PaxMondo
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quote:
ORIGINAL: fcharton
If this is the case, how do I get?
A6M2 Zero: 20 damaged
A6M3a Zero: 3 damaged
Which turns into a dozen zeroes shot down (more than were on air during the main attack?)
I can understand that my fighters didn't scramble, and the bombers can complete their run, but then, I shouldn't lose much to A2A, because my fighters didn't scramble (and 11 fighters and flak should make a difference, imho)
I can understand that I lose a lot in A2A, because DUR is so low, but then, with B17 with very low maneuver rating, and against flak, I very much doubt the bombing run would happen.
But the coincidence of both seems strange to me. It looks as if my fighters didn't scramble, letting the bombers attack, and then there was an air battle on their trip back, which the bombers won because of their numbers (they didn't scatter, or flee, or run for cover, they just turns, maintained formation, and fought back)
And the problem is that the report is so cryptic that you could probably use it to explain ANY result...
Damaged only means that an aircraft was damaged, not 20 AC damaged, but that damage was done to an AC 20 times. could have been the same AC 20 times, you don't know.
The report doesn't show any shot down in this encounter, although some of them could have been. You lose them because the rest of your fighter did attack AFTER the bomb run in a chase position. Meaning, their attacks are slow and frankly the Zero has about the same firepower as the B17 does from a rear attack, but the B17 is a lot more rugged. Anyway, point is that your fighters are not showing up as 52 together, more likely there are never more than about 15 at any one time. The 4E's can handle this. You are playing to the 4E's stength, not the Zero's.
Flak. IJ flak is lousy is all there is to say and you don't have very much. Look at your flak unit. Most of them have 24 - 36 guns total, 50% are 25mm or smaller. Look at an allied flak unit. They can have +200 guns. One regiment. Point is, unless you have a +200 guns you really don't have much flak. So don't count on your flak doing a lot except to keep them above 5000 ft. The 25mm is pretty good at 5000ft and lower.
quote:
ORIGINAL: fcharton
If I read you correctly, to be able to fight 40 4E, in late 1942, with flak, radar (2 radar devices, in fact) and all that, over a large airbase, I need 3*50*1.5=225 fighters, plus some during the night (not that it makes much difference). Say, around 300... That's just one base, and my opponent has much more than 40 4E (even though he has to rotate them)
Right now, I have about 1000 fighters (discounting the nates, but including KB squadrons), some are restricted, some are at sea, I probably can't muster much more than 600 on front line duty. So, basically, I can defend two bases at a time, against 40 4E each...
This doesn't seem right and I believe it proves that something is wrong with the air model itself. Such results are just too extreme and one sided.
And in any case, it makes it very difficult for me to take the game seriously. I have spent a while learning the system, I don't think I'm brighter than others, but I don't think I'm dumber either, and not being able to prevent 40 4E to interdict Rabaul in late 42 unless I commit about half the japanese airforce to it, doesn't fit my definition of an interesting gaming experience, or even a steep learning curve. The word "futile" is the one that springs to mind, actually.
And I am beginning to fear that embarking on such a long PBEM campaign was a very wrong move...
Francois
Correct and this is exactly the dilema that the IJ faced. The IJ did not have fighters in '42 designed to go after the B17. Germany didn't either initially and the FW109 was born for that role.
So the IJ kept going piecemeal against the 4E's losing whenever they did. Their saving grace was that the USAAF wouldn't risk them nearly as much as allied players will. I actually think that 4E's should be worth 16VP's each, it would better represent how the allies felt about risking them and I think would help game balance.
But, let me get back on topic. Now that you know how to beat them, it is up to you to set the trap and kill them. In '42 the allies are only getting ~36 4E/month. not that many. you put together 2 -3 days of traps each month, and your opponent has just lost his months (and then some) replacement pool.
Francois, I am sorry to say, you have now hit the point where (if you recall I saluted you as a far better man than me) PDU OFF is a real challenge The issue with PDU OFF, as you now know, is that it locks you into the historic IJ tactics/strategy with regards to reacting to 4E's. This is ok if the allied player uses the 4E's historically (with trepidation, rarely except in support of major moves, for patrol/recon purposes exclusively until mid '44). But if the allied player is aggressive with them early, as your opponent is, then you are severely constricted as to what you can do to oppose that. You need/want to change plane types to a better defender against the 4E's, but you can't. Frustrating.
This is why I won't play PDU OFF.
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Pax
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RE: Perfection, of a kind, spence (A) vs fcharton (J) - 
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