The Art of Base Capture

[trap2000]

I’m part of a small group of new players flying AH. I’d like to know what the most efficient method for a group of 3 – 5 pilots to close / capture a small, medium or large airfield. So far I’ve been told to:
1) Destroy vehicle hangers at the airfield to prevent GV’s from spawning in or near the town.
2) Flatten the entire town
3) Drop troops on the map room

Is this as good as it gets, or am I missing something?

Thanks &

[LYNX]

Originally posted by trap2000
I’m part of a small group of new players flying AH. I’d like to know what the most efficient method for a group of 3 – 5 pilots to close / capture a small, medium or large airfield. So far I’ve been told to:
1) Destroy vehicle hangers at the airfield to prevent GV’s from spawning in or near the town.
2) Flatten the entire town
3) Drop troops on the map room

Is this as good as it gets, or am I missing something?

Thanks &

yep


With so few people it can be hard work to the point of a bust but it is doable.  

Troops capture fields.  Towns have to be flat for troops to take. How you get the town flat is your major problem the troops is TIMMING.

[WMLute]

If you only have 3, your best bet is to GV it.  Panzer for town ack/kill buildings, Ostwind for town buildings, m3 for capture.  Take @ 7-10min if done right.

4 is still tough.  MAYBE bring one in to drop vh, other 3 in gv's (See above).  After dropping the VH, stay out of ack.  Get a touch of alt and hang between the field/town and kill any uppers otw town.  You are almost better off in GV's still.  2 osti's and a panzer can drop a town in 5min.

5 is almost do'able.  4 110's can drop a town and 5th in goon.  Just hope nobody dies to town ack.  Timing is everything.  Go under radar and kill that town quick.

[BaldEagl]

It's difficult with so few players if the base is defended.  Not so difficult if it's not.

An Osti can drop the entire town by itself but will have trouble with the auto acks so, a T-34 can be driven right up to the firing acks without damage, kill them, then help the Osti drop the town.  Finally, bring an M3 to get the troops to the maproom and your done.

If the base is defended, even by one player, you'll probably need additional Ostis or, more likely, fighter cover to get this done as well as needing to drop the vehicle hanger.

[trap2000]

It sounds like airfield capture isn’t well suited for a small group of newer players who want to concentrate on flying. How about ports and villages? I have no idea what’s required to close and capture these types of targets. Beyond that we could work on attacking enemy airfields not to capture but to draw people out to defend. We could select targets such as vehicle hangers, ack, etc. that would give us advantages in the furball that would follow. Are down times sufficient for this strategy to work? Comments appreciated.

[Lusche]

Originally posted by trap2000
It sounds like airfield capture isn’t well suited for a small group of newer players who want to concentrate on flying. How about ports and villages?

Ports and vehicle fields are different from air fields that they do have no town to destroy. The maproom is directly on base. The only requirement for a capture is the destruction of all ack guns on that field. It is not necessary to destroy the vehicle hangars to capture the field, but it's highly advisable unless the field is completely undefended.

[Gulp]

V bases are a good start for a small group.  3-4 110's heavy and troops via air or ground.

On heavy fighters, you can hit ".salvo ##" just like bombers.  It helps get both bombs, or multiple rockets on target.

I love using 3 F6f's & 1 M3 for Vbase runs.  Go under radar until about 3 miles out, " .salvo 6" - drop 2 1000# with 1 click, switch to rockets and fire all 6 with 1 click.  BOOM 3 vhs down in 1 pass.  Come around and de-ack (don't forget the manned ack) with the 50's and start  heading for where any expected air defense will come from while the M3 or goon drops troops.

Of course, the level of defense, pre-existing GVs, LTARS, & poor dive bombing will dictate slightly different plans.

