Task Force question (GWX)

[Erich dem Roten]

Ok, so I'm happy sailing around port raiding and catching convoys, where maybe if I'm lucky I'll find a cruiser or two. Heaviest ship I've sunk (outside the Hood, because I knew where it'd be) has been an American heavy cruiser.

Now I've been chasing task forces when they show up and I'm near enough for a reasonable intercept, and something has bothered me. There's never anything worth hitting...they all seem to just be convoys with small ships...maybe one or two large merchants. I was under the impression that a TF would be like...a major movement of warships. So, in GWX2.1, what does a Task Force connotate? Heavies? Well escorted convoy? Since they seem to appear most often in shallow water I find it difficult to launch an attack against a bunch of Isles class ships.

[onelifecrisis]

Merchants in a TF? Doesn't sound like any task force I ever saw! I think those "task forces" you're intercepting are actually convoys. ;)
I've found a few juicy targets in GWX task forces. Early in the war, the British TFs I encountered tended to have Auxilliary Cruisers in them (~13K each) and, rarely, a battleship or two. Mid-war I've found aircraft carriers and more battleships.
Trust me the big military ships are there to be found. :yep:

[Erich dem Roten]

It certainly seems like I'm intercepting convoys, but they are very clearly labeled "Task Force" on my map.

[Madox58]

Well Sir,

If you are useing GWX?
Your getting a most realistic experience.
All the scripting is based on what did happen in real life.
It would be worse if there were small ships to script!
:huh:

Look at the stats for U-Boats during WWII.

I quit playing careers because, as good as the scripting is?
I still see to many ships.

And I have never looked at the files.

[Erich dem Roten]

I'm using GWX and absolutely love it, hats off to those who obviously spent so much time on it. It definitely shows :up:


My question is really just because something is labeled Task Force, does that mean there should be a large warship? Because as I've said, the ones I've intercepted have been groups of DD's and DE's escorting smaller-sized merchants.

[nirwana]

I remember a post where it's mentioned that the type of the group depends on the first entry in the shiplist of the script. Looks funny when at first its a large convoy, turns into a neutral small convoy and after lacking merchants into a task force after multiple raids.

[HuskerNlincoln]

I am playing GWX 2.1 and last evening rec'd a report of a large task force.

I too was hoping to see battle wagons, heavy cruisers, something, but it was loaded, with large tankers, ammunitions ship, and troop ships.

I remember it because there were quite a few troop transports and everyone of them was skinned differently, some were gray, some were in measure 22 camo, some were just the normal paint job, I think even different camo schemes.

Unfortunately I only got two sunk.

[GoldenRivet]

A task force is not always going to consist of large battleships and fleet carriers.

a task force could be 3 flower corvettes escorting a tramp steamer.

it could be any number of things. as far as what the game logic uses to determine whether or not it is a task force - i dont know.

I have intercepted task forces that have been 3 or 4 flower class and i have intercepted task forces which have been battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and fleet carriers!

you just never know what your going to get.

IMHO port raiding in GWX is too easy.

In real life - port raiding after 1941-42 was a one way ticket :dead:

[HuskerNlincoln]

One thing I have noticed in GWX, that wasn't in the stock SHIII, and adds a little excitement is the fact that I have run into a few single Empress freighters close in to the eastern side of England, and they are being escorted by torpedo boats.

I can usually get a torp off and still duck the torpedo boat.

Last night I snuck up on the freighter from behind, and the torpedo boat was out front leading it. I attacked with the deck gun, the torepedo boat spun around and came for me, I got him with the deck gun.

But the little things they have added really does add an element of suprise and makes me keep going out again.

[Jimbuna]

Yeah, as pointed out by GR.....Task Forces are in the main, a collection of warships...........Size is irrelevant http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/9708/piratebf4.gif (http://imageshack.us)

[Sailor Steve]

IMHO port raiding in GWX is too easy.

In real life - port raiding after 1941-42 was a one way ticket :dead:
Actually, in real life port raiding after October 1939 was...well, it wasn't. As in it never happened at all. so dangerous they didn't even try.

[HuskerNlincoln]

I went home at lunch and played for a while, I am at the eastern side of England, basically headed out of Wilhelmshaven and headed towards the eastern coast above the channel, all of a sudden a task force popped up, I got into position, raised the scope and there were 2 escorts with 2 columns of ships. Mostly Large Merchants and a couple of Empress Frieghters, again the paint schemes were different on every ship.

SO I guess just a couple warships, will give this the name of a Task force?

Or is it scripted as to where these ships are going or what they're doing?, say to support a landing or something, and that's why they are named a task force?

Don't know but sank a few of them, had to come back to work so paused the game

[bigboywooly]

groups are called a task force if the lead unit is a warship
Lead unit for ME\campiagn file purposes doesnt mean the lead unit in game
So even a whole convoy with a sub as leader will show as a TF

[predavolk]

What they said. In my quest to finish up, I went after a big task force and found it was a collection of frigates and small merchants. Hardly the big targets I was looking for! :nope: So I just let it pass.

[meduza]

Playing GWX 2.1, I see enough TFs with large warships. Just yesterday I intercepted one in AM grid, consisting of Casablanca class CVE, escorted by 5-6 DDs. I hit her with 2 eels, but she continued apparently undamaged. I did not dare to pursue, as the TF was approaching shallow waters. And because it's September '43. :roll: