Sorry, joea, I didn't really answer your question. No, they didn't use them to hunt subs. I think to the extent they were "escort" carriers, they were (doctrinally) thinking about AIR escort. CAP vs enemy aircraft.
All small IJN CVs (CVL/CVE) carried B5Ns (or period equiv) rather than a mixture of dive bombers (VB) and carrier attack planes (VT) in addition to Zeros (early war a few had A5M Claudes, actually). The reaosn was that the Val was a one trick pony with a weak load, while the VTs could carry what the IJN considered the primary anti-ship weapon, the torpedo, but could also carry (for the IJN, anyway) a substantial bomb load compared to the single 250kg bomb aboard a D3A.
So far my tests have not worked out as planned. I think that the airgroup chosen is based on the start date of the player's mission (single mission, or patrol date of start), and do not change over the course of the patrol/mission. This is too bad since the airgroups would be a way of controlling what planes you'd see any given day.
If this is indeed the case, the only solution will be to gut the airgroups totally, IMO.
Scripted missions can still get full air groups, they only need be added as scripted units. I suppose this is more realistic anyway.
I also have not bee strafed by Zeros once. Then again, I haven't been attacked by CV aircraft at all lately, even testing in visual range of a CV for days, hitting the button to make contact or status reports all day. I've had dozens of planes fly over, none attack me. Wonder what is wrong... G4M and flying boats always seem to attack me, but the CV planes just don't ever.
Anyone have any ideas what I sgould look at?
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