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[:@]

Just ordered a bombardment of Tjilijap by a TF consisting of 4 BB and accompanying light vessels Bases from Brunei and ordered to return to Brunie. It travelled through the staights between Java and Sumatra and bombarded, and bombarded the intended target, ok some idiot sent the light units in to bombard as well and damaage was taken.[:-]

So far no problem, then the big shock

The TF is returning to Brunie via the south of Java passing the large Allied air force at Soerabaja. The original route would have sent them well out of the range of these aircraft.[:@][:@]

Of the 4 BB 1 will now sink within the next 2 days, 2 more will be out of action for some time.

Is this a known fault? Is there a way to sepcify the retreat of a bombarding TF? Would it be right to ask for a redo of the turn after such an error not of my doing?

Game date if it maters 24th Jan 1942

TONY

The way TFs behave when they are left to their own devices can be annoying; sorry to hear of your problems. I suspect that it just goes the shortest route, though I know freighters attempt to avoid enemy coast.
 
The things about bombarding that I've found:
 
1) if you are not POSITIVE that the CD you are facing is trivial, NEVER send any thing with less than about a 30.5 cm gun (12" gun), but preferably something more like a 15." Big CD emplacements can quickly maul any vessel, and it is just not worth putting vessels at risk just to get a bit of base damage and a bit of disruption.
 
2) If you want to make sure the bombardment TF does what you want the turn after they bombard, set them to patrol. This will cause them to stay on site, and bombard again in the daytime (but also exposing them to another day time round of CD response).
 
3) As far as I can tell, there really is no way to "sneak in bombard" and avoid any CD guns.
 
4) If you do want them to switch to Surface TF after bombarding, make sure your bombardment TF leader has an aggression rating of >60.

I'd say that you may well have given the AI "too much to think about" in this instance and it is my experience that when there is any "thought" involved the AI will invariably make the wrong decision. Brunei is a long way from anywhere on the south coast of Java. I would definitely have changed the homeport of any TF headed to Tjilijap (or whatever it is) to someplace to the NW of the Sunda Strait (between Sumatra and Java), preferably one that could be reached in one additional turn. If you're bombarding Java you must hold some port that fits the bill.

I agree with Spence. The AI will always try to not sail trough enemy-held bases/dots if it can avoid it. In your case to come back through the straits between Java and Sumatra it should sail trough Batavia hex, so the AI went south of Java. For it it's "logical".

By the way bombing Tjilatjap with BB from Brunei is rather bold.

If you want to do things like that you should have a base in the general direction where you want to retreat. For example if you hold Georgetown or any Malay base, set it as your home port and your BB will sail north. Next day order them to bombard Batavia (they should be in range) and set the home base at Brunei again, and they will sail next day NE like you want them to.

But sending BB on deep raids like that is not a good idea.