Odd AI Carrier Air Groups?

[rodentnavy]

I first twigged something was up in a previous campaign when I sank two enemy carriers and noticed that the entire load of planes that went down with the ships were fighters.  I then loaded up GB again and ran through a second campaign (not really paying attention so nice prestige haul, rather sub-par economic results) and again a clash of carriers turned up something odd.


 

Now I am not sure if this is just a US thing, yet the carrier air group is almost purely fighters.  42 attack aircraft across 3 carriers in the second action while my smaller carrier alone carried 40 attack planes in addition to its fighter squadron. Is this a common thing?  Have others encountered this?  Is it an AI reaction to the recent CAP nerf coupled with its expectation most if not all actions will take place in home waters where land based air can provide the offensive punch? 

It just seems very odd, very game broken and very unrealistic.  

[Enderminion]

Depending on year, the Fighters may not be terrible Attack Aircraft themselves

[rodentnavy]

Dec 15, 2019 23:48:59 GMT -6 Enderminion said:

Depending on year, the Fighters may not be terrible Attack Aircraft themselves

Which certainly is modern thinking. If the AI was using its fighters as attack planes I would be happier but its carrier's offensive punch is overly modest.  I think that is why carrier actions have seen such wildly disproportionate damage results.  My carriers can hurt their ships, they struggle.  Interestingly by late game I am beginning to wonder if torpedo bombers make more sense as plain bombers as the carrier sunk by air attack went down to a single 2000lb bomb (which was meant for the invasion transports but I cannot complain) while a carrier hit by a torpedo in the same battle just shrugged it off. 

I do take your point historically after all the torpedo attack squadrons on the British light fleet carriers were flying Fairey Fireflies which could only carry a pair of 1000lb bombs being meant as long range fighters and scouts. 

In a more recent campaign was able to get a look at how Germany loaded its light carriers and they seem to have a balanced strike group, so this may be an odd ball American quirk. 

[brygun]

There were 20 DB and a few TB lost on ship so it wasnt just fighters.

That said early on attack planes are weak. One possible strategy is to provide lots of fighters to shoot down enemy attack planes so the ships can use their guns. Its certainly not what I do in this game but it is possible.

At one point for Heart of Iron (a different game) I debated on having at least some of the carriers as CAP focused to screen the BBs. Never experimented with it though.