Enemy Taskforces - Intercept or avoid?

[FlankSpeed]

When you get a contact report of an enemy taskforce, do you tend to intercept and try your luck against the warships, or plot an avoiding course and continue to hunt for lone merchants and convoys? Do taskforces sail with formidable ASW screens?

[Jimbuna]

It depends on what they are made up of....some have carriers and or BB's but others have dedicated ASW platforms.

[Gargamel]

Usually you can't intercept them, as they are usually traveling to fast. Most often, you have to be run over, or just barely miss them to get a shot at them anyways.

[Lord_magerius]

I always intercept if possible, there could be a juicy BB or carrier sat in the middle of the group. If there isn't I turn tail and run like hell.

[HotiBomba]

I always look to intercept them if possible, even it is the hard to do it, cos they are moving at high speed... But sometimes if u get lucky you might be on their course.. Few patrols before i found large task force (3 BB, 4 or 5 Dido Cruisers, and 6+ Destroyers) i only manage to close up to 4,500 m and sunk two cruisers, manage to escape after taking some minor damage from depth charges.

I should maybe risk more :shifty:

[Schwieger]

I usually try to avoid TFs. Especially late in the war; more risk than reward, usually.

[frau kaleun]

I'll check 'em out if it's possible to intercept, but as noted above they usually move so fast that unless they're coming right to you anyway it's easier said than done.

And I won't mess with them unless I've got enough water beneath my keel to go as deep as I can afterwards. If they're in near the coastline - fuhgeddaboutit. :DL

[Bakkels]

Funny you should ask. I just installed the MEP environment mod + the high res fix. My computer is four years old (AMD64 2.2gig, 2Gig Ram, ATI Radeon x1600 512mb video card) and I was afraid I couldn't run it, but I thought what the hell let's try. To my surprise it works great. And I had no idea SH3 could look THIS good.
But anyway, the MEP environment mod extends your vision to 20km. So I had passed Scapa Flow in my new career (1939) and I can just make out 5 lines of smoke on the horizon. I'm curious so I let my WE identify the target (a little bit cheating at 18km but ok) and it was the HMS Hood. Never seen it before. My excitement didn't last long though, as this juicy task force was travelling at 23 knots at a course perpendicular to my own. So no way I was gonna get near them.
Generally, I don't try to intercept task forces. When it's pretty close, or if it's bound to cross my course anyway, I'll check them out, but I try to stick to realism; you're out there to hunt for merchants. As a rule of thumb I will attack Southampton class and anything that's bigger. The rest I let go.

[kroll688]

When a task force shows as a contact update I take note of the course and speed, and I will look for the chance of a long range intercept. I have ambushed a few TF when the map updates over the course of a day or so and shows the course pattern coming towards me over several grids.

Also, I never attempt anything with TF in shallow water, need plenty of room to maneuver.

[Snestorm]

Early war, they have to trip over you.

Late war, the only thing they're looking for, is Y O U.
I prefer to keep a low profile.

[Gerald]

Normally, I try to chase a TF which happens daily, or more accurately, every time I have a mission, the only thing are the speed, is high, and which must be carefully plotted to be able to access them.

[mkIpetrucci]

Since I am playing in single mod on 100% realistic mode, I usually avoid task forces. On multiplayer, it's a total different thing, you have the power of the wolfpack with you.

[fitzcarraldo]

When you get a contact report of an enemy taskforce, do you tend to intercept and try your luck against the warships, or plot an avoiding course and continue to hunt for lone merchants and convoys? Do taskforces sail with formidable ASW screens?

BdU will send you to a martial court, for cowardice in war duty. :dead::dead::dead:

Yes, I try to hunt the TFs, but not ever I have the needed luck...Better dead for the Fatherland than dead executed by resented nazis...:dead::dead::dead:

Best regards.

Fitzcarraldo :salute:

[raymond6751]

Historically, u-boats were strategically after the supplies going to Britain. If they got a shot at a capital ship - they took it.

Chances of hitting and sinking a big boy and living to tell about it, low.

I'd say - if they are coming your way, investigate. If not, waste of time trying to catch them.

[desirableroasted]

Use the math. Your intersection circles should tell you if contact is possible.

Treat TFs like any other convoy: if you can reasonably reach it with a course change and perhaps a few short hours at 12-14knts, then it is worth looking at. Like any convoy or contact.

Once there, do the reconn. If there are capital ships, it may be worth making an approach. Only DDs and small fry? Forget it.

If you do approach, remember that TF's act like a convoy. The capital ships will act like armed merchants, firing at you only if you are visible. They will serpentine, and will not join the escort's attack on you. The escorts will act as they usually would.

[Obersteuermann]

I tried intercepting a few TFs once I'd installed the warships mod. All I ever came across (in mid-1940, anyway) were flotillas of torpedo boats.

