Those destroyers the training cruisers tangled with had depleted ammo from previous engagements, so I thought the risk of using them here was small.
More power to them, then. I might just have my experiences soured by poor performances from the training crusiers in my game.
As flag in a tanker convoy are you hoping they catch a torpedo meant for a tankers? I had not thought about using them that way, usually use them in Amphibious invasions but that window expires with the amphibious bonus.
As a flagship of a tanker TF, they can:
- allow the commander to be chosen from the better IJN warship leader pools, rather than the usual, crap merchant captains, lieutenants and other low-ranking trash that often command escorts or merchantmen. This is quite a big point, as a good leader might just make the difference between a torpedo hit or not.
- provide organic seaplane search and ASW (eventually) to keep subs detected.
- be able to take a torpedo or two for the tankers. The crusiers can surive, the tankers, not so much.
- if, in some odd event, you force a submarine to the surface, having a ship with the skill to actually hit things isn't to be underestimated. The vast majority of IJN escorts are either very under-armed (thing the SC ships) or have abysmal crew ratings (thing PB's). The last thing you want attacking your tankers is a surfaced sub, as even the deck pop-gun can set the fuel on fire, and once Japanese tankers are burning, they'll never go out.
