Naval bombardment question

[bradfordkay]

Can you use naval bombardment against troops besieging one of your own bases? I know that when bombarding an enemy held base the airfield, CD units, base structures and enemy vessels are more likely to be targeted - but that doesn't say that you can't target enemy troops in your own base hex. Of course, the manual doesn't say that you can, either...

[Leandros]

Yes, you can - it does.

Fred

[btd64]

Yup. It does....GP

[m10bob]

Yes...Done it many times.

[rustysi]

Ditto.

[RangerJoe]

Depending upon the port, they can rearm there as well.

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Depending upon the port, they can rearm there as well.

Plus, NS devices.

Edit: Oops, or AKE's

[LeeChard]

I've had great success bombarding both while invading and defending

[bradfordkay]

Well, my first two naval bombardments in defense of Akyab - using battleships and heavy cruisers - netted a grand total of six (!) squads disabled. I am not sure that it was worth the cost of the ammo. I certainly get more enemy troops destroyed and disabled when they bombard my troops - counter battery fire is deadly!

[m10bob]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

Well, my first two naval bombardments in defense of Akyab - using battleships and heavy cruisers - netted a grand total of six (!) squads disabled. I am not sure that it was worth the cost of the ammo. I certainly get more enemy troops destroyed and disabled when they bombard my troops - counter battery fire is deadly!

Not quoting any source right now but many of us can find it...A study was made after the war and it was found that for all the shells fired, bullets expended, etc...every military life lost cost something ridiculous like a ton of lead, etc..
Saw that post recently of one of our forumites demanding "sources" for his own edification, other than the internet, and at one time I could not blame him.
Of late, if I question the veracity of long time acquaintances, I can involve myself checking the numbers, rather than insulting people.
None of us are children.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

Well, my first two naval bombardments in defense of Akyab - using battleships and heavy cruisers - netted a grand total of six (!) squads disabled. I am not sure that it was worth the cost of the ammo. I certainly get more enemy troops destroyed and disabled when they bombard my troops - counter battery fire is deadly!

Be aware that the progression of damage to an LCU is:

- fatigue and morale effects, and destruction of supply.
- disruption - some of the squad members are killed or wounded so the squad cannot function at full force*
- disablement - enough squad members are killed or wounded to make the squad ineffective at its job*
- destruction - virtually all the squad members are dead or permanently crippled so it will never be able to fight again *

One bombardment is likely to only get started on the sequence, and the first two effects are not reported in the combat report (or anywhere else their enemy can see). Persistence will get the job done, especially if you can get more bombardments happening before the disrupted/disabled troops recover.

Note * - my description of what is happening is drawn from the mismatches that sometimes occur between the numbers of bodies reported affected vs the number of squads reported affected. Combat squads have 13 men but you can have 65 men destroyed/disabled and 10 squads affected - i.e. not all squad members are necessarily affected by the combat.

[bradfordkay]

Thanks, these IJA troops have been heavily disrupted already by constant combat with the defenders of Akyab over the past few months. Surely that condition is taken into consideration by the bombardment calculations?

Now that Chittagong just improved its port facilities to level 7 I can use it for re-arming and will be able to keep up the pounding. I had been required to send the SC TFs back to Madras for re-arming until now.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay
Thanks, these IJA troops have been heavily disrupted already by constant combat with the defenders of Akyab over the past few months. Surely that condition is taken into consideration by the bombardment calculations?

Now that Chittagong just improved its port facilities to level 7 I can use it for re-arming and will be able to keep up the pounding. I had been required to send the SC TFs back to Madras for re-arming until now.

1. Why would troops condition matter for where the shells will fall? Bombing/bombardment hurts directly and adds to the current disruption/fatigue levels
2. AKEs are indispensable for the serial bombardments

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: GetAssista

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay
Thanks, these IJA troops have been heavily disrupted already by constant combat with the defenders of Akyab over the past few months. Surely that condition is taken into consideration by the bombardment calculations?

Now that Chittagong just improved its port facilities to level 7 I can use it for re-arming and will be able to keep up the pounding. I had been required to send the SC TFs back to Madras for re-arming until now.

1. Why would troops condition matter for where the shells will fall? Bombing/bombardment hurts directly and adds to the current disruption/fatigue levels
2. AKEs are indispensable for the serial bombardments

Yes, detection level is the critical thing when troops are hidden in good terrain or high forts. But I have completely eliminated units by sustained bombardments by sea and air, and sometimes with LCU artillery thrown in, if I have good tubes nearby. The little mountain/jungle guns and mortars are not so helpful against dug-in troops, but help a lot in your own defence. Guns of 155mm/6 inch caliber and up can be highly effective.

[rustysi]

Well, my first two naval bombardments in defense of Akyab - using battleships and heavy cruisers - netted a grand total of six (!) squads disabled. I am not sure that it was worth the cost of the ammo.

Do you have your naval spotter planes over the target?

[Leandros]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

Well, my first two naval bombardments in defense of Akyab - using battleships and heavy cruisers - netted a grand total of six (!) squads disabled. I am not sure that it was worth the cost of the ammo.

Do you have your naval spotter planes over the target?

Most naval bombardments take place in the dark - mine, anyway - do the spotter planes work in the dark?

Fred

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[btd64]

ORIGINAL: Leandros

ORIGINAL: rustysi

Well, my first two naval bombardments in defense of Akyab - using battleships and heavy cruisers - netted a grand total of six (!) squads disabled. I am not sure that it was worth the cost of the ammo.

Do you have your naval spotter planes over the target?

Most naval bombardments take place in the dark - mine, anyway - do the spotter planes work in the dark?

Fred

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Yes, Night time spotters do work....GP

[bradfordkay]

No, I don't have my shipborne spotter aircraft over the target, as I did not believe that they would fly for a night bombardment. I will try that... do I have to set them to "night ops"?

[BBfanboy]

Yes, set them to night, 1000 feet altitude, range 0. Do NOT assign a target, that might send them off doing recon instead of spotting.
I often bombard both night and day with the same TF. Set it to "remain on station" (if it is safe enough to stick around). I look at the order of the ships in the TF listing and the first one that has a spotter aircraft I set for night spotting. The second one in the list I set for day spotting.

It only takes one aircraft to spot for the whole TF, even though the message will say "spotting for (launching ship).
If there are other float planes in the TF, I set one to do nighttime recon and one to do daytime recon (to raise the DL for bombardments that happen after they fly).

[PetrOs]

Which mission should they be set as spotter?