For added fun, 3 Jeeps and an M3.  Each Jeep kills an ack and 1 drives in the main VH so he's  inside enemy gvs when they spawn.  Ooooooh ..gamey

[BaldEagl]

Originally posted by trap2000
Beyond that we could work on attacking enemy airfields not to capture but to draw people out to defend. We could select targets such as vehicle hangers, ack, etc. that would give us advantages in the furball that would follow. Are down times sufficient for this strategy to work? Comments appreciated.

You probably won't even have to attack the field.  Just go there and fly around.  You'll probably get some uppers.

Hangers stay down for 15 minutes.  Acks stay down for 30 minutes.

[projoe]

Or, with such a small group....join any mission that someone might create....your help is always appreciated in those....watch and learn what others do in the mission...after a few of those...try and create your own mission...with your group and a few others that join...shouldn't be a problem to capture a field.
my $.02

Projoe
Dynamite Gang

[RedTop]

3 sets of LANCS 14k bombs under dar. Level town in one pass. ! fighter for cap in case...and goon  land a drop troops. Been there done it.

BUT.,.....more often than not.....youll have issues.

[splitatom]

if you do it dreger style which is you get about 20 people and you take down a town in about 2 min

[choker41]

Try this with three people.  Take 1 A-20 and 1 110 with goon.  All of ya below 200ft. and hit dar at the same time.  When base flashes wep it into the base.  The 110 and a-20 should get there about 3K in front or so.  Take the manned gun and auto ack down the first pass.  Fly the goon behind the pad VH on the deck. Land goon behind woods as the 110 distracts any osti's.  The A-20 can bomb any gvs getting close to the maproom.  My squaddies and I have done this with great effeciency.  The element of surprise has to be there and hopefully a full Squad doesn't come out of the Vh to spoil this sneek attack.

[mtnman]

As Choker mentions, an NOE raid is very effective with a few people, and is a very quick way to capture a field.

First, pick a field with no activity at it.  You won't succeed if there are defenders already there.

Sneak in as a group.  Stay low, under radar, until about 5 miles out, when you can zoom for a little altitude.  The goon should stay low.  When close have the goon loiter outside the town a few miles while everyone else rushes in and swarms the town.  It's best if he loiters in an out-of-the-way area, not directly in line between the two fields.  Kill the town guns first, then level the town.  When you have it down except for just a few buildings, call the goon in so he can arrive as the last buildings get leveled.

Timing is important, any delay in getting the goon in can mean defenders lifting.

GV's will not be an issue.  They can't get to the town in time if you do this right.  Ignore base ack too, but make sure the goon doesn't fly over/through it.

If you have an extra guy, he can fly a figter to defend against a lifter or two.  Or you can fly planes that will do duty as JABO's and then as fighters which can also strafe the town.  F4U's, or P47's.

Defenders lifting? Action getting to hot?  Did you take too long and attract too much attention?  Go try again at a different field.  This option works very well if a friendly or two will head towards the initial target.  This guy is a decoy, and his dar-bar will convince the defenders you'll all be on the way back.  Meanwhile, you've found another "back door" to sneak into.

MtnMan

[apcampbell]

Ok here's another question to go with this, what is a sure fire way to get all 10 of those troops dropped directly on target from a GB? Specifically, what altitude, and speed is best, and what visual indicator should you use to initiate the drop? (F1, F3, position of the town in respect to position of the bird). I haven't seen any write ups on how to do this.

[Lusche]

Originally posted by apcampbell
Ok here's another question to go with this, what is a sure fire way to get all 10 of those troops dropped directly on target from a GB? Specifically, what altitude, and speed is best, and what visual indicator should you use to initiate the drop? (F1, F3, position of the town in respect to position of the bird). I haven't seen any write ups on how to do this.

One way is to land just outside the town. Especially recommended when there are still a few buildings up and you don't want to be visibly circling with your "kill me!" sign every goon has. Open door, and they will run. (Unless you ditched/broke your gear - in that case troops refuse to do their duty.)

Minimum alt over town is 800ft. Speed doesn't matter, but if you are slower, troops will be spread out less. Do a zoom climb directly above town while dropping troopers to get minimum spread.