Transporting Aircraft

[MadDogMurdock]

I am having a hell-of-a-time getting aircraft from the coast of the US to Pearl and the islands.

There seem to be only 2 akv ships that I can use in 1944 and when I attempt to load aircraft it simply says they cannot be loaded beside all the squadrons.

I took some of my CVE's and flew the aircraft off where they were needed, then took the ships to San Francisco. I cannot load or fly aircraft onto them there.

How do I get aircraft from the mainland to the islands?

[jcjordan]

Any AK/xAK/AKV/CVE/CV type will work. To load it, unit must not be restricted command & in same port/base hex to load onto ship. If it is able to load, just load it like you would troops & the like by selecting the unit to load it - basically 1 unit per AK. IE say you've got a 5 AK transport TF in San Fran & you've got 5 air units in SF (say 4 attached to CincPac & 1 to WC) you'll only be able to load those 4 attached to CincPac but not the one attached to WC unless you change it to CincPac or other pacific unrestricted command.

[MadDogMurdock]

How can I change WC to CincPac?

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: MadDogMurdock

How can I change WC to CincPac?

It cost pps to change. Open the group window and click on 'Attached to' the highlighted in yellow. Available commands and costs will appear on the next window. If the 'Attached to' is greyed out then it cannot be changed.

You can only fly carrier capable a/c onto any CV but you can load those that aren't as already explained, however CV types are loaded differently in dock. You have to open the group window and click 'transfer to docked ship'. Available ships will appear in the next window. Any a/c you can put on a CV type can be flown off so you don't have to reach you destination and dock.

[Leandros]

The command "load troops" - for loading airplanes on cargo ships, etc., may also be somewhat misleading to some. But, it's in the good book.

Fred

[Revthought]

ORIGINAL: MadDogMurdock

I am having a hell-of-a-time getting aircraft from the coast of the US to Pearl and the islands.

There seem to be only 2 akv ships that I can use in 1944 and when I attempt to load aircraft it simply says they cannot be loaded beside all the squadrons.

I took some of my CVE's and flew the aircraft off where they were needed, then took the ships to San Francisco. I cannot load or fly aircraft onto them there.

How do I get aircraft from the mainland to the islands?

As others have suggested:

You can use xAKs/AKs to transport planes. You need to form a Air Transport task force, plop in some xAKs (one per squadron you want to transport) and then click "load troops." From there you can select the squadrons you want to load.

You also want to use your AKVs in a similar way--i.e. don't try load them by clicking "transfer to ship" on the squadron. Form a Air Transport TF, put in the the AKVs, click load troops, etc,.

The difference in using AKVs over xAKs/AKs is this: with xAKs/AKs the airframes need to be crated for transport. This means when they get to their destination and unload, the planes will need to be reassembled. AKVs can transport the planes intact, so when they get to their destination and unload, they are ready to fly!

[BBfanboy]

Since no one seems to have mentioned it, I will add that each ship in an Air Transport TF can only load ONE squadron or part thereof. The rest of the space is available for supply.
There is a third option beside carrier transport and Air Transport TF - a plain old Transport TF. They can "load troops" at dockside to get the aircraft, and they can use xAKLs as well as xAKs. Here the aircraft are even further disassembled and require three days to reassemble at destination. The other potential issue is that a small xAKL cannot always handle a full squadron of large aircraft, like 12 B-24s.
Review your squadrons first and pick the ones you want to move. Then match ship capacity to squadrons and load away.

[Encircled]

Always good to divide your squadrons before shipping them.

Better to lose 1/3 of the planes to a sub attack, rather than the whole squadron.

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Always good to divide your squadrons before shipping them.

Better to lose 1/3 of the planes to a sub attack, rather than the whole squadron.

This was gospel before you were able to 'buy back' units.. A lucky sub hit and you lost an air group for the whole war. Now if you make that mistake you can 'buy back' the unit.

[btd64]

ORIGINAL: Xargun

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Always good to divide your squadrons before shipping them.

Better to lose 1/3 of the planes to a sub attack, rather than the whole squadron.

This was gospel before you were able to 'buy back' units.. A lucky sub hit and you lost an air group for the whole war. Now if you make that mistake you can 'buy back' the unit.

Nice idea....GP

[Leandros]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Since no one seems to have mentioned it, I will add that each ship in an Air Transport TF can only load ONE squadron or part thereof. The rest of the space is available for supply.
There is a third option beside carrier transport and Air Transport TF - a plain old Transport TF. They can "load troops" at dockside to get the aircraft, and they can use xAKLs as well as xAKs. Here the aircraft are even further disassembled and require three days to reassemble at destination. The other potential issue is that a small xAKL cannot always handle a full squadron of large aircraft, like 12 B-24s.
Review your squadrons first and pick the ones you want to move. Then match ship capacity to squadrons and load away.

