How to make best use of fast liners

[crsutton]

At first they look great but they feature large troop capacity with small cargo. Unfortunately your standard infantry regiment is just the opposite with about 2/3rds of it consisting of cargo. Only way I see to make efficient use is to saddle them with slower AKs which sort of defeat the purpose of a 30 knot liner. You can carry smaller units but it seems to be such a waste of such a big ship.

Anyhow, they are not as great in game as they look.

I really thought the large liners had much more cargo carrying capacity but I guess they were carrying troops to rear bases with the goods to follow at a later date.

[Chickenboy]

Take my wife, please! [:D]

Oh, sorry. I thought this was how to make the best use of 'one-liners'.

WRT the fast liners: I agree. After I conveniently managed to be an idiot in a game vs. the AI, I forgot about the port limitations for unloading such a behemoth. I had transported a mech-heavy unit to Darwin and was unloading her FOREVER in transport mode there. Totally defeated the purpose.

Given the option to do it again, I'd fast load a portion of a needed combat unit to large port behind the lines in a hub and spoke model. Maybe get 75 % of one of the USAA regiments to NZ and then let local xAPs move it from there. Balance of heavy equipment to follow. At least you'll be able to get something into theater quickly. QM et al can do a nice job shuttling LCUs from Aden to Oz.

[Raverdave]

I LOVE the fast liners!   Wish I had another twenty of the buggers !

[scott64]

ORIGINAL: Raverdave

I LOVE the fast liners!   Wish I had another twenty of the buggers !

If the Japs don't sink them first. [:'(]

[sprior]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Take my wife, please! [:D]

Oh, sorry. I thought this was how to make the best use of 'one-liners'.

My wife went the West Indies.

Jamaica?

No, she went of her own accord.

[Canoerebel]

One of the Queens arrives in San Diego. Use her to haul 41st Division to Auckland or Sydney. You'll be amazed at how quickly she makes the journey. After she unloads, use regular APs/xAPs to redistibute the troops to smaller ports like Noumea, Suva, or Port Moresby. Don't try to unload the Queen at one of them, however, at least in 1942 when they are small.

After she makes her trip to Auckland or OZ it won't be long before she has to be withdrawn.

The other Queen arrives in Capetown and has to be withdrawn fairly quickly. In my game I just left her at Cape and never even used her.

[vlcz]

..Only way I see to make efficient use is to saddle them with slower AKs...

Break the convoy after loading the unit, so you accomplish two objetives, sending reinforcement quickly [not to front line due to port capacities but at least two forward developed bases] and preventing the LCU elimination by a successful enemy ijterception of one convoy.

[xj900uk]

They are fast & spacy but best to send them paired with a good destroyer that isn't going to need refilling every other day for protection.  Ideal for moving troops fas thoguh

[John Lansford]

I sent QEII from Sydney to San Francisco at the start of the CG and loaded her with troops for Pearl, then sent her back to Seattle for system repairs.  When she came out of there I sent her back to SF and she was fired on by at least 3 I-boats, but fortunately none of them hit her.  At some point she got back to Sydney, then I realized she had to be withdrawn and sent her south of Oz to Karachi.  The other one I just left her at Cape Town after running to Columbo a couple of times.

[bradfordkay]

You have QEII in your game? That's quite a trick...

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

One of the Queens arrives in San Diego. Use her to haul 41st Division to Auckland or Sydney. You'll be amazed at how quickly she makes the journey. After she unloads, use regular APs/xAPs to redistibute the troops to smaller ports like Noumea, Suva, or Port Moresby. Don't try to unload the Queen at one of them, however, at least in 1942 when they are small.

After she makes her trip to Auckland or OZ it won't be long before she has to be withdrawn.

The other Queen arrives in Capetown and has to be withdrawn fairly quickly. In my game I just left her at Cape and never even used her.

Yes, but the queen holds 8,000 troops and 2,000 cargo. You can't even put an infantry regiment into one because the average regiment takes up about 6,000 cargo or more.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

I sent QEII from Sydney to San Francisco at the start of the CG and loaded her with troops for Pearl, then sent her back to Seattle for system repairs.  When she came out of there I sent her back to SF and she was fired on by at least 3 I-boats, but fortunately none of them hit her.  At some point she got back to Sydney, then I realized she had to be withdrawn and sent her south of Oz to Karachi.  The other one I just left her at Cape Town after running to Columbo a couple of times.

You could have withdrawn her from Sidney. No need to run her back to Karachi.

[eMonticello]

ORIGINAL: xj900uk

They are fast & spacious but best to send them paired with a good destroyer that isn't going to need refilling every other day for protection.

A destroyer in the "convoy" would only slow down the Queen. I use an ASW TF composed of a pair of destroyers to follow the solo Queen on departure until the TF reaches Bingo fuel (half the fuel is gone) while another ASW TF meets the Queen near the destination to escort her in. I'm assuming, of course, the odds of a catastrophic sub encounter will be slim as it was historically.

[SuluSea]

The big luxury liners make good Capetown -East Coast ferrys
 
 that way you don't have to worry about....
 
Subs sinking her and the troops
Extra damage from the on map sortie and two weeks in the yard
 
I will run Air HQs the distance with them however because they will respawn if lost. They'll pick up escorts 20-30 hexs out if I go that route.