Time for Beginner's Questions?

[Capt. Harlock]

For standoff ranges I was thinking about 3-4 hexes (300-400 miles) which I thought was historically the operational range of most fighters.

One further important thing to remember about attack ranges: if the target is immobile, planes get a 50% range bonus. In other words, Wilcats can only escort out to two hexes for strikes against ships or troops, but out to three hexes if the bombers are going after supply depots, aifields, or ships in port.

Of course, this applies to the Japanese aircraft as well, meaning that Betty's can attack ships repairing in port from thirteen hexes away!

[JReb]

The SBC was mentioned with engineers in the base expansion and construction part of the rules. Just assumed they were seabees.

I know I read this somewhere but how do you change a submarine's home base?

[boggle]

Move the submarine to the new homebase, go to the submarine menu and remove it (R). It will be available for patrol duty next week then.

[JReb]

Thanks again for all of the input. You guys are a wealth of knowledge.

How do you change the HQ an LCU is attached to?

[boggle]

The LCUs change their HQ when activated at a base to the bases HQ. For example 2nd Guard Division is subordinate to 25th Army and moves to Rangoon, which is under control of 15th Army. When you activate 2nd Guard it will become member of 15th Army.

The naval aquivalent, changing of TFs, isn't that easy I find. While creating a new ad hoc TF to place damaged or out of fuel ships work fine I never manage to shuffle ships between TFs at Sea and even in harbors.

[Koniev]

First off - How can you keep a carrier's Avengers from attacking bases beyond the range of their escorts ? They get wiped out.

Secondly - Late in the war. The IJN is holed up in Osaka and won't come out. I sent two TF's with 5 CV's each and a bunch of CVEs to within 3 hexes of Osaka. One had orders to attack TFs the other to hit ships in Port. They ignored the IJN carriers (4 of them) completey and went after airfields and Osaka itself. I have a similiar situation in the Phillipines. I have massive air superiority throughout. I thought I'd send my Iowa class BBs in to Osaka harbor but they'd probably shoot up the town while the Yamato hammered them into rubble. What gives?

[JReb]

I had an instance where my transport fleet disappeared when they should have been landing on Wake. When I looked at the transport TF, it listed only one destroyer and nothing else.

Also, I have seen where performing an action will appear to use all of an HQs PPs because the display will show zero but I am still able to move LCUs or air groups, whatever. It seems the game still remembers the number of PPs even though it says zero.

[deVada]

regarding to Avengers:

Except setting their mission to "NI" (naval interdiction) there is no other way known to me to stop them ... The game has hundred of things that are being done without or even against human's will ...
In defence of PW I can only say that in the real war - Emperor and President also had many unwanted things happened ...

regarding to disappearing transports:

Nothing other comes to mind ex. extraordinary enemy sub activity. Are You sure not to overlook any attack on that task force ?
I know how to make a division disappear, but no known way to disappear shipping ... what buttons have You pressed ?

regarding to transfers and preparation points:

You may always move land unit or air squadron, even if HQ has 0 PPs but for a price of 50% readiness loss and having all planes damaged. Be careful with planes ... You may easily get rid of 50 planes by just transferring them from base to base to base while those bases belong to 0 PP HQ ...

[Capt. Harlock]

The game has always placed a very high priority on any cities with factories. If any kind of air units are within range (carrier or land-based) they tend to ignore orders and attack the factories, depots, and civilian populations instead. As deVada said, the one thing that seems to help is to set the bomber missions to Naval Interdiction.

Sending a Surface Combat TF to Osaka might work fairly well. However, make sure it has modernized BB's with plenty of 40mm guns for flak, and is covered by a large CV TF, preferably standing off only one hex. Leave all CVE's and carriers with Wildcats instead of Hellcats behind--this is no job for second-stringers!

[LargeSlowTarget]

AVs are mainly used for transporting planes from place to place. It has also some anti-submarine value due to floatplanes. Also MCS can transport planes, but AVs and CVEs without airgroups are lot faster.

Haven't checked all posts, so someone might have mentioned this already, but... transporting planes in MCS will cause them to arrive at the destination in a damaged condition, in order to simulate that they have to be reassembled (they were packed 'crated' aboard the MCS), thus the air unit will need 2 turns before reaching full operational strength. Planes transported aboard AV and CVE are considered to be assembled and in flying condition (Army planes were catapulted off CVE, for example, giving the Army flyboys quite an experience...) and therefore the air unit will have full operational strength right upon unloading. Quite helpful in amphib assault - take a fully operational air unit, set mission to day attack or NI, load the planes on AVs or CVEs (watch for capacity), send them in right after the ground troops attacking an ample-sized air base (which hopefully the grunts will capture on the first try) and bingo, instand full strength air cover over the newly won base.

LST


P.S: Can someone tell me what happened to my avatar? It disappeared and now I cannot select a new one...

