Specialized Medium Bomber Training

[oldpop2000]

If we analyze the failure of the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica, we find that they did not implement specialized training for medium bomber units against shipping. This was a key failure of both air forces. If the Luftwaffe had more than two kampgruppe for use against British shipping, things might have been different. The same for the Italians, although their problem was lack of oil. 

With this in mind, is it possible implement specialized training for certain select medium bomber units for use specifically against shipping? I know we currently can attack ships at sea with medium bombers but maybe a more specialized training would increase effectiveness. This specialization along with medium submarines could play a large part in trade warfare for smaller nations. This specialization would be advantageous in the Baltic, North Sea, Mediterranean, South China Sea, Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan and possibly the Indian Ocean along with the Red Sea. I would include the Caribbean also. Basically this specialization is valuable in narrow seas, enclosed seas and the littoral zone of oceans. 

[sagaren]

I think we effectively already see this. The medium bombers employed in the game would be units specifically dedicated to naval attacks as we don't get any direct representation of units that do not have such an impact such as armies, and non-navy aviation units that would be handling tasks other than naval recon and strikes. 

[seawolf]

I think he has a point, in that most naval bombing units were quite ineffective outside of those specifically and expensively trained explicitly for naval bombing. Think of the failures of American, Italian, British, German, and Soviet land based naval bombers versus Fliegerkorps X(German) and the G3Ms and G4Ms of Japanese land based naval aviation.

Only the Japanese had effective land based naval bomber units at the start of the war although the Germans and later Americans developed effective units during the war

I think the best way to represent this is to cap land based naval bombers(dive,medium, and torpedo) during peacetime similar to carrier based units so that you have to build up those forces during wartime. Maybe they could all be forced to be reserve units?

[oldpop2000]

There is a possibility that we could move elite groups of aircraft and re-equip them with medium bombers that could carry torpedoes. This is essentially how the Japanese did it with their G3M1 medium bombers. We could also establish specialized pilot training for horizontal bombing with torpedoes... sort of a specialized naval attack training. This might be doable in the game. If we could add torpedo training to the training portion for pilots, it might be effective. We don't have to build specialized bombers, for this purpose.

We also need to add fleet air exercises with the fleet exercises. We should be able to add airgroups into the fleet exercises to train the pilots.

[oldpop2000]

Here is an interrogation report by the USSBS after the war which talks about the three air corps based near Saigon which sank the POW and Repulse.

www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/USSBS/IJO/IJO-77.html

[sagaren]

Feb 23, 2020 14:36:59 GMT -6 oldpop2000 said:

There is a possibility that we could move elite groups of aircraft and re-equip them with medium bombers that could carry torpedoes. This is essentially how the Japanese did it with their G3M1 medium bombers. We could also establish specialized pilot training for horizontal bombing with torpedoes... sort of a specialized naval attack training. This might be doable in the game. If we could add torpedo training to the training portion for pilots, it might be effective. We don't have to build specialized bombers, for this purpose.

We also need to add fleet air exercises with the fleet exercises. We should be able to add airgroups into the fleet exercises to train the pilots.

I this could be a good idea and benefit people who put an emphasis on land based air power.

[oldpop2000]

Feb 23, 2020 15:56:15 GMT -6 sagaren said:

Feb 23, 2020 14:36:59 GMT -6 oldpop2000 said:

There is a possibility that we could move elite groups of aircraft and re-equip them with medium bombers that could carry torpedoes. This is essentially how the Japanese did it with their G3M1 medium bombers. We could also establish specialized pilot training for horizontal bombing with torpedoes... sort of a specialized naval attack training. This might be doable in the game. If we could add torpedo training to the training portion for pilots, it might be effective. We don't have to build specialized bombers, for this purpose.

We also need to add fleet air exercises with the fleet exercises. We should be able to add airgroups into the fleet exercises to train the pilots.

I this could be a good idea and benefit people who put an emphasis on land based air power.

I agree, up to a point. For a military, you must use all the tools in your tool box. This is especially true for nations like Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain, even Russia. Russia can use land based air to augment her fleet in the Baltic. I would venture to say that the CSA could use them in the Caribbean. Your land based air power can force an enemy to divert his carrier aircraft to protecting the fleet and attacking your bases instead of your carriers. Land bases are easier to fix, upgrade and cheaper in the long run than carriers. 

[oldpop2000]

I just want to add that the German X Fliegerkorps was a specialized Luftwaffe anti-shipping air group. KG 26 and KG 30 were operating from Northern Germany and then to Norwegian Air Fields. They used JU-88's, He-111's and DO-217's just to name a few. Twin Engined floatplanes monoplanes were also used. The British used Bristol Beaufighters and we used B-25's, B-26's for the same purpose.

In that vain, why not add twin-engine large float-planes like  the He-115 three-seat aircraft. It was used as a torpedo bomber along with minelaying and reconnaissance. I don't know if we can now, but it should be added.

[sagaren]

Feb 23, 2020 17:01:14 GMT -6 oldpop2000 said:

I just want to add that the German X Fliegerkorps was a specialized Luftwaffe anti-shipping air group. KG 26 and KG 30 were operating from Northern Germany and then to Norwegian Air Fields. They used JU-88's, He-111's and DO-217's just to name a few. Twin Engined floatplanes monoplanes were also used. The British used Bristol Beaufighters and we used B-25's, B-26's for the same purpose.

In that vain, why not add twin-engine large float-planes like  the He-115 three-seat aircraft. It was used as a torpedo bomber along with minelaying and reconnaissance. I don't know if we can now, but it should be added.

That is actually a really good point. A lot of mining in WW2 was done by aircraft. And some minesweeping too. It would be nice to have airfields and to at least the former for their area.