Cargo TF works, too, I believe. When shipped dis-assembled, they are, after all, "cargo". I
always create an "Air" TF (if I remember it) as it has a different symbol on the map. I find
that practical.

Fred

[MadDogMurdock]

Thank you all for your assistance. I was able to find some more squadrons that I could transport.

Now to figure out why I have no political points.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Leandros

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Since no one seems to have mentioned it, I will add that each ship in an Air Transport TF can only load ONE squadron or part thereof. The rest of the space is available for supply.
There is a third option beside carrier transport and Air Transport TF - a plain old Transport TF. They can "load troops" at dockside to get the aircraft, and they can use xAKLs as well as xAKs. Here the aircraft are even further disassembled and require three days to reassemble at destination. The other potential issue is that a small xAKL cannot always handle a full squadron of large aircraft, like 12 B-24s.
Review your squadrons first and pick the ones you want to move. Then match ship capacity to squadrons and load away.

Cargo TF works, too, I believe. When shipped dis-assembled, they are, after all, "cargo". I
always create an "Air" TF (if I remember it) as it has a different symbol on the map. I find
that practical.

Fred

Nope - has to be a Transport TF, but the ships are xAKs and xAKLs which some call "cargo ships", so that may be where you got the idea.

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Leandros

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Since no one seems to have mentioned it, I will add that each ship in an Air Transport TF can only load ONE squadron or part thereof. The rest of the space is available for supply.
There is a third option beside carrier transport and Air Transport TF - a plain old Transport TF. They can "load troops" at dockside to get the aircraft, and they can use xAKLs as well as xAKs. Here the aircraft are even further disassembled and require three days to reassemble at destination. The other potential issue is that a small xAKL cannot always handle a full squadron of large aircraft, like 12 B-24s.
Review your squadrons first and pick the ones you want to move. Then match ship capacity to squadrons and load away.

Cargo TF works, too, I believe. When shipped dis-assembled, they are, after all, "cargo". I
always create an "Air" TF (if I remember it) as it has a different symbol on the map. I find
that practical.

Fred

Nope - has to be a Transport TF, but the ships are xAKs and xAKLs which some call "cargo ships", so that may be where you got the idea.

Sorry! you can in my game. However, I did once have a problem doing it and had to create a transport TF or thought I did. I later worked out that a cargo TF will automatically dock to load an air group and the TF could not, exceeding the port capacity.

[Revthought]

ORIGINAL: MadDogMurdock

Thank you all for your assistance. I was able to find some more squadrons that I could transport.

Now to figure out why I have no political points.

Because you spent them! Also, keep in mind that if a unit is past its due date for withdrawl (ship or airplane), it costs you PPs each day.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Revthought

ORIGINAL: MadDogMurdock

Thank you all for your assistance. I was able to find some more squadrons that I could transport.

Now to figure out why I have no political points.

Because you spent them! Also, keep in mind that if a unit is past its due date for withdrawl (ship or airplane), it costs you PPs each day.

And read your OPs reports because they will tell you how many points you are losing each day and why!!

[Leandros]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: Revthought

ORIGINAL: MadDogMurdock

Thank you all for your assistance. I was able to find some more squadrons that I could transport.

Now to figure out why I have no political points.

Because you spent them! Also, keep in mind that if a unit is past its due date for withdrawl (ship or airplane), it costs you PPs each day.

And read your OPs reports because they will tell you how many points you are losing each day and why!!

Hmm.....another "new one"...

Fred

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Chris H

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Leandros



Cargo TF works, too, I believe. When shipped dis-assembled, they are, after all, "cargo". I
always create an "Air" TF (if I remember it) as it has a different symbol on the map. I find
that practical.

Fred

Nope - has to be a Transport TF, but the ships are xAKs and xAKLs which some call "cargo ships", so that may be where you got the idea.

Sorry! you can in my game. However, I did once have a problem doing it and had to create a transport TF or thought I did. I later worked out that a cargo TF will automatically dock to load an air group and the TF could not, exceeding the port capacity.

News to me - after years of playing! I stand corrected!

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

News to me - after years of playing! I stand corrected!

Number of times I've had to say the same, good to be on the other foot for a change.

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Always good to divide your squadrons before shipping them.

Better to lose 1/3 of the planes to a sub attack, rather than the whole squadron.

LOL

I'm a complete idiot [no offense intended to idiots eh]. Playing this game non stop since 2004 and I never thought about that [:D] When a sub trashed the AK transporting one squadron, er... I just kept reloading the game until the AK escaped [:D] But of course I'm an AI guy. A PBEM player would quickly learn this lesson, or else