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Background: I'm playing a post Midway scenario, I'm now up to September of '42. Playing against the AI.

Early in the scenario my carriers (Saratoga and Enterprise) had a quick little skirmish with the IJN CVs which was more or less a draw. Both my CVs had moderate damage (Saratoga was at 25 or so, Enterprise over 30).

So I sent them back to Noum for repairs. I didn't want to send them back to Pearl for fear that I wouldn't see them again.

Was that the correct decision? Almost two months game time have past, and Enterprise is still over 20, and Saratoga is at like 15. Would I have been better off sending them back, or would it be even longer to get them back? Particularly as I've been at moderate commitment level for some time?

Advice is appreciated.
Thanks.

I'm an IJN player, however the consensus as I understand it is that sending the U.S. carriers back for repairs, especially with significant system damage, is definitely better than repair in theater because those ships also get massive AA upgrades which are critical later on. In light of those upgrades it may still be worth sending them back even now.

The IJN has a tougher decision because they won't get upgrades and the likelihood of release of ships to the theater decreases over time.

Just remember one nasty little thing about sending Allied ships back to Pearl for repair in UV. If a weapons system (turret, AA battery, deck gun, and so on) is damaged or destroyed (shown in red), DON'T send it back to Pearl. If you do, the damaged or destroyed system stays as it is and is NEVER repairable again. Put such ships in Noumea and wait for the damaged or destroyed system to be repaired locally before sending the ship back to Pearl.

I don't know if this applies equally to IJN ships.

I havent had this problem, but have never had to send CV's back to PH with damaged sub sections to my knowledge, but CA's and DD's I have sent back with subsystem damage and they have come back fine

I read somewhere that the repair time for a CV at Pearl is four days per point of System Damage, and of course the 19 days travel time each way. Still hard to say... I guess the question is if repairs in theatre occur at the same rate, or are variable.

I haven't watched close enough to be sure.


Thanks for the input.

The repair rates at Pearl are significantly faster than in threatre, signifying that Pearl has specialised repair facilities whereas there is nothing in threatre that does. And yes the repair is variable based on size of port, number of ships in port, supplies etc. I have had worse case scens where I tried to repair a CV in Noumea, and it only repaired about 2 points after 3 months. Smaller ships repair faster, but big ships really need to go back.

ORIGINAL: DoomedMantis

The repair rates at Pearl are significantly faster than in threatre, signifying that Pearl has specialised repair facilities whereas there is nothing in threatre that does. And yes the repair is variable based on size of port, number of ships in port, supplies etc. I have had worse case scens where I tried to repair a CV in Noumea, and it only repaired about 2 points after 3 months. Smaller ships repair faster, but big ships really need to go back.

Ah, so major units may as well be sent back for any sort of significant damage. Fair enough.

Thanks!

My first time playing the game I sent Enterprise (47 damage pts)& North Carolina (65 damage pts) back to Pearl and when I checked the Ship Availablity list a couple of turns later I found it would be over a year before I could expect to get them back.

ORIGINAL: afspret

My first time playing the game I sent Enterprise (47 damage pts)& North Carolina (65 damage pts) back to Pearl and when I checked the Ship Availablity list a couple of turns later I found it would be over a year before I could expect to get them back.

However, if you keep them in the theater they may have never got be low 20 damage by the end of the game. Also try not to send carriers out in taskforces with 20 or more damage, because with one hit they won't be flying planes.

I've only experience of games against AI, but I don't really understand sending any working flightdecks back as USN player. They are irreplaceble as there is only few of them around. On IJN I have done this few times, with as little as 9 pts of system damage and only when I was running low on working planes in all carrier attack wings and felt the need to cannibalize few ships. (Scenario 17 problem. In 19, you have luxury of losing few Val's and Kate's.)

They are almost useless in threatre and you will get something to replace them if not themselves before game end. Must remember that it does take a while to repair large ships like that

ORIGINAL: afspret

My first time playing the game I sent Enterprise (47 damage pts)& North Carolina (65 damage pts) back to Pearl and when I checked the Ship Availablity list a couple of turns later I found it would be over a year before I could expect to get them back.

I don't have much experience of the game, but most of ships sunk in me vs. AI tend to have 1000 lbs bomb holes in them. Only thing I never do with carriers as USN player is duel it out with IJN birdfarms. They are too valuable as commerce/anti-surface raiders. This is why I don't see the point of sending them back.

IJN birdfarm... I like that.
[:D]