Why won't Allied subs attack?

[dicedtomato]

It's January '42 in a Scenario 15 PBEM. I don't think my Allied subs - of any nationality - have attacked once. I've got subs all over the East Indies that are not doing anything. Japanese subs have sunk more than a dozen Allied ships.

Could it be because the Auto Sub Ops button keeps resetting? Or maybe because I'm running subs at full speed (but even at cruise speed, they don't attack)?

DT

[denisonh]

Not a problem for me


It is 7 Jan in a PBEM game as the Allies

I have sunk 7 IJN ships in the first month:

2 APs, an AK, and a PG with Mk 14 torpedoes
1 AP with a Mk 10 torps
An AP and a CA (Chokai) with 533mm torps

That is just the sunk, not all the attacks.

[52nd Lowland]

Im into March 1942 and the subs have killed around 70 of the 90 ships sunk so far in the game.Definetely looks like a problem somewhere...

[denisonh]

I have sunk 45 IJN ships in the first month, only 10 by sub.

Could be more, as I picked off a few stragglers from air attacks.

I would venture to say if I played the AI with my subs under human control, I could rack up some serious kills.

Funny thing about PBEM, human players REACT to sub sightings and torpedo attacks, so can avoid some of those losses.

ORIGINAL: 52nd Lowland

Im into March 1942 and the subs have killed around 70 of the 90 ships sunk so far in the game.Definetely looks like a problem somewhere...

[doktor1957]

hmm, my subs (especially the Dutch) are running rampant. The U.S. torpedo's aren't worth a darn, but they scare the enemy when they thump against the hull. I wonder where your subs are? I've had great luck in the Straits of Sumata, the South China Seal, and south of Kyushu. Try the natural choke points, for instance, between the Phillipines and Formosa. Be sure to check your subs frequently to ensure that fuel and ammo is not running low. BTW, the Dutch subs really are VERY effective. They have an 88mm AA deck gun too. I'm wondering if that's the same as the famed German 88mm AA gun?

Good hunting!
Dave
San Diego

[Zorfwaddle]

Im seeing the same results with the Dutch. I also sent a combined force of Dutch/Britsh CL's, and DD's (couple of US DD's tagged along) to the invasion point at Kuching where they thrashed a bunch of Japanese AP/AK. Im starting to really like the Dutch . The PoW and the Repulse will be hooking up with that force later and I plan on trying a repeat.

Regards,

[MadmanRick]

It's January '42 in a Scenario 15 PBEM. I don't think my Allied subs - of any nationality - have attacked once.

Boy, do I wish this was the case in my grand campaign game! As the Japanese, I have had numerous ships sunk by Allied subs. Including the Hiryu, which was torpedoed and sunk by 2 torps near Singapore and the Akagi which was torpedoed with one torp near Gili Gili, it is my great fortune that she was only moderately damaged by that attack! I've also lost at least one CL to Allied torps. My achilles heel seems to be the DAF though. For a second rate Air Force, their pilots have taken quite a toll in transports in and around Java. Seems even with Zero's flying CAP, they keep comin' and comin'! But I don't think I can complain too much. Despite the loss of Hiryu, I have sunk 6 BB's at Pearl, 2 CA's and 4 or 5 CL's near Java/PI/Australia. I have also sunk like 10 Allied tankers, a host of smaller escorts/DD's and a slew of transports. I have taken Rangoon, all but 4 or 5 of the cities in China, all of the PI, except for Bataan, I am about to take Port Moresby, Singapore and I have my forces marshalling to take Midway. All this and it is only Feb 23, '42 or thereabouts. This with the AI on hard! I have yet to see any sign of the Allied CV's, but I suspect that they'll show up about the time they realize that Midway is about to fall!

Glory to the Emperor!
Rick

[bradfordkay]

I wonder of your PBEM opponent hasn't beefed up his ASW patrols. In my UV campaigns keeping PB, TB, DB, and LB squadrons up performing ASW patrols severely limited my losses to Submarines. I was rarely attacked, much less damaged.

[denisonh]

Very good point. "Spotted" subs are much less likely to attack than "unspotted subs".

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

I wonder of your PBEM opponent hasn't beefed up his ASW patrols. In my UV campaigns keeping PB, TB, DB, and LB squadrons up performing ASW patrols severely limited my losses to Submarines. I was rarely attacked, much less damaged.

[dicedtomato]

Maybe he's doing lots of ASW, but you'd still expect my subs to make at least one attack. And if ASW is so effective, then why are Japanese subs killing me around Pearl? I have four multi-destroyer groups running ASW, plus several squadrons of Catalinas and bombers (I set their altitudes at 1,000 and 5,000 - not sure which is the best ASW altitude). I've killed several subs, but there still seem to be plenty out there, and they rarely miss.

DT

[PeteG662]

Diced,

Are your subs computer controlled? As for the ASW aircraft, PBYs and Coronados work well at 6000 in Naval Search as well for finding and attacking subs although I don't think sinking any. In your ASW TFs.....retirement off, let them stay in a hex versus chasing the sub ghosts. Subs usually move two hexes so if you are chjasing it makes it harder. My ASW TFs I use a mix of classes of DDs, DMSs, and other ASW craft.....usually about 6 ships total.

[dicedtomato]

Some subs are set to computer-control, some aren't. Either way, they don't attack. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the PBEM bug that resets the Auto Sub Ops button to OFF. I can't remember if it was initially set to ON, but I have to manually set it to ON every time I start a PBEM turn. Isn't the computer supposed to move and auto-generate sub TFs? So far, it hasn't done that.

DT

ORIGINAL: Tallyman662

Diced,

Are your subs computer controlled? As for the ASW aircraft, PBYs and Coronados work well at 6000 in Naval Search as well for finding and attacking subs although I don't think sinking any. In your ASW TFs.....retirement off, let them stay in a hex versus chasing the sub ghosts. Subs usually move two hexes so if you are chjasing it makes it harder. My ASW TFs I use a mix of classes of DDs, DMSs, and other ASW craft.....usually about 6 ships total.