Slitherine

I've been playing against Soviets in their 44 winter offensive (GTPG mod). Their ground attacks are not as much as issue as their air attacks that are absolutely massive. I've counted at least 40 Soviet aircraft, while I have only 7 Fws to counter them. The idea is to retreat towards the exit points, so mobile AA would be very useful albeit weaker then 12.8 cm AA.

Which one SP AA do you suggest? Especially in snow? I've been using SdKfz 7/2 unit which good but absolutely sluggish in snow (I haven't seen any other unit having snow penalty for movement in snow besides this). I've been thinking of using mobile AA units for this scenario only as fast retreat is mandatory as well as constant air protection. Also which anti air strategy is good in case of these kind of massive attacks? I usually tried to force enemy to use rivers, while I deal with their air units (so they cannot throw SP AA near my positions and threaten my air defense). But here the front is vast, the ground is frozen and adding to their 40 planes, there are more then 10 Soviet SP AA units closing on my positions and threatening my planes that defend (before I can destroy them).

I don't suggest using spaaa at all, it takes up a valuable unit slot that can be better used with another type. here's how to counter the air efficiently:

1) On your first 1 to 3 turns, be exceedingly careful about weather and spotting ranges. In clear weather, for example, place a tempting target like an artillery unit or tank two hexes from a city hex, where the opponent infantry unit will spot it and call in air. have a Fw-190 just behind and ambush the incoming strike. You will cripple it, then finish it off on your turn.*

2) Keep this up for two or three turns, using your fighters in a purely defensive roll, holding your tactical air back out of the battle. This also has the benefit of keeping your air out of reach of Soviet mobile spaaa. You ground units can finish many of them off before you switch to the offensive. You'll take some occasional swats from them, but it's minor.

3) Once you've cleared the opponent air, use your tactical air and cover with your fighters. Always look for similar ambush set-ups and position your units for stray or future attacks. Attacks will come in waves and you can learn the tempo of the air operations and anticipate (just like in real life).

4) doing this, I can fight to the end of '45 with only five fighters and always maintain air superiority and rarely take much ground unit damage from enemy fighters or tac air.

In berlin, I do use one or two of the "liberated" 128s from the Poltava scenario. SPAAA can be effective in the few heavily defensive scenarios, but in general are massively less useful vs. a well-deployed fighter. On another note, buy your fighters well before you need them and rotate them. I have three by the end of '39 and all five by the end of '40, even though you don't need that many. I rotate them through the early years so all are nearly max experience at the end of each campaign year.

* - if using artillery, best done with two artillery units out of sight supporting it. It will tempt the infantry out of entrenchment to attach, and be devestated with no damage to you. You can take the city hex on your turn and still advance to prepare for the next objective. The "arty triangle" trap is best used in early years and only very carefully in later years when Soviet armor is roaming widely and with great mobility.

I found out that there is no ultimate solution. However dealing with 40 planes takes more AA batteries then I had (only 3 12.8cm + 1 SP). I bought 3 more 12.8cm and 2 SP. It made a huge difference in preventing direct attacks and it wasn't enormous investment prestige wise. Obviously there is a need for larger and more flexible core with different unit types depending on scenario structure and what AI throws against you. So when faced with huge number of planes there is a need for AA defending almost all units (artillery defense is mandatory) as planes only are not enough. They can protect once but not against several onslaguhts which AI knows and attacks multiple targets.

This is also one thing that I dislike. Why are planes able to protect friendly units only once? Is there some logical explanation for this (besides preventing planes to run out of ammo this way)? Logically fighter escorts should oppose any incoming aircraft that comes near friendly units (similarly as artillery does).

timek28 wrote: Why are planes able to protect friendly units only once? Is there some logical explanation for this (besides preventing planes to run out of ammo this way)? Logically fighter escorts should oppose any incoming aircraft that comes near friendly units (similarly as artillery does).

Actually, it makes perfect sense. The attacking Fighters can only attack one target during a turn, so why would a defending fighter get to attack multiple times? The real oddity is that artillery gets support fire more than once.

timek28 wrote:I found out that there is no ultimate solution.

Five fighters and skilled tactics is exactly a very elegant and "ultimate" solution.

This is also one thing that I dislike. Why are planes able to protect friendly units only once? Is there some logical explanation for this (besides preventing planes to run out of ammo this way)? Logically fighter escorts should oppose any incoming aircraft that comes near friendly units (similarly as artillery does).

This bugged me at first, too. But when you thing about it - if multiple engagements were possible, you could simply move units in an eigel formation with a single fighter above and be immune to air with no effort or tactics involved. This would dramatically unbalance the game. Also, it would be grossly unrealistic. In fighter tactics, speed and altitude are life - and any single encounter usually erases one or both. With piston engine fighters (and even fast movers), it takes time to re-acquire those. Limiting a fighter to one encounter per turn is not unrealistic in my opinion.

Not only that but fighters have very limited ammo loads. so after an engagement they're usually out of ammo and need to RTB to reload, which prevents any additional engagement. No in the game they hold position of course, but the limited defense and attack opportunities reflect this need to RTB before the next engagement I think in an abstract way. So yes I also think it is not unrealistic. Stationary AA can be supplied on location, fighters can't be supplied in the air.

Kamerer wrote: Five fighters and skilled tactics is exactly a very elegant and "ultimate" solution.

I cannot see how 5 fighters without AA should be able to stop armada of 40 planes at once? I know they are able to intercept and in a few turns reduce that number, but 5 fighters are usable against up to 20 planes at once, not more than that (it's phyisically impossible even if all 5 did intercept). Other than that I use 6 fighters (ocassionaly 7), but it is mod with 55 core slots so it is natural.

Anyways dealing with armada this big, needs several AA (12.8cm are the best) and later on converting all tact bombers to Fw190Gs also does a great deal of help for me. At that moment I'm able to field 6 fighters and 6 fighter bombers capable of attack and self defense which is great. Too bad no SE tactical bombers can be upgraded to Fw190gs so I'm left with one Stuka G, but it also comes handy on IS2 tanks

Other than that I agree on what you said about airplane cover. Maybe something similar to mass attack could have been implemented, but just on the defensive end. So that first covering defense is the best, and the next ones get weaker and weaker...