1939 Scenario -- Bomber, Escort, and Interceptor Interactions

[MJY]

Hay all,

There is something about the way bombers, escorts, and interceptors interact that I would like to bring up. It relates to the fact that with the current gaming engine interceptors never, ever get through escorts to damage incoming bombers or TAC air. Consider the following scenario:

A German TAC bomber is launched against a British infantry unit. It is escorted by an Italian fighter. The force is then intercepted by a British fighter. In this hypothetical case, the British fighter (thanks to superior technology, supply, HQ support, or other factors) is greatly superior to the escorts. In fact, the intercepting British unit completely destroys the Italian escorts. But even in this case, the German TAC air continues its flight, it suffers no losses from the British interceptors, and attacks the British infantry unit.

So why is this a problem?

The main reason this is a problem has to do with the fact that the immunity of the TAC bomber from interceptor losses means it is too easy for those units to gain experience points resulting (all too often) in TAC bombers (in particular) becoming overly powerful.

It is true that the TAC air unit (in my hypothetical case) may still suffer a loss when it attacks the actual target even when the predicted loss indicator says that the attacker won't suffer any casualties as there is always a small chance that the attacker will suffer a random loss. (I think, if I recall from an earlier forum posting, it is a 10% chance.) But this risk of a random loss is the exactly the same whether or not the incoming flight is intercepted. In short, interceptors never have the opportunity of damaging enemy bombers or TAC air when the latter have escorts.

Historically, this is, of course, not the way things worked. When B-17s from the US 8th Air Force attacked Germany, they regularly suffered losses -- even when escorted by P-51s and other US escort aircraft. To be sure, having escorts should reduce bomber losses, but they are unlikely to completely nullify the risk (as is the case in the game at present).

I wonder, when future games or upgrades are developed, if there is a way to make interceptors more effective against escorted enemy bombers and TAC air. In other words, whenever an interception occurrs, there should at least be a chance that some of the interceptors get through the escorting force and attack the bombers -- especially when the interceptors are equal or even superior to the escorts. Currently, that never happens -- even (as I note above) when the escorting force is completely destroyed.

I look forward to hearing the thoughts of the Battlefront community on this issue.