Building TF advice

[jgsIII]

Got a mission coming up where I can expect a moderate surface threat and a moderate air threat. I am trying to give the IJN a run for their money at Rabaul. Where I need the advice is do I:

a) create a TF of surface and CV assets
b) create a separate surface TF and CV escort TF

My question centers around how the system will deploy the CAP I am flying from the CV's.

If is it situation (a), I am sure the CAP will cover all the ships but I wonder if I am putting my CV's in harms way and I am not sure if the computer will make my Air Combat TF run away when I don't want it to.

If it is situation (b), will CAP cover both the CV Escort TF and the surface TF adequately?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[vlcz]

If you really want to engage anything in surface combat I would go for the second option , a Surface combat TF and a Air combat (not air escort) TF. And would put a % of the fighter in CAP and another % in LR CAP with the surface TF as target. Not perfect for sure, as fatigue will build fast for the fighters. But from my experience your first option will never engage surface combat on their choose avoiding every time.


But, I would not try to engage in surface escorted TFs so my chosen tactic would be a strong Air combat TF and a quite feeble (cl+3DD?) surface following, stationed at 5 hexes from the port, fighters in CAP , with the surface "picket" TF making nightly visits to the port.

DISCLAIMER: I suppose we are speaking versus AI here, if this is PBEM the best option is...the most fara away from there you can put your ships [8|]