Load Cost

[Mike McCreery]

I am looking at Japanese ships and trying to determine what level of shipyard is required to reload them.

Specifically looking at the Heavy Cruisers - 20CM/50 3YT-II Shell.

When I look in the manual it says that rearming is based on the 'Load Cost' of the shells. When I look up the ship in game and in the ship database I cant find a listing for (Load Cost).

Where do I find this info?

Thanks in advance.

[bradfordkay]

You will find it in the 20.1.2.2 Ship Rearmament At Ports Table (pp. 284-288 of the original AE manual).

The 20CM 50/3YT shell has a load (rearm) cost of 550. It is quite likely that the 20CM/50 3YT-II shell is the same. Yes, they did make it a little confusing with the switch in terms from "load cost" to "rearm cost" but those are one and the same. Also, it is not the shipyard size you need to be concerned with here, but rather port size. Shipyard size is for ship repairs, not loading.

[RangerJoe]

Also, naval support at the base can help reload ships so a smaller port with naval support may be able to rearm a ship that it otherwise could not rearm. There are many useful function for those naval support REMFs.

[dr.hal]

Don't forget the impact of an AKE in said port!

[Mike McCreery]

Ok, so the heavy cruisers need port lvl 6 without any Naval Support. I was looking at the map thinking that there are no ports that are viable but all the level 5 ports seem to have +50 naval support so are all good for the Cruisers.

Also, 120 naval support will provide enough to use even a level 1 port so all the USN bases have enough NS to allow rearming.

Thanks for the info, I looked through the manual but missed the addendum.

[Chris21wen]

Ok, so the heavy cruisers need port lvl 6 without any Naval Support. I was looking at the map thinking that there are no ports that are viable but all the level 5 ports seem to have +50 naval support so are all good for the Cruisers.

Also, 120 naval support will provide enough to use even a level 1 port so all the USN bases have enough NS to allow rearming.

Thanks for the info, I looked through the manual but missed the addendum.

... or an AKE/AE but you have to make sure their cargo capacity is greater than the rearm cost. Won't affect the CA but is likely to affect BBs.

[BBfanboy]

Ok, so the heavy cruisers need port lvl 6 without any Naval Support. I was looking at the map thinking that there are no ports that are viable but all the level 5 ports seem to have +50 naval support so are all good for the Cruisers.

Also, 120 naval support will provide enough to use even a level 1 port so all the USN bases have enough NS to allow rearming.

Thanks for the info, I looked through the manual but missed the addendum.

... or an AKE/AE but you have to make sure their cargo capacity is greater than the rearm cost. Won't affect the CA but is likely to affect BBs.

As Allies, all the BBs except the Iowas can rearm from an AKE of 4900 tons (converted from xAKs of 5250 tons capacity). The restriction on Iowa class is silly because their 16"/50 gun fires the same shells as the 16"/45 of the North Carolina and South Dakota classes. I convert all the C2 Lassen xAKs to AE's to ensure the Iowas can rearm in many places.

The other thing about using AEs and AKEs is to remember that each ship has a limit in the number of Ops points it can expend. Thus BBs that have bombarded usually require more than one ammo ship to rearm in one turn.

[Mike McCreery]

Ok, so the heavy cruisers need port lvl 6 without any Naval Support. I was looking at the map thinking that there are no ports that are viable but all the level 5 ports seem to have +50 naval support so are all good for the Cruisers.

Also, 120 naval support will provide enough to use even a level 1 port so all the USN bases have enough NS to allow rearming.

Thanks for the info, I looked through the manual but missed the addendum.

... or an AKE/AE but you have to make sure their cargo capacity is greater than the rearm cost. Won't affect the CA but is likely to affect BBs.

As Allies, all the BBs except the Iowas can rearm from an AKE of 4900 tons (converted from xAKs of 5250 tons capacity). The restriction on Iowa class is silly because their 16"/50 gun fires the same shells as the 16"/45 of the North Carolina and South Dakota classes. I convert all the C2 Lassen xAKs to AE's to ensure the Iowas can rearm in many places.

The other thing about using AEs and AKEs is to remember that each ship has a limit in the number of Ops points it can expend. Thus BBs that have bombarded usually require more than one ammo ship to rearm in one turn.

On the BB side we both know the allies have battle ships that are more torpedo magnet than useful tools in the early war. They are best used to take down hardpoints later once areas are surrounded and suppressed rather than go toe to toe with the Japanese navy.

Also, I dont plan to sortie the Japanese BB's much, especially in the early war. My goal is to save and accumulate fuel for later when I dont have to sail so far to get into combat.

[bradfordkay]

I think that you underestimate the allied Battleships. I've had many positive results in surface combat between capital ships in 1942 over several games. It helps to keep them within the range of your air search aircraft so as to suppress the IJN subs. You also want to give them modern DDs to provide an effective ASW screen. If you just keep then out of the fray until the latter half of the war, you have failed to take advantage of a powerful tool for defeating Japanese expansion.

[BBfanboy]

For me US BBs at game start have issues with crew experience, leadership, poor AA, lack of radar and slow speed. PP and upgrades can take care of leadership, radar and AA (once the 40mm Bofors are installed). Lots of sailing and occasional bombardments raise the experience level a bit. Repairing damage and firing AA guns at enemy planes raises it some more. By mid 1943 they are ready to take on surface battles, preferably during the daytime. One of my old BBs hit an IJN xAK with a 14" shell from 24,000 yards. Three more hits followed quickly and the ship sank before the 5"/38 guns could even fire at it.
I'm not sure if the game models it, but IRL the old BBs got additional torpedo bulges on their hulls which should increase the durability and reduce the damage they get from torpedoes.