                                Command : BOMB

 SYNTAX:
   [##:##] Command: bomb <BOMBERS> <ESCORTS> mission-type <SECT> route

The  bomb  command  is  used  to  rain  destruction upon helpless enemy ships,
planes, and sectors.  It represents a complete mission for one or more bombers
and  escorts taking off from one place and returning to base at the end of the
mission.  You cannot attack a nation you are not at war with. (see info  rela-
tions)

<BOMBERS>  represents  a  list  of  planes which can carry bombs.  Only planes
which have a bomb bay, belong in a  sector  which  is  stocked  with  gas  and
shells,  and  have  sufficient  mobility will be successfully selected for the
mission.

<ESCORTS> represent a list of fighter planes which are  capable  of  escorting
the bombers all the way to the target.  To be selected, escorts must have fuel
and mobility.

                                Command : BOMB

Mission-type must be one of "pinpoint", "strategic", or "nuclear".  Each  mis-
sion has different objectives for the planes performing it.  Pinpoint missions
allow bombers to attack ships, sector efficiency, commoditites in sectors, and
planes on the ground in the target sector.  Strategic missions damage all com-
modities in the entire target sector, while not damaging any ships  or  planes
resident  (similar  to  the  ship and sector fire missions).  Nuclear missions
allow each bomber in the list to drop a nuclear device in the  target  sector.
Nuclear  devices  damage everything in the sector; planes, ships, and commodi-
ties.  Only missiles in hardened silos can avoid damage from  a  nuclear  mis-
sion.

<SECT>  represents  an  assembly point, where all of the planes in the mission
meet before proceeding on to the target sector.  The assembly  point  must  be
owned  by  you,  and  must  not be more than four sectors away from any of the
planes selected for the mission.

Route is a normal empire path specification.

                                Command : BOMB

Light bombers (with the tactical capability) are used primarily  for  pinpoint
bombing.   They  perform  as well as fighters do for strategic bombing.  Heavy
bombers (with the bomber capability), while they can perform pinpoint bombing,
are  notoriously inaccurate and in general miss what they are aiming at.  They
are used mainly for strategic bombing.

During the course of a mission, your planes may fly over someone else's  land.
If you fly over land owned by another country, and this country is either hos-
tile or in any war state (see info relation) with you, fighter planes from the
enemy country will scramble and attempt to intercept your force.  If the coun-
try is simply neutral, he will be notified that his radar tracked your  planes
as  they  flew  over his country.  If the country is allied, then nothing will
occur.

If you manage to fight though the enemy fighters and arrive at the target sec-
tor,  your  force  must  still contend with any flak guns which your enemy has
stationed there.  What's more, any enemy ship in the target sector  will  also
shoot at each of your bombers before any attacks are performed.

A  well-equipped fleet of battleships in a heavily-defended harbor can be very

                                Command : BOMB

risky to attack, even though hitting ships in harbor is like shooting fish  in
a barrel.

If  the  ASW_PLANES option is in use, and your planes has anti-submarine (asw)
capabilities, you will be told when you arrive in a sector whether it has sub-
marines  in  it. If you then choose to pin-bomb ships, each plane in turn will
attempt to find submarines (this ability varies with the plane's accuracy rat-
ing) Each plane can only bomb the subs it can find. (It is assumed that planes
on anti-sub missions split up to cover the area)

Planes have differing air-to-air combat abilities, differing ranges, and load-
carrying  capacities.   Some airplanes don't need runways, but can operate out
of any sector which has fuel in it.

See also : plane-types, build, fly, para, drop, recon, relations

