River Class Frigate

[Mush Martin]

Originally Posted by tater

I'd not get pedantic about the ship classes in SH4 at that level. There are Type=0 through Type=4 that will behave as escorts. The principal use of the types in this case is to use random types if you desire in a campaign, but perhaps broken down by operational function.

(I'll use IJN types cause I know them well)
Ie: 0 (patrol craft) for brown water duty, 4 are fleet escorts, while type=3 might be reserved for Old DDs pressed into escort duty (Minekaze, Momi, et al. for the IJN). That leaves 1 and 2 for other roles. 2 might be purpose built IJN escort craft, like Kaibokan Coast Defense ships, and Matsu DDs (technically called DDs by the IJN, they were used as DEs). 1 then for subchasers and other smaller or ersatz ASW assets. Then a given random convoy might have 2xtype3 @50%, 2xType2@75% chance, and 6xtype1 @80% chance.

It's also possible to imagine mixing (via "BP-cloned" ships (new cfgs point at existing models, no dat changes), perhaps) ships up a little so that a given "type" is more of an operational role rather than the particular semantics of a given navy.

Note that you can easily add types in Names.cfg, and they work, but only the extant types 0-4 will function as ASW assets. Ie: you can put DCs on a Yamato BB, and she won't drop them, regardless of what sensors you give her. Change her to type 0-4 and she will. (Mushashi had DC racks installed on the fantail, BTW).

tater

so did a few brit escort carriers and the IJN retained them as light cruiser
armament long after they fell into disuse most other places.

M