Midget Subs: how to use properly

[jomni]

How do you use midget subs properly?
I have a bunch of them in my Guadalcanal game and they have very short range.
So how do you actually get them to the front line?
What "mother ship" is used?
What are the steps involed to do the loading?
What tactics to use for the subs (are they suicide subs)?

Related topic:
I have landing crafts at Truk. How do I get them to the front line?
And how are they best used?

[Mynok]

Create a Midget Sub Carrier TF and put one SS and one SSX in it. Then move to a port. The midget will attack the shipping and die. It might even torpedo something in the process.

The Class C1 Jap SS's are the midget sub carriers. I-16 is one.

To get the barges from Truk (why did you build them there?), create a barge TF and add all your barges plus an xAK. The xAK will refuel the barges so they can make Rabaul.

[madflava13]

I actually just had a midget successfully penetrate PH, torpedo the West Virginia, and make it back to the mother sub. I meant to buy a powerball ticket, but I used my luck up on AE instead.

[Rob Brennan UK]

I made a list last week for this ..

I 16,18,20,22,24 should all work as midget carriers .

hope that helps

[jomni]

Thanks for the tip guys.

Regarding the landing crafts.  They're not user-made barges.  They "L**"-type crafts that have short range provided by the scenario.  They start out at Truk.

[moose1999]

Just to be clear on this:
Hm. Sounds like I've been doing it wrong until now, then.
I park the midget carrier one hex from PH and then let the midget go one hex by itself to PH.
And come to think of it, I've never seen any messages about my midgets trying to enter the harbor.
They just die in the minefield...

[Ametysth]

ORIGINAL: briny_norman

Just to be clear on this:
Hm. Sounds like I've been doing it wrong until now, then.
I park the midget carrier one hex from PH and then let the midget go one hex by itself to PH.
And come to think of it, I've never seen any messages about my midgets trying to enter the harbor.
They just die in the minefield...

Send the carrier itself to target. It will detach the midget and send it in automatically. Then watch it hit obstruction, mine, bottom etc (basically midget will hit anything, but the target...). The Type A midget is useless in anything but this amusing sideshow.

However, the better models are in the pipeline and last model, Type D, is actually as good or better than some actual submarines IJN gets into service in 1945, same time it comes available. I personally would save those midget pool points until then and build instant 60+ submarines quite capable of striking enemy ships on open ocean.

[Rapunzel]

In my last game against the ai, a miget sub managed to torpedo one of my BBs in Drydock^^. Flying torpedos [&o]

[John Lansford]

I just had a midget sneak into Madras harbor and torpedo an xAKL there.  Good use of resources there, guys!

[Rob Brennan UK]

Damn AI hit the Big E in sydney harbour , thay might be a v risky venture but they can work occasionally. just dont expect them to, so your not disapointed [;)]

[Q-Ball]

It seems they are modelled to be very historically accurate in AE. In other words, they are a waste of effort.

[Feltan]

ORIGINAL: jomni

How do you use midget subs properly

Look for the button that says "scuttle."

Regards,
Feltan

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Rob Brennan UK

... thay might be a v risky venture but they can work occasionally. just dont expect them to, so your not disapointed [;)]

This is my approach.

[erstad]

To get the barges from Truk (why did you build them there?), create a barge TF and add all your barges plus an xAK.

Or return them to the pool and recreate them where you want them.

There is a small lag before they return to the pool.

[stuman]

ORIGINAL: madflava13

I actually just had a midget successfully penetrate PH, torpedo the West Virginia, and make it back to the mother sub. I meant to buy a powerball ticket, but I used my luck up on AE instead.

That is the truth !

I experimented in my current game against the AI. I kept trying mini subs until I actually hit something. I got to about 15 attempts, then finally success in Sydney Harbor ! I don't try any more [:)]

[Xxzard]

It's nice to have an expendable weapon for attacking otherwise impenetrable harbors, but it seems that even when they do get through they usually are only a nuisance to any ships around. I've seen "torpedo mechanism failure" notifications, and in an attack at Sydney harbor one actually succeeded and torpedoed the AV Tangiers. But it's damage was not critical, and after a while in the yard it was good as new.

[jomni]

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[Nemo121]

Yeah, the real problem isn't that they don't hit often ( which they don't ) but that even if they DO hit they generally only do very small amounts of damage to anything but the smallest, most expendable target.

If they succeed, which is unlikely, you'll just put that BB or CA in for repairs for a week or two. Big deal.

[FatR]

ORIGINAL: Nemo121

Yeah, the real problem isn't that they don't hit often ( which they don't ) but that even if they DO hit they generally only do very small amounts of damage to anything but the smallest, most expendable target.

If they succeed, which is unlikely, you'll just put that BB or CA in for repairs for a week or two. Big deal.

This isn't anywhere close to RL, by the way. Ramillies was out of action for a year, after being torpedoed by a midget.

But as things stand, saving your effort and using midgets for harbor defense, preferably not activating them until decent late-war models appear, seems to be the most sensible action.

[jomni]

Ok I have sent a sub carrier with midget to a port.
I get a message saying the midget is detatched.
Now in the map I can't find the midget anymore.
What happened?