I am playing Sc 17 as the Japanese.
I am trying to run transports from one place to another. I am using zeros based on carriers to provide CAP.
I have 4 squadrons of zeros. One is used to provide CAP over the carriers and the other 3 to provide CAP over transport missions. I learnt to have no more than 3 transport missions running at a time.
My enemy attacks transports with B17s and Mitchells.
If my enemy can put up 6 bombers and I can intercept with 18 zeros, usually I lose 3 zeros and one transport and I cannot destroy his bombers. At this rate most ships will be sunk by 30th June 1942.
How can I protect transports from air attack?
How to protect a TF from air attack?
Moderators: Joel Billings, Tankerace, siRkid
Park your CV on Follow mode in the same hex as the transports and run 90% escort. (works better then LRCAP).
Add whatever LRCAP you can from local airbases, but make sure you LRCAP the transport TF, not the CV TF (so you don't get the penalty imposed).
Big convoys of small ships are more effective as they clear the target zone quicker.
The other option is obvious, reduce the base to rubble. The big bombers don't fly well from 100% damaged airfields.
Don't forget about your barges as Japan. They are pure gold!
Add whatever LRCAP you can from local airbases, but make sure you LRCAP the transport TF, not the CV TF (so you don't get the penalty imposed).
Big convoys of small ships are more effective as they clear the target zone quicker.
The other option is obvious, reduce the base to rubble. The big bombers don't fly well from 100% damaged airfields.
Don't forget about your barges as Japan. They are pure gold!
Zeros are lousy for CAP and Allies' bombers are hard to kill. The best way is having lots of Zeros. But, it's impossible if you're playing scenario 17 as IJN. You just don't have enough ponies.
Just keep your pilots less tired and well trained. BTW, I don't think using CV based Zeros for CAPing transports is a good idea. What if your CVs attacked? You'll need them for protecting your CVs. Besides, CV based Zeros are short-ranged. They are not well-suited for LRCAP.
Just keep your pilots less tired and well trained. BTW, I don't think using CV based Zeros for CAPing transports is a good idea. What if your CVs attacked? You'll need them for protecting your CVs. Besides, CV based Zeros are short-ranged. They are not well-suited for LRCAP.
"War is a series of catastrophes that results in a victory."
Georges Clemenceau
Georges Clemenceau
What target zone? I want to send troops and supplies to a base.
I think he means the range of enemy bombers.
Use bombardment task force“The other option is obvious, reduce the base to rubble. “ Unfortunately it’s out of range of my bombers
"War is a series of catastrophes that results in a victory."
Georges Clemenceau
Georges Clemenceau
BTW, I don't think using CV based Zeros for CAPing transports is a good idea. What if your CVs attacked? You'll need them for protecting your CVs. Besides, CV based Zeros are short-ranged. They are not well-suited for LRCAP.
Thats why you put the CV in the same hex on follow TF orders, CAP at 0 range is about as effective as it will ever be. LRCAP is pretty useless at dealing with big bombers.
Since the CV's are in the same hex as the transports, moving together as one group of ships, they provide great cover for the transports, coupled with the bombers generally going for the CVs instead of the transports. The combination of large! (required) numbers of CAP and lots of AA from your CF task force will make those "take forever to repair" heavy bombers go away for quite some time ... Then your transports are freed up to go about their business of transporting goods.
The plan here is that it is much easier to protect one really large group of ships then a collection of smaller ones in different locations. Sneaking around just means you get picked off. You will be spotted, it's just a matter of time. The plus to this is land based bombers tend to not fly out to long ranges to attack CAP protected targets without escorts. The ratio of escorts to cap that will make them fly happy is 1 escort per 2 cap ... get enough cap up, and they are afraid to visit you. I remember someone posting that the magic range number was about 10 hexes where this strong modifier kicked in...
Careful about enemy surface forces too!
I caught an IJN opponent protecting APs with a CV force with 2 USN surface TFs.
