Crippled ships and escort convoy mode

[Disco Duck]

Basic issue. The Lexington took two torpedoes from a sub and is now crippled. It automatically went to escort mode with one escort and started heading back to Pearl Harbor. I don't want it to go to Pearl ( too many subs in the area) and I want more than one escort.

I put it back to air combat mode, put all of the ships with it because I want to use float planes as ASW and directed it toward San Francisco.

Now that I have played the turn I find that the Lexington is back in escort mode all by itself and heading toward Pearl again and all of the other ships are three hexes away heading toward San Francisco.

How do I keep them with the Lexington?[&:]

[dr.hal]

Need more info, how bad is it? Where is Lex on the board? Did you change home port? More detail would help.

[Itdepends]

Leave it in escort mode, put close escorts with it and set another TF to follow it. You may also be able to get the Lex escort TF to follow another (ASW) TF- not sure if this will work though. Make sure the Lex TF is set to cruise mode only.

As noted above- make sure its home base is Frisco.

[John Lansford]

You can add more ships to escort TF's, so just place more ASW ships in the TF with Lexington and send her to a nearby port. Make sure you have the TF set to "do not return" or they will still try and head towards Pearl after reaching the other base. The reason why she keeps trying to get to Pearl is due to the HQ she's working under. No doubt that's where Pacific Fleet HQ is so that's where she wants to return to. If she was in SW Pacific HQ, for example, she'd head towards whereever the SWPac HQ was located.

[artuitus_slith]

escort TF will follow an ASW TF. Which if you are worried about subs, would be a good idea. Crippled ships enter into 'escort' TF, I believe it is a function of speed, IE if it is slowed to less than 75% of the TF speed, it forms an escort TF with an escort (if available).

Personally, I'd suggest having your cruiser escorts follow the Lexington, instead of in the same Escort TF, since you can keep the cruisers it 'mission' speed which will keep them safer from subs. Also, you probably want her to limp to the nearest major port, which sounds like pearl in this case, in order to get as much damage as possible fixed as quickly as possible. System damage affects a ship's ability to operate pumps, and if the pumps fail she can sink quickly.

What was the composition of the original TF? I try to keep a min of 6 DD with each CV TF, and then 2 more for each additional CV. So a 1 CV TF has 6 dd, 2 CV have 8, 3 CV have 10. I also try to keep 1 CA and 1 CL per CV for additional AA fire. Having 2 extra DD per CV allows me to detach a pair of DD to escort any damaged CV back to safety, and 2 DD in a hunter-killer group to lead the way. I also usually keep a few (4-6) DD at Pearl (or forward if I expect battle nearby) for emergency escort duty (always comes in handy).

[Disco Duck]

Thanks to all.
When my weekend rolls around again I am going to try some of your suggestions and give more details based on your questions.

[Itdepends]

You've started playing AE- you can't afford a weekend anymore- or any other type of social life (Greyjoy may be an exception- but he appears to have gone chasing after women rather than pursuing his PBEM turn- however his performance (in game- I can't comment on out of game) should not be taken as typical for a dedicated (addicted) WITPAE player).

[Disco Duck]

Ok, a little late but here it is. 12/11/1941. Lexington took two torpedoes and is now heavily damaged. 28sys, 58 fly, 18eng, 7 fire. It only has the DD Porter as escort and is returning to Pearl harbor. Now I don't want to go to Pearl Harbor, too many Subs. I set it to air combat mode, ordered the ships in the original task force back merge with it, and set destination and home port San Francisco. Played the turn. Now the Lexington is all by itself, home port is still San Francisco but destination port is now Pearl Harbor.

Second try, I left it in Escort mode, ordered the other ships to merge with it and set home port and destination port to San Francisco. This worked as planned.

In actuality I moved it to Christmas island and sent a couple of AR's from Pearl to get the system damage down and then sent to San Francisco.

This was with the February third beta.

