AA of ships in port

[vonK0tze]

In my campaign I am thinking about sending some of these Australian patrol ships to the isolated ports in Northern Australia, just to add a bit of AA...

So my question is: How much do ships contribute to a base's flak when they're in the same hex? And is it best if they are docked, undocked or disbanded?

Sorry if someone wrote about this before. I remember reading about this somewhere but cannot find it anymore...

[geofflambert]

If I'm the game designer, none. What I do know (or think I know) is that carriers not docked (even in TF) have their CAP halved as they are technically depending on the base for protection. A docked ship should have no flak as you can't even count on crew being aboard. Disbanded ships should have little or none. Ships and TFs generally have no flak effects unless they are being attacked directly.

[geofflambert]

For instance if you have two TFs in a hex, say one an amphibious troop ship TF and the other a surface action TF with BBs, I don't believe the BBs will contribute any flak to the defense of the troop convoy.

[geofflambert]

Keep in mind that a hex is 40 nautical miles and a flak gunner has to be able to see his target with his bare eyes, and most of the time that isn't close enough.

[Ian R]

I suggest you read the manual at, particularly, page 75, and also 150 & 157.

[vonK0tze]

ORIGINAL: Ian R

I suggest you read the manual at, particularly, page 75, and also 150 & 157.

Not sure what you mean on 157, but thanks, what it says on 75 was what I was looking for!

[geofflambert]

Well, there you have it, they do. But my reading is they add to the defense of the port they're docked at, not to an airfield or any other target in the hex.

[HansBolter]

They won't add to the defense of anything for long if they don't have air cover to protect them.

Using ships to defend bases without airplanes to defend the ships is a losing proposition.

If yo have enough fighter cover to protect the ships then you also have enough fighter cover to protect the base.

With no fighters to protect the base, LCU AA units are a better choice than ships for adding AA capability to the base.

The LCUs can't be sunk by a port aerial or naval bombardment the way the ships can.

[vonK0tze]

It's for ports like Broome and Derby. The AI is occasionally bombing the airfield there with Bettys. I don't have much AS there for fighter squadrons but I want to at least put up a bit of resistance.

If I bring LCU AA up there I am afraid the convoys themselves (and over land would take forever). But yeah, in the long run I will put some fighters or other AA there.

[Ian R]

ORIGINAL: vonK0tze

ORIGINAL: Ian R

I suggest you read the manual at, particularly, page 75, and also 150 & 157.

Not sure what you mean on 157, but thanks, what it says on 75 was what I was looking for!

157 - the sequencing -each strike is separately resolved. So only defense against port strikes will benefit from disbanded ship AAA.

Edit: Anecdotally, at least, it is possible for multiple facility strikes (port strike, airbase strike, and city bombing missions) to go over the target together if coordination is good enough. In that case, is it possible the anchored ships are helping defend the airbase? It is unclear but I would say 'probably not'.