How to tell carriers to stop air operations

[thedoctorking]

I've had several situations recently where my carriers were in a dangerous position, with enemy surface ships nearby, and for their own safety they needed to crank their engines as high as they can get them and run away. But they keep turning to launch or recover planes. By Murphy's Law, that turn always has to be toward the enemy. Any way to tell them to ignore those fighters trying to land and keep moving? Maybe even to wave off aircraft to nearby land bases?

[Searry]

If enemy ships are near you carriers something has gone terribly wrong. But there is a thing where carriers cancel air operations to avoid enemy ships. Try turning the AI on and the order at support.

[thedoctorking]

I've had several scenarios where my carriers start very near enemy ships. As you say, historically this was pretty much unknown (big exception was the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where the Japanese concocted a very clever operational plan that used their planeless carrier force to lure the American strike carriers north away from a battleship force sneaking up on the American landing grounds, which were protected by some light carriers. The Japanese broke off the action just before their BBs could have pulverized the little Yankee CVEs).

In my current game, I have been offered the scenario like three times where a mixed force of American CVs with their DD escorts and CA/BCs start in the Straits of Malacca cheek by jowl with a similar British force. Once, I was able to sneak away by the clever idea of going upwind so the carriers wouldn't have to turn to launch planed (northwest up the straits towards where I suspected the enemy was, but we weren't detected), once we each blew each other's carriers up and had inconclusive sparring between heavy ships, and once my whole fleet got smashed by their carrier planes, operating, as I discovered at the end, only about 20 miles from my scouts but in a way I wasn't looking. One of these would have been a dramatic violation of the normal historical practice, but three? I think the AI should never or almost never put carriers in a position like that, in narrow straits and in close proximity to an enemy surface force. Maybe make an exception for smaller carriers in a "support for ground combat" mission (which these were - we are invading Singapore), but never CVs.

I've also had a couple of occasions where my force in a night action consists entirely of CV's and their DD escorts. Again, there might have been some clever ambushing going on, but no CV squadron commander would allow his force anywhere near where enemy surface combatants would be operating at night. Generally, the CVs drive away from the enemy's suspected position at night and turn back as daylight arrives or in order to be at optimum airstrike range when morning comes.

[Searry]

In these kinds of scenarios I just run away with max cap.

[thedoctorking]

Yeah, me too. I'm just saying it is odd since those sorts of battles almost never happened IRL. The ahistorical nature of these battles repeating themselves pretty much every turn hurts the immersion in the game.

[Searry]

Yeah, me too. I'm just saying it is odd since those sorts of battles almost never happened IRL. The ahistorical nature of these battles repeating themselves pretty much every turn hurts the immersion in the game.

I agree.

[WLRoo]

Yeah, me too. I'm just saying it is odd since those sorts of battles almost never happened IRL. The ahistorical nature of these battles repeating themselves pretty much every turn hurts the immersion in the game.

If you're experiencing a lot of night battles, it's likely that at least one of the AIs involved is running the Nightfighting training doctrine.

[MaximKI]

Thanks for the info and feedback. We understand that this situation with carriers can be annoying. Carriers should move away from nearby enemies.

We are considering improvements in carrier behavior and operations after the current round of updates.

[Eisenbar2000]

For me, The battles with carriers happen in bad weather (I.e. Rain and rough seas), day or night. Both UK and Germany have night capability for planes. Accordingly my carriers can't see my main force and run off on their own. My destroyers and cruisers run off too. I still get some CAP and air attacks at the enemy, but it is spastic. Especially the attacks. And yes when the carriers turn into the wind they head right for the enemy ships. Last battle I turned and ran when it started (Once I got control of my lead ships).