Should large calibre shells be Limited?

[stubby331]

In other threads I have seen discussion regarding base size and the need to limit supplies available to the smaller bases. I would like to throw in my two cents worth.

Torpedoes have been mentioned, also other parts.

What I propose is that any base size 4 or under not be able to provide any Naval gun ammunition larger than 5 inch.

Let me explain my reasoning.

At the moment a capital ship (fresh from a fight and low on ammo) can pull into any small dinky little port in the middle of nowhere and be able to receive a total resupply of all calibre of shell.
In real life large calibre capital ship main gun shells did not grow on trees. Yes, supply vessels could and did resupply these needs. But when a capital ship pulls into a small port immediately after a fight, would the re-supply ship be waiting there for it EVERY time?

Or IS the assumption in UV that emergency caches of large calibre shells for every large gun type have been deposited at EVERY base in the theatre of operations JUST IN CASE.

Let me give you an example of real life;

Immediately after the Battle of the Java Sea, the USS Houston and the HMAS Perth docked at Palambamg short on both fuel and ammo. Fuel was OK. However, NO Ammo for the main guns was to be found. The largest calibre available being 4 inch shells which the Perth was able to use for her secondary guns.

As we now both ships then made for Fremantle but came across a Jap invasion fleet in the Sunda straits, with the remaining main gun ammo quickly expended, the ships were reduced to firing their remaining active secondary guns and STAR shell from their main guns.

With Large calibre guns having such a big impact in the game I believe this simple addition to the UV program would have a significant, (and more realistic) impact on the way large ships are handled.

Your thoughts?

[Ron Saueracker]

Excellent point. There are ammunition ships in WITP so I believe this will be addressed.

[wie201]

I agree as well. As it is now, one can bombard a base with BBs until they run out of ammo (completely shutting down the airfield), and return either the next day or two days later with a full complement of ammo to keep the airfield shut down. I have had an airfield take over 800+ hits of large caliber ammo within less than a week. Ouch!

[Sam-I-am]

Yes, but will it play havoc with the AI?

[Mr.Frag]

Originally posted by wie201
I agree as well. As it is now, one can bombard a base with BBs until they run out of ammo (completely shutting down the airfield), and return either the next day or two days later with a full complement of ammo to keep the airfield shut down. I have had an airfield take over 800+ hits of large caliber ammo within less than a week. Ouch!

Not sure I agree with your reasoning. You can sink the BB with aircraft getting lots of VP if it sticks around day after day to beat on you. If you can't cream bombarding BB's, I'd say you probably overextended yourself by taking a forward base that you can not properly support with air cover and supplies. It takes a fair number of BB's over a fair number of turns to completely shut down a base, and while they are shutting down that base, your other bases are free to inflict pain on the BB's ...

The SYS damage routine gets called everytime a ship enters a new hex. CV's can sit put forever as long as you run TK/AO convoys to them to keep them resupplied while taking no SYS damage from movement. Proper use (gluing them to a separate ship that will never move) results in a portable base for bombers that has an unlimited supply.

The BB's last for 1-3 rounds of Bombardment (9 rounds of ammo) then run home for more ammo, building up SYS damage because they are moving back and forth. They are a finite resource that can only be used for a short burst of activity. For survival purposes, the BB's generally run in retire mode which means full speed burst to get there and full speed burst to run away after 1 round of bombardment unless they have a CV glued to them for cover. The wear and tear rate when running full speed is insane at times, with one trip costing almost 10! SYS damage.

If anything, CV's need to be capped as to ammo for their planes, they are far more damaging and over used without this return to base for ammo requirement.

[Yamamoto]

I don't want to see any such limits in UV. A large caliber shell already takes more supply than a small one. If you have enough supply then you have that caliber shell. It's that simple. Supply is supposed to be an ABSTRACT concept in UV.

Yamamoto