Die-hard CL Boise

[Mighty Atomu]

By the way:

Which are the best IJN cruisers, then?

[Capt. Harlock]

Which are the best IJN cruisers, then?

The Takao class has the best armor. The Nachi and Mogami classes have the same main guns (10 eight-inchers). Interestingly, the Mogamis were built with 15 six-inchers, and the Brooklyn class were meant as an answer to them. But if I were you, I would think about using Kongo-class basttlecruisers.

[Feinder]

I've used the Flush-Deckers with some success in SRA and around SoPac as one or dual surface raiders.

Japan will frequently make quick un- or lightly- escorted runs into the undefended bases of SRA and SoPac with an AP/PG and SNLF. The little Flush-Deckers will clobber the lone APs, and will most likely blow the snot out an IJN PG. Put up the Flush-Decker vs. a real IJN DD, and it's toast tho. But you don't usually see real DDs escorting the grab-n-go TFs.

The range on the Flush-Deckers is prohibative. But with the relative closeness of bases in SRA and SoPac, they can can bounce around to various fuel sources well enough.

You can keep going with lone Flush-Deckers as SRA initially starts to cave (and you see some Japan LBA showing up). The singl-ship TF, and their high speed/maneuver ratings is a mild defense vs. a -few- bombers (your AAA sucks). But you gotta back off tho, once the enemy LBA starts to dominate.

And Flush-Deckers are cheap enough, that if one or two goes down, I don't worry about it.

The RN D-class (older and slower) class CLs are fair lone surface raiders also (and they trump the IJN DDs and, even some of the CLs). I don't expend them all in this way tho, I save a few for returns to King George when he asks for them.

[Mike Solli]

Feinder's comments remind me of something you should do. Never ever move a small unit in a single ship. One of the nasty Allied subs gets lucky and that unit is gone. I always use at least 2 ships per unit.

[String]

ORIGINAL: Feinder
The RN D-class (older and slower) class CLs are fair lone surface raiders also (and they trump the IJN DDs and, even some of the CLs). I don't expend them all in this way tho, I save a few for returns to King George when he asks for them.

I've grown to love the D-class CL's for two reasons.

One, they are RN ships and have very good nigh experience
two, they carry torpedoes, which combines nicely with reason #1

[Mighty Atomu]

Well - whatever you say, but at least I got a trade off:

Jolo and Davao have fallen on day four, and so I was able to station some Bettys, Nells, Sallys and Dive Bombers there. ASW patrols are forcing the Subs to keep a low profile...

The Boise slipped away. But I did catch lots of convoys... and the AVD William B. Preston...

Meanwhile, Kongo and Haruna with 3 CAs, 1 CL and six DDs are cruising in the area...

By the way, the Boise according to Hull's "Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy" was in a TF to defend Balikpapan. But she did't make it to the battle as she hit some sort of rock in the sea and had to leave her task force...

[Alikchi2]

I always thought of Boise as my "bonus CL." She wasn't even part of the Asiatic Fleet, just happened to be there after escorting a convoy in.. Treat her like a superweapon [:D]

To sink her, aircraft are usually the key. Anything smaller than a CA has the potential to get wasted, and I think the Furutakas are actually slightly vulnerable (only six 8" guns, plus light-ish armour).

[Mighty Atomu]

Hmmmm... she's gonne. [:(] I guess I will meet her again somewhere in the SRA... or later near Rabaul or PM... [:D]

The Betty crews are writing her name on the Torps... [:@]

[Mike Solli]

The part that sucks is that when you do sink her, she comes back as either a Cleveland or Baltimore class.[:(]

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: Feinder

I've used the Flush-Deckers with some success in SRA and around SoPac as one or dual surface raiders.

Japan will frequently make quick un- or lightly- escorted runs into the undefended bases of SRA and SoPac with an AP/PG and SNLF. The little Flush-Deckers will clobber the lone APs, and will most likely blow the snot out an IJN PG. Put up the Flush-Decker vs. a real IJN DD, and it's toast tho. But you don't usually see real DDs escorting the grab-n-go TFs.

The range on the Flush-Deckers is prohibative. But with the relative closeness of bases in SRA and SoPac, they can can bounce around to various fuel sources well enough.

You can keep going with lone Flush-Deckers as SRA initially starts to cave (and you see some Japan LBA showing up). The singl-ship TF, and their high speed/maneuver ratings is a mild defense vs. a -few- bombers (your AAA sucks). But you gotta back off tho, once the enemy LBA starts to dominate.

And Flush-Deckers are cheap enough, that if one or two goes down, I don't worry about it.

The RN D-class (older and slower) class CLs are fair lone surface raiders also (and they trump the IJN DDs and, even some of the CLs). I don't expend them all in this way tho, I save a few for returns to King George when he asks for them.

Flush decks are fine, if you need them, but if Im going to expend DDs on surface action I'd rather use 5" guns. The RN DD and the Dutch DDs both do well in DEI. I got a lot of mileage out of the Piet ....., whatever its name was. But DEI is ideal for small surface action. I even did well with a couple of PGs there.

[jolly_pillager]

Highly annoying I can tell you. The Japanese volleyed their long lances at range (missing) and then aggressively moved into knife fighting range (the poor bastards...)

[Feinder]

I tend to conserve my RN DDs, as King George seems to have an insatiable thirst for them.

Yes, I use the RDN much as the Flush-Deckers. The range on the RDN DDs utterly sucks (about 2500). So that's exactly what they're well suited for, short raids out of North Oz or Java or wherever.

Frankly, a 4.5" gun (effect 35) does a reasonable amount of damage compared to 5" (effect 55). True, not as much. But you don't need that big a stick a whack unarmord APs and DDs. -YES- a 5" gun is better. But again, Flush-Deckers are cheap, and rather expendable.

-F-