CVE Nassau and VR squadrons

[bradfordkay]

Basically, they grow so large as to never again fit on the ship to which they had been posted.

[Hoplosternum]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

Basically, they grow so large as to never again fit on the ship to which they had been posted.

But only if you have replacements on.....

[dtravel]

ORIGINAL: Hoplosternum

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

Basically, they grow so large as to never again fit on the ship to which they had been posted.

But only if you have replacements on.....

There are conflicting reports on that.

But IIRC that wasn't the only problem. Things get very strange. Think of it like this. If you build a Rube Goldbergian device to move a bunch of balls from one side of the room to the other, then three more people expand it in sequence after you, so that it now fills the entire room. What happens if one ball falls off partway thru being moved and starts bouncing around?

[saj42]

ORIGINAL: Hoplosternum

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

Basically, they grow so large as to never again fit on the ship to which they had been posted.

But only if you have replacements on.....

I've had the VR squadrons grow from 24 to 54 a/c on board with replacements set to OFF.
I hate to think what size they could grow to if land based - they would suck in a lot of airframes and pilots from the pools.

[Charbroiled]

I'm resurrecting this old thread, because I need help with some clarifications:

1. How does using the VR squadrons work? Can I have a CVE loaded with a VR squadron in a replenishment TF in the same hex as a CV TF and use "get plane" from the CV squadron to draw from the VR squadron as I would if the CV was at a base?

2. Can the CVE be overloaded and still supply replacements?

3. Can VR squadron fly normal missions if they are stationed at a base?

[bradfordkay]

I'm just getting my first ones into operation as well, so I am also interested in the answer to this question.

I seem to think that I've read somewhere on this forum that you have to have your carrier squadrons set to "allow replacements" as opposed to being able to hit the "get replacement" button, but please do not take this as gospel. I am hoping that someone more experienced with the replenishment CVEs will set up straight.


EDIT: Warning! Check the experience level of the VR pilots - very low. I do not recommend using them as a normal squadron in frontline service, unless you just like seeing your planes go down in flames...

[Hemajor]

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

I'm resurrecting this old thread, because I need help with some clarifications:

3. Can VR squadron fly normal missions if they are stationed at a base?

Yes, they can. I have used my VR sqdns as normale ones without any problems. They need a lot of training before they see real combat. I used them in 24 aircraft sqdns both from bases and CVEs. And I have never had problems with growing sqdns for that matter.

[hvymtl13]

Ok, CVE's. Historical use was to follow just inside ferry range so they could replenish CV TF's. Or to meet them at a suitable port location and restock the airframes and pilots lost. Commonly reffered to as Truck carriers.
So, you got those r Squadrons. There's quite a few uses for them; You can remove them from the CVE's if you like. No worries. What I do is to split the groups, I think they devide into 8 plane groups. Then deploy them at verious bases. Here's the tricky part. Watch how many airframes of the R squadrons type are available first off. Then, if you have the spare airframes, add planes to the group up to a suficient amount that you prefer them to maintain. TURN OFF REPLACEMENTS. Or they will just keep growing to enormous numbers. Wasting your airframes that you need in other groups, or on port replacements for CV's. Very impotant. You must Turn off Replacements. Then, monitor them and replace manually as needed. And replace pilots also as needed.
Second. You can drop the entire squadron at your home port, and set them to training or whatever. Pick up other types of squadrons and load them on the CVE's. They aren't dismantled for cargo as they are on AK's. When you get within range of your proposed destination, transfer them via ferry flight range to the destination. This avoids putting your AK or CVE assets in harms way by pulling into enemy airspace to unload.
Third: Split the groups as we did in example one, but only unload parts of the air groups, keeping one segment on board. Then refill it's rank to capacity of the CVE and operate as air cover for your back area invasion fleets. This method allows you to carry only fighters if you like, and maximize your Cap capacity. You could also use variants on this plan, and keep two seperate Fighter group segments on one CVE. Using one for Cap, and one for LR cap over the AP's. (My personal choice.)
Fourth: Keep everything tidy and do it by the book. Nevr unload them unless you have to, and never ever transfer from the cve. Though not very imaginative.
Hope that helps.

BTW, I believe they tranfer over water anytime you click replinish at sea on the CV TF, and the CVE is within transfer range. I'm fairly sure of this, though not sure on what the max range is.

[John Lansford]

If you put the R squadron CVE's in a Replenishment TF, they will automatically fill up the CV/CVL squadrons when they get within range.  I've done this several times and check the CVE's afterwards; their squadron size shrinks while the CV/CVL's squadrons go back up to full strength.   I've currently got a couple of CVE's with 0 strength fighter squadrons from doing this, in fact.
 
I've also got some squadrons of 54 planes sitting on airbases when I foolishly transferred them to a base; now they won't fly back to the CVE's, so I transfer them to someplace like Munda or Eniwetok and then dock the CV's; they fill up the carriers just as if they were on the CVE's.

[bradfordkay]

If you put the R squadron CVE's in a Replenishment TF, they will automatically fill up the CV/CVL squadrons when they get within range.

I normally have my airgroups set to "no replacements", but I am assuming that they will refill only if they have replacements turned on. Is this a correct assumption?

[John Lansford]

No it's not.  I've got ALL my R squadrons set to "no replacements" and they replenish the CV/CVL squadrons just fine.  The R squadrons, however, do NOT replenish (draw planes to refill back to their full complement) with "no replacements" turned on, so I've got several 0 size squadrons on board some of my CVE's. 
 
I may transfer those 0 size squadrons to a rear area base and put carrier capable squadrons of Corsairs on the CVE's.  Then I can let the squadrons refill and still have them available to refill the CV's and CVL's when they need more planes.

[Charbroiled]

So, lets see if I understand this correctly:

1. How does using the VR squadrons work? Can I have a CVE loaded with a VR squadron in a replenishment TF in the same hex as a CV TF and use "get plane" from the CV squadron to draw from the VR squadron as I would if the CV was at a base? The replacement TF (or base) only has to be within flying range of the CV TF. The CV TF will automatically draw planes from the CVE if the CV air units are set to accept replacements.

2. Can the CVE be overloaded and still supply replacements? Wasn't answered, but I'm guessing "no".

3. Can VR squadron fly normal missions if they are stationed at a base? yes, but low experience makes it a bad idea.

Does this sound correct?

[Hornblower]

1 and 3 are correct.  i'm not sure about #2..

[bradfordkay]

John... I didn't mean that the VR squadrons need to be set to "allow replacements"; I meant to ask do the VF, VB, VT squadrons on the combat carriers need to be set to "allow replacements" or can you leave it to "replacements off" and choose the "add one plane" button instead (to pull replacements from the VR squadrons to the combat carriers)?

[saj42]

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

So, lets see if I understand this correctly:

1. How does using the VR squadrons work? Can I have a CVE loaded with a VR squadron in a replenishment TF in the same hex as a CV TF and use "get plane" from the CV squadron to draw from the VR squadron as I would if the CV was at a base? The replacement TF (or base) only has to be within flying range of the CV TF. The CV TF will automatically draw planes from the CVE if the CV air units are set to accept replacements.

2. Can the CVE be overloaded and still supply replacements? Wasn't answered, but I'm guessing "no".

3. Can VR squadron fly normal missions if they are stationed at a base? yes, but low experience makes it a bad idea.

Does this sound correct?

Q2: Yes the CVE can operate overloaded BUT ONLY to fly off a/c to fill the CVs - their replenishment role. You cannot fly normal operations from an overloaded CVE(R)