Strategic Bombers: Best use of....

[Didz]

Having just moved the USAF 7th Bombarment Group into operational range near Dacca. I'm just wondering what you would recommend to be the best strategy for their employment. The knee-jerk reaction is to try and bomb the living daylights out of the Japanese units putting pressure on the Chindwin line. But the manual seem to suggest they might be better employed hitting the Japanese supply lines. Perhaps! bombing Rangoon?

(see http://www.battlefront.com/community/showpost.php?p=1160768&postcount=29)

Any advice welcome:rolleyes:

[jon_j_rambo]

Bombing any ports which are part of a convoy is very wise. When either end of the connection ports go below 5, the MMP flow is stopped for that turn. But remember, the port regenerates 1 point per turn, so pop the port to strength 3 to guarantee stopping the convoy.

Oil wells & mines are juicy targets.

Very valuable to bomb are cities that being used for supply by your enemies troops. Can really screw up their reinforcement abilities & combat values.

Bombing cities below 5 also prevents operands thru that city. Very valuable to cutting off troops escape or allowing new ones the other direction.

Popping on HQ's in open territory doesn't hurt the cause. Once bombers get some experience or decent leadership the results are better.

Doesn't hurt to use bombers in regular combat. Obviously the combat is "normal" if the target is in open ground, thus the attack is not directly on the resource.

Bomb ships.

Bomb isolated targets such as Malta when trying to work the forces down.

Bombers also are great spotters of enemy units.

[Didz]

Hmm! well I assume that the Japanese in Burma must be using Rangoon or Mandalay for supplies, and then there is the oil field just west of Mandalay.

I think according to the manual you can detect the supply status of various locations with the bomber unit selected, so hopefully I shall be able to see which is contributing most to the enemy.

Thanks for the advice.

[arado234]

Like Rambo said,bombing Japans mpp life line(convoy ports,oil wells,etc)is a GREAT way to start the demise of the Japs.Plus if you get those bombers to level 5 in proper supply then they are just nasty at wrecking stuff.

Bombing oil wells and mines are great because unless the Japs actually defend them(A.A.upgrades actual A.A. or with fighters) they dont cause any damage.You then get level 5,5star bombers.KABOOOOM.

[Didz]

So, the concensus of opinion seems to be that I would be better off bombing Mandalay (5), the Oil Fields at Yenangyaung, or Rangoon, than actually using the 7th Bombardment USAF in direct attacks on Japanese units.

Cheers thats useful advice.

[jon_j_rambo]

In the situation, I'd do a couple things first!

1) USA bomber is sitting out in the open, get him in a city.

2) USA bomber is only strength-5, beef those boys upto 10.

3) Considering view you provided, you are VERY weak on the land. The Japs have 4 power ground units (3-SF, 1-Tank). Your cities aren't even protected, and there's a paratroop in the area. You gotta shore-up those ports.

4) Where is the Jap Navy? If Toyko Joe brings the kitchen sink (the entire Navy) you'll lose all of yours.

5) Does the Japs have fighter cover? Is so, you don't appear to have fighter cover support except by the carrier. Who has Advanced Aircraft tech advantage?

Back to original question: You've only got one bomber strength-5 there. I'd target a supply source. (aka one of those cities) If and only if you won't take mega damage.

If you were playing a human opponent, you're in a position where you could get your ass kicked.

[Didz]

@jon_j_rambo

Thanks, for the advice.

1) USA bomber is sitting out in the open, get him in a city.

Hmm! I actually thought about putting them in a city, but figured it would be best to avoid occupying the hex incase I wanted to put something a bit more appropriate in there in a hurry. Is there any real advantage in putting an air unit in a city?

2) USA bomber is only strength-5, beef those boys upto 10.

Already, done this turn, although I tend to upgrade before I reinforce. Only because I noticed that you can't upgrade when in contact with an enemy unit whereas you can reinforce. It been upgraded to Heavy Bomber +2 Long-Range +1

3) Considering view you provided, you are VERY weak on the land. The Japs have 4 power ground units (3-SF, 1-Tank). Your cities aren't even protected, and there's a paratroop in the area. You gotta shore-up those ports.

Tell me about it, I just don't have enough units to block the Japanese advance and garrison all the cities. I have three British (India) units so if I use them to occupy the cities I can't stop the Japanese advancing and picking them off those cities one at a time.

That Paratroops unit is/was my biggest concern but so far I am managing to neutralise the threat with naval bombardment. They just don't have the supplies to prepare a drop, but nevertheless it is a potential threat if they manage to move inland and recover their supply status.

4) Where is the Jap Navy? If Toyko Joe brings the kitchen sink (the entire Navy) you'll lose all of yours.

Best intel at the minute is that they are in the Celebres Sea area, and a few are in the Java Sea. I have scouted the Malacca Strait as far east as Kaula Lumpur and there are no IJN assets in there other than the destroyer I sank last turn. That doesn't mean they might not surge through there next turn but if they do there's not much I can do to stop them. The only thing I am doing is trying to get the USN into the Coral Sea to give them something else to think about.

5) Does the Japs have fighter cover? If so, you don't appear to have fighter cover support except by the carrier. Who has Advanced Aircraft tech advantage?

The Flying Tigers are currently doing a reasonable job of suppressing the Japanese air umbrella. I am using them to attack the Japanese bomber base every turn which forces the enemy fighters to interdict, and so far they seem to be getting the worse of the deal. HMS Indomitable can provide a degree of fighter cover over the Chindwin line but its not ideal to have a carrier tied down in that fashion especially if the IJN do come through the Malacca strait. The Flying Tigers are Advanced Aircraft +2, the Japanese Fighters and Bombers are still on base tech.

If and when I get some spare MPP's I will buy some additional fighter cover, but my first priority has been to purchase a new HQ unit to replace Hutton. I have the delayed production option ticked though so I have to wait three months for anything to arrive.

Back to original question: You've only got one bomber strength-5 there. I'd target a supply source. (aka one of those cities) If and only if you won't take mega damage.

Cheers! I'll give that a try. Mandalay looks like the obvious target as presumably the two Japanese HQ's are using that as a supply source.

If you were playing a human opponent, you're in a position where you could get your ass kicked.

I can well believe it.

[SeaMonkey]

Didz, for human or AI play, if you can keep an active patrol going with DDs or a sub from Singoro to Colombo you'll be able to hopefully spot an incursion by the Kido Butai/IJN.

You could also use aircraft for spotting( Port Blair/Ceylon) which is cheapest, but in the heavy weather patterns of the Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Martaban they are somewhat hindered, especially in the April to Oct time period.

That's the biggest chance of getting your @ss kicked, other than that, you'll do OK protecting India. The AI is not very good going there, humans too, for that matter, unless there is a very weak presence of Japanese forces in China, which there doesn't seem to be.

Ohhh...and the Bombers will have a slight bit better supply in a city and entrench to a higher level.