Bombardment to avoid minefields?

[Gewehr1943]

How far out should a surface TF be to avoid enemy minefields? Thanks Seadogs!

[InfiniteMonkey]

One hex...

Minefields are in a hex and range of bombardment will not vary your chances to hit them. Entering the hex means you could hit them. Bombardment range really only affects the ships that will bombard and the counter battery you will face (ships without the range to bombard and guns without the range to respond will not fire).

[MakeeLearn]

WAY FAR OUT.... and still there may be mines in orbit.


Mines cab be placed in any water hex, Straits and ports are the most likely.


Navigable river hexsides. » The hexsides have effects on naval units that are similar to narrow straits – TFs crossing them are more vulnerable to mines and any CD units that are present

mines disperse faster in Deep Water than in Shallow Water

The number of mines in a minefield in deep water decays by 33% per day, in shallow water by 5% per day, and in friendly bases with at least a size 1 port by 1% per day

[AW1Steve]

Just as a bit of insurance , I always have a couple of DMS's accompany a bombardment force.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: InfiniteMonkey

One hex...

Minefields are in a hex and range of bombardment will not vary your chances to hit them. Entering the hex means you could hit them. Bombardment range really only affects the ships that will bombard and the counter battery you will face (ships without the range to bombard and guns without the range to respond will not fire).

Random (with regard to distance from shore) mine hits has not been my experience. I usually do not set a stand-off distance for my bombardments but I noticed that BBs rarely move in closer than 6000 yards and they rarely hit mines. DDs sometimes close in as close as 2000 yards and hit mines moderately often. Amphib TFs must cross the minefield and almost always have mine casualties unless they have embedded minesweepers in the TF.
That said, much depends on the size of the minefield. Major bases with a minefield over 300 mines tend to score mine hits further out.
Those are my observations, playing stock scenarios.

[GetAssista]

ORIGINAL: Gewehr1943
How far out should a surface TF be to avoid enemy minefields? Thanks Seadogs!

I had a lot of experience with sustained bombardments in my AI games. Like months of daily bombardments with several BBs. Can't do without those if you siege San Francisco Mines galore as you would imagine. Could not enter the straights to Mare island (already captured) w/o hits on all ships, no matter TF composition. No effective mine clearing whatsoever with all the CD guns, native and respawned.
Yet, bombardments from the ocean at 20+ standoff with "No escorts bombard" made mines and CDs almost irrelevant. I recall no more than couple hits to BBs