Submarine

[teri21pl]

How to destroy German submarines? I arrive in aircraft carriers and do nothing with the enemy boat. It's 1939, so detection is still poorly developed.

[redrum68]

If the subs are in raider mode and in the open ocean then only ground based aircraft can target them. If they are raiding your convoy lines then assign escorts as they can hit subs as well. But for the most part, the subs are very difficult to sink early in the game.

[teri21pl]

Redrum68, and if the German sends them beyond the range of ground planes, then I just come with the aircraft carriers and they will attack themselves? What about destroyers? I'm afraid that at PBEM, Germany will destroy the UK economy.

[redrum68]

The only thing aircraft carriers and destroyers can do is add a bonus to your escorts in the convoy lanes. They can't attack the subs directly.

[teri21pl]

If the convoy escort attacks the submarines and there are my ships nearby, such as aircraft carriers or destroyers, will they support the convoy escorts or will they not enter the war?

[redrum68]

Destroyers and carriers that are on a convoy line hex within 24 hexes of the enemy subs that are raiding provide a "sub hunter" bonus to the escorts.

[scout1]

ORIGINAL: redrum68

Destroyers and carriers that are on a convoy line hex within 24 hexes of the enemy subs that are raiding provide a "sub hunter" bonus to the escorts.

Do Patrol Groups provide any bonus here ?

[scout1]

ORIGINAL: scout1

ORIGINAL: redrum68

Destroyers and carriers that are on a convoy line hex within 24 hexes of the enemy subs that are raiding provide a "sub hunter" bonus to the escorts.

And is the bonus impacted by the # of CV's or DD's within 24 hexes ? So is there any benefit to have 2 DD units compared to 1 DD within the 24 hex range ?

Also, do the units need to be one the convoy lane AND within 24 hexes to gain the benefit or can they be anywhere within a 24 hex radius to work ?

Pigboats are just killing me ......
Do Patrol Groups provide any bonus here ?

[redrum68]

Yeah, sorry when I mentioned destroyers those are technically patrol groups.

[generalfdog]

Teri21pl. it is a balancing act for sure, best thing for UK is to build escorts they are most effective. And yes if UK is unprepared their economy can be damaged, for Germany it is a case of build subs or be invaded in 42 or 43 by a massive UK army or have the German economy destroyed by bombers.

[Lascar]

Even if the UK is putting in maximum effort building escorts and advancing Convoy escort tech, they are unable to staunch the hemorrhaging of the merchant ships. Just 6 U-boats in 1940 are now capable of decimating the UK MMs.

[Nirosi]

My own experience in a few games both sides is that 9+ u-boats is starting to get dangerous for UK and can go both sides. Under that Allies usualy come out on top depsite of course some periods harder than others (such as 1940).