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Does anyone bother building the smaller (99 ton) CHa subchasers?
If so what do you use them for?
They are slow,short-ranged,have only basic type95 charges,
and no meaningful upgrades.
Have a handful in service,have halted the rest.



WO 0/0

I would like to hear other opinions, but I build them.

They are not very good. But in most cases, they aren't sub killers, but rather there to just make subs stay under water.

Their main virtue is that they are very cheap to build, so why not?

I use them to escort lower-value convoys around the Home Islands, like ones hauling resources, etc.

I use them to patrol shallow areas and in a pinch to keep the subs submerged. A sub that isn't attacking my convoys is an ineffective sub.

Definitely build them.  As QB states: they're cheap.  They keep allied subs in port.   The eat torps that would otherwise hit an xAK or TK.

Yep, speaking from the Allied side any escort you can build is worth is. The targeting for submarines is so screwed up that any escort in a TF stands a good chance of getting attacked over any merchant no matter what the value of the target. And most of the time the sub misses. Does not matter if the escort has no teeth to it. They are all very useful. Build them...

I agree with the posts above. Although I've lamented their ability to carry out an attack considering the DC value of 8 assigned to them, I realize they do take a hit for some more valuable ships, do keep subs under if in an ASW role, and can be very good at defending ports and shallow water areas.

I've had some success using them in narrow channels with a good TF leader added, areas where subs move through into the DEI for instance and have to go between islands. I'll at times just leave one on stationary patrol there. I've gotten several attacks and at least one kill from that. Lets me know if something is moving into the area as well so the better open water capable ships can move in. I think all together I've had about 3 subs destroyed by these guys in the war, up to 1/44 now.

Definitly build them! You must swarm Palembang to Singapore rout with ASW, and chanell between Taiwan-Pescadores - China

eat torps that would otherwise hit an xAK or TK.

very cheap to build

I can see what you are saying,but they are so short ranged that they
slow down anything they escort.
Speaking of build points, what are your daily Nav & Merch yard point totals?
I have :1474 Naval
922 Merchant


WO 0/0

ORIGINAL: Warrant officer 0/0

Does anyone bother building the smaller (99 ton) CHa subchasers?
If so what do you use them for?
They are slow,short-ranged,have only basic type95 charges,
and no meaningful upgrades.
Have a handful in service,have halted the rest.



WO 0/0

Goodness yes! I love 'em! (seriously). Park 'em in their own 'patrol' hex (1 hex per SC) around your key ports to increase the safety of your resource / oil / fuel convoys when arriving near port. You can effectively blanket many high value hexes this way and increase DL of any approaching submarine.

As we all know, a detected submarine is a thwarted submarine. When combined with mobile H/K groups, air naval search and dedicated air ASW, this can be stultifying effect.

The point is that the IJN subchasers aren't MEANT to escort your long-range convoys; so the point about them slowing down things is moot. Plop them into independent, short-range ASW task forces.

I use them as port-ASW defense;

I have an ASW TF on each important HI port; patrolling the waters used by convoys, and up to 4 or 5 hexes.
Each of this TF is composed of 3 sub chasers and 1 Kiso PB.

I am in early war, and so far I haven't sunk anything, but almost in every turn I get some submarine action; usually the sub attacks, misses and then it gets pinned down by an unsuccesfull depth charge attack. Once in a while it gets caught in shallow waters, and then it can be funny to watch [;)]

My best "sub punisher" so far is the Aden freighter ship [:D]; it is just a matter of getting them into deck gun fights; they will obviously get the worst part, but 2 or 3 lucky hits can at least force the sub to return to base for repairs

One can see them as a sub "picket" much like radar DDs and DEs were air pickets. The allies have them as well, although not by the same name, they DO have value...

Maybe one on these days, Alfred will pull up a thread by Don Bowen, from two years ago, discussing this. There's some ships (Classes) that are used by the AI in special ways to do special things in their local ports. And players can use them that same way too.

Oh, you don't know what those special things are? Oh, too bad! Too, too bad!

Nobody cares about the dinky crap, notwithstanding they play an inportant part in the AI snd should play an equally important part in PBEMs, but they aren't sexy, like cruisers, so people ignore them. And then they wonder wtf??? when something happens that those vesels were designed to deal with. [:D][:D][:D]

Yippee Kai Yay. JWE

Interesting opinions. I think i will build them to replace all of these
equally useless PB's. Which i will convert back to AK's. At least when
these Cha's get sunk they will only cost me 1 VP. Could always use the
AK's, as losses have been heavy.


WO 0/0

ORIGINAL: Warrant officer 0/0

I think i will build them to replace all of these
equally useless PB's. Which i will convert back to AK's. WO 0/0

Don't do this!

even assuming you are right on the "not so great" capabilities of a PB, to which I disagree; if anything because PBs are numerous and had the range to follow convoys that otherwise will be using your very scarce DD pool
However, their value as AK is nill, too small and fuel ineficient

Remember that PBs at the very least will limit the submarine attacks to one shot-only, (before diving). Otherwise, they will attack repetedly

ORIGINAL: Warrant officer 0/0

Interesting opinions. I think i will build them to replace all of these
equally useless PB's. Which i will convert back to AK's. At least when
these Cha's get sunk they will only cost me 1 VP. Could always use the
AK's, as losses have been heavy.


WO 0/0

Dude...

PBs should be your mainstay in xAKL conversions. Those million Tosa class small ships? Great convoy escorts. Sure, they're no great shakes in ASW, but so much better than nothing.

Even if your Japanese SC and/or PBs don't sink a sub, if they can prevent an AP/AK/AKL from getting hit. Its a win, IMO.

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Even if your Japanese SC and/or PBs don't sink a sub, if they can prevent an AP/AK/AKL from getting hit. Its a win, IMO.

+1

+2  Even the most minimal escort makes a great deal of difference from none at all in my experience.
 
Ed-

ORIGINAL: Symon

Maybe one on these days, Alfred will pull up a thread by Don Bowen, from two years ago, discussing this. There's some ships (Classes) that are used by the AI in special ways to do special things in their local ports. And players can use them that same way too.

Oh, you don't know what those special things are? Oh, too bad! Too, too bad!

Nobody cares about the dinky crap, notwithstanding they play an inportant part in the AI snd should play an equally important part in PBEMs, but they aren't sexy, like cruisers, so people ignore them. And then they wonder wtf??? when something happens that those vesels were designed to deal with. [:D][:D][:D]

Yippee Kai Yay. JWE

You rangggggg ...... !

I wasn't going to post in this thread because the OP was asking for personal opinions based on actual player praxis, but a plea to Super Hero armed with super search powers (there you go Marvel, how's that for a hint to revive the genre,) ....

Didn't find a post from 2011. I did however find this post from Don Bowen from March 2009.

tm.asp?m=2055886&mpage=1&key=subchasers&#2055904

Now to choose which colour and emblem for my cape. Maybe, for a bit of zanyness, a Venetian Carnevale mask instead of the usual type of mask.

Alfred