Tactics & Technology of Fleet Screening & Pursuit

[generalvikus]

Surely one of the best new features in RTW2 is the fleet exercise button, since my substantial investment of time and energy into RTW so far, the rarity of large fleet battles still left me with very little skill when it comes to them. One thing that has become increasingly apparent from my exercises is the difficulty of pursuing a retreating enemy, as doing so leaves the pursuer vulnerable to torpedo attacks. Put simply, I have discovered that it is difficult to be simultaneously aggressive enough to inflict serious damage on the enemy fleet and cautious enough to keep oneself safe from torpedoes. 

This realisation has led me to consider the issue of fleet screening. Previously, I had dismissed fleet screening as a secondary role to be performed by light scouting cruisers once their job in the vanguard had been done; at least, in the early game. I fear this has left me ill-equipped and ill-prepared for the reality of fleet battles. I have felt particularly infuriated that often, a single, obsolete but well - placed destroyer (and the AI does indeed seem to be good, at least by my standards, at using its destroyers effectively) can force me to break off a pursuit.  

So, I'd like some general advice on the matter: what sort of tactics do you use for fleet screening? Should the emphasis be placed on light cruisers or on destroyers, and how should they be designed for the anti-destroyer role? What sort of numbers of screens do you consider to be adequate? How do you position your screening units in battle; which formations do you use, and how far away from the fleet's capital ships should they be placed?

Specifically, I'd also like some tips for minimising the risk of torpedo attacks when pursuing an enemy. Do you consider the issue of torpedo attacks to be a strong argument in favour of all - forward armament schemes, and of specialising capital ships for long-range combat, with a focus on heavy guns, fire control, and deck armour? Is it possible to minimise the risks by approaching the enemy in a certain way - for example, straight ahead instead of broadside-on? Are regular course changes by the line of battle advisable, or is their effect on gunnery too severe? 

Any advice regarding the issues of fleet screening, pursuit, and even fleet battles more generally is welcome. 

[alsadius]

I find parallel but oblique courses - ideally, about 45 degrees away from being directly behind them, at moderate ranges - to be really good for running gun duels. You can keep up with them, all your turrets are firing, and you're not totally ruined by course changes. I haven't had a problem getting hit by torpedoes other than when I get in close.

Regarding screens, I have a bit of a squirrel-chasing problem. I rarely keep screens for screening duty, and I'll usually send them after the enemy battle line as torpedo boats instead. (With designs like this, though, that's sort of the intent). That means I kill a lot of capital ships with torpedoes, but other than in the sense of "the best defense is a good offense", I don't do a lot of defending of my heavy ships. This is probably a weakness in my tactics/fleet design.

[southkraut]

Don't engage with capital ships at night, and build more destroyers - those are my solution. Enemy destroyers will be spotted earlier by your own, the capital ships can open fire at long range, and your own destroyers will keep them from getting too close. But at night nothing works; until radar you just cannot safely attack any torpedo-armed enemy at night.

[rob06waves2018]

Jun 11, 2019 11:59:16 GMT -6 generalvikus said:

Surely one of the best new features in RTW2 is the fleet exercise button, since my substantial investment of time and energy into RTW so far, the rarity of large fleet battles still left me with very little skill when it comes to them. One thing that has become increasingly apparent from my exercises is the difficulty of pursuing a retreating enemy, as doing so leaves the pursuer vulnerable to torpedo attacks. Put simply, I have discovered that it is difficult to be simultaneously aggressive enough to inflict serious damage on the enemy fleet and cautious enough to keep oneself safe from torpedoes. 

This realisation has led me to consider the issue of fleet screening. Previously, I had dismissed fleet screening as a secondary role to be performed by light scouting cruisers once their job in the vanguard had been done; at least, in the early game. I fear this has left me ill-equipped and ill-prepared for the reality of fleet battles. I have felt particularly infuriated that often, a single, obsolete but well - placed destroyer (and the AI does indeed seem to be good, at least by my standards, at using its destroyers effectively) can force me to break off a pursuit.  

So, I'd like some general advice on the matter: what sort of tactics do you use for fleet screening? Should the emphasis be placed on light cruisers or on destroyers, and how should they be designed for the anti-destroyer role? What sort of numbers of screens do you consider to be adequate? How do you position your screening units in battle; which formations do you use, and how far away from the fleet's capital ships should they be placed?

Specifically, I'd also like some tips for minimising the risk of torpedo attacks when pursuing an enemy. Do you consider the issue of torpedo attacks to be a strong argument in favour of all - forward armament schemes, and of specialising capital ships for long-range combat, with a focus on heavy guns, fire control, and deck armour? Is it possible to minimise the risks by approaching the enemy in a certain way - for example, straight ahead instead of broadside-on? Are regular course changes by the line of battle advisable, or is their effect on gunnery too severe? 

Any advice regarding the issues of fleet screening, pursuit, and even fleet battles more generally is welcome. 

I had very much the same problems as you with fleet battles - I managed to damage the enemy fleet but then got slaughtered by torpedoes in the pursuit.

One thing that helped was a self-imposed restriction of 5 DDs to every BB. These would be general purpose DDs with ~6-8 4-5" guns and a couple of centreline torpedoes. That way, they're useful outside of fleet battles as well. In fleet battles, I make sure they're on Screen mode with the lead divisions being the BB squadrons (larger ships have priority). I also make sure to send 2 CLs with each BB on foreign manoeuvres as scouts. If you can see ships coming, you can avoid them. My set up is generally a ratio of 1:2:5 (BB:CL:DD) away from the home area (same principle there but of course more ships on average).

