Hc & bc

[Johnhawkwood]

Hi all,

I was just wondering how people use BC and CA?

As reference point - I am playing as Japan and recently tried having just CV and CL in my strike force - it got chewed. I am not sure if I had really bad luck or what. Consequently I am considering adding BC to the mix for their speed or even HC.

 

[sebas379]

A group of fast battlecruisers with fast escorts can be a great way to hunt down carriers. Just as long as you avoid BB taskforces, they will chew you up.

But what happend to yoru CV? How large was your fleet, what did you run into? Were your CAG up to date and fully orged etc?

 

[Johnhawkwood]

A group of fast battlecruisers with fast escorts can be a great way to hunt down carriers. Just as long as you avoid BB taskforces, they will chew you up.

But what happend to yoru CV? How large was your fleet, what did you run into? Were your CAG up to date and fully orged etc?

My CAG's were up to date. I had 4 CV's and 4 CL's. I guess I should of had more CL's - I don't like to use deathstar fleets of 8 CV's agains the AI though. Can weather or day/night make the difference? That was an issue in HOI2.

 

[unmerged(180647)]

A fleet of 4CV/4CL should be able to stand up against the US navy fleets the AI usually fields. Though, after a couple of battles it will be out of org and also a bit damaged, thus needing time in port to repair. At least three of these fleets, or two larger ones, should be at your disposal for continuously engaging the US.

As it is unclear for me why your fleet becomes beaten, I am going to sum up all the tech and doctrine items that will contribute to improve CAG. This way you can hopefully figure out the reason for the inferior performance.

In the bomber tab:
- Air-launched torpedo: improves sea attack

In the fighter tab:
- Aero engine: improves defences and speed
- Single-engine airframe: improves defences
- Single engine aircraft armament: improves attacks
- Small air search RADAR: improves detection and night attack (!)
- Small fuel tank: improves range
- Small navigation RADAR: improves detection

In the air doctrines tab:
- CAS pilot training
- CAS ground crew training
- Fighter pilot training
- Fighter ground crew training
- NAV pilot training
- NAV ground crew training
> all the above improve CAG organisation and morale
- Naval air targeting: improves hit chance
- Naval strike tactics: improves CAG efficiency
- NAV tactics: reduces org reductions

In the naval doctrines tab (both one-time):
- Carrier task force: improves CAG efficiency
- Fleet auxiliary carrier doctrine: improves CAG organisation

The performance of the ships themselves is mainly dependent on the doctrines in the left column of the naval doctrines tab: most of them improve detection, organisation, morale and positioning of CV and CL. Though, detection of CL is improved by 'Spotting' in the right column.

Weather and time of the day have an impact in the way that in bad weather and during night your CAGs do very little damage. But on the other hand, your fleet should never be shot at by surface ships if it has a good positioning and decent average speed...

One last remark: when engaging an enemy fleet with a CV/CL fleet, the CAG mission should by all means be left on 'CAG duty'.

 

[Johnhawkwood]

Thanks for the summary Balou - except for the CAS tech I had all the rest. I don't really get it either - presumed weather must have played a part but as you said although I will not damage the opponent - they will not hit me either. I am sure that my org was ok but not 100% sure. And BTW this was against the UK in Asia - not the US…very strange. Any thoughts on how to get the best out of HC?

 

[Johnhawkwood]

Also - is there not an argument then to have heavy guns with the CV's so that they can fight back if the CAG's are disorganised?

 

[unmerged(180647)]

The CVs have the highest 'priority', which will lead to the screens, i.e. CL and DD, stay with them in any surface battle. And the CVs strive to stay away from gunfire in about 100km distance. Therefore, any gunships, be it BB, BC or heavy cruisers, will do it alone in a gunfire duel, which usually causes some of them being sunk by the enemy fleet. That's why it is not advisable to combine CV with other capital ships.

Btw, you say it was against UK in the Far East. Could it be that there were land-based NAV involved on the UK side? Sometimes they build some and base them in Singapore.

As far as heavy cruisers (most common abbreviation is 'CA') are concerned, they can be mixed with BB and BC into surface battlefleets, as they provide excellent air-attack. Or use them in small anti-submarine groups as the leading ship, composed like 1CA/1-2CL/2-3DD.

 

[Johnhawkwood]

Btw, you say it was against UK in the Far East. Could it be that there were land-based NAV involved on the UK side? Sometimes they build some and base them in Singapore.

Yes - that could be it.

 

[Kovax]

The other possibility would be that the UK fleet had a lot of fast DDs with its capital ships, which boosted the average speed of its fleet to more than that of your CVs and CLs. Unfortunately, the game uses the AVERAGE speed of each fleet, not the slowest ship, to calculate position changes in battle, so those sluggish BBs CAN catch your carriers, if their accompanying DDs are numerous and quick enough.