Save the Australia Star! (or "Cooktown, we have a problem...")

[moose1999]

I've got the Australia Star (xAP) sitting lame in the water 3 hexes from Cooktown after a lucky torpedo shot.
She's carrying my priceless 1st US Amphib HQ.
She's got a speed of 0 and she didn't move this turn.
Her floatation damage is at 95.
I know she's done for, the poor girl, but I need to save the Amphib HQ.
I managed to get an ASW patrol of 4 SCs to her last turn and the xAP Neptuna will merge with the TF this coming night.

I don't know of any way to transfer troops between transports while at sea, and I know towing is not implemented.
So is there anything I can do other than pray...?
All my plans for the SW Pacific (including an imminent counter-invasion of Port Moresby) will suffer greatly if the Star takes my Amphib HQ with her to the bottom...

[oldman45]

When it sinks, you should be able to pick up somebody which just may allow you to reconstruct the HQ. I know a lot of maybes and shoulds.

[stuman]

ORIGINAL: oldman45

When it sinks, you should be able to pick up somebody which just may allow you to reconstruct the HQ. I know a lot of maybes and shoulds.

I have had something similar happen. I recovered a fair number of survivors since I had used several ships to spread out the load, and had several escort vessels. Do you have any more ships you can add to the TF asap ?

[DrewMatrix]

This advice is a little late for 1st Amphib but I always load units on at least two ships (except Air Groups for which this isn't possible) so a lucky shot doesn't take out the entire unit. That can be a little inefficient but the ship will either fill up with supplies which you may be able to use, or if going from one small port to another (where you dont' have a lot of supplies to load) it will speed loading, (I think)

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: briny_norman

I've got the Australia Star (xAP) sitting lame in the water 3 hexes from Cooktown after a lucky torpedo shot.
She's carrying my priceless 1st US Amphib HQ.
She's got a speed of 0 and she didn't move this turn.
Her floatation damage is at 95.
I know she's done for, the poor girl, but I need to save the Amphib HQ.
I managed to get an ASW patrol of 4 SCs to her last turn and the xAP Neptuna will merge with the TF this coming night.

I don't know of any way to transfer troops between transports while at sea, and I know towing is not implemented.
So is there anything I can do other than pray...?
All my plans for the SW Pacific (including an imminent counter-invasion of Port Moresby) will suffer greatly if the Star takes my Amphib HQ with her to the bottom...

I'd:

1. Switch her over to Escort TF function and send her to the nearest port-she should move SOME every turn. Auto disband in port may help upon arrival.
2. Merge a number of other escort vessels into her TF to pick up (pending) survivors of the sinking. I don't know if SCs will be sufficient. Do you have any DDs or CLs nearby?
3. Get the balance of the escort to port ASAP.

Honestly, I'm not sure what happens then or what the load parameters are on DDs picking up survivors, which they did IRL with aplomb.

Good luck!

[Mynok]

This game is quite good at teaching you what not to do the hard way. [:D]

[patrickl]

It is a no-no to have a single ship carry a unit. I have at least 5 ships of various speed.

[bilbow]

Other ships in the TF will pick up some squads from the water, but I think they go back to the pool not to creating a fragment of the lost unit. So I think the HQ is gone. I actually read the manual!

However many HQ units respawn. Check the reinforcement track a turn or 2 after the sinking. It might be there.

[jomni]

ORIGINAL: bilbow

Other ships in the TF will pick up some squads from the water, but I think they go back to the pool not to creating a fragment of the lost unit. So I think the HQ is gone. I actually read the manual!

However many HQ units respawn. Check the reinforcement track a turn or 2 after the sinking. It might be there.

When one of my transports sank the surviors were picked up by a destroyer in the same TF and still kept their unit designation.

[moose1999]

Thanks for all the good advice.
The Australia Star is now one hex closer to Cooktown in an Escort TF with a couple of cruisers and 6 DDs joining the party this night.
Floatition damage is still 95, so she's holding together.
Just two more hexes...

And I'll never go the 1-ship-1-unit road again. [:-]
Stupid, lazy mistake.
And there was another oversight.
I had loaded the Amph HQ into the xAP to merge it with an invasion TF, but set it to follow the invasion TF instead.
I thought the escorts of the big TF would protect her, but they obviously didn't, as the Japanese sub got to her - by attacking on the surface!
Well, you live to learn. And I just got smarter [:)].

[skrewball]

Keep us advised on what happens! You have a true "titanic-esk" story there! Lol

[jrcar]

If lost HQ units respawn after 30 days (don't ask how I know this...). But other units don't (except for Chinese).

Cheers

Rob

[zzodr]

She'll make it Cap'n!

[moose1999]

One more turn, one hex closer to Cooktown and one more to go.
The Australian Star is not giving up...!

But, alas, temporary floatation devices failed during the night and her floatation damage rose to 99.
Things are not looking good.
Still, only one more hex to go - she just might make it.

And she's got an impressive following now.
Apart from the contingent of crusiers and DDs, she now has the AP William Ward Burrows and the xAP President Filmore at her side, watching over her, as well as Neptune and 3 xAKs.
If she goes under, there should be a good chance of saving the Amph HQ.

But no talk of failure now - she's gonna make it.
She's got a difficult night ahead of her, that's for sure, but she'll pull through.
I'm sure of it.
Just one more hex...

[m10bob]

As a troop carrying ship sinks, you will see a message that "x survivors rescued."..From that nucleus, the unit can rebuild....

[John Lansford]

ORIGINAL: jomni

ORIGINAL: bilbow

Other ships in the TF will pick up some squads from the water, but I think they go back to the pool not to creating a fragment of the lost unit. So I think the HQ is gone. I actually read the manual!

However many HQ units respawn. Check the reinforcement track a turn or 2 after the sinking. It might be there.

I evacuated ABDA HQ out of Batavia on 3 xAK's, destined for Darwin. They were hit by a CV TF south of Tjilitjap and two were sunk, with the third badly damaged. I managed to get the damaged ship into Tjilitjap before it sank, and the ABDA remnant appeared at the base. I already had part of the HQ at Darwin from a previous TF, and when I sneaked an AK to Tjilitjap and evacuated the remnant they recombined just fine at Darwin.

When one of my transports sank the surviors were picked up by a destroyer in the same TF and still kept their unit designation.

[FOW]

ORIGINAL: briny_norman

All my plans for the SW Pacific (including an imminent counter-invasion of Port Moresby) will suffer greatly if the Star takes my Amphib HQ with her to the bottom...

Is that an Amphib CORPS HQ or a Amphib FORCE HQ ???

[pad152]

Always use 2 more ships to carry a LCU, this way if one is sunk you won't lose the whole LCU!

I only wish we could do this when transporting air groups!

[JohnDillworth]

Radio Cooktown to the Australian Star can you read me?...............
Australian Star?

Please respond, Australian Star?!
[:D][:D][:D]

[Schani]

I happened to be reading the manual last night. I came up to the section 8.4.3 I think around page 196. It addresses the picking up of survivors by using fast transport cabable ships.
I think your going to okay.