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I hate leaving my fleets at sea at the end of the turn. I always want them in the highest box possible.

So when should you leave your fleets/air units at sea?

Here are a few that I know of, but what others are there?

- Maintaining convoy escorts. With cruisers in the 4 box dropping to the 3 and from the 1 box dropping to the 0.
- The surprise port strike by the Japanese where you hope to go first the next turn and catch a carrier in port in Pearl.
- Maintaining supply in a critical seazone for the first impulse of the next turn.
- German subs staying at sea when the Germans expect not to have a naval move next turn.
- Leaving a fleet at sea because you don't have a safe port for it to rebase to.

What else am I missing?

If you're playing with 'In the Presence of the Enemy' optional you need to leave ships or fleets at sea to maintain presence in sea areas you expect will be contested (either by yourself or the opposing side).

There is oil to be considered (especially for the Japanese and the Italians).

If you can't reorganise your ships end of turn (due to oil shortages), it might be better to keep them at sea, where they might be usefull still.

There isn't much difference between the 3 and 4 box for invasions or shore bombardment. So it might be wise to move your BB's into the four box and keep them there if you didn't use the shore bombardment factor this turn and expect to use it next turn (but watch out for the weather chart). Saves oil...

Same goes for NAV and CV's too. If they are in the 4 box, let them stay at sea, because out of the 3 box, they still can do enough. Saves oil...

Sometimes you leave fleets at sea to intercept the other sides RTB moves. This can really scare him if its a sea zone where a lot of his resources are being sent through - you might have searched and missed his CPs during the turn and he certainly won't want to take a chance that you'll intercept an RTB - which can abort after one round of combat - but the problem is unless all of his units abort, you get to keep searching...

I learned how to keep units at sea by reading a Joseph Conrad story - "The Rover" - about life in Toulon during the Napoleonic Wars.

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

Sometimes you leave fleets at sea to intercept the other sides RTB moves. This can really scare him if its a sea zone where a lot of his resources are being sent through - you might have searched and missed his CPs during the turn and he certainly won't want to take a chance that you'll intercept an RTB - which can abort after one round of combat - but the problem is unless all of his units abort, you get to keep searching...

Yes, I was going to mention RTB, but also, aborted ships from combats further away who need to RTB as a result of the battle.

Another possibility: Interdict troop transports.