Dock or sail?

[Grotius]

What do you do when, say, a transport is badly damaged just as it finishes unloading at a beach hex? Do you dock it at the level 0 or level 1 port in that hex, or do you try to sail back to a level 3+ port that may be 8-10 hexes away? Playing as the IJN, I just lost two transports who had finished unloading at Woodlark and were getting ready to return to Shortland. An enemy LBA attack left them with 60 FLT and 30 Fire damage. I tried sailing 'em back, and they sank halfway home. Would I have been better advised to dock 'em at the beach, in the hope that they put out the fires so that the FLT damage doesn't worsen, and then to sail them back later?

Also, a bonus question: when operating aircraft from an AV, does it matter whether the AV is in port or in a TF? It seems easier to access the planes if the AV is formed up in a TF. If in a port, you have to go to the AV's ship-view screen and dig through the planes that way. If in a TF, you can just click "next air group".

[Knavey]

Were you expect the LBA to return the next day? If it did, those APs would probably have been sunk anyway. Since they were done unloading, they at least had a chance (albeit a small one) of making it to a safer haven.

[Grotius]

That's what I figured. The only LBA threat was from PM, since I hold Gili and Buna, and Woodlark is about at the edge of the effective range of his bombers at PM. So I figured, try to run.

If there were no LBA threat, am I better off docking? Does that at least reduce fires more quickly? (I know it doesn't help FLT directly unless it's a size 3 port or greater.)

[Drex]

You did the right thing. a level 0-2 wouldn't have helped you at all. Maybe with the fires but the flotation damage would have increased and even if you had reached port the dmage would have continued. I've had many ships sink in port after I've disbanded them and these have been level 6-9.

[Raverdave]

Yup, I would've sailed as well.....leaving them where they were would have been just for target practice......don't forget the option that you have.....scuttling. It still costs you points but not as much, I only tend to do this for ships that will not be able to make it back and are still in range of enemy units. It's a tough call, I had the Lex with 98% floatation damage and she has still made it to port and lived !

[Drex]

I scuttle when speed is down to zero. As long as they can get up steam they have a chance to make it back.

[Toro]

Originally posted by Drex
I scuttle when speed is down to zero. As long as they can get up steam they have a chance to make it back.

Drex, you do? I only scuttle in two instances:

1. the ship won't make it to port before fire/flooding take it under.

2. the ship won't make it to Noumea/Truk before the enemy finds it. If it can make 1 hex per turn (ie, zero speed), I try to save the VPs.

[Drex]

i have to qualify that: when speed has been down to zero the sys damage and fire level has been very high and there 's no large port nearby. Also the ship has been an AP. I never scuttle combat ships figuring they will go down fighting in the tradition of Houston.

[Yamamoto]

Scuttling also saves the leader. There's nothing worse than losing a high rated leader when you lose a ship.

Yamamoto

[Drex]

Absolutely, although on APs I try to use low-rated captains.