Tell me what Japanese fleet composition should i have before taking on the US

[jonesuk]

As Japan, question:

1) fleet composition; i want to take on the US carrier task forces what do you build?

6CV/6CL?
4CV/2CVE/3DD/3CL?
4CV/4CA/4CL/4DD?
4CV/4BB/8DD?
4CVE/4BB/4CL/4DD?

Please tell me for i am normally quite hopeless at naval warfare.

2) how many of these bad boys do should i need by Dec "Day of Infamy" 1941? 3 fleets? 7 fleets?

3) when using submarines, if i want to sink some convoys, should i use "convoy raiding" or "naval patrol" cos it seems i do better when i set them on "naval patrol" (i.e. i sink more convoys).

4) do light tank divisions upgrade to medium tank divisions?

5) Can the US AI do amphib landings if i have taken away all their naval bases from which they can use and are within range (including Brit, ANZAC etc naval bases).

What i mean to say is, can the US load some marines in Los Angeles and land in Korea directly even if the nearest naval base it can use is in Los Angeles?

 

[Pier]

1.) Japan is heavily focused on carrier fleets, but doesn't have the industrial capacity to build a lot of them, let alone replace.

So if you want to avoid losses, there are three things important:
a.) doctrines up to date. Research them as far ahead as comfortably with. They make a huge difference. Crappy fleet with good doctrines will beat a modern fleet with bad doctrines.
b.) Good, high-skill admirals. An easy way to rank up experience is convoy raiding and/or naval patrol.
c.) Speed of the fleet: if things get too dangerous, you get out. And on the other hand, the enemy fleet can't close the distance.

Therefore, I usually stick with heavy cruisers (damage soaks; radar/firecontrol/spotter planes) & light cruisers (AA/radar) cruisers, as well as destroyers (ASW) in my carrier task forces.

A 1938 carrier has a speed of 28, and so you need 1938 or newer heavy & light cruisers to match that; destroyers are fine.
1941 and newer carriers need 1941 cruisers & at least 1938 destroyers.
Instead of heavy cruisers, some people use CVL as damage soaks. That can work as well, I guess.

For the surface task force, I would once again try to match the speed, and get them as fast as possible, or as heavy hitting as possible. The heavy hitters are for shore bombardment, or are in range of friendly naval bombers.


2.) Depends on your strategy. Japan historically had 6 fleet carriers in the Kido Butai, which seems a nice number to aim for. 6 1938+ carriers in 1, 2 or 3 fleets.

3.) Naval patrol covers more ground, but it also orders attack on combat ships.

4.) Yes, eventually. Not sure exactly which technology though.

5.) They are not supposed to, but not sure if this is fixed or not.

 

[dark_melancholy]

5) Can the US AI do amphib landings if i have taken away all their naval bases from which they can use and are within range (including Brit, ANZAC etc naval bases).

What i mean to say is, can the US load some marines in Los Angeles and land in Korea directly even if the nearest naval base it can use is in Los Angeles?

The AI still has unlimited range on their fleets, yes.

 

[CyBSKhan]

4) do light tank divisions upgrade to medium tank divisions?

Once you reach lvl III in each, they will.
(Seems to be that way for me, at least.)

 

[Eugenioso]

in my opinion, stick with a large serial run of aircraft carriers and light cruisers. as japan, i usually scuttle my entire fleet at start save for the transports and 5 small cruisers to kill the chinese navy. once china is mine i begin to mass build carrier fleets. by the time war comes, i have usually 4 heavy carriers with the latest aircraft tech and 15 light cruisers. this is enough to destroy most american fleets. and if they do send carriers, they usually do it the megastack way, where less carriers with superior tech destroy their carriers. in about 6 months the americans basically lose the pacific war, thought i honestly have stopped trying to invade the USA. their army is too big.