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The Lexington is damaged in the Coral Sea (53 flotation, 48 Major) so I send her to Sydney for repairs. No dice, won't/can't repair her floatation damage. Sail her to Luganville where on the way she get's more damaged. No way she makes it to PH. Am I just screwed?

Thanks for the help!

Mudmag99 wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 10:58 pm The Lexington is damaged in the Coral Sea (53 flotation, 48 Major) so I send her to Sydney for repairs. No dice, won't/can't repair her floatation damage. Sail her to Luganville where on the way she get's more damaged. No way she makes it to PH. Am I just screwed?

One option might be to try and limp to Pearl in short hops at cruise speed. Maybe Noumea-Suva-Pago Pago-Canton Island-Christmas Island-Pearl. Duck into a port along the way if damage increases. Try to scout the route for I-boats as her slow speed will make her a vulnerable target even with a hefty escort. I'd try to get the flotation damage as low as humanly possible before attempting it. Maybe dispatch some ARs to assist with system damage before beginning the journey. The other option is to wait until the floating docks start to arrive in 1943 but those are slow to cross the Pacific. However, a carrier with that amount of damage will take a long time to repair even in the largest drydock. Probably a year if not more.

And you are less likely to sink from unrepaired flotation damage of you have repaired all systems damage.

--Dave

Mudmag99 wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 10:58 pm The Lexington is damaged in the Coral Sea (53 flotation, 48 Major) so I send her to Sydney for repairs. No dice, won't/can't repair her floatation damage. Sail her to Luganville where on the way she get's more damaged. No way she makes it to PH. Am I just screwed?

Thanks for the help!

Key to survivability in such a situation is getting systems damage as low as possible. You can slowly repair this anywhere but best is a larger port with LOTS of naval support. So go via cruise to the nearest port hopefully with NS and repair as much systems damage as time will allow. I would try to bring systems below 25%. Without a repair yard big enough you can do little about critical damage, but think of "systems" as your ships DC capability, needed if things crop up in you transit. The lower your systems damage the more effective the crew will be in keeping the ship afloat.

Also consider changing the captain for one with the highest Naval Skill available!

BBfanboy wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 1:12 am Also consider changing the captain for one with the highest Naval Skill available!

good point but would leadership skill be more effective as the ship is not going to fight anything?

dr.hal wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 1:38 am

BBfanboy wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 1:12 am Also consider changing the captain for one with the highest Naval Skill available!

good point but would leadership skill be more effective as the ship is not going to fight anything?

You want the best available captain to help the ship safely move while it moves but not necessarily to train or to inspire the crew . . .

Lexington and Saratoga do not fit into Sydney shipyard (size 30) and same with some other ships.

It is valid consideration when thinking which ships to use in that area. E.g. Enterprise & Hornet do fit.

Prudent course would have been sitting in Sydney with Pierside repairs to reduce system/engine damage (and some non-major flotation) to minimum and then sailing to PH on cruise speed.

Since the aircraft cannot be operated from a heavily damaged ship, they should be landed on one of the bases and flown from there to a useful place. Heck, the fighters could even follow the ship around and LRCAP it where possible. Devastators could do ASW along the route and some Naval Search as well.

Thanks everyone!

Fingers crossed for the Lady Lex!