PT Boat Question

[2ndACR]

Okay, been a long time away...........Played original heavily. In original, PT Boats were immune from naval attacks except low level strafe............ie, Betty ignored them totally.

I have noticed my Betty's launching torp attacks against PT Boats and PT Boats only. Just had a strike butchered going after a couple PT Boats and that sucked bad as I knew the base was a CAP trap. Confirmed with opponent that PT boats and only PT boats are there in TF.

So did something get changed intentionally or accidentlly? Because either way it really hurts the IJN player as he will have to seriously tether his most potent area denial weapon, especially now that escorts suck horribly.

[Chijohnaok2]

The battle in question:

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Luganville at 120,150

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 103 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 40 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15
G3M2 Nell x 12

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 9
P-40E Warhawk x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 6 destroyed, 1 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
PT-24

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x G3M2 Nell bombing from 10000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
49th FG/8th FS/A with P-40E Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(1 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 22000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 22000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 3 minutes
49th FG/8th FS/B with P-40E Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(2 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 2 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 15000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 9 minutes
2 planes vectored on to bombers
49th FG/7th FS with P-40E Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(1 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 15000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 15000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 3 minutes
1 planes vectored on to bombers
12th FS with P-39D Airacobra (3 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(4 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 18000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 18000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 7 minutes
8th FG/36th FS with P-39D Airacobra (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(5 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 4 being recalled, 1 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 25000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 25000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 33 minutes
5 planes vectored on to bombers
13rd PS (P) with P-40E Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(6 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 6 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 25000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 25000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 15 minutes
33rd PS (P) with P-40E Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(4 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 3 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 13000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 13000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 44 minutes
4 planes vectored on to bombers
49th FG/HqS with P-40E Warhawk (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
(1 plane(s) diverted to support CAP in hex.)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 20000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 20000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 11 minutes
1 planes vectored on to bombers

There was more than just PT-24 there (but not much more----just about 3-4 PT boats in total).

A good air scrum for the Allies. [:)]

[Encircled]

I think the general consensus is that single ship PT TF's are a big no no, but apart from that, nothing wrong with it.

[HansBolter]

Bombers at normal altitudes (above 100 foot strafing altitude) will normally ignore PTs and most small auxiliaries, however on occasion they will go after them.

So does it put a small damper on the ultra uberness of netties, you bet it does!

[Anthropoid]

I'm having issues with PTs.

I did manage to make some new ones at either Batavia or Soerbaja by loading up a two ship AKl TF with supplies = the Create TF button appeared and I created them.

But now, I've got several locations around the map with one or two ship AKl TF sitting there full of supply and I'm not getting an option to Create PTs.

I'm guessing there is a limited number of them in the pool or something? Don't remember seeing that in the manual.

[Alfred]

See Don Bown's posts in this thread.
 
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2858806&mpage=1&key=boats&#2858950
 
There is another thread where I provide some additional detail but I don't have time now to retrieve it.  I am very late IRL as it is.
 
Alfred

[Anthropoid]

Ah thanks Alfred. Yep, must have depleted my pools