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Why do AKs and TKs that are being loaded with oil/supplies leave port before being filled to capacity?

They will load to a certain level, and leave enough to cover the base. [:)][8D]

OK Thanks

I'll just make that base the ship's home port temporarily.

From the manual:

No ship may load more than 10% of the supplies located on a base. For example, if there are 100 supplies on a base, no more than 10 may be loaded in any ship at that time.

ORIGINAL: OldCoot

Why do AKs and TKs that are being loaded with oil/supplies leave port before being filled to capacity?

Did you mean Fuel/supplies if so it's been answered. If you meant Oil/Resources you can take all from a base exept the computer will leave some at the base unless you force it not to. To load all set the TF to 'do not unloaded' issue the load instruction. Next turn re issue the load and so on until the base is empty.

I'm trying to do two things here.

1 - I'm assembling a reinforcement/supply convoy on the west coast. 3 tankers are being loaded with fuel, and  all the others are being sent to LA to load oil. I want to top these off at 100% and then send them to San Diego.

2 - The second case involves the DEI. I want all the fast 2000 ton APs to load up, and then dash to Singapore. It might be a good thing if they do go in with partial loads since some supplies at Singapore might be better than a lot of supplies on the bottom of Bativia Bay. I'm also trying to load all the other DEI transport with oil/supplies/whatever, and send it to wherever. Ideally, I'd get all this stuff back to OZ, but if  worse comes to worse and they get sunk, then the Nips don't get the ships or their cargoes.

So, how about this? On the west coast I send the tankers to LA with LA being designated as their home port. They stay there until loaded and then are sent to SD. In the DEI I leave the fast APs as is - accepting that they will (hopefully)  deliver  partial loads to Singapore - something is better than nothing. The remainder of the DEI transport will be forced to remain at their docks until they are full or sunk.

Set the TF home port as the port where they are loading and make sure to set the TF to "Do Not Unload".  They'll eventually fill up.

1. You don't have to send anything from LA to San Diego - this city will get everything it needs by railroad.

2. APs are a bad choice for this job. They can not load many supplies, unloading them is very slow and - most important - APs are very valuable ships for the Allies. There are never enough APs around. A few extra supplies in Singapore is not worth risking them. It's much better to use small task forces of 1-2 small AKs for that job. AKs are much more expendable, and small TFs have a fair chance to arrive unspotted. You also can bring in some supplies by fast transport TFs (using these Dutch DDs).

If you don't need the APs for the evacuation of troops, you should let them sail a safe route to the West Coast (e.g. via Perth and Sydney). They can load some fuel for Australia before they leave the NEI, but don't send them to dangerous waters if there's no very good reason to do so.

ORIGINAL: OldCoot
So, how about this? On the west coast I send the tankers to LA with LA being designated as their home port. They stay there until loaded and then are sent to SD.

This is a viable method to make sure a TF doesn't leave port before it is fully loaded, But you should set the TF to "do not unload" while it is loading - otherwise it might start unloading suddenly.

Thanks Bogo

I found out that "do not unload" thing the hard way.

ORIGINAL: OldCoot

Thanks Bogo

I found out that "do not unload" thing the hard way.

One more thing on loading. Sometimes a TF will leave port before it is full. This can only happen it you set a destination and then load. To prevent this set the destination afterwards. Nothing wose than finding you important TF has sail with half a load.

Even against a PBEM oppenent one or two ship can usually load/unload without too much trouble. Most of the Dutch/Philippine AKs/TKs are medium to small so they don't take long to load/unload. Set them to load on one turn, next cancel the load if necessary and set sail max speed away. You'll be surprised at just how many do get away with a good amount of supply etc. With TKs don't leave them loading for more than one turn as they will get the chop.

Don't use AP for anything except evacutaion and supply transports out of the DEI and again don't leave them loading for more than one turn. Note that you may not be able to take all of a unit during an evacuation using this method but a part LCU will be rebuilt.

Two more points:

If you disband a TF at a port, where other task forces are (un)loading, often one of these will forget their load orders. Thus you have to check the orders of all TFs after disbanding.

If APs load supplies, 1 supply point uses 3 points of cargo space. If there are only 1 or 2 points left, they often need some time to realize that the ship is full. The TF will depart eventually, but you usually lose at least 1/2 turn of movement. If you have a TF which is almost fully loaded, you can hit "cancel loading supplies" to prevent the delay.

If it is oil and resources you refer to, then the ship will load all that is there and debark once there is no more to load.  So you might have your ships only 50% capacity, but the base has no more resource or oil to load and the task force will depart.

"If you disband a TF at a port, where other task forces are (un)loading, often one of these will forget their load orders. Thus you have to check the orders of all TFs after disbanding."

This was fixed with v1.806.