PT Boats

[marky]

ok

im not sure about this, and i cant check it since i still cant play UV

so

can u deploy PT boats like ud deploy cruisers, destroyers and the like?

or have them roam around like subs?


can u put them in TF's ?

and send them to here or there?

[Beckles]

They behave more like cruisers and destroyers and such, but you basically have to keep them in a base hex except for short trips from base and back because they have a very short range. They can be grouped in TF's, and really they have to be in order to be at all effective.

[Feinder]

PT boats are truely annoying (for everyone). At least my experience in UV...

As USN (where you own them).
1. Don't plan on moving them around much. They have a VERY short range (only about 100 miles before needing to be refueled). In UV, that's about 4 hexes, probably only 2 in WitP. In UV, I end up setting up a chain of fuel dumps on beaches, so that if I can move them around a little.
2. The tend to get slaughtered when matched up against a "real" Task Force (ie. anything a couple of destroyers or larger). That's not at all unrealistic mind you. But don't have grand visions of the little buggers swarming the Yamato or anything. The do quite well against a landing force that's only escorted by PGs and PCs (small gunboats and frigate sized); but it's doubtful your opponent will be foolish enough to send an unescorted landing force in, without sending a surface TF to clear out your PTs first.
3. Actually, against a purely DD TF, they -can- do ok. But only if they surprise the bad-guys, so that the range STARTS at under 2000 yds. If the DDs can engage them at ranges of 6000 yds or more, no more PT flotilla. But if the PTs can get into knife fighting range, they do well enough. Why? Because the DDs (normally) have armor ratings of zero, which means that the 20mm and 50 cal guns on the PTs can quite effectively damage the DD (and the high ROF of the 20mm and 50 cals things, gets you many more shots than the 4" guns of the DDs). You're not that likely to SINK a DD with the 20mms (very little float damage, you need a torp hit for that), but you sure can do a lot of system damage, that will slow it down and/or destroy the weapons systems on the DD, and send it back to Japan all shot up.

As IJN (you're fighting them).
1. PTs are -VERY- annoying. They're like the big fire ants. You can stomp on them and squash them by the droves. But you're going to get stung. You can put down bait killer, and sure you kill a lot them; but they just end up moving the mound over by 10' (or moving over to the next base). You can pour gasoline on them, and light it up, and kill hundreds more, but you know there are just hundreds more that you can't kill.
2. They always seem to "get lucky" at the most in opportune time. You can come in with 6 DDs, and 2 CLs and clean their clock 3 times in a row (but there's always more of them). So on the fourth run, you bring along a pair of CAs. You clean their clock -again- but one manages a "lucky" torpedo into the Atago, who speed is slowed to 22 kts. And the next morning, the local VMSB squadron of dive-bombers makes short work of Atago because she can't keep up with the rest of your TF.

PTs really are a defensive unit tho. You sort of park a flotilla somehwere that you want a DETERRENT (not really strong enough to STOP IJN if he wants the place).

[AmiralLaurent]

Contrary to what has been written here, PT boats are more successfull in small groups or even one-ship TF. They are far more likely to launch a surprise attack and so score a hit on the larger enemy ship.

PT TF with 10-15 ships have always been surprised in my games. They have nevertheless torpedoed 2 BB, some CA and more DD.

[Maserati]

Hmmm. I'm going to have to break up my PT TFs into smaller chunks. But I find the effective range to be fairly high. From a base at Rendova I can intercept enemy shipping at Shortlands or even all the way to Buka.

YMMV