Ship question -- no Malagant please

[jwolf]

I have a problem with my Allied game vs. Malagant (Japan). On the first day's strike, the Japanese sank the Repulse; Prince of Wales, though severely damaged, managed to limp back to Singapore. It's now Dec 18 in our game and the question is whether and how this ship might be saved. The problem is that most of PoW's damage is major, and would require more than a year in a shipyard to fix. A few days in Singapore repaired the non-major float and engine damage, still leaving the ship with 22 system, 64 float, and 34 engine damage, all major in the latter two categories.

Please check Malagant's AAR for a summary of his progress to this point, but in brief, the British are in retreat in Malaya though Singapore itself isn't directly threatened yet; Miri and Singkawang in Borneo have fallen; Japanese troops have landed all over the Philippines but it will take a while to clean out the US troops there. I figure that I have only a narrow window of a few days to try to exit with the PoW before the waters around Singapore and the Java Sea become totally impassable for any Allied ships. What slim hopes I have for the PoW are to exit through the Sunda Strait (the straits of Malacca became an instant death trap right from the first day of war), and then crawl over to Australia. The serious repair would have to be done in Sydney or perhaps Melbourne, but along the way PoW could stop in other ports if it needs to repair non-major damage that accumulates in the meantime.

These slim hopes were dashed when I first tried to leave Singapore with PoW on the 17th. The orders I gave to the ship were to leave for Batavia. Instead, it went right back into port and, worse yet, in pierside mode so that I have to wait another 3 days before I can try to leave again!

My question: is it possible to try to exit with the ship, or is its damage so severe that it will simply refuse to try?

[Lecivius]

Escort mission, cruise speed, Destination & Home port both set for Batavia, and it should go. If it goes back there may be a force out there you don't 'see'.

[btd64]

I have had this problem before. what I did was first select the port you want to go to as a return port. then as the destination port. you will have to husband the ship along . check on it every turn. Rinse and repeat. also only Sydney can repair that tonnage. Since the ship does have a bunch of float damage, don't get your hopes up. I always send it to Columbo. It's closer. But moving from Port to port is good to....gp

[Encircled]

Bear in mind he will be looking for it as well. Plenty of escorts, and try to bounce it down the coast using the small islands/ports till you reach Osthaven. Then go to Colombo to get the system repairs done, then off map for full repairs.

You need to make sure you've got fighters LRCAP it as well to give you the best possible chance

[jwolf]

I still have a lot of air power in Singapore, but he will probably neutralize, destroy or drive it away within a few days.

I've had trouble trying to change a ship's "home port" if it's a different nationality. I'll check it in this case tonight at home, but I'm not sure I can change it for a RN ship to, say, Batavia or Sydney.

My reasoning for Australia instead of Columbo (assuming I can get PoW going at all) is that the route to Australia allows for more emergency stops at ports along the way.

I have already pulled almost all ships out of Singapore. But I can send a destroyer from around Batavia up there to meet PoW. It will - probably -- make it.

Next try will be on the 20th. I know I'm looking at very long odds even in the best case. But I think I have to try.

[Lecivius]

I am pretty sure PoW is to large for Sidney. And you can change the port. I think your best bet is gonna be to cruise it to Cape Town.

[dr.hal]

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

I am pretty sure PoW is to large for Sidney. And you can change the port. I think your best bet is gonna be to cruise it to Cape Town.

I believe Lecivius is right, the only direction is Capetown. Also I would put the threat toleration level to absolute. But folks in this thread have suggested plenty of escorts. I would argue that if the ship is alone it is more difficult to detect and thus might have a better chance against air-power. Detection of a large TF is relatively assured in ranges of 12 or less. However a single ship, be it tugboat or BB, has a significantly lower chance. And the proposed escorts are not going to help deter either sub or air attacks, so why not forgo them and take your chances of going alone to increase the odds that you won't be detected (but also a long shot I fear). Hal

[Jorge_Stanbury]

Sydney is only 30 shipyard capacity; as Lecivius said, not enough for PoW

Cape Town is too far away for a 64 float damaged ship; you risk flooding during transit (both on and off map); your best chances are to get it to Colombo for all system and some float fixes,

Then I would move it to Addu, then if everything goes fine, Mombasa, and once again if everything is good, CT

[Jim D Burns]

I assume this is stock, but if not some of the versions of DaBabes have a dry-dock that starts in Java with a 20 ton lift capacity. You could use it to patch up some damage until things started to get hot near Java.

If stock I would recommend Soerabaja to clean up as much system damage as you can, then head for Cape Town and cross your fingers. I think Colombo is simply too risky this early as you haven't got the fighter strength on map to protect a ship in port there and you won’t have for many months yet.

Also Japan is likely to have one or more subs lurking near Colombo which will easily spot a vessel with as much damage as yours has. Even if the sub doesn’t get to attack he’d launch a quick CV raid for sure if he spots the ship heading towards Colombo.

Jim

[jwolf]

Thanks for all the comments. To confirm: our game is stock, standard WITPAE with latest beta. I am amazed that Sydney isn't big enough for the job. Makes the long odds even longer. If I can get PoW through Sunda -- very big if - then I guess I'll head to Colombo and then try for Capetown.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

Sydney is only 30 shipyard capacity; as Lecivius said, not enough for PoW

Cape Town is too far away for a 64 float damaged ship; you risk flooding during transit (both on and off map); your best chances are to get it to Colombo for all system and some float fixes,

Then I would move it to Addu, then if everything goes fine, Mombasa, and once again if everything is good, CT

Colombo is your nearest. I would go to Batavia, then up the west coast of Sumatra towards Ceylon. It's your own chance.

I might stop long enough in Batavia to get that 22 Sys damage repaired. If you can do that, she stands a pretty good chance of actually making Ceylon.

[pontiouspilot]

It took a long time but I limped POW to Ceylon with flotation in the 70s. The key was stopping in Xmas and Cocos on the way when damage started getting worse. You may want to send an AR to these islands for some help.....quere whether AR can help when POW cab't dock??

You may then only leave her in Ceylon long enough to be able to move her to the Cape as Colomo is often a target itself.

[Lokasenna]

ORIGINAL: pontiouspilot

It took a long time but I limped POW to Ceylon with flotation in the 70s. The key was stopping in Xmas and Cocos on the way when damage started getting worse. You may want to send an AR to these islands for some help.....quere whether AR can help when POW cab't dock??

You may then only leave her in Ceylon long enough to be able to move her to the Cape as Colomo is often a target itself.

An AR will only help with damage that can already be repaired at the port, and only at pier side mode. It's not worth sending one this direction.

With the reported damage levels, the PoW's best shot is to stop somewhere safe-ish to repair the System to 0 and then make for Ceylon's shipyard.