How much to you concentrate your forces?

[DrewMatrix]

I am finding here, as in UV and PacWar, it is very profitable to concentrate enormously. I don't have all my CVs in one TF, but I have all my CVs in the same hex.

I think (but am curious at to the opinions of others) you need to do this until you have defeated the main opposing CV strength. Once, for example, the IJ are down to 1 or 2 full sized CVs, then I would split my forces, but only if I was certain both subgroups could handle the entire enemy CV force.

To do otherwise is to risk losing 2 of your CVs to 4 of his and then you are in real trouble.

I will send small forces (an escorted transport convoy) elsewhere and will harass with land based air, but I won't divide up my main naval force until the enemy is so weakened either portion of it _still_ overwhelms the entire enemy national fleet.

How do you do it? Divide to confuse the enemy or concentrate for that One Big Battle?

[ZOOMIE1980]

Playing Japan, I have yet to see a single American carrier. I'm sitting on Jan 20 right now. But have yet to move south of Rabaul, even though Tarawa and Wake are mine and having H6K4's on long range search. No sign of carriers anywhere, yet.

[DrewMatrix]

Playing Japan, I have yet to see a single American carrier. I'm sitting on Jan 20 right now.

Playing the Allies, by Jan 20 I had been careful not to let the IJ see any of my carriers yet either.

Late Jan I finally found all the IJ CVs in two TFs, both near Borneo (Singapore-Borneo-Java area). THEN I made two TFs, each with 2 CVs, all (4) of my undamaged BBs and a bunch of AKs and lunged from Pearl at Maletop.

Hmm, are you scouting Pearl? Can you get an AV to French Frigate and recon Pearl from there?

Do the IJ have any seaplane tender subs?

[RUPD3658]

I had the Allied computer try to get the Saratoga through to DEI in Late Jan 41. I think it was ferrying aircraft since there were suddenly wildcats at Soerobaja. The Bettys from Palambang hit it with 26 bombs and sent it to the bottom of the java strait. I guess the other CVs will hide for a while.

[AmiralLaurent]

Concentration is necessary when the enmy himself concentrates, so it all depends of what you know of him. So you have to know to decide.

It's a good idea to have all CV together but with the scale of WITP, that means that you will cover only a small part of the map and so the other guy may hit you everywhere else.

You also need to repair your CV from time to time and so to dock them in a big port.

It was much simpler in UV as CV TF will cross the map in 3 days.

[DrewMatrix]

you will cover only a small part of the map

Absolument! (as Amiral Laurent would say). That is the price you pay. I can still snipe with TFs grabbing small bases and with Land Based Air

[kokubokan25]

Playing Japan, I have yet to see a single American carrier. I'm sitting on Jan 20 right now. But have yet to move south of Rabaul, even though Tarawa and Wake are mine and having H6K4's on long range search. No sign of carriers anywhere, yet.

Believe or not, i just in october 42 and the AI only show me, near Efate, the Wasp, ship that was sunk inmediately by two squadrons of Betty's and two of Nells flying from Lunga. The other four i suppose have ....i don't know where are.
I also try to force your intervention sailing south of Espiritu Santo but nothing...

[netjam99]

I was also wondering is it best for example to put 4 aircraft carriers in one task force for mutual AAA and ASW support? Or perhaps you might break them up into 4 task forces and just try to keep them in the same hex...I could see that might keep the enemy from finding all of em.

Interested in what an Strategy Guru's have to say on that issue.

S!

[DrewMatrix]

Re CVs it said that 15 ships was the most efficient so I have (Late Feb 42) two TFs each with 2 CVs, about 4 CAs and the rest to 15 ships total with DDs. One moves, the other is set to follow it. (The BB group follows the lead TF too, mostly. It is to bombard isolated IJN base)

[chili614]

As of right now (Jun/42) I like to keep my Allied carriers concentrated in two TF's in the same hex. I have only 5 CV's, no CVL's and one CVE at this point, but the IJN has (7?) CV's, 2-3 CVL's, and 2-3 CVE's. The Enterprise is repairing after 2 torpedoes hit her so that leaves me four CV's and plenty of escort. It seems the IJN has all their big CV's in one TF in Borneo so I do not want to split my forces too m much.

I recently raided Truk with four carrier, escorted by 4 BB's and a mixture of CA's and DD's. CAP took out a few feeble Betty attacks from Rabaul and my carrier planes took out a several AS and SS units as well as a whole bunch of AK/AP. (Well, I assume they sunk by what hit them, but BDA is still forthcoming...) As the air resistance was next to none and I knew the IJN CV's were in Borneo, I was able to split up the two TF's and have one hit Rabaul. They then joined back up and I am contemplating what kind of mischief to stir up now as I am not ready to go head-to-head with the Japanese carrier force yet.

Long story short, concentration of forces seems to be the way to go when you are outnumbered, but I expect I will split things up a bit as the Essex's start showing up in a year.

[mogami]

Hi, At Midway the Japanese had all 4 CV in 1 TF. THe USN had their 3 CV in 2 TF.

[Aficionado]

I pair off my CVs. I keep the TFs close enough that they can support each other without having all my flat-tops in a single TF making a nice, juicy target for Jap bombers. IIRC there's a coordination penalty for launching more than 150 or so planes from a single US task force.

I haven't tried putting them all in one group, but two groups of four did manage to coordinate well enough to send around 200 planes against the KB in June '42.

[Andy Mac]

I act differently i have 4 CV's and I keep them widely sperated using them to hit AP and AK convoys in DEI Rabaul/ Marshalls etc By keeping them seperated I only risk one at a time running into a death star and cause a real nuisance to Japanese player.

[WhoCares]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

I act differently i have 4 CV's and I keep them widely sperated using them to hit AP and AK convoys in DEI Rabaul/ Marshalls etc By keeping them seperated I only risk one at a time running into a death star and cause a real nuisance to Japanese player.

Problem with that is, that the japanese player can split his forces as well, and still having the upper hand against a single US carrier and thus ruling in two or more theaters...