Range of ships

[unmerged(17791)]

Seems like an obvious question but... I'm used to HoI1, so in my first game of HoI2 I'm trying to understand something about how ships' ranges work. So basically, from the port they depart (or is it their base?) ships can go anywhere within that range? Moving around as much as they please?

For example... say the war just starts in 1939, and you've got some Typ VII U-Booten based out of Wilhelmshaven. Technically their range is 3k km. Now, your goal is to have them hunt in the sea lanes between the coast W of Brittany (Brest) and the coast of W of Portugal - just barely within reach, technically. But you'd be stupid to go through the English Channel, naturally - so you go around (nevermind, that doing this is over 3k km). Then once they get there, the subs are moving around all the time, patrolling their assigned 'areas'.

Now, in HoI1... the game was tracking every km the Flotte had travelled, and as soon as you went over the max limit - well, it got ugly. But here, in HoI2, it seems like I can depart Wilhelmshaven in my Typ VII, go check out Murmansk... then head over to Iceland, then maybe down to the coast W of Portugal, then sail all over the area as I hunt for convoys. But hey! As long as I stay in the 3k km range (which the game forces you to), it's all good!

I've only sent out a couple of patrols so far, but it seems like this is how it works, yes? I mean, if it is - cool! Unrealistic super U-boats! All the merrier. Unlimited Diesel fuel... just stay within a 3k km range, 'as the crow flies'.

 

[Dirked99]

IRL, subs also used batteries which they could charge while on the surface to run the engines.

To answer your questions your subs can go the range that they have listed with the "Move" command.
However, in conducting a Wolf Pack hunting the "Convoy Raiding" command can allow ships to travel up to 5000 Km and sometimes more. Simply select the group of U-boats select the mission convoy raiding and zoom out and see the zones you can raid in.
Otherwise yes your ships are limited to that distance and will not preform missions beyond it except "Sea Transport" "Convoy Raiding" and "Rebasing".

Edit, and no it does not track the km moved, simply the ships will stay in the range as long as their mission lasts.

 

[unmerged(17791)]

OK, cool - I was just always in the habit (from HoI1) of constantly checking how far they had traveled, and "almost time to go back to base" was always something you had to keep in mind. I'll have to get used to NOT having to think about that anymore. I'll just pretend the subs are stealing fuel from a crippled tanker, before they sink it.

 

[unmerged(56754)]

IRL, subs also used batteries which they could charge while on the surface to run the engines.

No, the batteries can only do one thing, let the boat, if it should need to, run underwater.

Itused deisel above water and electric underwater (Its cleaner, therefore safer, untill the snorkel is invented, this is all they can do)

What do you think charges the batteries? Fuel, a U-boat has to follow the same rules as a ship, they don't have solar panels or wind turbines onboard

edit: The only real way to explain it, is that the entire flotilla is not at sea at the same time, some are out on missions, others refueling at base, every six weeks they switch, but becuase of the way U-boat command runs things, there is always atleast one Boat within each grid at any time.

 

[theokrat]

I'll just pretend the subs are stealing fuel from a crippled tanker, before they sink it.

They are subs, they could do it afterwards. *evil laughter*

 

[Zuckergußgebäck]

I believe this is the man you are looking for. 205 days on non-stop patrol.

 

[theokrat]

I believe this is the man you are looking for. 205 days on non-stop patrol.

died 13 May, 1945 by accident. boy that must suck.

 

[unmerged(17791)]

No, the batteries can only do one thing, let the boat, if it should need to, run underwater.

Itused deisel above water and electric underwater (Its cleaner, therefore safer, untill the snorkel is invented, this is all they can do)

What do you think charges the batteries? Fuel, a U-boat has to follow the same rules as a ship, they don't have solar panels or wind turbines onboard

edit: The only real way to explain it, is that the entire flotilla is not at sea at the same time, some are out on missions, others refueling at base, every six weeks they switch, but becuase of the way U-boat command runs things, there is always atleast one Boat within each grid at any time.

They could run using their electric motors (from battery power) on the surface - why couldn't they? I don't think the e-motors were quite as powerful, so you couldn't go quite as fast. Plus, if you're going full speed the batteries will be exhausted faster - best to go medium/standard speed for optimal economy. But even still, the battery power will be used up after a few hours and you'll have to switch over to Diesel. And like your car, when the petrol engine is running, it's also charging the battery (batteries, in the case of the subs).

In sub sims, when I'm trying to really get the most out of my sub's range... I'll switch over to the electrics until the batteries are near exhausted, then flip back over to Diesel power - and charge them back up. Then when they're ready, repeat. Back and forth... you get slightly more range. But, it's best to do this when you're not in potential danger, because if you happen to run into an ASW screen and your batteries are at 20% when you dive... that sucks. And those things can take a while to charge back up.

 

[Pro_Consul]

To address the original question (and correct a misstatement or two) the range represents that flotilla's practical range of operations from its assigned base for purposes of executing combat missions. For purposes of simply relocating from one base to another, there is no range limit, but the further you try to rebase in one move the more the flotilla is deorged by the rebase order.

As for the realism aspect, this is simply a way to internalize and eliminate from the research tree the technologies related to underway sea replenishment. It is not, as one poster said, a matter of ships rotating back to port to refuel while the bulk of the flotilla stays at sea. It is a matter of special purpose logistics vessels such as refuelers, sub tenders and the like ferrying needed supplies back and forth between the fleet and the port from which it is based. There are really only two conditions that commonly compelled combat vessels to break off operations and return to port from time to time. The first was to give the crew a break, aka shore leave, so they didn't break down and go mental. The second was to execute maintenance procedures and repairs which were not practical to attempt at sea.