Couple of questions about mission types

[fbs]

The manual says that the mission types are self-explanatory, but I have a couple of doubts:

(a) What's the difference between Cargo and Tanker TFs? I suspect that one will make my TK load oil, and the other will make my TK load fuel, is that right? Or are there two missions just for ship selection?

(b) What is a Support TF? I reckon that it just goes from one port to another, or does it do something more?

(c) Still on Support TFs, it won't let me choose light cruisers as escorts, and as AR and AS are valuable ships, I will want to give it a light cruiser and a few destroyers as escorts. Because of that, I'd rather relocate my valuable auxiliaries through an Escort Mission (it allows me to select cruisers) rather than a Support Mission - anything wrong with my reasoning?

Thanks!
fbs

[pmelheck1]

I might have this all wrong but...

1.  Tanker TF is made up of only tankers and escorts they can load oil and fuel.  Cargo is Cargo ships and can include tankers and escorts and can load supplies, fuel, oil, and resources.   Note only Tankers can load oil.

2.  Support TF is for all those ships in support of fleet ops. 

3.  I would create a surface combat and and ASW TF or two and have them escort the support fleet.  In the advent of a surface engagement the surface combat TF should engage the enemy.  If part of support and support fleet is attacked the support ships can be targeted and destroyed.  In addition if the SC TF fights a enemy TF regardless of the outcome the enemy fleet my end up low on ammo and retire.

[Sardaukar]

b) I am not sure if Escort TF lets you load those tenders with supply, lot of them require loaded supplies to work. AE, AS to reload guns & torpedoes, etc. 

[fbs]

I'm still confused; if you put a TK on a Cargo TF, will it load fuel or oil? Also, if you put a TK on a Tanker TF, will it load fuel or oil?

You're saying, mullk, that Support TF will do underway replenishment and repairs at sea for another TF? The ships themselves will do their stuff (AS, AE, AR, etc...) when they are disbanded in a port, they don't need a Mission Type for that, so you're saying that they will continue to do their stuff when they are in a Support TF?

Thanks!
fbs

[crsutton]

If you put a tanker in a mixed cargo TF, you can only click on the "load supplies" button. The tankers will load fuel and the AKs will load supply. But the tankers will not load oil. If you use a tanker TF which can only have tankers in it, you can then opt to load oil or fuel but not both.

[fbs]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

If you put a tanker in a mixed cargo TF, you can only click on the "load supplies" button. The tankers will load fuel and the AKs will load supply. But the tankers will not load oil. If you use a tanker TF which can only have tankers in it, you can then opt to load oil or fuel but not both.

Very nice, thank you. That clarifies the purpose of Cargo TF vs. Tanker TF.

How about Support TF? Is there any particular behavior for that mission?

Thanks!
fbs

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: fbs

ORIGINAL: crsutton

If you put a tanker in a mixed cargo TF, you can only click on the "load supplies" button. The tankers will load fuel and the AKs will load supply. But the tankers will not load oil. If you use a tanker TF which can only have tankers in it, you can then opt to load oil or fuel but not both.

Very nice, thank you. That clarifies the purpose of Cargo TF vs. Tanker TF.

How about Support TF? Is there any particular behavior for that mission?

Thanks!
fbs

Support TF is for movement of support ships. Form a support TF with repair ships, tenders, ammo ships, fuel ships, probably some minesweeper and small ASW craft and park it somewhere. Instant fleet base.

[fbs]

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen

Support TF is for movement of support ships. Form a support TF with repair ships, tenders, ammo ships, fuel ships, probably some minesweeper and small ASW craft and park it somewhere. Instant fleet base.

Thank you, Don. Does it have to be located in a port for the TF to work?

Thanks,
fbs

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: fbs

ORIGINAL: Don Bowen

Support TF is for movement of support ships. Form a support TF with repair ships, tenders, ammo ships, fuel ships, probably some minesweeper and small ASW craft and park it somewhere. Instant fleet base.

Thank you, Don. Does it have to be located in a port for the TF to work?

Thanks,
fbs

To provide support (fuel, ammo, repairs) - yes.

[sven6345789]

Except for AE and AO, all support ships work if you disband them into the port. An AE TF can resupply if located in a port before 1944. After that, it can resupply at sea.
To have the tenders (AD,AS,AR,AG) work, they need supply and be disbanded in base
AV increase your air support value at the base (although only for floatplanes). They cannot load supply though.

[crsutton]

Well, repairs ships and most support ships do their work in port. AE ships have to be in port to work until later in the war (1944) when they can then replenish some ammo types while at sea. AOs can of course, refuel other ships at sea.

[fbs]

So what's the point of having a Support TF mission if you can move the ships with any TF type (like Escort) and then disband them in port?

I'm probably being thick about this... sorry for that. I mean, I know that a Support TF can include support ships, but what I don't get is why the need to have a distinct sailing mission type for a group of ships that will stay anchored at a port. An AD will not roam around doing its work on high seas.. it will lay anchors and do the work on a port. So whether an AD is disbanded on a port or it is on a Support TF on a port, it will still do the same thing.. what's the need of the Support TF?

Also, the Support TF gives the AD an increased capacity to evade air attacks. But in reality the ship was anchored, with a few destroyers around, so it couldn't move -- that's a loophole that allows support ships to evade the penalties of being anchored at the time of an attack.

As I said, I must be thick this, sorry again -- I can't see the need of Support TFs, neither their benefit, and they seem to contradict the actual behavior of those ships.


Thanks!
fbs

[romanovich]

Don't you need at least a level 3 port to be able to disband? So, a support TF allows you to provide support at smaller stations. No?

[Don Bowen]

ORIGINAL: romanovich

Don't you need at least a level 3 port to be able to disband? So, a support TF allows you to provide support at smaller stations. No?

There are limits on disband. Limits are on docking.

The ships in a support TF provide the support. A Support TF is a convenient way to group and move them.

[fbs]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... that explains it. Very nice.

I -knew- there was some good reason to have Support TFs, hahahaha.. who said there is no need or benefit from Support TFs? Hang that guy by his toes! :^D

Romanovich and Don get a cookie each. Thanks!
fbs

[pmelheck1]

for the tanker TF if you you can click load oil and it will load oil, click load fuel and it will load fuel.  For cargo if you click load supplies AK's will load supplies and TK's will load fuel.  If you click load resources AK's will load resources and tankers will load oil if it's available tankers will not load supplies.

If you need supplies and fuel at one location you can put both AK's and TK's in one TF and supply both.  When I set up CS convoys I normally always pick a mix of AK's and TK's to keep my larger bases in supply and fuel.