When I get into a battle (playing in captain's mode), I try to keep the range with the BBs long and pick off the enemy capital ships (use high calibre guns). When they slow, I detach either a squadron of DDs or CLs to finish them with manually fired torpedoes. Try never to let a BB nearer to an enemy than its escort. This method does not work in the early game as accuracy is rubbish, but, then again, so are torpedoes. I use this method predominantly from about 1909. Keep capital ships away from DDs, even if they're stopped. Also, 5" tertiaries can minimise the problem.

If a BB does get torpedoed, detach it immediately and set the speed to about 6 knts. No use losing it if you can help it.

The other tactics are a bit lacking - it mostly boils down to keeping DDs at arm's length and with a heavy screen. You will take torpedo hits occasionally but hopefully with less frequency. If you have a choice, let a minor vessel do it. You'd always rather lose 10 DDs than one BB in a pursuit.

[noshurviverse]

One thing you can try once you hit 1915 or so is lone floatplane bombers. While they may hit very rarely and even then do little, each attack will force the enemy to perform evasive turns, thus slowing them down and giving you a minute or two of steaming advantage. You'll need a cruiser to be the ones launching in order to keep up the chase.

[dorn]

I used several tactics for pursuit:

a) 1 vs 1 pursuit  (usually cruisers or battlecruisers)

In this case I run from stern course till damage enemy ship enough to have quite a speed advantage. When it happen I change course slightly to side and at one point I change course to the second side to open broadside for a moment. And as moving to the second side a change course at some point and repeat. With this tactic it is important too change course in time not to try using advantage of broadside to much as you can be hit by torpedo.

b) division pursuit

Just run from stern course. Try to slow down one ship and sink her. There is no other choice if I have no aicrafts. Torpedo runs are usually not effective if speed of enemy division is still above 20 knots.

c) close land pursuit

In this case I just get by side and try to force enemy to turn to coast to limit their possibility and increase possibility of torpedo attack

d) night / bad weather pursuit

Never do it with larger ships. I usually prefer this only if I have smaller ships eg. destroyers against light cruiser, light cruiser against heavy cruiser etc. as torpedoes are most important and number of guns. Potential of even 4-6" guns are enough to penetrate light cruiser armour at point black and 5-6" guns are powerful enough to penetrate heavy cruiser armour. So number of guns is more interesting than caliber as you need to disable enemy guns quickly. As soon as enemy aft guns are disabled you can do anything you want to hunt enemy down.

[mycophobia]

As an additional tip, consider holding fire at longer range/limited visibility situations when pursuing, if your ships are faster anyway. I've had occasions where as I pursue the enemy after a line battle, my ships tends to use what little ammo they had left, and struggle to finish up enemy ships even if the enemy cant shake me off.


Also, if speed permits, zigzagging while chasing can reduce risk of getting torpedoed. The worst thing to do is sail in straight parallel course with the enemy slightly ahead of you, that sets up for very easy torpedo attacks if you remain in constant course.


My choice for using all forward generally comes from weight considerations and protection. They don't matter that much compared to standard ABX/ABXY triple turret layout since the amount of barrel forward is not very different. Adding an additional 2 barrel or so if you use the French layout also haven't made a significant difference for me. They also means next to nothing against torpedo attacks in a pursuit. All forward guns wont help much against destroyers, and while being able tot sail straight behind the enemy reduce the possibility of getting hit by torpedos, as said earlier you can do this with any other ship since at most two turret will be super-firing anyway.

[jorgencab]

Jun 12, 2019 10:22:05 GMT -6 mycophobia said:

As an additional tip, consider holding fire at longer range/limited visibility situations when pursuing, if your ships are faster anyway. I've had occasions where as I pursue the enemy after a line battle, my ships tends to use what little ammo they had left, and struggle to finish up enemy ships even if the enemy cant shake me off.


Also, if speed permits, zigzagging while chasing can reduce risk of getting torpedoed. The worst thing to do is sail in straight parallel course with the enemy slightly ahead of you, that sets up for very easy torpedo attacks if you remain in constant course.


My choice for using all forward generally comes from weight considerations and protection. They don't matter that much compared to standard ABX/ABXY triple turret layout since the amount of barrel forward is not very different. Adding an additional 2 barrel or so if you use the French layout also haven't made a significant difference for me. They also means next to nothing against torpedo attacks in a pursuit. All forward guns wont help much against destroyers, and while being able tot sail straight behind the enemy reduce the possibility of getting hit by torpedos, as said earlier you can do this with any other ship since at most two turret will be super-firing anyway.

I would agree... I don't like to waste valuable ammunition in fire-fight were I will not accomplish much. Falling back an holding fire are one way to do it... sooner or later some of the enemy ships will start to fall behind because of engine problems of some sort. You just have to be patient and shadow them at a distance.

If you managed to already bloody their battle line then pursing them might not be worth it in the first place. Quit while you are ahead... risk a pursuit and get torpedoed as a result might not be wise.

Check to see when nightfall will come, are you going to risk a night battle... do you have enough supporting ships for such carnage.

[garrisonchisholm]

The toughest thing about early fleet actions is realizing that if one of your BBs takes a torpedo, the thing that might get you the MOST victory points is just slowing down to 6 knots and disengaging the whole column.

Too often I have let a ship make its own way home and then found my efforts to cause damage fruitless by weather or mischance, and then when the losses screen comes up I realize the torpedoed ship had foundered. Before TP2, quite frequently not letting that single torpedoed ship sink is what gets you the best result.