AMCs

[Jellicoe]

Just working through the first Japanese set up I have ever tried (leaving aircraft production till last as that is going to require some serious study) and wondering what to do with the 2 AMCs on a south seas pleasure cruise?

How to people use AMCs offensively, tight patrol area and move regularly or large patrol and see what happens?

[JoV]

I think many players recall them to Japan, in order to convert them to dedicated troop transports.

Personally I've never had success using AMC's as deep raiders. They tend to get beaten up by anything with an escort in my experience, so I'll be interested to hear how others potentially use them in that role.

[geofflambert]

Recall them to Japan before they get sunk. There's no good hunting out there for quite some time. When Taiyo comes out put her together with all the AMCs that have search planes and a few DDs. Might as well load up with supplies to deliver somewhere. Now you've got an Indian Ocean raiding party. Don't try anything east of Australia, you'll get caught by US CVs.

[DanSez]

I have recalled and tried them in Amphib TFs to pick off lightly held objectives in the DEI. Lots of targets to keep them busy for the first nine months.

A cautionary note: I have also used them with Amphib on more heavily defended targets and they seem to concentrate any shore batteries on themselves and get heavily damaged or sunk. Maybe my bad luck, but maybe you will have better results.

[crsutton]

Don't waste them as surface raiders. Without air search they are pretty useless in that role. Besides if they can carry troops then they can be used in fast transport TF. Quite valuable in this role. Many Allied players are unaware that they can use them this way as well. Those that can't carry troops are not that useful but I use them as convoy escort early in the war.

[Spikeosx]

I normally use AMCs for invasions, but those two in particular are gas guzzlers (with cruise of 18kn) and so I dont use those two.

[Aurorus]

They are fodder for submarines or CVs if you use them as raiders, usually. There is one place, however, where they work well. Raiding west or northwest of Perth. They are unlikely to encounter subs or CVs there and likely to encounter lightly escorted allied cargo, transport, and tanker TFs.

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: Aurorus

They are fodder for submarines or CVs if you use them as raiders, usually. There is one place, however, where they work well. Raiding west or northwest of Perth. They are unlikely to encounter subs or CVs there and likely to encounter lightly escorted allied cargo, transport, and tanker TFs.

Yes, use them as an Indian Ocean peril.

[LargeSlowTarget]

I recall them to change the skippers before sending them out raiding again. Their initial skippers have naval skills of only 30+ - like all AMCs. I give them skippers with 60+ naval skill and 60 aggression. Usually used for hunting tankers between India and Oz, within naval search umbrella based on Cocos Island.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

They are too useful for amph operations to waste them in raiding; as they are equivalent to APs for unloading and can also be converted to AK-t for additional troop lifting capacity

Consider also that Japan just doesn't have enough amphibious assets

[geofflambert]

With or without assets the Japanese cease being amphibian and commence being reptilian mid '42.

[Lokasenna]

I've had a successful fight or two with them, but you need the element of surprise or they won't work.

[oaltinyay]

Based out of Singapore, they can catch some fish provided that they are supported by LR air recon. Otherwise they have null offensive capability.

[Jellicoe]

So when used in an offensive capacity would you give them a tight patrol area and move frequently or a broad patrol area to minimise detection chances by enemy surface units?

[GetAssista]

Don't see any role for Japanese AMCs other than additional firepower during invasions.
AI AMCs in AndyMac's Nasty Ironmans though... Those are something else entirely.

[Grfin Zeppelin]

ORIGINAL: GetAssista


AI AMCs in AndyMac's Nasty Ironmans though... Those are something else entirely.

I hate them so much [:(]

[Taxcutter]

Ironman drove me nuts for a while with two AMCs.

Starting in Jan 42, he'd send AMCs (probably from Kwaj) into the hard-to-patrol gap between Pearl and the Aleutians, and curling south into the Frisco-to-Pearl shipping lanes.

They can sink tankers (Oh! So valuable at that time) easily and can mangle a Clemson-class DD.

I had to detail off cruisers. Never did intercept them.

They do show up occasionally on the Capetown-to-Perth route.

By April 42 they seemed to disappear and I did sink one of them in an air raid on Rabaul in late 1942.

[AW1Steve]

I use AMC's for flushing out long range convoys. A pair of them, as well one light cruiser , will deal with any raiding AMC. Plus they have a small load of cargo to boot. If I have a AMC show up in my rear area , I usually have an old BB with a pair of destroyers available to give it a rude supply. I just tag them on to a small convoy and run it into the area. That generally takes care of annoying surface raiders...and is another good use for old BBs (besides bombardment and escort) duty.