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If you have 10 destroyers, would it be more efficient to put them all in one ASW TF, or split them up into 2 groups ?

Does TF size influence the likelihood of engagement of a sub ?

If I can just add a follow to Hartely's question. Any advice on the best use of A/C for ASW?

I don't know about "efficiency" Hartley but with more ASW ships in a TF then if it's attacked there will be more ASW ships to go after the submarine.

If I've four or five SCs in harbor I"ll pile them all into one ASW TF and hope for the best. Also check your destroyers for what sort of depth-charge capabilities they have. They are not all the same.

ASW attacks do not seem to train up ASW ships very fast--in fact I"m not sure these exercises train the ASW ships up at all, save for whatever experience pip might accrue due to normal day/night experience gained from being at sea doing . . . something. (This is a huge difference when compared to how fast warships can train up when sent on surface combat and bombardment missions, assuming they meet surface opposition in battle.)

As for aircraft in the ASW role: historically this was the best defense against submarines but I'm not sure it's modelled correctly in UV--I don't say it is not but rather you couldn't prove it by me. I see all sorts of sub sightings in the game by aircraft (entirely too many, but then the entire spotting model is ca-ca from jump) and these planes will occasionally make runs on their targets, with occasional hits from these attacks. How it's modelled exactly is anyone's guess. (A lot of people guess about a lot of stuff with this game.)

There doesn't seem to be any difference in the effectiveness of one kind of plane or the other in the ASW role. I'm told that planes on ASW patrol will do best when set to 1000 feet and I've no concrete reason to dispute this--but again, I don't know. I assume the farther a sub is distance-wise from a plane's airfield would adversely affect the odds of that plane spotting that submarine, but I don't know that, either, and haven't really seen it in play.

I've never seen a submarine sunk by an aircraft, only by depth charges and shell fire. I have seen some receive light damage from bombs, but never anything significant. I have noticed however that large numbers of aircraft assigned to ASW will surpress submarine activity and reduce the number of attacks against transports. This doesn't seem to be the case against combat TFs. It doesn't seem to matter which type of aircraft is used. Seagulls and Petes seem to surpress and spot just as well as Vals and Dauntless'.

Planes are most effective in spotting subs and they do attack but rarely hit. However their attacks reduce the endurance and fuel and can force the sub back to home base. When the sub is spotted you can then send out a hunter-killer TF of DDs with at least ASW of 4 and really do some damage.

Hi,

AC may not sink many subs but each attack they make drains the endurance of the sub even if it does no damage. Hence it hastens the time when the sub has to return to port to restock.

I am not sure which height is best to set my ASW ACs. I used to use 100 feet but now use 1000 more. I think you sight more at 1000 but maybe attack more effectively from 100 I believe experience also helps as I have found my high experience CV squadrens and search planes (Catalinas, Mavis's and Emily's) the most effective and often the best for making attacks.

Whether badly modelled or not ASW with ACs is a worthwhile exercise if your being hammered by enemy subs. At least it boosts your sightings so you can avoid their operating areas.

Good luck with it

Hi all,

DJAndrews wrote:I've never seen a submarine sunk by an aircraft, only by depth charges and shell fire. I have seen some receive light damage from bombs, but never anything significant. I have noticed however that large numbers of aircraft assigned to ASW will surpress submarine activity and reduce the number of attacks against transports. This doesn't seem to be the case against combat TFs. It doesn't seem to matter which type of aircraft is used. Seagulls and Petes seem to surpress and spot just as well as Vals and Dauntless'.

Aircraft can sink submarines...

If submarine is attacked and hit from air two times it almost certaily
sinks at the end of turn (you get message submarine xyz sunk).


Leo "Apollo11"