What really needs to happen is to make the base flash when the CV gets within a certain distance, or AT LEAST when it starts shelling the base / town. As it is now, you can completely flatten a base with a task group, and never make it flash until you up the LVT to take the maproom. By then all the hangars are down and there is nothing you can do about it.
It's kinda silly that you can drive a task force almost onto the beach, in complete secrecy, but the base flashes for a single PT boat.