A Merchant Raider TF

[janushm]

well my conclusion is if if you want to do it do it properly and destroy the convoy totally...wich is........pretty hard to archieve but in my opinion worth trying...a CA,CA,CL,CL,DD,DD,DD,DD,DD TF will draw way to much attention and i would turn em back if i would spot em.

[wild_Willie2]

Even if you managed to put raiders into the stream of unescorted mercheants, it is almost impossible to SPOT them and then INTERCEPT them at sea. Spotting a singel ship at sea with search planes is VERY HARD, and then Intercepting is even HARDER.

The only solution that works for me against the AI, is to refuel and rearm the ENTIRE KB after the PH attack and send them with their tankers and a small ground force and a AV to take Noumea. At the time you take NOUMEA, its harbour will be filled with transports and cruisers and a bomb group would have just arrived, to al be destroyed on the ground or at sea by your capture of the base. Your carriers then have a field day in destroying al the shipping, spotted by the H6's, flown in from Truk and operating from the AV at Noumea. about the same time an enemy CV will show up (saratoga or lexinton) (yorktown get usually sunk when i loiter the KB a bit near PH after the attack)
To be also sunk by the KB. After a few weeks, rabaul will have more then sufficient fuel and suplies (+20K) to refuel and reload the kb, to have another go at it.

[ctid98]

As wild willie2 has stated its very difficult to spot a target and even harder to intercept one, but, if you could pull it off it would have a huge benefit to you, especially in a PBEM game. Even if you don't hit anything in the engagement and then never do it again the allied player will be rattled enough that he'll spend resources to ensure if you do do it again it'll cost you. A couple of DD's and CL here and there in TF's will soon add up.

Probably one of the best places to do it could be in the North Pacific, you're close to home waters, maybe in range of home airfields for searching (you'll have to confirm for me as I don't know the ranges for Jap planes too well) and could catch a couple of ships in a lightly defended harbour.

What do you guys and gals think???

[UncleBuck]

I think a Nice little Force of One CL and one or two DD's would be nice for this. The Lone CL would be nice as well, and you don't have to kill all of the Transports in one engagement. They will not outrun the CL. If you stake out a deep water middle of nowehre shipping area you will have several days to harry the transports before you need to leave due to lack of ammo, or damage/fuel. Once you spot a Transport TF it is not that hard to intercept them. They only move at two hexes per day and you will get a direction on the spot. Just plan to be where they will be in one day hence. Also you should be able to make a reasonable guess on where they are headed. Early in the Game you would have a good chance of really injuring the Allied force killing transports. The allies don't have the huge number they get later, they will be full of NEEDED supply not just supply to fund an operation, plus if you sink a few transports with say the 2nd Marines onboard or a flock of B-17's it is well worth it.

UB