mission help JTS Midway

[phoenix]

I don't know if anyone is still playing this game! If anyone could help, however, I'd be very grateful. 

My question is about giving missions to planes already out and about on a mission. So, for example, I send out ten planes in a search pattern. Once the enemy target is located I would like them all to then bomb the target (preferably not piecemeal, but this seems really too much to ask of the game...), then fly back home and land. Can I automate any of this process? 

For example, if I double click on the leader of those ten planes (selecting the entire formation) then right click on the target will all the planes then try to bomb the target? Or, alternatively, can I select them all then give them all a strike mission on the target, whilst they're in the air? 

Once they've bombed the target, can I use the same two techniques to get them back home? 

I should write - should I be able to do any of this? because I've tried both methods without success, and wonder if I'm doing anything wrong. 

Many thanks. 

Oh, I thought of another question. My Cap - will it automatically try to land when it runs dry, or do I have to order it to land? (Again, it seems what happens if I do nothing is they all just ditch, but maybe I'm missing something?)

[Rook]

Love to help Phoenix but it’s been to long for me to remember. I plan to get back into it due to the work done by Wilk.

[Welk-France]

Usualy, I double click on the air formation and then I right click on the ship to be attacked (and all concerned aircrafts go attack this ship)

Then, I use the "Return land" command with the same way : I double click to select entire formation and I use the "return land" command

If I see one aircraft that does not obey, I send it near his CV by individual right click

But as general observation, I have to say that in this game, you have very oft to repeat your orders before to see pilots following instructions^^

[phoenix]

Ok. Thanks.

[Welk-France]

One other thing I noticed : When 1 aircraft (or a group of aircrafts) is selected, to double right click on a CV gives them order to land on this CV (and they do)

[Gary McClellan]

For the specific example of "gathering" a search pattern back to bomb, I don't know of a way to automate it.

Honestly, I don't know of any time it was done in reality either. There were times where the (or at most 2) nearest spoke(s) in the fan would also vector towards a sighting and join in, but a search group was just that. Especially since admirals didn't have all the nifty "we know they only have these ships out there, so I've found them all" advantage we have :)