Force composition
Let's address the air component first. We're allowed twenty CPs to bolster our initial two tactical bombers and two fighters. The aircraft carrier and the airfield provide ten supply points each and at three supply points per air unit that leaves eight supply points readily available for two more units. More than that will require additional aircraft carrier(s). Note that aircraft carrier supply points only allow the deployment of carrier-based air units which (spoilers) makes land-based air units a poor choice for most of the US Pacific campaign.
There are three classes of air units to choose from (four if/when reconnaissance is included):
a) Strategic bombers, all land based, expensive and atrociously ineffective against naval units which means I won't buy any at this moment;
b) Tactical bombers: the A20C Havoc suffers from the same "flaws" as the strategic bombers and so it is also discarded; that leaves us with the SBD2 Dauntless and the TBD Devastator (which can switch between torpedo and level bomber modes), the latter is surprisingly effective against aircraft carriers but as IRL very vulnerable to enemy fighters and (spoilers) in-game a tech-tree dead-end;
c) Fighters: the F2A Buffalo has a poor IRL reputation and in-game is worse against small aircraft than the other options so I've never even tried to use it, the P40 Warhawk is a land based aircraft with abysmal endurance at only eight turns (this is a critical piece of information that is sadly left out of air units' datasheets) which leaves the F4F4 Wildcat as the only worthwhile option at this time; and
d) Reconnaissance: the L4 Grasshopper and the OS2U Kingfisher are interchangeable in strict reconnaissance duties which makes the latter a better choice as it can be deployed from cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers; the PBY Catalina can only be deployed from aircraft carriers and costs twice as much money while only offering a four-tile sight range versus the three-tile sight range of the other two (sight range is also absent from air units' datasheets).
Having shortlisted the F4F4 Wildcat ($85), the SBD2 Dauntless ($110) and the OS2U Kingfisher ($20) I then have to choose how many of each to buy remembering that (other than the reconnaissance) I'll want to have at least 2'000 XP per unit at the end of the tutorial. Knowing what kind of targets I'll face in the two scenarios remaining I opt for one each F4F4 and SBD2 and two OS2U for a total cost of $275. The gift core F4F3 upgrades to the F4F4 for $42 thus I will spend $317 on air units from an initial budget of $590 leaving $273 for ships.
Except... except that I will defer upgrading the F4F3 (until it returns damaged from its first sortie) and buying the F4F4 (until turn 5) so I will actually have $440 for ships.
Buying an aircraft carrier (either a Lexington-class at $300 or a Yorktown-class at $320) doesn't make sense campaign-wise because a) it only leaves enough resources for one more air unit in the deployment phase and b) experience being the only transferrable asset onto the US Pacific campaign it is very much a negligible advantage for what is essentially a moving airfield (if your carrier is ever in a position where it can fire at - or be fired upon by - an enemy you have done something horribly wrong).
Let's address the naval component now. Dismissing aircraft carriers as an option leaves us with:
a) Battleships (BB): the North Carolina (5 CP/$320) is clearly the better choice;
b) Cruisers (CA): the Support Ship is a niche unit that never really caught my eye (mine warfare is too passive for my liking and healing damage at sea didn't feel necessary during my run at normal difficulty); both the New Orleans (4 CP/$120) and the Wichita (4 CP/$140) look like valid choices;
c) Destroyers (DD): PT Boats are a niche unit that can be ignored at this point which leaves the Gleaves '41 as the obvious choice (3 CP/$55); and
d) Submarines (SS): I never found a use for submarines in the Boot Camp/US Pacific campaigns (not that I ever looked very hard).
Deploying the CA and DD from the preceding mission is an obvious decision leaving 13 out of 20 CP to flesh out. This allows room for an extra 4 DD (12 CP, $220) or better yet 3 DD and 1 CA (13 CP, $285 or $305). Buying 2 CA would only leave room for 2 extra DD which means a CA heavy core force with an understrength DD screen. Buying 1 BB only leaves room for 2 extra DD (11 CP, $430) for a core of 1 BB, 1 CA and 3 DD which is a little light on the DD screen but workable alongside the auxiliaries (1 BB, 1 CV, 3 CA, 7 DD and 1 SS total force). Plus I want one battleship in my core, it can be useful ;)
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