A good opponent will figure out where you are going and have a welcoming committee in the form of surface TFs. And if he suprises you, it can be bad.
And don't think by having one surface TF in the same hex it will protect your carriers either.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/14/42
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
CA Tone, Shell hits 4, on fire
CA Chikuma
CA Maya, Shell hits 1
CA Chokai, Shell hits 13
CL Naka, Shell hits 1
CL Nagara, Shell hits 3
CL Tenryu, Shell hits 3
DD Urakaze
DD Arashi, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Kikuzuki, Shell hits 3, on fire
Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 1
CA Louisville, Shell hits 3
CL Phoenix, Shell hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Shell hits 2
DD Meredith, Shell hits 1
DD Ralph Talbot, Shell hits 1
DD Henley
DD Patterson, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Porter, Shell hits 4, heavy damage
DD Selfridge, Shell hits 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
CL Kuma, Shell hits 16, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yayoi, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Uzuki, Shell hits 11, on fire, heavy damage
DD Minazuki, Shell hits 28, and is sunk
DD Namikaze
APD 35
AP Hokko Maru
AP Kaiko Maru
AP Kamoi Maru
AP Katsuragisan Maru
Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 1
CA Louisville, Shell hits 4
CL Phoenix, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Shell hits 3
DD Meredith, Shell hits 1
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Henley
DD Patterson, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
DD Porter, on fire, heavy damage
DD Selfridge
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat at 0,0
Japanese Ships
AP Azumasan Maru, Shell hits 14, and is sunk
Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis
CA Pensacola
CA Salt Lake City
CA Vincennes
CL Leander
CL Nashville
DD Bagley
DD Helm
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
AV Kimikawa Maru
CL Tama, Shell hits 38, and is sunk
DD Hagikaze, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
DD Yamagumo, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
DD Akatsuki, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AP Chowa Maru
AP Heiyo Maru, Shell hits 26, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kashiwa Maru
AP Kembu Maru
AP Shinkoku Maru
Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis, Shell hits 3
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 1
CA Salt Lake City, Shell hits 4
CA Vincennes
CL Leander
CL Nashville
DD Bagley
DD Helm
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 154
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
AV Kimikawa Maru, Shell hits 25, and is sunk
AP Chowa Maru
AP Heiyo Maru, and is sunk
AP Kashiwa Maru, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kembu Maru
AP Shinkoku Maru, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis, Shell hits 2
CA Pensacola
CA Salt Lake City, Shell hits 5
CA Vincennes, Shell hits 2
CL Leander
CL Nashville
DD Bagley
DD Helm
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 86
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
CV Kaga, Shell hits 2
CV Soryu, Shell hits 4, on fire
CV Junyo
CVL Ryujo
CS Nisshin
DD Yudachi, Shell hits 12, on fire, heavy damage
DD Samidare, Shell hits 1
DD Wakaba, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
DD Shirakumo, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Murakumo, Shell hits 2
Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 4
CA Salt Lake City, Shell hits 1
CA Vincennes, Shell hits 1
CL Leander, Shell hits 1
CL Nashville
DD Bagley, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Helm, Shell hits 1
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
CV Kaga, Shell hits 2
CV Soryu, Shell hits 32, and is sunk
CV Junyo
CVL Ryujo
CS Nisshin
DD Yudachi, and is sunk
DD Samidare, Shell hits 48, and is sunk
DD Wakaba, and is sunk
DD Shirakumo, Shell hits 18, and is sunk
DD Murakumo, Shell hits 22, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 1
CA Louisville
CL Phoenix, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu
DD Meredith, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Henley
DD Porter, on fire, heavy damage
DD Selfridge, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[snip]
I caught an IJN opponent protecting APs with a CV force with 2 USN surface TFs.
A good opponent will figure out where you are going and have a welcoming committee in the form of surface TFs. And if he suprises you, it can be bad.
