Questions about sinking transports

[alanschu]

So I like to keep nations fleets near their regions (avoid doing Sir Robin until it feels like they actually would) so I have some British CLs and DDs at Singapore to harass transports.

I ended up with the following which are certainly results I've never seen before but won't complain!

Night Time Surface Combat, near Kuantan at 51,79, Range 3,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
xAK Manila Maru, Shell hits 10, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Tacoma Maru, Shell hits 31, and is sunk
xAK Kinugasa Maru, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Kagu Maru, Shell hits 26, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
xAK Asama Maru #2, Shell hits 12, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
xAK Kiyo Maru, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Zuisyo Maru, Shell hits 7, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Meiu Maru, Shell hits 26, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CL Danae
CL Dragon
CL Durban
CL Mauritius
DD Vampire
DD Vendetta
DD Tenedos
DD Thracian
DD Electra
DD Encounter
DD Express
DD Isis

Japanese ground losses:
20334 casualties reported
Squads: 376 destroyed, 1138 disabled
Non Combat: 468 destroyed, 1265 disabled
Engineers: 128 destroyed, 12 disabled
Guns lost 198 (180 destroyed, 18 disabled)

===================
Japanese Ships
xAK Hague Maru, Shell hits 8, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Havre Maru, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
xAK Rasin Maru, Shell hits 22, and is sunk
xAK Yamahuzi Maru, Shell hits 21, and is sunk
xAK Nansin Maru, Shell hits 28, and is sunk
xAK Mansyu Maru, Shell hits 22, and is sunk
xAK Syunsei Maru, Shell hits 8, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
xAK Yuri Maru, Shell hits 18, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CL Danae
CL Dragon
CL Durban
CL Mauritius
DD Vampire
DD Vendetta
DD Tenedos
DD Thracian
DD Electra, Shell hits 1
DD Encounter
DD Express
DD Isis

Japanese ground losses:
19768 casualties reported
Squads: 389 destroyed, 1117 disabled
Non Combat: 447 destroyed, 1158 disabled
Engineers: 112 destroyed, 29 disabled
Guns lost 190 (168 destroyed, 22 disabled)




I see this and half wonder if those sailors have legit saved Singapore! Haha. But I was curious about the disabled units. Would they still survive as they were in port and may have gotten off the ship (Japan holds Kuantan). Or would they actually end up also being outright destroyed because the ship they were on ended up sinking?

[Lecivius]

Glub Glub.

But man, 19 torpedo hits!! Buy those guys a pint!

[RangerJoe]

A pint? Give them a few kegs of RUM! There probably was surprise with a night torpedo launch!

Other ships might rescue survivors, those would be put ashore at the next base those ships go to. It looks like 6+ divisions had bath time . . .

[HansBolter]

Only way any 'picked up' survivors make it to shore is if at least one transport survives to unload them.

The game doesn't model troops in the drink making it ashore independently of any transport ship/barge and reconstituting into an LCU on the map.

[jdsrae]

Good use of the old ships, but where are the IJN covering forces?
Mauritius is modern; Vampire and Vendetta are Aussies so they probably did most of the damage [;)]

[alanschu]

I was wondering where the covering forces were. It was a deliberate attack on a low moonlight day (reduced sighting due to 0% moonlight) so engagement started at 2000 yards. I've done the same attack a few times when I spot a transport there or on the west coast of Borneo (Sambas) a month ago with no moonlight as well. I usually get 2-3 ships tops and nothing quite like this. That's a lot of AV I won't have to endure at Singapore.

I tried something similar a few days ago at Singkawang and bumped into a BB (can't remember which one) and a few CAs and it didn't go as well. Mauritius survived the encounter but didn't make it back to Singapore

With action ramping up in Australia I'm RPing the two Aussie DDs being recalled (I could really use some more ASW there anyway!), but for the record the Vendetta did sink two ships in that last engagement! [8D]

[Capt Hornblower]

I assume you're playing the AI if you encountered a transport TF without naval escort. Don't get too excited-- the AI frequently sends transport TFs places without escort. And don't get jazzed about the torpedo attack results; transports are sitting ducks for torpedo attacks, and these were Commonwealth torpedoes, not the crappy USN early-war models.

[RangerJoe]

The AI will send surface fleets first before transports. When they encounter nothing, they leave and the transports come in. The AI will also send carriers without a surface task force for protection. It is great to surprise a Japanese carrier with four 14" projectiles penetrating the ship on the first salvo . . .