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Would you put a VMF on one, and a VMSB on the other in a single TF? Or send them back and hope for something better ?

It really depends on what you expect to get back

Basically I need more information

Do you have any CV's sitting in Pearl?

Do you need the CVE's?

CVE's make great targets most of the time unless there are other CV's that can go with the group, but the problem then is that the CVE's are slow vessels.

Best role for them is to protect convoys. As for putting other groups on the ships, I recommend loading them with one fighter group, and move the other TB's and SBD's off them. If you overload them then nothing will fly, so I put one 24 strong fighter group on them and dont worry about the excess space. If you overload them then you get some issues with groups changing size.

Those two ships shop up with no airgroups.

As for protecting convoys, that would be as a following AC TF ?
If you put a CVE in a transport TF, it doesn't launch CAP ?


<Most of the Jap CVs are in the bottom of the ocean, but using LBA is kind of frustrating. On naval attack you never know what will happen. They have a nasty habit of attacking at extended range ships in port with heavy cap.
And LRCAP seems not very effective, and tires fighters very quickly.>

A CVE can be added to a transport TF and will fly CAP or any mission you give to the airgroup, if the airgroup is smal enough for for the CVE.

The most important in the CVE is the E. They are not CV able to sail in combat fleets. If you try to do that with any side, you will probably get punished. The few planes you will win are not worth the slow speed of the all fleet. And they will probably be hit, as their AA rating will probably be the worth of any ship in the CV TF (including DD). And then you will have a hard time to save them.

Copahee and Altamaha were used historically to ferry planes or ASW patrols, but primary the former. If you need a ferry CV, keep them. If not send them back to Pearl.

Depending on your situation, I have two used for CVEs. The main is to place them all in a CVE TF along with some good AA ships to give stand off CAP support to invasion and transport fleets. The other is to place TBF and SBD group on them to give ASW escort to transport TFs

Early in the game you will need at least one (Long Island) to help shuttle short legged army fighters between Noumea and Brisbane. These are valuable ships. I rarely send them back to Pearl.

I've used CVE's as my carrier forces in the NG area with great effect as long as you don't go over the a/c capacity of the ship things will be just fine. I don't use them singly in a TF though, I use them together when I have about 4 or more. If it doesn't have an airgroup assigned I'll normally try to put at least 1 VMF unit on one for CAP purposes since those with airgroups already assigned are only about a dozen at most strong. They aren't front line CV's so I don't take on the IJN uber TFs with them unless that's all I have to use.