The composition of the task force was the same as game start.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Itdepends

You've started playing AE- you can't afford a weekend anymore- or any other type of social life (Greyjoy may be an exception- but he appears to have gone chasing after women rather than pursuing his PBEM turn- however his performance (in game- I can't comment on out of game) should not be taken as typical for a dedicated (addicted) WITPAE player).

Women have never stopped me from playing PBEM turns... Only work, and alchool sometimes, manages to keep me away from my esteemed opponents...
Women come and go ( well, if they ever come, which is debatable[:D]), while your turn is always waiting for you in your mailbox....[;)]

[Grfin Zeppelin]

A few weeks away and this forum turned into a sexist scum hive. [:D]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Gräfin Zeppelin

A few weeks away and this forum turned into a sexist scum hive. [:D]

It's like Mos Eisley space port-without the spaceships.

[Cpt Sherwood]

You must quit slacking off Gräfin.

[btd64]

My wife watches TV while i play the game. but that is what happens when you have been together for 25+ years. thats why i say CHEERS.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Women have never stopped me from playing PBEM turns... Only work, and alchool sometimes, manages to keep me away from my esteemed opponents...
Women come and go ( well, if they ever come, which is debatable[:D]), while your turn is always waiting for you in your mailbox....[;)]

Italians great lovers? I think not! [:)]

[Grfin Zeppelin]

No worries, I am cool with sexism. Infact I am a sexist too usually for the whole day.

[Oberst_Klink]

Well, for our non-Teutonic fellows and chaps here... We experience a heated (no double-meaning here...) debate about sexism in ye'ole fatherland at the moment. However, the 'victim' wasn't a Tsugaru ML girlie, but a journalist (F) who got kinda pimped on by an ole'geezer from the LibDems

Klink, Oberst
(No sexism at STALAG13 I can assure you...)

[John Lansford]

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck

Ok, a little late but here it is. 12/11/1941. Lexington took two torpedoes and is now heavily damaged. 28sys, 58 fly, 18eng, 7 fire. It only has the DD Porter as escort and is returning to Pearl harbor. Now I don't want to go to Pearl Harbor, too many Subs. I set it to air combat mode, ordered the ships in the original task force back merge with it, and set destination and home port San Francisco. Played the turn. Now the Lexington is all by itself, home port is still San Francisco but destination port is now Pearl Harbor.

Second try, I left it in Escort mode, ordered the other ships to merge with it and set home port and destination port to San Francisco. This worked as planned.

In actuality I moved it to Christmas island and sent a couple of AR's from Pearl to get the system damage down and then sent to San Francisco.

This was with the February third beta.

The composition of the task force was the same as game start.

With the Sys damage at 28, I wouldn't bother sending her to Christmas Island for repair; that amount of damage won't be severe enough to cause problems on the way to the WC. I'd assign a few ASW assets to her Escort TF and send her off towards San Francisco, freeing up the others to go where you need them the most.

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Women have never stopped me from playing PBEM turns... Only work, and alchool sometimes, manages to keep me away from my esteemed opponents...
Women come and go ( well, if they ever come, which is debatable[:D]), while your turn is always waiting for you in your mailbox....[;)]

Italians great lovers? I think not! [:)]

In fact you don't need to be a great lover...not even a decent one... you just need THEM to think you are... when lights are off it's already too late to run away[;)]

[Crackaces]

Just to say the fact that only one DD seperates out with the 'escorted' ship can be devastatiing. Think Kaga taking a torp .. forms an escort TF during the night .. day break happends and a couple of groups of Allied DB's and TB's find her .. A CV and a DD is not enough ships to form any sorrt of flak shield .. and the player has no recourse to transfer ships until after the turn completes. .. "Scratch one flattop .."

Be glad to have the opportunity to add some ASW to get the Lady Lex home ..

Back to sexium .. [8D]

[Grfin Zeppelin]

Yeah lets go off topic hardcore and turn this thread into a Feminism,sexism and pregnancy one ^^