Question for the Naval Thread

[Q-Ball]

Unfortunately it's locked, so here it goes....

I understand that the new max movement rate for naval units per phase will be 9 hexes instead of 6 (to reflect a larger map). I am curious what those speeds will break down to in terms of KNOTS.

Right now, max speed is basically 30kts, with breaks at every 5 kts.

What will it be in AE?

Could change how we arrange TFs in AE, and value of certain ships.

[spence]

My guess would be 4 kts which would allow 36 kt ships to show their stuff, however unrealistically. Fuel consumption is geometric function rather than arithmetic function. Doubling speed can quadruple (or worse) fuel consumption. I know. One of my first tasks when I reported to Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command was to compile a report summarizing the costs of operating the various classes of Coast Guard Cutters (there were around 6 or 7 different classes at the time, all but two of them of WWII vintage) in the Atlantic Fleet at different "average" speeds. I can't really recall the specifics of that report of almost 30 years ago but I remember being impressed with the fact that fuel costs (consumption) for steaming at 15 kts were well over double the cost for steaming around at 10 kts (Note that the speed increase was only 50%, it was a lot worse for greater speed differentials).

Fleets in WitP routinely steam around at fantasy speeds. While a tactical burst of speed to 36 kts might well be within the tactical capabilities of a DD launching a torpedo attack in the midst of a surface action continuing to operate at that speed for 12-24 hours would suck its fuel tanks dry and quite possibly overstress the engineering plant leading to catastrophic breakdown. Quite a few of the ships that the IJN sent down "The Slot" to bombard Henderson Field ended up damaged or sunk the next day by aircraft that sortied from that self-same target of the night before.

[tocaff]

A ships listed max speed assumes a sea state where the water is calm and resembles a sheet of glass.  Highly unlikely to ever have these conditions on the ocean, maybe a lake.

[AirGriff]

Here's another question for the naval folks, and I apologize if it's already been addressed--please reference a link if it has. I was wondering if the PT issue was being worked. My issues, and I'm sure there are others, are the following:

1. PT's should really only be effective against barges and trasnports--only marginally so against larger warships
2. Torpedoes should not be effective against barges or PT's because they are shallow draft ships.
3. It would be nice to see an Japanese armed AG--which would mount light cannon and hvy mg's to fend off PT's.

[Dili]

I think they should get rid of that piece of hardcode(another one!) fixed max speed. Some tiny scenarios might be nice to make at half scale.

2. Torpedoes should not be effective against barges or PT's because they are shallow draft ships.

There are examples of barges and PT hit by torpedos.

[AirGriff]

Well, I have to admit my source is "The Mosquito Fleet", which I read some years ago and unfortunately no longer have the copy, so I can't reference it per say. I'm pretty sure I correctly recall the book repeatedly saying that the PT's didn't use torpedoes on barges because of the shallow draft and small target. If you have examples, I'm all ears.