empty CVE Hosho

[dethbass]

I'm playing scen 15 as JP. It is Jan 31th 1942 and I just realized that CVE Hosho is sitting empty in Osaka. I never used it directly since the beginning (it was on auto-convoy escort before). Is this normal? Where are the planes that go on it? Are they coming just later as reinforcements? Or do I have to put Carrier-Capable units on it?

Thx,
/Bass

[ChezDaJez]

Hosho does not have an intrinsic airgroup. The best use for her is as a high-value convoy escort. Load some carrier-capable fighters (A6M2s perferably) and included her with a convoy that may be subjected to air attack.

You could also load a small Kate and small Zero unit (Chutais) and use her to raid convoys that may be transitting between Australia and India. I would not use her to raid US-Australia convoys... too many allied air bases around. Just be careful, her speed will not allow her to run from trouble.

Chez

[Terminus]

Erm, in stock WitP, Hosho is born with 6 Claudes and 5 Kates. I'm not sure what happened here...

[ChezDaJez]

Oops, you're right Termy.

I must have been thinking of another CVE.

Chez

[Terminus]

Yeah, every other IJN CVE. Hosho is the only one with an integral air group.

[Q-Ball]

She can make 25 kts, which is the same speed as Junyo/Hiyo. No reason not to pair them together, and add those A/C to the mix, because she won't slow the group down.

[wdolson]

In the real world, the hosho was stripped of her airgroup after Midway and turned into a training carrier.  This is a major reason she survived the war.  The game may disolve Hosho's airgroup at some point.  I'm not sure.  I know the game resizes carrier airgroups at various points in the game.

Bill

[Yakface]

I know Allied airgroups gt resized.  Does the same happen to any of the Japanese carrier air groups ?  If so, any idea of when

[ChezDaJez]

At least some of the IJN CV airgroups resize. I don't remember exactly when but I think it is during the 1943 upgrades.

Chez

[dethbass]

Oops my bad! I checked again and it's not the Hosho that's empty (it's as Terminus says above, Claudes & Kates), but the Taiyo. Anyways, I still have the same question as above.

Thx,
/Bass

[Iridium]

ORIGINAL: dethbass

Oops my bad! I checked again and it's not the Hosho that's empty (it's as Terminus says above, Claudes & Kates), but the Taiyo. Anyways, I still have the same question as above.

Thx,
/Bass

Nothing comes with it and neither will a Taiyo specific air group be made for it. You will have to decide what carrier capable units to place on it, from which you have available.

[tsimmonds]

None of the IJN CVEs comes with a/c. You will just have to scrounge something up the best you can.

On the plus side, it makes the air group extremely flexible! You can swap types in and out at will and as needed.

Just don't expect to use any of them in the front line; they will die.

[Dili]

I use them historical. Transporting units(fighters) to forward bases and back those that need to rest. Also sometimes put a Val or Kate Datai in ASW to escort high value convoys.

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: irrelevant

None of the IJN CVEs comes with a/c. You will just have to scrounge something up the best you can.

On the plus side, it makes the air group extremely flexible! You can swap types in and out at will and as needed.

Just don't expect to use any of them in the front line; they will die.

Yup. Your best bet is probably to emulate what the Japs did with them in real life: as aircraft ferries and convoy ASW escorts.

[ChezDaJez]

None of the IJN CVEs comes with a/c

Except Hosho as Terminus pointed out.

Chez

[tsimmonds]

ORIGINAL: ChezDaJez

None of the IJN CVEs comes with a/c

Except Hosho as Terminus pointed out.

Chez

Right, and she's a CVL [;)]

[ChezDaJez]

Right, and she's a CVL

IRL but not in WitP so we're both right! [:'(]

Chez

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Yakface

I know Allied airgroups gt resized.  Does the same happen to any of the Japanese carrier air groups ?  If so, any idea of when

The Japanese decided that the kate was too vulnerable to AA fire and upped the numbers of vals and reduced the number of kates on some of their fleet carriers.

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: Yakface

I know Allied airgroups gt resized. Does the same happen to any of the Japanese carrier air groups ? If so, any idea of when

It supposedly changes on 7/1/42.

[bigjoe96912]

I like to put some of the usless 9 plane A6M Zero groups onboard never know when you can use the extra air cover in an invasion convoy