Best use for US fast battleships?

[XPav]

What's the verdict?

[Ron Saueracker]

Well. They are the closest thing in target selection value to CVs, are fast enough to keep pace with them, and have a wicked AA value. CA's are fine for fast bombardment, and old battlewagons are fine for invasion bombardment. Fast BBs are OK for surface combat if going against IJN BBs, but that's it. Too valueable to risk vs IJN light forces at night and at close range.

[Drex]

Didn't fast BBs run with the carriers for AA protection? the old BBs were for bombardment as was just said.

[Echo]

In my experience, target practice for Japanese torpedo bombers.

[HMSWarspite]

Originally posted by Echo
In my experience, target practice for Japanese torpedo bombers.

So put them with something you would rather not get torpedoed...!:D

[Fred98]

My understanding is that they were used as escorts for the carrier TF. With the expectation that there would be a surface battle.

But historicaly it didn't happen. And it won'y happen inn this game.

So I reckon they are best used for shore bombardment and for escorting transports. An enemy surface fleet might appear in the same destunation hex ergo a surface batttle.

[bradfordkay]

In my latest game (Turning Tide) the North Carolina performed yeoman's service as the anchor of a surface combat TF that fought off many Japanese bombardment attempts at Lunga. Her last fight was just two days before the Washington and South Dakota arrived at Noumea. At that time she was credited with sinking 1 Kongo class BB/BC, 1 CA, and 4 DDs, but I know that she at least crippled two more Kongo class BCs during her service in theatre. The last fight she had five 16" hits on one of the Kongos, but received four 14" shells and one Long Lance. This finally put her over 70% systems damage, but during the crucial months of August and September '42 she never had as much as 10% system damage.

I like using the CLAAs for CV TFs, but put Willis Lee in a TF with one of the modern US BBs, and you have a potent force. Yeah, I know, next time he's going to run into the Yamato and have his head served on a plate.....

[Jupo]

I'll try to keep atleast one BB in CV task force... I more likely loose 1 BB than 1 CV.

[RevRick]

You should have included an "all of the above!"

When the IJA and IJN build up Shortland, that is the perfect spot to use the Fast BB's in a reverse Tokyo Express - the San Francisco Limited - I ran NC and SD up there from the Russells a couple of times and caught them flatfooted - blew three CA's out of the water and put about 44 runway and 26 Air Service hits on the air base. Did it a third time and suddenly there was no IJN or IJA air at Shortland and not enough at Buin to do any good - made the campaign for the middle Solomons really viable. Besides, it was a nice payback for all the grief that the Kongo class had given me. Oh, NC also beat Kongo and Hiei bad enough to put them in the body and fender shop for a while - they disappeared for a long time. She took some damage herself, but the heavies with her absorbed some of what would have been her damage - lost three CA's to two Kongos, three CA's in addition to three Aoba's and a whole herd of DD's. My only complaint is that the Kongo 14's seem to be entirely too effective against better and thicker USN armorplate.