"raiders tf" with japanese CV

[jeanbart_MF]

bonjour messieurs !
I'm playing a PBEM as allies for a long time now (patch 1.801, vanilla map, november 42).
I have lost 2 cv up to now, my opponent no.
I managed to contain his expansion exept for port moresby wich is japanese now. I don't want to risk one of my last 4 us cv in a battle.
My problem is that the allied player only uses the KB for raids (3CV or CVE at a time) deeply in the pacific from canton island on my logistic line from SF to Noumea/auckland (he is also holding pagopago).
My lost are not very important at this time but he is forcing me to delay some of my convoys or at least to use very very long ways.
Have anybody ever faced such a tactic, is there any solution ?. I'm using single AK in patrol/do not retire in order to warn me each time, but I have no catalina able to follow his tf once it have crossed this first curtain. So I'm completly blind the days after until the cv tf "gets back" acroos this curtain...[:(]

[KDonovan]

i say take them out......with your 4 CV's against his 3 Jap CV's...its a fair match-up in late 1942.

[jeanbart_MF]

thank you Kdonovan but IMO the US CV have no long range "naval search plane". And in the middle of nowhere (too far away from any island with catalyna) I'lll be blind and may be engaged without even seeing the ennemy task force...right ?[&:]

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: jeanbart

thank you Kdonovan but IMO the US CV have no long range "naval search plane". And in the middle of nowhere (too far away from any island with catalyna) I'lll be blind and may be engaged without even seeing the ennemy task force...right ?[&:]

Not necessarily, if you offer up a nice juicy target for transports you can have a good idea where he will be.

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: jeanbart

thank you Kdonovan but IMO the US CV have no long range "naval search plane". And in the middle of nowhere (too far away from any island with catalyna) I'lll be blind and may be engaged without even seeing the ennemy task force...right ?[&:]

You´ve got enough float planes on your BBs, CAs, CLs.... why shouldn´t you spot him??? Make up a lot escorts and if he spots you, you will spot him also...

[saj42]

ORIGINAL: jeanbart

thank you Kdonovan but IMO the US CV have no long range "naval search plane". And in the middle of nowhere (too far away from any island with catalyna) I'lll be blind and may be engaged without even seeing the ennemy task force...right ?[&:]

I upgrade some of my CA airgroups to the Kingfisher - with them set to 6 hex range naval search 100% you will spot him also. Sail a couple of hexes to the East of a small cargo TF (used as bait). Don't forget to have the US CVs in TFs of no more than 2x CV each. Also position some subs near in between the islands where your PBY are to catch the IJN cripples when they try to get home.

[jeanbart_MF]

thank you for the kingfisher ! [&o]
after 3years playing UV/WITP I still learn something everyday !
I will create 2 tf with 2cv each and look at the upgrade of my CA airgroups.

[KPAX]

ORIGINAL: jeanbart

thank you for the kingfisher ! [&o]
after 3years playing UV/WITP I still learn something everyday !
I will create 2 tf with 2cv each and look at the upgrade of my CA airgroups.

i would upgrade ALL the float planes to the Kingfish. I would beat that you have a large pool of the Kings, and the extra range can really help. They are probably there so may as well use the pool of Kings for upgrades.

[saj42]

ORIGINAL: KPAX

ORIGINAL: jeanbart

thank you for the kingfisher ! [&o]
after 3years playing UV/WITP I still learn something everyday !
I will create 2 tf with 2cv each and look at the upgrade of my CA airgroups.

i would upgrade ALL the float planes to the Kingfish. I would beat that you have a large pool of the Kings, and the extra range can really help. They are probably there so may as well use the pool of Kings for upgrades.

I don't upgrade the floatplanes on the Omaha class CLs, not enough space IMO.

[KPAX]

ORIGINAL: Tallyho!

ORIGINAL: KPAX

ORIGINAL: jeanbart

thank you for the kingfisher ! [&o]
after 3years playing UV/WITP I still learn something everyday !
I will create 2 tf with 2cv each and look at the upgrade of my CA airgroups.

i would upgrade ALL the float planes to the Kingfish. I would beat that you have a large pool of the Kings, and the extra range can really help. They are probably there so may as well use the pool of Kings for upgrades.

I don't upgrade the floatplanes on the Omaha class CLs, not enough space IMO.

What do you mean by this ? The same number of Seagulls convert to Kingsfish when I checked ?

[bradfordkay]

He means that on the real Omaha class CLs, there was not enough room for a plane as large as the Kingfisher. Because of this, he doesn't upgrade their aircraft to the Kingfishers. I do the same.

[saj42]

Thats what I meant [;)]

[dwwindsor]

Were the Omaha class the only ones that could not accommodate the Kingfishers?

[saj42]

To be honest I don't know.
I try to keep my games realistic. I have no problems putting Kingfishers on the Brooklyn and Cleveland classes (appears to me there's room on the stern). However the pre WWII CA classes with catalpults amidships could have a size issue. At the end of the day it's down to the player.

[spence]

I'm playing CHS with PDU OFF. After I read these last few posts I decided to check whether CAs (prewar) could carry Kingfishers...the answer appears to be NO. I figure that's likely for historical space limitations on those ships. In CHS anyways the Kingfisher only has an extended range of 5... not 6 as is mentioned above.

[Barb]

Another thing to "spot" japs in those huge wastes of ocean is to detach some ships (idealy the most useless DDs) to range of 6 hexes away in number of 4-8 ships around your carrier fleet (similar things were Radar patrols helded by ships (DDs) in some range of landing or convoy, giving an early warning.)
1. They will be spotted by his patrol planes first, so you will know his carriers are in that direction
2. In the second turn when carrier battle is there they may catch one of his strikes so protecting your carriers.
3. If there is no carrier battle that day, his carriers will sent two full air strikes against those destroyers lowering his aviable aircraft Ops points.

[jeanbart_MF]

bonjour messieurs !
news from the frontline:
cv fight in the pacific: I've lost the lady lex, the akagi have been hit by one bomb (dauntless). The pilots losses are heavy on both sides.

The kinfisher have indeed a 5 hex range.

[Wolfie1]

ORIGINAL: Barb

Another thing to "spot" japs in those huge wastes of ocean is to detach some ships (idealy the most useless DDs) to range of 6 hexes away in number of 4-8 ships around your carrier fleet (similar things were Radar patrols helded by ships (DDs) in some range of landing or convoy, giving an early warning.)
1. They will be spotted by his patrol planes first, so you will know his carriers are in that direction
2. In the second turn when carrier battle is there they may catch one of his strikes so protecting your carriers.
3. If there is no carrier battle that day, his carriers will sent two full air strikes against those destroyers lowering his aviable aircraft Ops points.

I'm sure the Flush Decker crews love you[;)]

[Barb]

Im wrtiting an AAR about a flushdecker actually

[bradfordkay]

IMO, in the early going the allies do not have enough escorts to waste any by using them as sacrificial pickets.