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Any advice on what to convert these guys to in early '42.

My thinking is I converted about half to APDs to benefit certain TFs with the "6" ASW they provide and get supplies somewhere in a pinch. I see some APDs come on the map in the canal zone around March '42 . I'm thinking about converting the rest to DEs when the time is right.

Would love to hear some other thoughts or ideas.

Thanks.

Not sure, I'm looking to convert nearly all of them to DE, but some might be made into APD and maybe some extra DMS become useful once you start invading mined islands. 

I convert a few to apds, but mostly use them as rear area escorts until sufficient numbers of dds and des are available.

not a bad idea. I should have done so in my game with is now at 9/42. The 6 ASW rating would have been useful against the prowling subs. Too late now. You get to refit your DD's and they get the K guns.

Question is, can they be converted again after being made into DEs ? If so, make them (nearly) all DEs and then convert them to other roles (transport, minesweeping) when they are needed and you have other escorts.

ORIGINAL: Smeulders

Not sure, I'm looking to convert nearly all of them to DE, but some might be made into APD and maybe some extra DMS become useful once you start invading mined islands. 

Maybe this will help.
http://www.destroyerhistory.org/flushde ... drons.html

Compared to vanilla WITP you have to have escorts. So i very much looked forward to converting those DDs to DEs.I converted all my clemson DDs to DE. And converted all the Wickes DDs to APD. The Clemsons will have longer range than the Wickes after conversion.

Be careful on upgrades. Once u upgrade it is impossible to convert after that. If i remember correctly its the 4/42 upgrade that makes it so you can no longer convert to the other classes. Also once u convert to a diffrent class you can no longer revert back to the previous. I would use a save or check editor before doing any of these options to make sure.

I haven't got to that stage yet, but given the AI is more aggressive, I'm leaning towards converting some to APD and others to the escort version.

I turn the vast majority into APD's. You will eventually get more of everything else to deal with the subs, or mines, but you'll never get another crack at those useful APD's.

In the meantime, raid Canada for KV's and CBI for DD's. The sub threat in CBI is minimal compared to what you get off Oz and the left coast. Even some of the short legged AM's (mainly UK/Commonwealth types) are useful to run out of port when you spot a sub you want to pounce on.

When I create an ASW force, I always check the aggression level of the TF commander. I want the most aggressive type.

Sulu;

I look at what goes down at PH first. If the allies have lost a lot of DM/DMS types at PH replacing a few of those seemed logical to me.

After that I lean towards APDs about two to one over the DEs. Like Central Blue says you do not get any decent APDs for a quite awhile. I also feel comfortable using APDs as escorts when they are not busy transporting so I think of them as dual purpose where the DE model is a pure escort with slightly better capability in that role.

I always stick an empty APD or two in every invasion TF so that it can "pick up survivors" if I get spanked.

In reality, the 4-stackers all dated from the end of WWI and should have been obsolete 20 years later, but in practice they gave stirling service for as long as possible.  Their main advantages are speed and ASW capability, at least early on.  They most certainly can not hold it in a straight surface firefight even with opposing DD's.
In AE the US seem to be lacking in decent troop-carrying fast transports so it would be a good idea to convert a few to these.  Others coudl capitalise on the ASW capability, particularly if the IJN subs are causing a real problem,  or could help out as DE's so freeing up other more modern & powerfully-armed DD's from escort duties.
Just my own thoughts...