BBfanboy
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Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
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quote:
ORIGINAL: RangerJoe
As I stated, it depends upon the class of the ship. Sort them by cargo and fuel to group the classes. Then check the ships and you will see which ones can be converted to what type of support ship.
The ship icon button at the top of the screen is your friend. Click it to bring up the list of all ships. Sort the list by type (click on the heading "type") and then click on the "All Types" text to turn off all the types displayed. Then click on the AK type to bring it back up. You now have just the AK types NOT UNDER REPAIR or Conversion. The list usually groups the AK/xAK/xAKL types by their class so you can quickly look at one example in each class. Here is some advice that others may or may not agree with:
- 6200 ton capacity? Lassen class - the only ship that can convert to AE of 5400 capacity which can replenish ships at sea in 1944-46. Also the only Allied ship that can replenish the Iowa Class BB ammo.
- 5250 ton capacity xAKs can convert to AKEs (replenish in port but not at sea) of 4200 capacity. These are big enough to handle most Allied BB ammo, mines and torpedoes. There are enough of them that I do not convert any smaller ships to AKE because they cannot handle all types of ships.
- British 5550 ton capacity xAKs convert to very handy xAPs of 1300/1850 capacity (troops/equipment and supply). These are a handy size, small enough to dock at a size 1 port and large enough to carry a small BF or engineer regiment. Good range.
-US 4440 ton xAKs convert to xAPs of 1660/2200? capacity. Also very handy size and range.
- British 3900 ton xAKs convert to very handy xAPs of 1000/1200 capacity with decent range. These are very useful for small Battalion-sized units and Construction Battalions/Pioneer companies. You will find you need to leapfrog engineer units frequently once the Allies start to advance.
- US 4800 capacity xAKs to AGs - I think these are the largest capacity AG conversion and they have long range. AGs are needed mostly to replenish ASW ammo on your smaller ships and they help with small ship repair of minor damage. DO NOT CONVERT ALL OF THEM. Start with about 10 and add others as required. Scatter them around where ASW work is needed.
- Dutch/British xAKs of 1850 capacity? convert to small - short ranged xAPs of 500/750 capacity. Handy where you have lots of islands nearby that you need to shuffle small unit to and from. I convert all of them and use them en-masse for invasions where I want the troops to unload quickly so the ships can get out of there before opposition arrives. If you find you don't need them on-map that much, send them to Cape Town, then EC USA and have them haul supply in a CS Transport TF to CT.
- I don't recall any Allied ships that can become ARs, but if you find any, do convert them. The shortage of shipyards in SOPAC/SWPAC demands that you have ARs to fix small amounts of major damage.
- there are some large capacity xAKs (7000+ capacity?) that can convert to AKVs. These are useful where you want to transfer aircraft and have them ready to operate immediately on unloading. An example of this situation is where you are invading an enemy base and want to put fighters there immediately after you take it. Since this is not all that frequent an event I convert about six AKVs and use normal xAKs in an Air Transport TF to move aircraft that do not have to be ready immediately on arrival (1 day delay if moved by Air Tpt TF, 3 day delay if moved by Tpt TF).
- the Queens - these huge xAPs have great capacity (something like 5400/2200) and are very fast but their range is not great and their high speed makes for extensive system damage every trip. Some players use them to move regiment sized units from WC USA to Oz or NZ where there are ports big enough to dock them. I don't like the idea of losing an entire regiment to a lucky sub or raider and I don't like refueling these guzzlers in Oz or repairing their damage for weeks after a trip. So I use them off map between EC USA and CT, hauling troops or supplies.
- you will also want to look at some of the small fry that can convert to other types. Old Wickes class DDs (and the other type I can't recall ATM) can convert to APDs. You will be desperate for DDs at game start but when you can convert these to APDs, do so. They have much better ASW equipment and AA after conversion and they can be in a fast transport TF to haul troops for snap invasions (e.g. your Marine raiders or Para units).
- some of your AMs can covert to AVPs to support seaplanes at forward bases. Along with your AVDs, convert enough of these to support the remote bases you need for naval search aircraft, but don't overdo it. You also need some as minesweepers.
- some ships can covert to DEs, but you get lots of ASW vessels starting with SCs and YPs and KVs in 1942 and PFs and DEs in 1943. I generally do not convert anything to DE except the French ship at Noumea or Suva (Chevreuil?)
All I can think of ATM.
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