Ron Saueracker
Posts: 12121
Joined: 1/28/2002
From: Ottawa, Canada OR Zakynthos Island, Greece
Status: offline
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Well... I've been playing this game for quite awhile now. One of my favourite aspects of UV is the ASW element, despite its rather simplistic and abstract nature.
Allied ASW tactics are rather straight forward in my opinion.
1) Air assets:
Use tactical bombers of any size on ASW patrol (1000-6000 feet has worked well for me). I find the Hudson is excellent as it has the range to cover lots of sea and the production levels to maintain squadron levels through all weather at high 70- 100% op levels. Seeing as Hudsons are rather flimsy and carry a modest payload, Naval Search and ASW seem to be the most efficient use of these aircraft. Mitchells and Marauders rotated out of frontline duty to rear areas for R&R also can perform yeoman service on ASW/Naval Search, preferably at lower op levels to regain morale. SBDs are obviously excellent in this role when assigned to rear areas due to their precision accuracy, but the larger numerical bomb loads of the medium bombers more than offset this. Under no circumstances use B-17s as they seem to suffer very high operational loss rates, have a near non-existant replacement rate, have a slow repair rate, and should really be husbanded for their most effective role, the reduction of enemy bases from high alltitude. Patrol bombers such as Catalinas should be left to Naval Search, as I've yet to witness a hit by a Cat since the games release. Finally, ASW/Naval Search missions seem to me to be a much more economical method of training aircrew, as training has no impact with regard to ASW, in my experience, anyway.
2) Naval assets:
Early in the campaign, allied experience levels are very low and ASW effectiveness suffers greatly as a result. I've found that the most economical and effective way to raise this experience while maintaining an acceptable survival rate is to run limited numbers of convoys with high escort levels (minimum of 10 escorts per convoy). This seems to lower the probability of a sub attack, limits the number of possible sub attacks, offers the best ratio of escort vs sub attacks, and provides valuable sea time for all vessels involved. Safety in numbers is the rule of thumb here.
Running bombardment missions vs low threat enemy bases such as Lunga, Tulagi, and Gili Gili (before they are painted with mines) has a wonderous effect on night experience. Running these early bombardment missions, when risk to ships is minimal, has also bagged small enemy task forces (even mine warfare TFs) in sharp surface actions. Participation in a surface engagement is the most expedient method of experience gain, but also the most dangerous.
By late 1942, the combination of prolonged sea duty, ASW armament improvements through refit, and the higher experience level of reinforcements arriving from Pearl Harbor simplify the Allies ASW mission. By 1943, the IJN may as well send the subs back to Japan as they become more of a liability in combat than a threat.
Don't use SCs as targets! As these little buggers gain experience, they become quite deadly as the Mousetrap is very effective.
Don't be hasty...let the aircraft on ASW duty do their job. Many players tend to be very impatient and crave action. They will commit ill prepared forces into the fray simply for the misguided necessity to "do something" aggressive. Time is your best friend. If you HAVE TO be aggressive, only enter a sub occupied hex with an ASW TF in an immediately adjacent hex to the TFs home base, as a damaged ship will have a very high probability of surviving long enough to make safe harbour.
Mines as an ASW defensive measure are a waste of time. While I've seen subs hit mines, it has usually been in offensive fields (mines laid in enemy hexes). Defensive minefields (those laid in friendly hexes are effective vs invasions and to a lesser extent, bombardments. Attempting to lay these fields only exposes these MLs to sub attack.
IJN Tactics:
Air assets. Same as Allied. IJN single engined float planes are useful in spotting subs, but I've seen only one reported hit.
Naval assets. IJN ASW tends to be ineffective in UV, and this is historically accurate. Detection probability is very low, but if an escort locates a sub and actually drops a pattern, look out! The high experience levels offer a high probability of a hit. Use whatever is available for escort duty.
Barge convoys are an interesting problem. If one places an escort with them (ie PC, PG, MSW etc), the larger size of the escort seems to make barges vulnerable to conventional bomber attack (as opposed to strafing attacks). But, in doing so, I've noticed a higher frequency of the escort detecting the sub and preventing an attack. Six of one, half dozen of the other I guess. I tend to leave barge TFs unescorted and very small in enemy air threat areas, but ad an escort and run large barge convoys in lower enemy air threat areas. Added bonus...unescorted barge TFs seem to attract enemy surface attacks by subs, and barges have an amazing success rate vs surfaced subs. (for some reason, sub commanders refuse to submerge when fired upon!)
Good hunting...:)
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