Which are even more annoying in a battleship than in a u-boat! At least you can dive away from them in the submarine....

[VONHARRIS]

I try to avoid them.
If I run into one I will engage , but I will not go looking for major trouble by intercepting them especially after late 1942.

[Tessa]

Since I am playing in single mod on 100% realistic mode, I usually avoid task forces. On multiplayer, it's a total different thing, you have the power of the wolfpack with you.

Realism has nothing to do with the decision to hunt TF's or let them pass through; unless you had legitimate reason to avoid one (like lack of fuel or only 1 eel left) and you were in interception range you could have consequences waiting for you when you arrived home. Since long range flight was just beginning to take root with B-17's where one could fly from New York to London non-stop travel by ship was still the primary method of travel. During his several visits to the US Churchill made most via boat (King George V); had a u-boat been alerted to the Task Force's presence and attacked it (not knowing the invaluable cargo it had) a single torpedo could have drastically changed the way events unfolded.

Logistically hunting and damaging large warships was an enormous benefit that wasn't realized until after the war and the German's were able to see all the allied records of damaged ships. The time and materials a BB would take to repair (and usually monopolize a dry dock for at least several weeks-months) was enormous. Had warships been the primary target (like in WWI) if nothing more than to put them out of commission it would have had a measurable effect (granted the outcome would have likely been the same, getting there would have been much more difficult).

[Missing Name]

I go by the size of the little diamond that shows up on the map. The larger it is, the more likely something valuable is inside of it. Likewise, the faster it is, the better but harder to hit.

Although occasionally you get news of a very small taskforce, listed as simply "warship." I intercepted one once and it was the Hood and the Prince of Wales, unescorted.

[Snestorm]

Realism has nothing to do with the decision to hunt TF's or let them pass through; unless you had legitimate reason to avoid one (like lack of fuel or only 1 eel left) and you were in interception range you could have consequences waiting for you when you arrived home. Since long range flight was just beginning to take root with B-17's where one could fly from New York to London non-stop travel by ship was still the primary method of travel. During his several visits to the US Churchill made most via boat (King George V); had a u-boat been alerted to the Task Force's presence and attacked it (not knowing the invaluable cargo it had) a single torpedo could have drastically changed the way events unfolded.

Logistically hunting and damaging large warships was an enormous benefit that wasn't realized until after the war and the German's were able to see all the allied records of damaged ships. The time and materials a BB would take to repair (and usually monopolize a dry dock for at least several weeks-months) was enormous. Had warships been the primary target (like in WWI) if nothing more than to put them out of commission it would have had a measurable effect (granted the outcome would have likely been the same, getting there would have been much more difficult).

The IJN shared your views, and failed miserably.

[Jimbuna]

LOL :DL

[Tessa]

The IJN shared your views, and failed miserably. The IJN fatal flaw was in its targets - they should have been flat tops rather than capital ships from the get go. The Japanese knew that the carrier based planes were going to be the decididing factor, but (luckily) had some holdouts that pulled the progress back allowing us to recover from our wounds and get back to full strength.

[Snestorm]

The IJN fatal flaw was in its targets - they should have been flat tops rather than capital ships from the get go. The Japanese knew that the carrier based planes were going to be the decididing factor, but (luckily) had some holdouts that pulled the progress back allowing us to recover from our wounds and get back to full strength.

We see the world differently, which is fine.

In my view, the japanese missed the most important target at Pearl Harbor.
The fleet oil reserves went untouched.
Had those reserves been destroyed USA's problems would have been ten-fold.
Submarines patroling west of the Panama Canal, and along USA's west coast with the primary goal of sinking tankers, in my estimation, would have been sound.
If a big ship presents itself as a target fine, as they too used the canal.

Oil makes the world go 'round.
Churchill learned it. Hitler learned it. Stalin learned it.
And Japan went to war with USA because Mr Roosevelt threatened japanese access to it.

[Jimbuna]

^ good post.

[Snestorm]

^ good post.

Thank you, Sir.

[Jimbuna]

Thank you, Sir.

Your most welcome http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/thumbsup.gif

[klh]

If mathematically possible, I plot an intercept course. Ideally I like to arrive in a position on their course and lie in wait, timing it so they arrive at dusk (easier for me to escape in the dark).

After all, that's what I'm here for. :salute:

[Gereke]

I run like a sissy girl from them.

I'm out on a pleasure cruise! Attack a task force? What madness!

;)

In reality it seems like every time I get a report of a task force I'm too far away to even bother to intercept. I've only made contact with a TF once, and I stumbled across it while stalking the western approaches to Gibraltar. 2 DD's, a Cruiser that I didn't bother to ID, and the reason for not bothering with the Cruiser... HMS Nelson. Out of pure coincidental luck I was in position for a text book attack. All I had to do was let them come to me. Four eels later the Nelson was on her way down, and I made my escape.