Japanese escort carriers activity in WitP:AE

[fulcrum28]

i have not yet played a campaign turns in 1944, and I wonder how you are playing with the Japanese Escort carriers.
For example:
http://remorika.com/escort-aircraft-car ... mane-maru/

Historically, those constructed after 1944 did not have so much air mission activity and they were mostly employed in ferry and transport missions.

[pws1225]

After the initial expansion phase of the war is over, I use the CVEs as escorts flying ASW missions for my major tanker and troop transport TFs. It seems to work well. [:)]

[obvert]

They're also good as KB decoys. It's hard to tell the real deal from a distance, and might be useful to give the Allies some misdirection.

Many players just use them as part of the KB. For me it depends on need, and their speed is a hindrance for fleet missions. For dedicated ASW though I'd rather use the AVs with Jakes on board and keep the CVEs in port, both to save fuel and save ships. Subs can be dangerous! [;)]

[Rising-Sun]

ORIGINAL: obvert

They're also good as KB decoys. It's hard to tell the real deal from a distance, and might be useful to give the Allies some misdirection.

Many players just use them as part of the KB. For me it depends on need, and their speed is a hindrance for fleet missions. For dedicated ASW though I'd rather use the AVs with Jakes on board and keep the CVEs in port, both to save fuel and save ships. Subs can be dangerous! [;)]

Yeah they do, if planned properly.

[crsutton]

The game does not require you to follow any historical models in this case. You can use your CVEs as carrier platforms throughout. They generally are not needed as aircraft ferries as most Japanese planes have very good range.

[PaxMondo]

IJ CVE's are just matchsticks waiting to explode ... they are very fragile and most have so small AC capacity it is marginally worth building them .... I rarely have one survive a single bomb hit, and never seen one survive two hits. [:(][:(][:(]

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

IJ CVE's are just matchsticks waiting to explode ... they are very fragile and most have so small AC capacity it is marginally worth building them .... I rarely have one survive a single bomb hit, and never seen one survive two hits. [:(][:(][:(]

Agreed. I just hope to get some use out of them as ASW escorts for my more important convoys. Even if its just as a target.[:D]

[bradfordkay]

Remember the USN sailor's nickname for the class: Combustible, Vulnerable and Expendable.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

IJ CVE's are just matchsticks waiting to explode ... they are very fragile and most have so small AC capacity it is marginally worth building them .... I rarely have one survive a single bomb hit, and never seen one survive two hits. [:(][:(][:(]

Lost all EIGHT of mine in one day to Dan. VERY depressing...

[oaltinyay]

ORIGINAL: pws1225

After the initial expansion phase of the war is over, I use the CVEs as escorts flying ASW missions for my major tanker and troop transport TFs. It seems to work well. [:)]

same here , they made a difference. I use them for the 'urca de lima convoys' that suck Palembang.

[nashvillen]

I have found great use in them escorting Tankers. I have had a couple hit by an allied torpedo instead of the valuable tankers and survive about 1/3 of the time. With an expanded repair yard at HK or Pescadores they can be repaired in short order and brought back into decoy, I mean escort, service with the tankers.

Later in the war I have used them with full fighter compliments as LRCAP about three hexes behind my CVs providing more CAP for them from the waves and waves of allied attack aircraft.

[SheperdN7]

Scrap 'em

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

IJ CVE's are just matchsticks waiting to explode ... they are very fragile and most have so small AC capacity it is marginally worth building them .... I rarely have one survive a single bomb hit, and never seen one survive two hits. [:(][:(][:(]

Lost all EIGHT of mine in one day to Dan. VERY depressing...

I remember that day ... [:(]

[Puhis]

ORIGINAL: fulcrum28


i have not yet played a campaign turns in 1944, and I wonder how you are playing with the Japanese Escort carriers.
For example:
http://remorika.com/escort-aircraft-car ... mane-maru/

Historically, those constructed after 1944 did not have so much air mission activity and they were mostly employed in ferry and transport missions.

Early war IJN CVEs are useful, about 100 carrier planes more. I use them as a second (or third) decoy task force. They can launch a small strike, and their CAP shot down allied planes.

I've never build late war japanese CVEs. I just stop the production to save shipyard and HI points.

[Barb]

The standard CVEs (capacity of around 30, speed 20+) can be used with some effect as a support force for the KB - providing CAP, ASW and NavS freeing the strike force for their main mission. Having Tayio, Chuyo, Unyo, Kaiyo, Shinyo and even Hosho can boost your Fighter complement by about 150+ fighters - with smaller air wings fielded by main KB carriers I find this useful, especially once the allied carriers got their VF squadrons resized to 36. I usually keep the CVEs in their own Task Force (or maybe pair them with Junyo, Hiyo or CVLs).
The price is slowing down of the whole fleet and vulnerability of those CVEs. But you rather loose a CVE than CV or no? [;)]

Army CVEs (capacity of around 8) falls to another category. At first I thought about building them for the important convoy escorts serving as ASW carriers. But given the price in terms of HI to build them and their PP worth, I stopped them all. You do not have the Merchant Shipyards and HI points to spare - I would rather have some Escorts and number of planes build up. So far Allied subs in my Jap PBEM are more of nuisance than serious threat (April 1943). [;)]

[rustysi]

But you rather loose a CVE than CV or no?

I rather lose nothing....[:D]

So far Allied subs in my Jap PBEM are more of nuisance than serious threat (April 1943).

Careful, don't get complacent like Japan did. In about five months those Yankee subs are going to hit their stride in both improved torps and increased numbers.