How about this?

[showboat1]

I've always thought that if a TF is bombarding a base, then the ships in port should also be susceptible to sustaining damage. In general when the U.S. battleships started a bombardment they would also take out any ships that they found nearby. How about that? Maybe good for PACWAR part II???

[Rich Dionne]

Sounds like a good addition to me. I think I would lower their effectiveness somewhat to account the greater of HE shells the bombardment group would be carrying.

Regards,

Rich Dionne

[showboat1]

Why decrease effectiveness? The British massacre of the French Fleet after France's capitulation shows that AP shells are just the thing for the bombardment of harbor and port areas. When firing at ships in port I'm sure ship commanders would have the presence of mind to load the proper type of shell depending on what the target will be.

[Rich Dionne]

I guess my point was that task forces on bombardment missions carry proportionately more HE shells vs. AP shells than they do when out for surface combat. Any significant surface combat in this case will deplete the AP stores more quickly.

[emetcalf]

Just a couple of points. 1, since surface combat TFs will bombard enemy facilities, I never create bombardment TFs. 2, if a TF was sent out with the express purpose of blasting a port as opposed to an airfield and troops, the ships would have sailed with AP as opposed to HE. One option would be to set the targets similar to the way air combat or airfields can have prioirty targets set. Note, however, that you can't always sail up and bombard a fleet base. In some cases (Pearl, if I remember correctly), deep water just isn't within firing range of the base itself, or is very much within range of coastal batteries. Until they put coastal batteries in (I think it will be in the new one), then bombarding ports probably needs to stay out for balance sake.