FSO is a
team event. Where the action of all pilots and squads are important. It is not and never has been an event about just killing other planes or blowing things up. It has always been an event where both strides struggle to achieve their objectives more successfully than the other side.
Escort duty is an important aspect of FSO and it is the main reason why the allies basically took such a beating in frame 2. The lack of escorts led to horrendous losses among the allied bomber forces.
Escort missions main job is to get the bombers alive to target and back. Since bombers represent significant point advantage to the enemy (fighter kill worth 5 and bomber worth 15 in this FSO) and the ability to deny bombers dropping their eggs on target is an additional incentive to kill them. Meaning in an FSO setting bombers are usually the prime targets for enemy aircraft to attack. There have been even many FSOs where CiC have given instructions to ignore the fighter escort as much as possible and kill buffs.
What I am leading up to is that escorting bombers usually runs a high risk of combat action for escorts. Since the bombers for the whole frame are primary targets that the enemy wants to destroy, for points, to deny dropping bombs on their first strike, and to deny them getting home to load up again and conduct a second strike. I don't think I know of any situation or past FSO where the opposing force went .. oh their are bombers in secto 10,1,5 ... eh, ignored them. It is usually the opposite.
In addition one of the primary tactics of an opposing force it to lure away the escorts so that the bombers can be attack by other forces without escorts.
So 1) This is a
team objective based event. 2) Babysitting bombers is not something I would really describe as babysitting because basically they are flying bullseyes in the mind of them enemy and guarantee action. 3) Most escorts if they stick with bombers don't need to go find a horde a red guys .. the red guys are trying to find them.
With that said I don't know what happened or to an extent care. However, I do care about that expressed attitude of:
IMO I could care less if the bombers had escorts and if they died or not.
