Japan pearl harbour range

[ringworm]

Okay attacking in early 1938. Pearl harbour falls. But I can not reach main land USA. I have 5 BB which can reach but they cannot get the naval superiority to launch a invasion. Now apparently loads of people have invaded USA But I can't see how it is possible?

On an aside if i can't reach USA from pearl harbour how the hell are the USA patrolling around main land Japan?

 

[Galithor]

More modern screens can help you reach. Tier 1 and 2 destroyers have really low range.

 

[browd]

Rather than wait several years to build later generation screens, just invade Alaska. From there you have range to the Pacific Northwest. Taking Hawaii is mostly good to box the U.S. off from the rest of the Pacific.

 

[sterrius]

to reliable reach USA from pearl harbor and patrol the region to allow a naval invasion you need a ship with 5000km range. You can either have absurd amount of upgrades on a low tier ship or get a better version.

Only a few number of ships can get this kind of range alone.

Submarine´s III is a option. Japan have a easy acess to them.
BC´s II, BB III, Carrier III and IV are also a option.

They need to be alone as no DD or CL will be able to reach this and will heavily reduce the range. A DD IV for example have only 2500 range.

So taking pearl harbor is only half the job. You also need to defeat the us fleet to make sure you can pull this with mostly capital ships + Subs.


With tier II ships you can use a LOne BB to take the US island close to the USSR and north of japan. And from there jump to alaska.
From alaska you can reach the USA. Or invade Canada Along the coast ^^.

 

[Dalwin]

One thing to keep in mind about fleet range is that it is NOT simply the range of the lowest ranged ship in the fleet. It is an average. It was typical for larger capital ships to have to refuel the destroyers at sea. You can use this to gradually add ships to your BB fleet until you barely have enough range.

 

[Secret Master]

One thing to keep in mind about fleet range is that it is NOT simply the range of the lowest ranged ship in the fleet. It is an average. It was typical for larger capital ships to have to refuel the destroyers at sea. You can use this to gradually add ships to your BB fleet until you barely have enough range.

I always forget to do this when I have the enemy mostly beaten.

Note: During historical Pearl Harbor, the Japanese considered launching a third strike. One reason they didn't was that they might not have gotten all the destroyers home due to lack of fuel.

But it was considered as an option before being rejected.

 

[Opanashc]

Note: During historical Pearl Harbor, the Japanese considered launching a third strike. One reason they didn't was that they might not have gotten all the destroyers home due to lack of fuel.

1-2 hours were the difference between DDs making it home or not?

 

[Secret Master]

1-2 hours were the difference between DDs making it home or not?

Yeah. That's how far they had stretched their logistics.

It's one reason why invading Hawaii at that time was not feasible.

(Note: The missing carriers were probably weighing more on their minds, but the fuel issue was nagging at them as well.)

 

[Iarodus]

1-2 hours were the difference between DDs making it home or not?

Pretty much, they had to fill water tanks in the ships with oil just to make it to the outer range of an attack.

EDIT: They did have closer anchorages from which to sail but to maintain total secrecy they sailed across the north Pacific where there weren't islands or other ships sailing about. It's one of the reasons Pearl Harbor defenses were lacking since that was "too far" so any attacking fleet would be spotted in the central Pacific in advance. It doesn't matter much in game terms but yeah it shows that they were at the very logistical limit with the Pearl Harbor attack.

 

[Meglok]

Okay attacking in early 1938. Pearl harbour falls. But I can not reach main land USA. I have 5 BB which can reach but they cannot get the naval superiority to launch a invasion. Now apparently loads of people have invaded USA But I can't see how it is possible?

On an aside if i can't reach USA from pearl harbour how the hell are the USA patrolling around main land Japan?

Take Alaska, turn south. Use CLs and CAs with carriers instead of short legged DDs. There a few ways to make the USA your puppet before 1939. Or at least there were. If the changes in 1.3.3 work, the USN might actually intervene now off Hawaii.

USA has Guam, Wake, and Midway, plus Philippines are it's puppet. Plenty of bases to invade Japan from in 1938.

 

[Axe99]

I tested this just my last game. I used a fleet of four CV IIs with a couple of upgrades on the deck, a couple of SHBBs, 4 CA IIs, 8 CL IIs and 10 DD IIs with Pacific Ship Designer (grabbed early, +25% range). The four CVs shredded the US fleets in 1.3.2, although I think I'm seeing better fleet formation (a little at least) in 1.3.3 so might be a bit harder. Invaded in early 1942, as took my time building all the CVs and SHBBs I wanted, but should be possible earlier if one wanted to min/max it and not be silly and build SHBBs (I'm a terrible min-maxer).

Note it should require some pre-planning and focus on a naval build to achieve. Japan being able to hop, skip and jump without thinking, planning or structuring it's fleet specifically to achieve that goal (ie, more CLs, less DDs) from Hawaii to the West Coast in 1938 should be something that's not possible imo (just my opinion of course ).

 

[Lopus1969]

I tested this just my last game. I used a fleet of four CV IIs with a couple of upgrades on the deck, a couple of SHBBs, 4 CA IIs, 8 CL IIs and 10 DD IIs with Atlantic Ship Designer (grabbed early, +25% range). The four CVs shredded the US fleets in 1.3.2, although I think I'm seeing better fleet formation (a little at least) in 1.3.3 so might be a bit harder. Invaded in early 1942, as took my time building all the CVs and SHBBs I wanted, but should be possible earlier if one wanted to min/max it and not be silly and build SHBBs (I'm a terrible min-maxer).

Note it should require some pre-planning and focus on a naval build to achieve. Japan being able to hop, skip and jump without thinking, planning or structuring it's fleet specifically to achieve that goal (ie, more CLs, less DDs) from Hawaii to the West Coast in 1938 should be something that's not possible imo (just my opinion of course ).

Uhm, shouldn't that be Pacific Ship Designer?

 

[Axe99]

Uhm, shouldn't that be Pacific Ship Designer?

Yes, yes it should! Thanks for pointing that out, a brain explosion on my part, post edited so that future folk reading it less likely to be confused.

 

[TheOrangeGuy]

Sorry for OT, but since the question have answered already, I have another one. Italy only have a default naval designer, you think that is balance reasons? Because of my terrible memory I become surprised every time I play them

 

[Sir Garnet]

That military procurement was politicized and corrupt and that Mussolini did not understand naval matters would suffice as a reason. Another would be the limited geographic scope of Italy's anticipated naval needs.

 

[Axe99]

Sorry for OT, but since the question have answered already, I have another one. Italy only have a default naval designer, you think that is balance reasons? Because of my terrible memory I become surprised every time I play them

There'd be some scope to give Italy an Atlantic and 'Mediterranean' fleet designer. They had some good ships with their own quirks (they tended to be quick, with an emphasis on long-range gunnery) that could form the basis of an Italian-focussed designer. I suspect it's just a "content > team" reasons (ie, small team has to prioritise content), but balance could also be an issue.

 

[Dalwin]

Another thought on reaching the US for invasion, doesn't Japan have a naval logistics minister who extends naval range?

 

[FrancescoT]

Necromancy is not allowed. A more than a month old thread should rest in peace (even more if for an OT follow up).

Closed.