Strategic bombers useful?

They come in more useful near the end of the game sometimes when you need the power do knock out the capital they, will be useful being the strongest attacker at them, also you do not really have to worry about defending.

@Lozza007:

Just been thinking….

If Germany has a large airforce in AAE40 similar to that of Japan in AAP40, a key method of keeping those planes away from Russia is going to be UK and US bombing strategic bombing raids. I assume Bombers from the UK (with an airbase I pray) can reach at least western Germany, meaning the Germans will need to keep some Fighters back to defend.  Losses will be costly for the Allies but if escort Fighters can get into the fray (landing on Carriers in the North Sea perhaps?) then I see some serious carnage resulting.  This will be particularly appealing to the Allies if strategic bombing is a National Objective.  I envisage a situation where the UK regularly spends its money on replacing Destroyer and Transport losses as well as purchasing a Bomber every turn, while the US builds up its forces to conduct a land invasion of France etc.

I also hope the Germans can’t build Transports in Italy to swamp North Africa, putting extra emphasis on the Italians to keep their house in order and maintain a decent fleet in the Mediterranean.  AAE original was certainly daft with the inability of the UK to hang on to North Africa and the Middle East if the Germans chose to go hard in that theatre.

Cheers,

Lozza007

Even if they can’t reach Germany, they should be able to bomb France.

@calvinhobbesliker:

@Lozza007:

Just been thinking….

If Germany has a large airforce in AAE40 similar to that of Japan in AAP40, a key method of keeping those planes away from Russia is going to be UK and US bombing strategic bombing raids. I assume Bombers from the UK (with an airbase I pray) can reach at least western Germany, meaning the Germans will need to keep some Fighters back to defend.  Losses will be costly for the Allies but if escort Fighters can get into the fray (landing on Carriers in the North Sea perhaps?) then I see some serious carnage resulting.  This will be particularly appealing to the Allies if strategic bombing is a National Objective.  I envisage a situation where the UK regularly spends its money on replacing Destroyer and Transport losses as well as purchasing a Bomber every turn, while the US builds up its forces to conduct a land invasion of France etc.

I also hope the Germans can’t build Transports in Italy to swamp North Africa, putting extra emphasis on the Italians to keep their house in order and maintain a decent fleet in the Mediterranean.  AAE original was certainly daft with the inability of the UK to hang on to North Africa and the Middle East if the Germans chose to go hard in that theatre.

Cheers,

Lozza007

Even if they can’t reach Germany, they should be able to bomb France.

I looked at the map if it has an airbase it looks like it could just make it, but I am not sure.

@Dylan:

@calvinhobbesliker:

@Lozza007:

Just been thinking….

If Germany has a large airforce in AAE40 similar to that of Japan in AAP40, a key method of keeping those planes away from Russia is going to be UK and US bombing strategic bombing raids. I assume Bombers from the UK (with an airbase I pray) can reach at least western Germany, meaning the Germans will need to keep some Fighters back to defend.  Losses will be costly for the Allies but if escort Fighters can get into the fray (landing on Carriers in the North Sea perhaps?) then I see some serious carnage resulting.  This will be particularly appealing to the Allies if strategic bombing is a National Objective.  I envisage a situation where the UK regularly spends its money on replacing Destroyer and Transport losses as well as purchasing a Bomber every turn, while the US builds up its forces to conduct a land invasion of France etc.

I also hope the Germans can’t build Transports in Italy to swamp North Africa, putting extra emphasis on the Italians to keep their house in order and maintain a decent fleet in the Mediterranean.  AAE original was certainly daft with the inability of the UK to hang on to North Africa and the Middle East if the Germans chose to go hard in that theatre.

Cheers,

Lozza007

Even if they can’t reach Germany, they should be able to bomb France.

I looked at the map if it has an airbase it looks like it could just make it, but I am not sure.

Yeah, the route would be England-English Channel-Low Countries/NW Europe-West Germany and back the same way. Ftrs can escort if Vichy is in allied hands or if there is or will be a carrier in the channel

@calvinhobbesliker:

@Dylan:

@calvinhobbesliker:

@Lozza007:

Just been thinking….

If Germany has a large airforce in AAE40 similar to that of Japan in AAP40, a key method of keeping those planes away from Russia is going to be UK and US bombing strategic bombing raids. I assume Bombers from the UK (with an airbase I pray) can reach at least western Germany, meaning the Germans will need to keep some Fighters back to defend.  Losses will be costly for the Allies but if escort Fighters can get into the fray (landing on Carriers in the North Sea perhaps?) then I see some serious carnage resulting.  This will be particularly appealing to the Allies if strategic bombing is a National Objective.  I envisage a situation where the UK regularly spends its money on replacing Destroyer and Transport losses as well as purchasing a Bomber every turn, while the US builds up its forces to conduct a land invasion of France etc.

I also hope the Germans can’t build Transports in Italy to swamp North Africa, putting extra emphasis on the Italians to keep their house in order and maintain a decent fleet in the Mediterranean.  AAE original was certainly daft with the inability of the UK to hang on to North Africa and the Middle East if the Germans chose to go hard in that theatre.

Cheers,

Lozza007

Even if they can’t reach Germany, they should be able to bomb France.

