USN Fast Transport

[osullmi]

I am a bit befuddled.

Twice, now, I have tried to use DD FT from Cairns/Cooktown to resupply PM early in the game, settign the TFs to "retirement allowed". Unfortunately, both times the TF used both impulses to get to PM and spent the entire day there getting pasted by IJN LBA.

As IJN, the FTs always wait offshore and sneak in at night and ar(hopefully) out of range by the time the air combat phase arrives.

Am I missing something?

[Sonny]

Nope, you are not missing anything. It happens too regularly when you are going to a base you own. Never seen it happen when you are going to an enemy base you are trying to take.

I have had tons of ships and men go to the bottom because my fast transports stuck around all day at Irau and got creamed by aircraft from Lunga.

[worr]

Is it possible you put their home port as PM?

Worr, out

[CapAndGown]

There is a problem with the system in deciding when the sprint in/sprint out function is needed. If you own the base and the program decides that there is no danger, then it does not use the sprint in/sprint out function. I have lost several ships because of this.

[Drex]

So is there a solution?

[spence]

I'm still learning the game but think if you give the FTTF a destination of a sea hex about 100 miles South of Port Moresby with patrol/do not retire orders initially then change the destination to Port Moresby after the first day out of Townsville/Cooktown to Port Moresby the ships might sprint in and out during the night.
My experience is that air attacks on ships other than carriers at sea South of New Guinea are fairly rare.

[denisonh]

I think there is something to do with the AI making the assessment there is no danger. In an ongoing PBEM game, I can no longer use Fast Transport at a couple of bases because they no longer "sail in, drop off, sail out". I have lost more ships than I care to because of this (yea, that's your boys Worr).

I have seen this as a recurring theme since I started playing in July of last year.

It would be nice to know at what point the FT doesn't work, as it would save a lot of lost ships.

[SoulBlazer]

In a recent fast transport move I had four fleets all moving at the same speed and thus in the same hex. To my surprise, on one day two TF's stayed where they were while the other two raced in, grabbed troops, and raced out. The next day the other two did the same thing. Weird.

[wobbly]

How was their fuel states? None had to do a small refuel first di they - I have been caught there

[Sonny]

Originally posted by denisonh
I think there is something to do with the AI making the assessment there is no danger. In an ongoing PBEM game, I can no longer use Fast Transport at a couple of bases because they no longer "sail in, drop off, sail out". I have lost more ships than I care to because of this (yea, that's your boys Worr).

I have seen this as a recurring theme since I started playing in July of last year.

It would be nice to know at what point the FT doesn't work, as it would save a lot of lost ships.

In the turn I just sent you this happened to two of my fast transport TFs. Both started at Rabaul with full fuel. One went to Buna and the other to Lae - neither a long trip. Yet both were there still unloading during daylight hours (nothing had been unloaded but the indicator said unloading). Fortunately your bombers could not find the TF at Buna.

I have also had fast transport TF sit at Irau and the indicator said they were idle (this was another game where I was Allies). I had to click the unload cargo button to get them to unload. Foolishly that is what I did instead of turning them back - and the got smashed from Vals and Kates from Lunga.