Harbor Defense Motor Launches

[GaryChildress]

They're in the game, but are they good for absolutely anything at all other than to give the player just one more thing to issue useless orders to? Has anyone found a respectable use for harbor defense motor launches?

[LoBaron]

Yes, as torpedo nets with limited mobility, mainly... [;)]

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: LoBaron

Yes, as torpedo nets with limited mobility, mainly... [;)]

What do you mean "torpedo net"? Does the presence of motor launches help stifle torpedo attacks in harbors?

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

ORIGINAL: LoBaron

Yes, as torpedo nets with limited mobility, mainly... [;)]

What do you mean "torpedo net"? Does the presence of motor launches help stifle torpedo attacks in harbors?

probably he meant they ACT like a torpedo net, each of them sucking up ONE torp...

[EUBanana]

They can soak up ops points when surface forces come knocking. And they can waste submarine time.

They aren't all that useful.

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: castor troy

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

ORIGINAL: LoBaron

Yes, as torpedo nets with limited mobility, mainly... [;)]

What do you mean "torpedo net"? Does the presence of motor launches help stifle torpedo attacks in harbors?

probably he meant they ACT like a torpedo net, each of them sucking up ONE torp...

That doesn't sound like a particularly useful purpose for a unit. I know torpedoes are limited in game now but simply stacking motor launches in a harbor to suck up torpedo attacks sounds a bit gamey. If they serve no other purpose then it might be just as well to take them out of the game.

[HansBolter]

They can also lure Bettys into CAP traps.

[crsutton]

Mostly useless. You will start to get MGBs later on.

[vettim89]

They are Harbor Defense Motorl Launches (HDML). So I use them for, ah, Harbor Defense. They have limited range so they really are not of great utility for anything other than their intended purpose. The RN HDML do upgrade to fairly decent ASW values; so, they can be used to try to keep I-Boats out of the Indian ports. That said they cannot be formed into ASW TF so you have to hope they get lucky. My HDML in the DEI did a nice job of drawing Netties to them which if at long range (i.e., beyond escorting fighter range), can lead to some kills. They actually are better than the USN YPs which have ASW values of 2 so offer little resistance to subs trying to infiltrate harbors. Have to wonder if they might make decent barge busters though it is unlikely they would be found anywhere near forward areas

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: vettim89

They are Harbor Defense Motorl Launches (HDML). So I use them for, ah, Harbor Defense. They have limited range so they really are not of great utility for anything other than their intended purpose. The RN HDML do upgrade to fairly decent ASW values; so, they can be used to try to keep I-Boats out of the Indian ports. That said they cannot be formed into ASW TF so you have to hope they get lucky. My HDML in the DEI did a nice job of drawing Netties to them which if at long range (i.e., beyond escorting fighter range), can lead to some kills. They actually are better than the USN YPs which have ASW values of 2 so offer little resistance to subs trying to infiltrate harbors. Have to wonder if they might make decent barge busters though it is unlikely they would be found anywhere near forward areas

But what can they defend against? All they usually have are a couple machine guns. That's not going to deter anything. Many merchies are probably better armed. What's the point of HDMLs if they can't even deter a merchie? As far as luring any bombers into CAP ambushes, isn't that sort of gamey as well? IRL an enemy wouldn't scramble bombers to attack some motor launches in an enemy harbor.

[Don Bowen]

HDML have depth charges and can protect a harbor against subs (especially midget subs). They can also engage enemy surface forces - not stopping them but causing them to divert from their main mision long enough to engage them. Depending on ammo, ops, and enemy commander ratings they may even deflect a bombardment or invasion.

If you don't like them, put them into ASW TFs at your harbors and forget them.

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen


HDML have depth charges and can protect a harbor against subs (especially midget subs). They can also engage enemy surface forces - not stopping them but causing them to divert from their main mision long enough to engage them. Depending on ammo, ops, and enemy commander ratings they may even deflect a bombardment or invasion.

If you don't like them, put them into ASW TFs at your harbors and forget them.

I'm looking in the Scenario editor and I don't see any depth charges for most of them. Here's one that only carries a single machine gun. If a harbor motor launch with a single machine gun can deflect a bombardment or invasion then there is something seriously wrong with the game mechanics I would think. While I commend AE on its enormous detail I think adding HDMLs is going a bit to the extreme. No?

[Don Bowen]

British and Commonwealth HDML plus about half of the Dutch have DCs. Rest can still be used as pickets.

If you really don't like them, you should avoid Da Babes.

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen


HDML have depth charges and can protect a harbor against subs (especially midget subs). They can also engage enemy surface forces - not stopping them but causing them to divert from their main mision long enough to engage them. Depending on ammo, ops, and enemy commander ratings they may even deflect a bombardment or invasion.

If you don't like them, put them into ASW TFs at your harbors and forget them.

DOn,

I don't believe you can place them in ASW TF; only Surface COmbat. I will verify tonight

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen

British and Commonwealth HDML plus about half of the Dutch have DCs. Rest can still be used as pickets.

If you really don't like them, you should avoid Da Babes.

It's not that I don't like them. I think it is positively neat to have all those vesels incorporated into the game. However, from a more practical standpoint it just adds a lot of mouse clicks which could probably be better abstracted in the form of random coast watcher sightings or die rolls to determine whether a particular invasion fleet loses a landing craft or two to a harbor motor launch.

I wonder if the game wouldn't be equally realistic to exclude anything below PC size, including MTBs, barges, etc?

Of course I guess if it really bothers me then I should just create a mod without them.

[nate25]

EXCLUDE ship types? Banish the thought! [:)]

If three natives were running supplies b/t Lunga and Tassaforonga in an outrigger, I'd like that craft modeled in the game. Just my obsessive side I guess.

Thanks,
Nate

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: nate25

EXCLUDE ship types? Banish the thought! [:)]

If three natives were running supplies b/t Lunga and Tassaforonga in an outrigger, I'd like that craft modeled in the game. Just my obsessive side I guess.

Thanks,
Nate

A man after my own heart.

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: nate25

EXCLUDE ship types? Banish the thought! [:)]

If three natives were running supplies b/t Lunga and Tassaforonga in an outrigger, I'd like that craft modeled in the game. Just my obsessive side I guess.

Thanks,
Nate

kudos to you but I can definitely live without having to issue orders to native outriggers.

[nate25]

Is this a "Babes" craft?

Thanks,
Nate

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: nate25

Is this a "Babes" craft?

Thanks,
Nate

Nope, it's from my personal extension to Babes - Zygotes.

The ship, by the way, is Southern Cross. A mission supply ship operating out of Darwin and supplying various stations and a leaper colony. Used during the war for supply runs and the attempted troop landing on Dobo (was HMAS Southern Cross at the time, I believe).