And don't think by having one surface TF in the same hex it will protect your carriers either.
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/14/42
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
CA Tone, Shell hits 4, on fire
CA Chikuma
CA Maya, Shell hits 1
CA Chokai, Shell hits 13
CL Naka, Shell hits 1
CL Nagara, Shell hits 3
CL Tenryu, Shell hits 3
DD Urakaze
DD Arashi, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Kikuzuki, Shell hits 3, on fire
Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 1
CA Louisville, Shell hits 3
CL Phoenix, Shell hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Shell hits 2
DD Meredith, Shell hits 1
DD Ralph Talbot, Shell hits 1
DD Henley
DD Patterson, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Porter, Shell hits 4, heavy damage
DD Selfridge, Shell hits 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
CL Kuma, Shell hits 16, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yayoi, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Uzuki, Shell hits 11, on fire, heavy damage
DD Minazuki, Shell hits 28, and is sunk
DD Namikaze
APD 35
AP Hokko Maru
AP Kaiko Maru
AP Kamoi Maru
AP Katsuragisan Maru
Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 1
CA Louisville, Shell hits 4
CL Phoenix, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Shell hits 3
DD Meredith, Shell hits 1
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Henley
DD Patterson, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
DD Porter, on fire, heavy damage
DD Selfridge
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat at 0,0
Japanese Ships
AP Azumasan Maru, Shell hits 14, and is sunk
Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis
CA Pensacola
CA Salt Lake City
CA Vincennes
CL Leander
CL Nashville
DD Bagley
DD Helm
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
AV Kimikawa Maru
CL Tama, Shell hits 38, and is sunk
DD Hagikaze, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
DD Yamagumo, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
DD Akatsuki, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AP Chowa Maru
AP Heiyo Maru, Shell hits 26, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kashiwa Maru
AP Kembu Maru
AP Shinkoku Maru
Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis, Shell hits 3
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 1
CA Salt Lake City, Shell hits 4
CA Vincennes
CL Leander
CL Nashville
DD Bagley
DD Helm
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 154
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
AV Kimikawa Maru, Shell hits 25, and is sunk
AP Chowa Maru
AP Heiyo Maru, and is sunk
AP Kashiwa Maru, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kembu Maru
AP Shinkoku Maru, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis, Shell hits 2
CA Pensacola
CA Salt Lake City, Shell hits 5
CA Vincennes, Shell hits 2
CL Leander
CL Nashville
DD Bagley
DD Helm
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis
Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 86
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
CV Kaga, Shell hits 2
CV Soryu, Shell hits 4, on fire
CV Junyo
CVL Ryujo
CS Nisshin
DD Yudachi, Shell hits 12, on fire, heavy damage
DD Samidare, Shell hits 1
DD Wakaba, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
DD Shirakumo, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Murakumo, Shell hits 2
Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 4
CA Salt Lake City, Shell hits 1
CA Vincennes, Shell hits 1
CL Leander, Shell hits 1
CL Nashville
DD Bagley, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Helm, Shell hits 1
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43
Japanese Ships
CV Kaga, Shell hits 2
CV Soryu, Shell hits 32, and is sunk
CV Junyo
CVL Ryujo
CS Nisshin
DD Yudachi, and is sunk
DD Samidare, Shell hits 48, and is sunk
DD Wakaba, and is sunk
DD Shirakumo, Shell hits 18, and is sunk
DD Murakumo, Shell hits 22, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 1
CA Louisville
CL Phoenix, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu
DD Meredith, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Henley
DD Porter, on fire, heavy damage
DD Selfridge, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[snip]
"Life is tough, it's even tougher when you're stupid" -SGT John M. Stryker, USMC
air cover for convoys
this applies to everything, not just convoys...
