So you practically says that tactical bombing raids involving light and medium bombers (not your singel engined fighter-bombers) did not take place during WWII! So you think that I am lying when I say that those light and medium bombers were actually used in targeted attacks like shipping attacks and airfield attacks as well as in the antitank attacks. You better do your home work next time.
Your imagination is legendary! please look at the numbers (by type) of shipping loses and attacks on moving armored columns by your glorious light bombers and medium bombers by nation and compare them with all other planes that accomplished this same duty. Airfield attacks were fixed targets and fall under regular bombing attacks (unless your talking about a quick raid to take out planes with strafing attacks).
what the game needs in a new dive bomber piece for both naval and ground based missions.
Ok, next perspective! If one stick to your point of view that bombers only were used to carpet bomb an entire area. What is the difference between a shore bombardment and an attack by a bomber. Nothing, right! So you simply say that it would be alright that bombers should attack in the opening fire step of combat or that shore bombardment should take place during normal combat! Which do you think would give a more balance and at the same time historical correct rule? You maybe like it as it is, for other reasons? I can live with the old rule, but I don’t like it in a historical perspective. However the Air Supremacy seems to be somthing in your taste, right? I think it will become a standard optional rule for A&A!
Shore bombardment should occur before the battle and not be allowed each round of combat. Each infantry unit represents an entire army level unit so how can a group of ships simply destroy that many lifes? This is not reality, but in this game anything seems possible so only allow it to be of marginal value. The Bomber hits should be taken as loses preemtively each round. In fact bombers should not be allowed to attack every round, but should get to attack twice (roll two dice) when they do and again loses are taken before the remaining ground units can fire back. Also, bombers should be allowed to attack naval targets such as subs and transports only because a level attack required the bombers to fly in a direct flat pattern at a slow speed and the aa guns on warships would overwhelm them and cause too many causualties. The only event when your “Bombers” actually took out large naval targets was against the HMS Repulse and Prince of Whales which had no carrier support or CAP to protect them from jap bombers. otherwise “bomber” attacks were relegated to shipping, subs, and very small escort ships and not front line warships. Dive-bombers on the other hand had this duty.
I dont know whay you simply hate the idea of “fighters” having the job of striking against armor in the combat sequence with the attack bonus. Perhaps you want the pricy bombers to have more value so you will buy them. But its clear that their role is not exactly as you originally stated.
Shore bombardment should be changed consider:
Shore Bombardment and Infantry Support
During Ground Combat, for amphibious assaults, all surface warships with a combat value of four or higher have one “shore bombardment†attack. In order to support landings for each shot you roll for you must land four Land units. Defender losses do not fire back. In addition, similar to attacking artillery, each shore-bombarding warship improves one attacking infantry (class unit) to an attack die roll modifier of +1 on the first round only. Warships that participate in Naval Combat may not also shore bombard and provide infantry support for amphibious assaults.
