@Uncrustable:
because many planes were shot down by anti-aircraft gun fire by warships
many planes were shot down all sorts of ways
If you send out an overwhelming force of air vs a small fleet of cruisers, and the cruisers are more than capable of hitting the enemy aircraft. You should win with minimal losses in this scenario.
The opponent is the one who took a risk, leaving his fleet vulnerable.
AAA guns on land represent a territory wide network of radar/AA
And unlike on water, they can be hidden where its virtually impossible to know where they are at untill they start shooting. Thus many aircraft are shot down before they even know whats going on.
But as the battle progresses, aircraft know where the heavy AA pockets are and can better avoid them.
This is simulated very well at the strategic level.
All units have AA ability, all units can shoot down aircraft, but AA simulates the above, the unknown.
You cant hide a fleet of cruisers on the open water, and it is silly to think that only cruisers would be outfitted with AA anyhow
Your historical rationalization about ground AAA seems sound to me.
And why G40e need a naval AAA after all, since cruiser are at 10 IPCs?
Once said, all I can oppose to defend a naval kind of AA is, first, a “strategical game perspective”: it adds another interesting variety of naval weaponry to counter directly a massive air fleet and bomber spam strategy.
It also adds a “psychological protective effect” to your fleet when someone launch subs+TcB against it: it adds a bit more uncertainty about casualties. The enemy may still get costlier air casualties instead of only loosing cheaper subs.
And, last, there was an historical fleet formation (deploy by USA in PTO) which can provide a better protection against planes. You probably both read or view it, nonetheless here is the link, for any other viewer of this thread:
Around 3min. 25 s.: they explain how a fleet defensive formation was organized.
From outer circles, to the most inner circles: DDs, cruisers, BBs, fleet carriers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxhzWUhBJgE
That’s why I have this special HR:
for 1 Cruiser+ 1 BB or 1 CV get 1 first strike AA @1 and
for 1 CA+ 1 BB+ 1 CV get 2 first strike AA @1.
It adds a layer of complexity but it increase the thrill during the game when trying to put together the newly built cruiser to joint the remnants of an older fleet (of BB+CV) to get a better and maximized protection against Air attack and enemy’s carrier.