Midget subs

[Chris21wen]

How do you get midget sub to do anything other than sink for no apparent reason? How do you get them to go back to the sub carrier?

[CV 2]

They have a very limited range. You get them back on the carrier by having them both in the same hex and forming a midget sub carrier mission. 1 carrier sub (and there are only 5 that can be used for this) and 1 mini-sub.

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: CV 2

They have a very limited range. You get them back on the carrier by having them both in the same hex and forming a midget sub carrier mission. 1 carrier sub (and there are only 5 that can be used for this) and 1 mini-sub.

I can load them not problem, I can send both to a destination hex and I can create a midge sub TF. Problem is that often beore release they are damaged or sunk. If I release the midget sub one hex from the destination when it returns it heads towards home port. Releasing in the target puts the carrier in danger when it need not. On return it heads towards home port.

[Puhis]

You are not suppose to get midgets back. Only very, very rarely they might get back to mother, if they try to penetrate harbor.

Basically midgets do only one way trips. Use them or not, but don't expect to get them back.

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: Puhis

You are not suppose to get midgets back. Only very, very rarely they might get back to mother, if they try to penetrate harbor.

Basically midgets do only one way trips. Use them or not, but don't expect to get them back.

I know they are fragile beast and wasn't expecting many to get back, it just seemed I was doing wrong but it appears not. Why do some get damage while still with the carrier?

[Puhis]

ORIGINAL: Chris H


Why do some get damage while still with the carrier?

I've never noticed anything like that. Does that happen often? Maybe there's enemy patrol plane attacking your subs?

[Q-Ball]

I think the game successfully models the value of midgets. Which is to say, in the game they are pretty useless and a waste of time

One thing I haven't tried much is point defense; parking a couple at a base, and seeing if they take a shot if an Allied TF invades. Won't make a decisive difference, but might sink something....

[Captain Cruft]

The standalone midgets can be quite useful. They're not all the same, some are pretty much small regular subs with a reasonable range and speed.

In my Downfall game I am fairly sure that I took out a CV with them.

[Mundy]

Treespider has hit me twice with them at Noumea against my disbanded ships.  York spent a month in the yards because of it, and I have to keep standing patrols in hex now.  I think the second hit was one of the Atlantas.
 
Ed

[G.Boggon]

I have had some good results, as you can see only one kill was from harbour penetration. I think we may have hit some more in that sort of attack without sinking them. Mostly we drop the midget of at one hex range then move them in under their own power leave them until they use their torpedoes then pick them up if they are still afloat.

[FatR]

I vaguely remember that you need just return a surviving midget to the same hex as the carrier submarine, and then it can be docked back. But I find port attacks mostly a waste of time. With just 5 carrier subs you cannot deploy enough midgets to cause significant damage, even if you catch the opponent by surprise. 2 torps are not enough to reliably hit, and they are often lost to mines/obstructions when penetrating harbors. Better to use them against invasions. Although that doesn't work well too. But at least you might get some actual sinkings, particularly if a landing force is thrown into disarray. I think I got 4 hits (1 DD, 3 transports) with midgets in my longest-running game for about 8 of them lost.

[Fallschirmjager]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

I think the game successfully models the value of midgets. Which is to say, in the game they are pretty useless and a waste of time

One thing I haven't tried much is point defense; parking a couple at a base, and seeing if they take a shot if an Allied TF invades. Won't make a decisive difference, but might sink something....

I have had quite a bit of success with these in the Downfall scenario using a combination of I-Boat launched midget subs, stand alone midget subs and those very basic short ranged subs that Japan gets towards the end of the war.
Once the Allied invade I sent 20-30 at a time into the invasion hex and get a few hits. I also get a lot of aborted attacks and sunk subs but at that stage of the war every sacrifice must be made [;)]

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: Puhis

ORIGINAL: Chris H


Why do some get damage while still with the carrier?

I've never noticed anything like that. Does that happen often? Maybe there's enemy patrol plane attacking your subs?

Yes. I'm in May 42 and it has happened 3 or 4 times. One actually sank.