observe the altitude the enemy is attacking at
some planes are better low down, as with a British torpedo bomber (Blenhemi I think) - others at high altitude, as with B-17
if you have lots of fighters, put some at different altitudes, otherwise pick the most likely threat level you are current facing
put the fighters about 3000 feet above the enemy approach altitude and they will do much better - zeros will kill about 1 B-17 and damage most if you do this
observe the altitude the enemy is attacking at
some planes are better low down, as with a British torpedo bomber (Blenhemi I think) - others at high altitude, as with B-17
if you have lots of fighters, put some at different altitudes, otherwise pick the most likely threat level you are current facing
put the fighters about 3000 feet above the enemy approach altitude and they will do much better - zeros will kill about 1 B-17 and damage most if you do this
If you could give us some more information it would help. Like where are you shipping supplies too, and where they enemy airstrikes are coming from. Also relavent would be the number and type of carriers you have, along with what you 'think' the enemy might have.
In UV there is no 'one tactic fits all'. Each tactical situtation requires a different approach.
In UV there is no 'one tactic fits all'. Each tactical situtation requires a different approach.
In time of war the first casualty is truth. - Boake Carter
Wow!
Just counting up the number of attacks there and wondering how your ships didn't retire and still had ammo left after the first couple of rounds. Staying for 7 complete naval battles in one night is rather strange, just how many aggressive pills did you feed that commander?
Was this running on easy level? I have NEVER seen that kind of performance from a surface TF, even with Radar advantages and Crossing the "T" multiple times.
I caught an IJN opponent protecting APs with a CV force with 2 USN surface TFs.
Just counting up the number of attacks there and wondering how your ships didn't retire and still had ammo left after the first couple of rounds. Staying for 7 complete naval battles in one night is rather strange, just how many aggressive pills did you feed that commander?
Was this running on easy level? I have NEVER seen that kind of performance from a surface TF, even with Radar advantages and Crossing the "T" multiple times.
Originally posted by Mr.Frag
Wow!
Just counting up the number of attacks there and wondering how your ships didn't retire and still had ammo left after the first couple of rounds. Staying for 7 complete naval battles in one night is rather strange, just how many aggressive pills did you feed that commander?
I think it's two different TF's. One engaging 3 times the other 4. Still somewhat amazing.
Originally posted by Mr.Frag
Wow!
Just counting up the number of attacks there and wondering how your ships didn't retire and still had ammo left after the first couple of rounds. Staying for 7 complete naval battles in one night is rather strange, just how many aggressive pills did you feed that commander?
Was this running on easy level? I have NEVER seen that kind of performance from a surface TF, even with Radar advantages and Crossing the "T" multiple times.
PBEM, which is far more difficult than the AI :p
And neither TF had much left in the way of ammunition after that night. Of course, I was using surface TFs instead of carriers, which the IJN had damaged or sunk.
"Life is tough, it's even tougher when you're stupid" -SGT John M. Stryker, USMC
PBEM, which is far more difficult than the AI
I'd debate that point at great length with you. Some PBEM make the AI look like it was developed by a multi-billion dollar think tank of PH.D scientists
Speaking of which, where did you say your CV's were? :p
(of course i'm jesting in case you take it personally)
Well, at that time the Yorktown, Enterprise and Yorktown were at the bottom of the Solomon Sea, the Lex enroute back to Pearl (not due back for 170 days), the Hornet at Noumea with 33 sys damage and the Wasp due in 3 days.Originally posted by Mr.Frag
I'd debate that point at great length with you. Some PBEM make the AI look like it was developed by a multi-billion dollar think tank of PH.D scientists
Speaking of which, where did you say your CV's were? :p
(of course i'm jesting in case you take it personally)
Not a real good scenario for the USN at mid July.
And as a footnote, the surface TF commanders were Scott and Callaghan.
And this particular opponent is a **** site better than the AI.
And yes, some opponents are better than others, coupled wityh the fact that the IJN is less forgiving for a foolish player. (Thank God I am the USN in this one:p )
"Life is tough, it's even tougher when you're stupid" -SGT John M. Stryker, USMC