I looked at the map if it has an airbase it looks like it could just make it, but I am not sure.

Yeah, the route would be England-English Channel-Low Countries/NW Europe-West Germany and back the same way. Ftrs can escort if Vichy is in allied hands or if there is or will be a carrier in the channel

Well if UK takes Norway the should be able to bomb Berlin and fly back, maybe you might need and airbase though

We don’t SBR much anymore (in Pac). I’m not sure the risk is worth the payoff. Unless you catch the enemy off guard and can swarm him w/escorts, and he is afraid to send up his ftrs. I think it might be worth it to bomb occasionally just to keep his ftrs at home and out of range though as mentioned earlier. Europe will have more opportunity to bomb though, so we might revisit SBR.

@WILD:

We don’t SBR much anymore (in Pac). I’m not sure the risk is worth the payoff. Unless you catch the enemy off guard and can swarm him w/escorts, and he is afraid to send up his ftrs. I think it might be worth it to bomb occasionally just to keep his ftrs at home and out of range though as mentioned earlier. Europe will have more opportunity to bomb though, so we might revisit SBR.

Japan doesn’t bomb India?

@calvinhobbesliker:

Japan doesn’t bomb India?

With convoy’s does it need to? Why risk bombers and planes, when your fleet is on their coast.

@WILD:

@calvinhobbesliker:

Japan doesn’t bomb India?

With convoy’s does it need to? Why risk bombers and planes, when your fleet is on their coast.

You can bomb it on your 2nd turn.

Thing is, its always easier to have a fleet than having to go through the logistic of building transports + troops. Also, if the map is correct, then you wont be able to ship troops in 1 turn to Europe. So that requires even more defensive fleet. Which in turn, could make SBR more appealing… but allies will need to be lucky or to have alot of escorts. Making germany lose some guy in the air battle could help USSR a litte

@calvinhobbesliker:

@WILD:

@calvinhobbesliker:

Japan doesn’t bomb India?

With convoy’s does it need to? Why risk bombers and planes, when your fleet is on their coast.

You can bomb it on your 2nd turn.

I know you can, I just don’t like to risk bmr’s and ftr’s. If you SBR and loose just one or two air units, it defeats the purpose. You need those air units to take on America later. Air supremacy is a must.  I don’t like that the def interceptors get to roll 2’s vs your 1’s (its like they have radar and you don’t). Then he gets yet another crack at your bmrs too w/AA gun. If you SBR to get his ftrs in the air so you have a shot at taking them out then OK, less for him to def in the land invasion I guess. Personally I like to keep air units as Japan, and I seem to loose a few if I SBR. I’m not saying its a bad idea, I’ve just had some bad experiences.

@WILD:

@calvinhobbesliker:

@WILD:

@calvinhobbesliker:

Japan doesn’t bomb India?

With convoy’s does it need to? Why risk bombers and planes, when your fleet is on their coast.

You can bomb it on your 2nd turn.

I know you can, I just don’t like to risk bmr’s and ftr’s. If you SBR and loose just one or two air units, it defeats the purpose. You need those air units to take on America later. Air supremacy is a must.  I don’t like that the def interceptors get to roll 2’s vs your 1’s (its like they have radar and you don’t). Then he gets yet another crack at your bmrs too w/AA gun. If you SBR to get his ftrs in the air so you have a shot at taking them out then OK, less for him to def in the land invasion I guess. Personally I like to keep air units as Japan, and I seem to loose a few if I SBR. I’m not saying its a bad idea, I’ve just had some bad experiences.

I mean if there are no fighters. If there aren’t, and your bombers have nothing better to do besides overkill some Chinese, then why not?

@calvinhobbesliker:

I mean if there are no fighters. If there aren’t, and your bombers have nothing better to do besides overkill some Chinese, then why not?

Well that goes w/o saying if you can catch them w/o ftrs (SBR target of opportunity). You could even do it if you greatly out number them (like 4 to 1), because they probably won’t send their ftrs up. It would be really cool if they sent their AA gun to def Burma or China, and didn’t replace it yet. Generally UK has its ftrs at India if your anywhere with-in range. Sometimes there are Anz ftrs there too.

@WILD:

@calvinhobbesliker:

I mean if there are no fighters. If there aren’t, and your bombers have nothing better to do besides overkill some Chinese, then why not?

Well that goes w/o saying if you can catch them w/o ftrs (SBR target of opportunity). You could even do it if you greatly out number them (like 4 to 1), because they probably won’t send their ftrs up. It would be really cool if they sent their AA gun to def Burma or China, and didn’t replace it yet. Generally UK has its ftrs at India if your anywhere with-in range. Sometimes there are Anz ftrs there too.

You don’t need an AA to defend an IC

@calvinhobbesliker:

You don’t need an AA to defend an IC

Oh yea, brain fart I knew that.

One good use of SBR would be if either Anz/UK had enough ftrs w/in range of a mid sized Jap fleet using an island AB (ftrs) for cover. US could SBR the AB so the Jap ftrs can’t scramble. Then the minor powers could drill the Jap navy. The US would have to be willing to loose some ftrs though plus have enough bmrs (that survive) to make the hit. With my luck though I would have two US bmrs left and roll snake-eyes leaving the AB functional.