Questions on mining and minefields

[iceboy105]

Ok so can you run into your own mines that you place defensively at your own bases? And how do you keep from running into your own mines when invading an enemy base that you have already mined. Someone please explain to me all the intricacies of mining strategies?!?!?! Best uses, worse uses, strategies, and experiences.

[Feinder]

The only time I've ever seen one of my own ships run into my own minefield, is when another of my TFs (other than the minelaying one) was in the hex, during the turn in which the minefield was being layed.

Not to say that you can't hit your own minefield otherwise, but it's never happened to me.

To protect against enemy minefields, attach a MSW to your TF. MSWs -cannot- be attached to bombardment, aircombat, or (maybe) surface TFs however. The Allies can attach a DMS to surface and bombardment TFs. Either a MSW or DMS with your TF greatly reduces your chances of hitting mines.

DDs also have very limited ability to kill mines. It seems that they're not SWEEPING the field to actually help other ships get thru; so the 4 CAs that are also in your TF might very will still hit a mine. But DDs can kill a few mines (essentially they're just defending the DD against mines, they're not doing anything for the rest of the TF).

-F-

[Yamamoto]

I use mines around enemy bases extensively and I often pay the price when I try to invade them later on in the game. Attaching minesweepers to your invasion force is all you can do. Your CV force won’t have to worry about it because, under the new rules, they shouldn’t enter base hexes anyway. Your bombardment TF will just have to pray because, if you’re the Japanese, you can’t put minesweepers with your bombardment groups.

While on the subject, I don’t think DMS should function in their minesweeping role if the TF is moving faster than cruise speed. That means they wouldn’t work in a bombardment TF making it’s nighttime run or in a surface combat group that is moving at full speed. It just seems unrealistic to me.

Yamamoto

[bradfordkay]

When playing the allies, I usually heavily mine the Japanese approaches to Lunga/Tulagi - a three hex arc west and north of those two bases. When I say heavily mine, I have done it to the point that one of my minelayers hit a mine when returning to increase the minefield. Since these minefields are not on active bases, I am assuming that they are considered offensive minefields and therefore not charted, increasing the likelihood of an allied ship hitting them.

Until the threat to Lunga is seriously reduced, all traffic for the Russell Islands and New Georgia are routed to the south of Guadalcanal. Once the threat is lifted, then my minesweepers go to work. It generally takes about two weeks of sweeping for me to feel safe, though the occaisional ship has found a stray mine after that.

If you want to invade a base that you have mined, don't forget to bring along your minesweepers (and spread your troops among more ships to reduce the effectiveness of the mines).

[iceboy105]

ok so can you not defensively mine your own ports? i have tried to send my minelayers to my own ports set on retire with their home base somewhere else but they just go to the base hex and then back to their base.
they will only lay their mines in non-base hexes. if you can lay mines in your own base hexes this then how do you go about it?

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

Several weeks ago I posted rather large "mine warfare" message.


Understanding of UV "Mine rules"...

showthread.php?s=&threadid=29949


Hope this can help a bit...


Leo "Apollo11"

[iceboy105]

Originally posted by Apollo11
Hi all,

Several weeks ago I posted rather large "mine warfare" message.


Understanding of UV "Mine rules"...

showthread.php?s=&threadid=29949


Hope this can help a bit...


Leo "Apollo11"

thank you this was a great explanation of mine rules but...i still dont know how to do these actions:

ok so can you not defensively mine your own ports? i have tried to send my minelayers to my own ports set on retire with their home base somewhere else but they just go to the base hex and then back to their base.
they will only lay their mines in non-base hexes. if you can lay mines in your own base hexes this then how do you go about it?

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

Originally posted by iceboy
ok so can you not defensively mine your own ports? i have tried to send my minelayers to my own ports set on retire with their home base somewhere else but they just go to the base hex and then back to their base.
they will only lay their mines in non-base hexes. if you can lay mines in your own base hexes this then how do you go about it?

I can mine my own ports (i.e. place defensive mine fields) OK and
have no problems whatsoever...

Did you check the ammo on your minelayers after they visited your
ports for defensive mine laying?


Leo "Apollo11"

[iceboy105]

Originally posted by Apollo11
Hi all,



I can mine my own ports (i.e. place defensive mine fields) OK and
have no problems whatsoever...

Did you check the ammo on your minelayers after they visited your
ports for defensive mine laying?


Leo "Apollo11"

yes they were fine with ammo. please tell me exactly what you do to mine your ports, fleet orders, etc...

[iceboy105]

Originally posted by Apollo11
Hi all,



I can mine my own ports (i.e. place defensive mine fields) OK and
have no problems whatsoever...

Did you check the ammo on your minelayers after they visited your
ports for defensive mine laying?


Leo "Apollo11"

i can mine everywhere except for rabaul. for some reason when my mine task force is set out to sea at rabaul with retire set to rabaul it just retires and never leaves mines in the port of rabaul.

[AmiralLaurent]

It seems to me that a mine warfare TF may mine any friendly base, except its home base.

So if you want to mine Noumea, change your TF home base to any other and let them go. After one day at sea, change the destination to Noumea with retirement allowed, they should mine the port. They will then try to go to their home base, change it at the end of the turn after minelaying to Noumea again for resplenish.

In my experience, own casualties by mines even in enemy bases when I try to invade them are less than enemy casualties trying to supply them.

[iceboy105]

Originally posted by AmiralLaurent
It seems to me that a mine warfare TF may mine any friendly base, except its home base.

So if you want to mine Noumea, change your TF home base to any other and let them go. After one day at sea, change the destination to Noumea with retirement allowed, they should mine the port. They will then try to go to their home base, change it at the end of the turn after minelaying to Noumea again for resplenish.

In my experience, own casualties by mines even in enemy bases when I try to invade them are less than enemy casualties trying to supply them.

hmmm strange i did that one time and it did not work. tried it again and it did. thanks for the reply!