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ORIGINAL: Squamry

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The coordination penalty drops over time. More significantly, many good players have consistently reported that coordination issues are minor and pale in comparison to the advantages of using larger carrier TFs.

Just curious if this is a late war thought or applies all the way through? When playing as allies I like at most 4 CV/CVLs in a TF but none of my games have got past mid 44. I've found this much better against the KB mega TF used by a couple of opponents because there is usually at least one TF that does not get targeted so I always have some active carriers after the clash.

All the way through. The magnitude of the penalty is the same no matter what.

If your TFs are in the same hex, planes will attack ships from multiple TFs. But mostly, having them all together prevents potential movement snafus and also frees up ships that would otherwise be babysitting carriers so that they can do other things... like also sit in the same hex, in a dedicated SCTF with a good SCTF commander (like Lee) that you might not otherwise be able to have commanding that TF if you formed it via detaching ships from CV TFs.

1/8/45

NoPac: What's at stake on this turn.

1/8/45

Sapporo: There are two routes of approach to - or escape from - Sapporo: to the NW or to the NE. Two USN DDs are patrolling the NW hex, which is Erik's most likely escape vector. This TF is ordered to enter Sapporo, but before it can do so it encounters this TF. I don't know if it's inbound or outbound.

1/8/45

Sapporo: After brushing aside the MLs, Laffey and Carmick steam SE and bump into an enemy CA force. So the cruisers are here. Has Erik sortied them to escape or to engage Death Star, or are they parked here for defensive purposes. I don't know - at least, not yet.

1/8/45

Sapporo: The outnumbered American destroyers fight well and score hits. Lots more Allied TFs are inbound, or supposedly so, so this is an encouraging start. But thus far I'm down one destroyer.

1/8/45

Sapporo: A fresh USN DD TF on the way, this one vectored purposefully to come in from the NW, just in case Erik sent his cruisers outbound that way. Instead, the destroyers find and dispatch some riff-raff.

1/8/45

Sapporo: Mine-tenders also encountered in this hex, suggesting that Erik has sortied at least his small craft to depart Sapporo for safety. If I'm lucky, this clash might impact Erik's ability to maintain mines in port.

1/8/45

Sapporo: An Alied CL/DD force approaching from the NE encounters an SSX.

1/8/45

Sapporo: Another fresh USN DD TF encounters the IJN cruiser TF. This screenshot was taken before the shooting began, so the enemy ships are a bit worse for the wear from previous action. The makeup of the enemy TF certainly isn't optimal. Erik has to be hurting for DDs.

1/8/45

Sapporo: Hard fighting by both sides. The Allied destroyers clearly prevail, but they don't manage to apply the coup-de-grace.

Note the enemy TF icons approaching Wakkanai from the east and southeast. I've taken some precautions but don't know if they are enough.

1/8/45

Sapporo: Enemy defenses kick in.

1/8/45

Sapporo: The Allied CL/DD TF arrives and takes on a fresh enemy cruiser TF (darn, I wish they'd targeted the tuckered-out one). The fighting is rather desultory. Once again, the composition of Erik's TF is noteworthy.

1/8/45

Sapporo: Both Allied CLs are showing a lot of flames during this little combat movie.

1/8/45

Sapporo: The most powerful Allied TF involved arrives at Sapporo (just prior to this, the Allied CL/DD TF reporting clearing a bunch of mines without incurring additional damage).

Also, an Allied YMS TF reported clearing about 40 mines at Wakkanai.

1/8/45

Sapporo: Sweeping away riff-raff. (Note the enemy subs two hexes north of Sapporo. That's where DS began the day.)

1/08/45

Sapporo:

1/8/45

Sapporo: This looks promising! This is the very set-up I was hoping for while entering the orders for this turn. Go, boys! Go!

1/8/45

Sapporo: The Louisville TF strikes hard.

1/8/45

Sapporo: Combat = Friction = Attrition

1/8/45

Sapporo: A USN sub or two will henceforth patrol this hex (assuming enemey ASW doesn't become problematic) to check for mines.

Just prior to this altercation, a PT boat hit a mine and sank. About six USN PT TFs were orderd to Sapporo from Wakkanai, but this is the only time one is mentioned during the combat replay.