SuluSea
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Joined: 11/17/2006
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Spooky's site would be a good place to start. plenty of tips and goodies at the site. 
http://mathubert.free.fr/
1° I am getting massacred by US subs in my ports
Try creating entirely DD and APD TFs, perhaps with a CL, no more than that necessary. Should be around five or six ships total. Pick the DDs with 4 or more depth charges, then send them shuttling between the areas with subs.
Use the CS/AV ships and put them in a TF with DDs. Put all the float planes on ASW and set them to 100% / 1000 feet. If you have the option, put a CV TF or two on ASW. Use your Minelayers (MLs) to shuttle down from Truk and re-mine the harbours that are in danger. Put enough mines there and his subs will start hitting them.
Put other planes, Vals and your patrol planes particularly, on ASW 100%. Anytime they spot what might be a US sub in shallow water (use F2 to see shallow water hexes on the map), send a DD TF to it rather than waiting for it to come to you. Set them to Patrol and React in the sub's hex until they sink it.
So:
- Increase Air ASW coverage
- Form DD-based ASW TFs
- Use CS/AVs and CV TFs to create temporary high lethality areas for enemy subs
- Send DD ASW TFs out to kill subs when spotted
The US did not historically do so well, but they historically were not used nearly as aggressively as your opponent is using them. As with other parts of the game, you need to learn how to use ASW as well as your opponent knows how to use subs. You can make his strategy backfire with very heavy sub losses that will get his subs off your back for most of the campaign if you play your cards right.
The above suggestions have worked well for me. Note that if the main offenders are US S-Boats, they are particularly vulnerable in shallow water. While their torpedoes are more reliable, they are definitely going to pay the price for operating in harbor areas if you employ the above techniques. Remember also that the fog of war is particularly heavy with respect to subs. You may have damaged or sunk more than you realize - check the sunk ships list over the course of the upcoming weeks to make sure. (Erik Rutins’ Tip)
And another tip at the site.
For ASW: When you have time, say the Allied player must stay down for some weeks, because of losses always make ASW, not only with your LBA, also with your ships. -----------> Create a CV Tf with (my prefered selection following) a Junyo class CV (with its general loadout) , a CVL (prefer Zuiho/Ryuho class) and equip it with a bomber group only (27 planes - experience very important for successful ASW attacks). Add one or two CS to that TF (the 40 float planes add massive to the ASW). Then add some 10 to 15 of your finest DDs to that task force (in regards of experience, DC type ...type 95 DC prefered of course, and DC throwers.... DDs with rails and throwers are better than those with rails only).
Then move them in a "sub - hotspot". Depending on your opponents options (some Subs on auto??) they come to get slaughtered. Do not get frustrated if it is not working instantly - take your time. With these Jap Hunter-Killer groups I get sometimes 3-5 subs in a operation (3 or 4 weeks). The success highly depends on the density of subs in the area and the experience of your crews/AGs.
So if you got plenty of sub reports, say, south of Rabaul, you now know what you can do to counter it. But in God´s name stay out of enemy CV, LBA with this ASW group or you will see your units slaughtered. Junyo´s CAP is the only Air defence of them.
By Reddon 45
< Message edited by SuluSea -- 2/3/2008 4:46:17 PM >
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