4 Air Directives, Overlapping, all set to Interdiction Only, on AUTO
4 Days of Missions (Days 3,4,6,7)
RECON flew all 7 days in this box, 91 RECON aircraft

[Q-Ball]

Attached is the air directive summary; maybe I should have not had on AUTO, but rather selected more missions, but we ran quite a few. Also, all planes ran 100% of Sorties.

Should I have reduced the loadouts and mixed in fuel tanks? 7 Days instead of 4? Or, manually increased the number of missions? Or a different altitude?

Or did my opponent just do a really good job here of spreading out FLAK? (Every unit you see seemed to have a flak unit attached)

As you can see, we suffered high losses, and the LW was absent.

Help appreciated on specific orders for Interdiction.

[Helpless]

Why do you think it is bad result? I see 9-7's on the screenshots. It is probably possible to optimize it, but it is not so bad.

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: Helpless

Why do you think it is bad result? I see 9-7's on the screenshots. It is probably possible to optimize it, but it is not so bad.

There are some high numbers, I agree, but more low ones.....1,2,3s. I usually see a carpet of 6+ from the other side. Maybe I don't use enough AA?

[whoofe]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

ORIGINAL: Helpless

Why do you think it is bad result? I see 9-7's on the screenshots. It is probably possible to optimize it, but it is not so bad.

There are some high numbers, I agree, but more low ones.....1,2,3s. I usually see a carpet of 6+ from the other side. Maybe I don't use enough AA?

better than I usually get

[Q-Ball]

What I'm curious about is what settings experienced players use in order to generate max interdiction, as well as hopefully keep Allied FBs flying. Any input?

[LiquidSky]

I usually keep my interdiction boxes smaller. The hex I am attacking...the hexes adjacent to them..maybe one more out.

Shift-O will show you AA values. What can happen is a 'black hole' can develop. Fighter bombers try to interdict all the hexes equally...hit a hex or two with a lot of flak and do a small amount. So more planes try and bomb there on later days. And so on....causing the overall values to drop.

Those 0's I see are probably flak concentrations.


I also use to divide my fighter bombers in half (roughly). On one turn I would rest one of the groups while the other one flies...then switch.

I usually bomb with my FB's on auto. The computer seems to do a fine job of picking the correct bomb load so I don't mess with it...

[Q-Ball]

Thanks LS, I do think the ZEROS were flak, and I will say my opponent (smokingdave) did a really good job putting flak in this area. He broke lots of units down into Regts, and each had a FLAK unit, so that whole area was quite a flak trap. I don't think I tipped him off, but that particular area is one of the top invasion sites anyway.

We are firmly ashore with the beaches linked up, LeHavre cleared, and 3 hexes deep into France the first week of June, but running into a Panzer Wall. We have a plan for that though.....