Very odd surface combat

[Haplo_Patryn]

Day Time Surface Combat, near Mersing at 23,49

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo, Shell hits 4
BB Haruna, Shell hits 3
CA Takao, Shell hits 6
CA Atago, Shell hits 6
CA Chokai, Shell hits 3
CL Jintsu, Shell hits 5
DD Asashio
DD Oshio, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Arashio, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
DD Akatsuki, Shell hits 1, on fire

Allied Ships
CL Boise, Shell hits 24, on fire

It's the first week of campaign and CL Boise had orders to go from NW of Brunei to Singkawang, not retirement allowed. You can see that the combat take place in Mershing!!! [X(][X(][X(]
I don't know how CL Boise went to Mershing to attack the japanese Surface TF, the only reason i see is that its captain could be very agressive but i doubt this ship could arrive to Mershing in one turn from Kuching, maybe i'm wrong. Something similar happened two turns ago when a surface allied TF (6 DDS) with orders to go to Batavia (retirement not allowed) was attacked too by the same japanese Surface TF in Mershing. My TF had orders to go to Batavia from south of Singapur but it was sunk in Mershing...[&:] WTF?

How can a 6 DD TF which is in its way to Batavia turn around and finish in Mershing? The orders were clear, the same for the CL Boise.

Any idea of what could have happened here?

[Oliver Heindorf]

be happy that Boise didnt ruin your day at all. In my game with Luskan, CL Boise sunk in one battle 1 Ca and 3 DD's , crippling the 4th DD seriously.

Boise is very strong in the begining of the game, we had quite some reports about it earlier. ( just use the search function in the forum for Boise - it should bring alot of results)

[Haplo_Patryn]

Well, i'm playing allies so i would have to be happy for the result, they are not bad news at all but i don't like to see how a CL do things that i don't understand or not ordered to it.

Thanks for the reply [:)]

[wild_Willie2]

Boise is a VERY good ship in the game, it has good armour, a good crew and has quick firing guns with a high penetration value.

The running joke on the forum is the "photon torpedo/phaser" armed Boise.....

[shoevarek]

The most intriguing thing is that sigle ship in day combat (so I assume it was not surprise engagement) managed to exchange fire with all but one ship from enemy task force and scoring more hits.

I remember that scenario happenning quite often in UV. The naval command looks like that - ship A fires at ship B, ship B responds. If lucky single ship fighting with 10 ship task force will actually respond 10 times in a turn, firing at all enemy ships. If that ship has good crew or good equipment (radar) the supposedly stronger forse always loses (takes more dammage).

[mogami]

Hi, Are they reacting to enemy TF? (what is reaction range)

[Haplo_Patryn]

Its reaction range was 6, yes, but the distance between the two TF were long enough to avoid combat, at least. I don't understand why my CL reacted to a better TF and went directly to Mershing to combat the japanese TF...[X(]

[Ron Saueracker]

ORIGINAL: shoevarek

The most intriguing thing is that sigle ship in day combat (so I assume it was not surprise engagement) managed to exchange fire with all but one ship from enemy task force and scoring more hits.

I remember that scenario happenning quite often in UV. The naval command looks like that - ship A fires at ship B, ship B responds. If lucky single ship fighting with 10 ship task force will actually respond 10 times in a turn, firing at all enemy ships. If that ship has good crew or good equipment (radar) the supposedly stronger forse always loses (takes more dammage).

That is the pathetic reality of the surface combat model, something obviously pointed out during development (how could this be missed) and just as obviously ignored. Hell, the buying public would not notice this, would they?[;)]

[el cid again]

This is indeed fairly common in UV. And I also have seen ships react in unexpected circumstances. For example, if a ship (TF actually) is assigned to follow another TF, and THAT TF reacts, the first TF will ALSO react - and I have the impression it may react twice. Sort of as if there is an extra power plant to cut in when needed. But it pays an awful penalty in fuel (if it survives). That part - at least - seems reasonable!

[rtrapasso]

There IS a rule somewhere (which has shown up in a couple of weird instances) that says IF a TF is returning to its home port AND if it will allow it to arrive at the home port, it gets double movement. WHY this is put in is a mystery to me... it does give weird results, and commonly allows bombardment TFs to get out of range of air attacks.

So, if Boise was set to react, and had Mersing as its home port, it possibly could zoom to double movement speed.

[Haplo_Patryn]

No, CL Boise hasn't Mersing as its home port at all. I think was Batavia or Palembang but not Mershing

[panda124c]

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi, Are they reacting to enemy TF? (what is reaction range)

Perhaps the Japaness TF is reacting to the US TF?

[dtravel]

ORIGINAL: pbear

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi, Are they reacting to enemy TF? (what is reaction range)

Perhaps the Japaness TF is reacting to the US TF?

I doubt it. Except for Air Combat TFs, TFs only react to friendly bases coming under attack. They don't react to an enemy TF just sailing along nearby.

[saj42]

Combat did NOT happen at Mersing - combat report states NEAR Mersing at hex 23,49. You might want to look where exactly that hex is in relation to the course the Boise was sailing before the battle (it could be within reaction range)

[Terminus]

Erm, Mersing is at hex 23,49.

[treespider]

My take -

CL Boise is moving to Sinkawang...at night it moves to the point near Kuching and is now within 6 hexes of Mershing and now during the daytime reacts by moving to mershing because the japanese are now present there.

In both cases ( the CL and his DD's) the Allied player left his reaction range at 6 and his TF ended the night phase within six hexes of Mershing and so reacted at full speed to the threat to their base at mershing.