Enemy Taskforces - Intercept or avoid?

[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

Originally Posted by Tessa

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

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by Snestorm

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.

Originally Posted by Tessa

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.

Originally Posted by jimbuna

^ good post.

Thank you, Sir.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Snestorm

Thank you, Sir.

Your most welcome

[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.

[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.