Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: Coach Z

So I need to set my Dive Bombers (or Float Planes) to 100 feet?

quote:

ORIGINAL: bilbow

Aircraft at 100 feet altitude will attack PT boats. Anns, Zeros, also float planes. Even a small bomb from a float plane will do in a PT quite nicely. I suspect the altitude is your main problem here.

It doesn't make any sense, Admiral. Were we better than the Japanese or just luckier?

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quote:

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

Destroyers were originally named "torpedo boat destroyers".  They were bigger, faster, had more and larger guns than the smaller torpedo boats, which had little more than some rapid fire guns and torpedoes.

Sort of like PT boats, in fact.  I agree that sending a TF of 2-4 DD's would do a number on even a large group of PT's, just as they did IRL.

quote:

ORIGINAL: castor troy

quote:

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

Destroyers were originally named "torpedo boat destroyers". They were bigger, faster, had more and larger guns than the smaller torpedo boats, which had little more than some rapid fire guns and torpedoes.

Sort of like PT boats, in fact. I agree that sending a TF of 2-4 DD's would do a number on even a large group of PT's, just as they did IRL.

no, surely not like they did IRL. In the game (not just in my games, but in most of the AARs I´ve been reading too) you will lose one DD for 5 PTs sunk, another DD heavily damaged from cal .50 and 20mm Oerlikon fire. Of course there were not nearly as many encounters between PTs and DDs IRL like there are in the game.

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Coach Z

When I sent an IJN CL & 2 Destroyers to take care of the problem...thinking things would be like IRL....BUt I got both DDs beat up and then one DD later finished off by the PTs all for the loss of 1 PT Boat.

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quote:

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

The small caliber weapon damage subroutines are all screwed up in this game. I've sunk AK's using only the AA suite on a surfaced submarine (40mm and 20mm hits, no deck gun or torpedoes), and seen PT boats maul much bigger ships with their guns too. Not seen as much damage from strafing planes vs ships but that's because I don't have them do that very often.

0.50 caliber machine guns shouldn't be disabling destroyer main gun turrets and creating floatation damage on any ship larger than a minesweeper, though. For that matter, neither should 20mm or 40mm hits.

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quote:

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

I've had PT boats shoot up AK's but not sink them with gunfire alone, but I have seen a sub do it without using either the deck gun or torpedoes. Apparently the AK was carrying fuel, because one of the hits generated the "fuel cargo burning" notice and it sank afterwards.

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quote:

ORIGINAL: niceguy2005

Folks, dealing with PTs isnt THAT hard.  The way you kill PT boats is with destoryers....period. 

quote:

ORIGINAL: Coach Z

Unfortuantely its August 1942 and Japan has no FB in my current game.
My ANNS @ 100 ft actually hit them last turn and sunk 1.

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ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

quote:

ORIGINAL: niceguy2005

Folks, dealing with PTs isnt THAT hard. The way you kill PT boats is with destoryers....period.

I have to agree with previous posters: Using DD's is not advised. I have experienced what Castor said, about 1 DD for every 5-6 PTs, which is not good math for the Empire. I have seen 20mm hits too, not a ton, but enough to put a couple DDs in the shop for awhile.

FB's are the best way, though that doesn't work either if the Allies have fighter cover.

My biggest gripe on PT's is the ability to refuel from Subs or transports. That ability allows them to patrol off IJN bases without trips back to refuel, very annoying.

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quote:

ORIGINAL: niceguy2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: castor troy

quote:

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

Destroyers were originally named "torpedo boat destroyers". They were bigger, faster, had more and larger guns than the smaller torpedo boats, which had little more than some rapid fire guns and torpedoes.

Sort of like PT boats, in fact. I agree that sending a TF of 2-4 DD's would do a number on even a large group of PT's, just as they did IRL.

no, surely not like they did IRL. In the game (not just in my games, but in most of the AARs I´ve been reading too) you will lose one DD for 5 PTs sunk, another DD heavily damaged from cal .50 and 20mm Oerlikon fire. Of course there were not nearly as many encounters between PTs and DDs IRL like there are in the game.

I have never seen this personally. I have seen a posting of it once. It's my belief that it is an extreme case. Most PTs are sunk without ever firing a shot. I rarely see Japanese DDs go down due to PT torpedos. If I was an IJ player I would worry a lot more about the DD TF still being under allied air space during the daylight phase than I ever would that a PT was going to sink one.

Also odds matter. If you send in 2 DDs to attack 6 PTs you're asking to get one sunk. As you can imagine IRL PTs might well overwhelm the guns of a DD if they surge at once, so too can it happen in the game. To take on 6 PTs I would want 4+ DDs and if you're not worried about allied air daylight encounters are preferable.

Of course surprise matters as well, so recon, recon, recon. Raise the detection level of the PT group and reduce the chance of getting your DDs surprised.