How to Make Carriers Follow Other Carriers?

[Adseria]

Is it possible to make one carrier division automatically follow another? Core and Support orders don't seem to work.

[rs2excelsior]

Core orders generally work for me. I have noticed some ships on core orders deciding that means “pick a random direction and set engines to full,” but that’s usually been when I’ve either multiple ships as core off of the same division (chain them instead), or when I have two divisions set as lead off of one another, even if one is set to independent orders. Had a fight with a CL division as flag for a CV division; the change flag division order told me there was no other suitable division and the CLs absolutely refused to follow the CVs.

[wknehring]

In general I would say, supporting CVL do what they want. From aggressive scouting to screaning other CV. Large CVs I can stick and chain together (as mentioned before).

The problem for me is, if you want your different CV-forces all covered by CAP, you have to chain them with support orders, while your leading force provides CAP for your leading BB/BCs. The last CV group in the chain gets land based CAP. And this becomes strange sometimes. As I said- CVL captains are the strangest dudes ever! "Unknown radar contact, Sir" "Full ahead, harrrrrr! Ready to board enemy!!" "Sir, it´s an enemy CV!" "Good!" "Sir, there are destroyers and a large cruiser, too!" "Even better! Prepare to board on both sides! We slip through their screan, sink their bloody destroyers and then board their CV and this big cruiser there! Haarrrrrrrrr!!!" translated famous last words of Kapitän Klaus Störtebecker of the German CVL Weser during a night battle in the Helgoland Bight, while his charge near Jutland.

edit:

This happened twice! The first time my CVLs survived because they "re-scouted" the enemy BB-force and they could be covered by an all-in strike of 4 squads TBs.

[rimbecano]

Apr 5, 2020 20:43:41 GMT -6 rs2excelsior said:

Core orders generally work for me. I have noticed some ships on core orders deciding that means “pick a random direction and set engines to full,” but that’s usually been when I’ve either multiple ships as core off of the same division (chain them instead), or when I have two divisions set as lead off of one another, even if one is set to independent orders. Had a fight with a CL division as flag for a CV division; the change flag division order told me there was no other suitable division and the CLs absolutely refused to follow the CVs.

Where I've mostly run into core divisions sailing off in a random direction is when the lead division is set to a higher speed than the following division can reach. Mostly ships will try to follow at best speed, but sometimes they'll just go off into the weeds.