Mission «Logistics Strike»

What this mission is

It is an order you give your strike aircraft. They fly into the chosen region and deliberately destroy the enemy’s supply: railways, infrastructure, trains and trucks. It hits enemy supply specifically, not factories or military plants.

The mission is available to Close Air Support, Tactical, Naval and Strategic Bombers. But, as we will see below, they are not all equally useful.

Why you need it

The main goal is to cut off the enemy’s ability to move supplies. When you bomb logistics, the enemy loses trains and trucks, railway throughput drops, and troops at the front start to starve.

This is especially valuable on wide fronts, such as the USSR or Germany, where supply lines are already stretched. Experienced players use this mission in the pauses between offensives: while you regroup, your CAS planes methodically sever the enemy’s supply arteries. When you then attack, the enemy is already worn down by the lack of supply.

The honest truth about this mission

Frankly, this mission is often useless if you do not meet the conditions. Without air superiority your planes will be shot down before they even see a train. If the enemy is sitting next to his capital — supply there is maxed out, and bombing barely shows.

That is why experienced players only turn it on in three cases:

• You have Air Superiority
• The enemy depends on railways and supply
• The enemy’s supply is already weak

In any other situation, the Fuel and planes are better spent elsewhere.

What happens when you turn it on

Once you assign the region, your planes start flying regular sorties. Each sortie deals damage to logistics targets in that region. Damage is based on the plane’s «Ground Attack» stat and modifiers.

The game handles it like this: for each target type (trucks, trains, infrastructure, railways) there is a conversion coefficient from Ground Attack. Here are the exact numbers per plane:

How to read the table: say your CAS plane has 8 Ground Attack, then 8 × 27% = 2.16 damage against trucks. Against trains it will be only 0.32. So that CAS plane deals 2.16 damage to trucks and 0.32 damage to trains.

Even if there are no trucks in the region, a base damage remains — 2% of Ground Attack. But the real value is destroying trains and trucks, because they directly affect throughput and how fast supply recovers.

Destroying enemy logistics

Damage to trains reduces railway throughput. The enemy is forced to spend factories on new trains instead of tanks or planes. If trains are wiped out completely — supply across a large front collapses.

Damage to trucks hits local supply directly, especially in regions with poor infrastructure. And destroying infrastructure and railways slows recovery — supply hubs only regain 1.5% supply per day, and without trains and trucks the process is even slower.

Test example: a narrow section of the front, enemy supply already weak (45%). After a week of the mission running, it dropped to 9% — an 80% cut. That is the kind of efficiency proper use delivers.

Common confusion among players

Many beginners confuse «Logistics Strike» with Strategic Bombing. They are two different missions. Strategic Bombing targets factories, oil refineries and city infrastructure — it reduces the enemy’s industrial potential. «Logistics Strike» hits the transport network only — the one that feeds the army at the front. They can complement each other, but they do not replace each other.

When to turn this mission on

Turn it on during quiet spells, when you are not pushing but want to weaken the enemy before the next big move. Ideal conditions:

• full Air Superiority (the sky is green);
• the enemy relies heavily on railways and trucks (regions with low population, rough terrain, fewer victory points);
• the front is wide (such as the USSR or Germany), with plenty of low-supply areas;
• the enemy is not sitting next to his capital — supply effect there is maxed out, and bombing barely does anything.

If even one of these does not hold, it is better to send your planes on other missions — Close Air Support or Air Superiority, for instance.

Who should use it

Which country

Any country that has an air force and is fighting a land war against an enemy who relies on railways. Especially useful for the USSR against Germany, Germany against the USSR, and the USA in Europe. But if you are an island power (Britain, Japan) — your CAS planes will usually be busy at sea, and this mission takes a back seat.

Which plane you need

The recommended type is Close Air Support. Reasons:

• regains efficiency when switching regions 4.6 times faster than a Tactical Bomber;
• cheaper to produce;
• efficiency swings up to 30%, but that is offset by the frequency of sorties;
• Can bomb not just logistics but also enemy divisions.

Tactical Bombers also fit, but they are more expensive and take longer to recover. Strategic Bombers cannot be assigned to this mission. Naval Bombers are specialised for ships, though the mission is technically available to them.

The optimal module for a CAS plane: heavy bombs (8 Ground Attack at cost 1) or standard bomb racks (6 Ground Attack at cost 1).

Which region to assign

The region where enemy troops depend on railway supply. Usually these are front-line areas where the main rail lines run. Do not place it deep in the rear — your planes may not reach, or there will be no targets. Best is on the front line, where the enemy is constantly moving reserves and ammunition.

Check Coverage in the region. If Coverage is below 50%, efficiency drops sharply, because the planes cannot operate freely.

First method — a massed strike on one section

Concentrate all your CAS planes (say, 500–1000 aircraft) on one front-line region where the enemy’s key railway runs. Give the «Logistics Strike» mission and keep it going for a week or two.

Result: trains and trucks get wiped out en masse, enemy supply in that section drops to critical levels. Then you switch to the offensive — the enemy cannot bring up reserves, and you break through with minimal losses. That is how every experienced player prepares a major operation.

I recommend this method. If you are new, or unsure which to pick — try this one first.

Second method — constant pressure across a wide front

Split your CAS planes into several groups and spread them across different regions along the whole front. The mission runs non-stop, gradually draining enemy logistics along the entire line.

This method needs more planes and Fuel, but it gives the enemy no breathing room. It is especially effective against the USSR or Germany, where the front is enormous and supply is already stretched. After a month of this, the enemy starts running short of even basic supplies.

You already know that efficiency depends on Ground Attack. So in both methods it is important to make sure the CAS planes carry bombs, not machine guns, and that your air Doctrines are researched.

• Mission details

  • Target priority.

    Planes first attack trucks (27% of Ground Attack), then trains (4%). Infrastructure and railways take damage indirectly from destroying transport. That means to seriously wreck rail lines, you first need to knock out all the trains.

  • Enemy recovery.

    Supply hubs recover at 1.5% per day. If you do not keep up the pressure, the enemy recovers quickly. That is why the mission demands consistency.

  • Weather and night effects.

    In the game, weather and time of day affect bombing efficiency. At night and in bad weather, damage is reduced. Experienced players factor this in and push the mission harder on clear days.

  • Aircraft losses.

    Even with Air Superiority, CAS planes take losses from AA and enemy Fighters. Stock up on spare planes in advance and do not forget to refresh your wings.

• Common player mistakes

  • Turning it on without Air Superiority.

    This is the most common mistake. Without a green sky, your CAS planes get shot down and you waste resources. Give your Fighters the «Air Superiority» mission first.

  • Assigning the mission deep in the rear.

    There is no active train or truck traffic there, and if there is, your planes fly a long way and lose efficiency. Stay closer to the front line.

  • Forgetting about Doctrines.

    Air Doctrines give significant bonuses to Ground Attack and mission efficiency. Without them you lose 20–30% of your potential. Always research them.

• Tips for this mission

  • Combine with a naval blockade.

    If the enemy is supplied through ports, intercept convoys with Submarines. That multiplies the effect of logistics strikes.

  • Check the enemy’s supply.

    Before starting the mission, press F4, or click the supply icon in the bottom-right. You will see the enemy’s supply hubs and railways. That helps a lot when picking a region.

  • Mind the Fuel.

    This mission burns Fuel like any other. If Fuel is tight, cut back sorties or use more economical planes. But remember that saving Fuel should not drop efficiency to zero.