Coastal patrol and ASW ships?

[kyle]

When war starts you are expected to put a minimum number of ships on ASW patrol.  Is there any advantage to putting more than the minimum number of ships on patrol?  Better defense around ports maybe, or more enemy subs destroyed?

[klavohunter]

More ships on patrol = more ships actively patrolling your coastlines during missions.


This can be useful if you design ships strictly for coastal protection. You can make some rather large MS that can stand and fight against DD and CLs, and you can make 200-ton DDs that are cheap, slow at 20 knots, and pack a pair of torpedo tubes. (Haven't hit anything yet with them, but they make me feel better when they fire!)

You can get some very interesting results with very small and cheap Battleships as Coastal Defense also, not that I've felt that building those would be useful.


Can't say I know if more patrols = increased submarines sank/mines swept.

[kyle]

I have built larger MS - and unlike destroyers they can 'wear' armor. I do tend to keep around my old destroyers for patrol duty. The original 500 tonners at the start of the game get upgraded torpedoes and I've had them pleasantly surprise me by nailing an enemy ship on one of those coastal raids. They are a bit expensive to maintain so maybe building new ones would work - something to try out.

[JagdFlanker]

i usually build 40-50 200t MS at the beginning of the game for coastal patrols. between every war i do a 'dummy rebuild' (rebuild them w/o changing anything) and use the same ones right up to game end. outside of battles near enemy bases i almost never have any of my ships hit a mine

i don't like using any other ships for coastal patrols since the upkeep is significantly higher and i'd rather spend that upkeep cash for better ships in my fleet!

[zulu354]

I think, if the more ships you have at CP/ASW missions, the more likely you will sink enemy submarines, too. Not bad, if you are fighting a strong fleet of enemy submarines.