[JReb]

"transporting planes in MCS will cause them to arrive at the destination in a damaged condition, in order to simulate that they have to be reassembled (they were packed 'crated' aboard the MCS), thus the air unit will need 2 turns before reaching full operational strength."

Thanks for that tidbit. I was wondering why that was happening. Logical I guess.

How do you recombine LCUs if broken up for transport? Will the game do it auto if all pieces assembled in same space?

What does CMF stand for? I always heard of ANZAC for that command.

What is best ASW approach? TF of destroyers with surface combat orders?

I am playing the allies in 4/42. I seem to have a lot of PPs left over for some HQs. I have selected leaders, targets, move air groups, etc...Now what? Do I need to wait until allied reinforcements begin pouring in and then I'll wish I had more?

My SW HQ moved to SF even though I still have troops in Bataan. What type of ship/TF is needed to move SW HQ to Australia? I used Alt-S with a transoport TF and CV TF but game said not allowed. MacArthur just won't leave. I think he is having too much fun down on Broadway St.

[Sardaukar]

LCUs recombine automatically when you get all parts into same base..may take turn or 2.

HQs are moved via "Relocate HQ" command available in HQ menu. You cannot relocate HQ to base already having different HQ.

Best ASW is patrol planes, lots of them where enemy subs are (usually around Hawaii). Torpedo and dive bombers do fine too, but they lack range.

Also, remember to have enough DDs in Calcutta and LA, those are bases where routine convoys start, and they need escort. When DEs come available, send them all to those bases, Commonwealth ones to Calcutta, US in LA. Use DDs in TFs, DEs are too slow for that.

CMF, that's in 3.2, I think it means Commonwealth Military Forces or something like that. Or is it Chinese Military forces ? Or is that KMT as Kuomingtan ? Hard to remember all the abbreviations

If you have HQs with lot of PPs, you may consider adding bases and forces from other HQs under their command.

Cheers,

M.S.

[JReb]

What would you use Alt-S for. It says "Transfer HQ to TF" In what instances might that be necessary? Evacuation?

[Sardaukar]

What would you use Alt-S for. It says "Transfer HQ to TF" In what instances might that be necessary? Evacuation?

It's useful with Amphibious assault ops and such. There is no need for that defensively, but for instance moving your HQ command to CV TF can be offensively beneficial, as being closer to action. I've rarely used that and there are probably lots of nuances I'm not aware of because of that. What is amazing about PW is that after 10 yrs on and off, one still finds new things in it . But, if I recall correctly, "Transfer HQ to TF" is most useful when yu are on attack..like trying to have sea battle or amphibious invasion.

Cheers,

M.S.

[JReb]

How do you move air groups on and off CVs?

[Denniss]

How do you move air groups on and off CVs?

Not possible -Air groups on CV and CVL are fixed and lost if the ship is sunk

But you can move/load air groups on AV and MCS/freighters to transport them

[Sardaukar]

There are also number of CVEs entirely for transporting air groups. They are those without plane graphics on deck, and of course without air groups. CVs, CVLs and CVEs with inherent air groups cannot transfer or transport planes, since those are *combat carriers* as opposed to *transport carriers*. Only latter type of CVEs can load/unload air groups, but of course cannot participate into air combat ops, being purely transport assets.

Cheers,

M.S.

[JReb]

Darn, I knew I should have added this to the last question. OK, how do planes get replaced on CVs? For example, if the Hornet has 3 F4s and 6 SBDs left, will sitting in port long enough replenish their numbers? From the pool or planes from existing air groups at same location?

[Sardaukar]

Darn, I knew I should have added this to the last question. OK, how do planes get replaced on CVs? For example, if the Hornet has 3 F4s and 6 SBDs left, will sitting in port long enough replenish their numbers? From the pool or planes from existing air groups at same location?

Yes, it's automatic when your CV TF gets to port (if you have planes in pool). There is no transfer between air groups, be it Naval or AF air groups. All replacements come from pool.

Cheers,

M.S.

[strawb]

Beware of making making manual changes to factory production - make sure you FULLY understand the 'development upgrade paths' in the notes for version 3.2. If you do not you may decide that an aircraft model is rubbish and switch the factory to a current hot model , only to realise that the rubbish model needs a factory so that it upgrades to something hotter.

Allies should espeically look out for the Wellie/B24 issue: Wellies have great range (7?) compared to oter tactical bombers (Hudson 5, Havoc/Michell/maruader 4) and factories can be switched to Wellies from thw other tac bombers. HOWEVER Wellie factories upgrade to B-24 and the B24 factories only make B-24. (or something like that) In one game the allies are getting short of tac bombers and have mountains of B-24 unusable by plane starved tac sqns!

Anyway mess with factoires with care.

Historical house rules disallow factory tinkering as a. competing design and build were a fact on both sides b. who knew when it built at time that a plane would be good or bad ? c. thw automatic model on factores reflecst more relasitc build numbers due to physical (not 'political') limitations.