Few questions

[themattcurtis]

I've played around with the game to learn the mechanics for a while. Now I'm actually sitting down to play through a campaign, start to finish. But I have some questions.

Ports that conduct ship repairs (IE, Pearl has a repair yard and in 6/24/1926 I have something like 950 repair points). I just dock vessels -- does it matter if the TFs are disbanded? -- and they enact repairs automatically? I have some TFs that have accrued minor system damage due to steaming around (IE 1 or 2 points on each vessel). But docking them at Pearl will allow for general maintenance. I don't have to send them back to the west coast, do I?

Second, am I employing my carrier improperly?

Background...

I'm trying to build up my infrastructure. Pearl and Lahania are expanding their ports. I'm trying to beef up Midway, as well. I've transferred an engineer regiment to the island, I've got a small convoy of transports -- under computer control -- shutting supplies from Pearl (itself part of the automated convoy system). And I've got a picket line of subs to the East, with an AS en route. As I understand it, the AS, if it's in one piece and its supply requirements are being meant by the port, will allow subs to rearm their torps. I've also got a regiment of Marines headed to Midway, with the island set as their objective. Don't know if this is necessary for a garrison, but I understood that once they hit 100 they then actively begin training and improving.

The general idea is to set up a way station so I can move on and reclaim Wake.

Anyway. I wanted to hit back at the Japanese Navy, so I sent --- from Pearl and Lahania -- a dedicated task force of light cruisers scouting ahead of an air combat group (Langley, two CAs and a pack of destroyers) and a battleship TF (Maryland, Colorado and West Virginia with some DDs). I also wanted to experiment with replenishment, so some AOs (probably too many, but so what?) were tailing the carrier.

Everything went well enough. The CLs and their floatplanes (appointed a commander with naval skill 68, but only 42 aggression) were forward of everyone else, and spotted multiple TFs around Wake (including one that had four BBs -- left before my main force arrived). As they spotted various groups, the carrier task force behind them would react, but the torpedo planes never located their targets. The carrier task force, when it arrived on the scene) was a hex behind. The crews got some experience -- my pilots are pushing 40 now.

But I was left wondering what I might have done wrong.

The BBs, by the way, did a super job. As the Japanese battlewagons had left, they were free to run amongst all the transports. They ended up sinking (over one night and a day), four APs and AKs, a tanker, a CL, two DDs and a couple of MSWs.
Another convoy of supply ships stumbled into my light cruisers, which dropped two more ships with their guns and torpedoes. Then we headed home.

[Terminus]

Disband the task force into port for repairs to commence. Any port with a repair yard can do it, most certainly including PH.

As for your torpedo planes, what was the weather like? What sort of range were you looking at? What sort of skill did the VT squadron boss have? And lastly, how lucky were you? [;)]

Remember that each hex is 60 miles; from the time your scouts found the enemy to the time your torpedo planes arrived, the bad guys can easily have moved quite a bit out of the way. And with low skill, low altitude and a bunch of other factors, stuff like this unfortunately happens. Sounds like you got your licks in anyway with the big guns...[;)]

[themattcurtis]

The weather was clear. I'm thinking it primarily had to do with the delay in reaching the target hex. The CLs were one hex ahead of the Langley. And the spotted ships were invariably one hex in front of the CLs -- which means up to 120 miles, right? By the time the bi-planes got there, it was over.

The elevation was the default set for naval attack. I know torpedo planes drop to 200 when attacking. I didn't check the skill of the squadron commander, although like I said, the crews themselves are gaining experience [:)]

And yeah, the BBs cleaned up on the poor transports and a couple of light warships. Everyone's arrival was actually well timed. The CLs were a day ahead of everyone else. The BBs were right on hand to protect the Langley if needed, and we had a rough idea of what was waiting for us. We're not pressing our luck now.

I'll disband the TFs in Pearl for repairs, but if I have an AR at anything (even Midway) can it affect minor repairs like the 1 or 2 system points?

[Terminus]

There's always a chance for the AR, but not a very big one...