Foreign Service Requirements

[rockmedic109]

Any ideas on the best plan?


In RTW1 I used 18-20 8000 ton CLs.  This was as England.

In my first RTW2 game {I didn't save the scenario, put the computer into sleep mode and I could not restart or load a save for the game}, I made large CL like before but also made a class of larger KE.  The KE had about 75% of the upkeep cost for the tonnage.  Nice, but that would mean about 60 Colonial KE.  As I am a "I always rename my ships according to class" player, that is a LOT of typing.  I am thinking about going the full KE route for FS.  

How large a KE can be built and still remain low upkeep?  Is there any formula for predicting upkeep costs?  I've usually filled out the tonnage of whatever ship I build, but maybe better if I go cheap for upkeep?  

[mycophobia]

It seems to be based on build cost primarily, with factors like ship age/speed etc also having a influence. I'd recommend build big KE with bare minimal equipment to get the most out of the tonnage/cost ration. They can be very slow, since engine adds quite a bit to the cost. They don't need armament since they are not expected to fight (But you can consider giving them a 4incher or two so that they don't die as easily to the "gun duel with submarine" event.

Im not sure if they are gonna contribute to minesweeping/asw on FS, so I'd leave off depthcharges and minesweeping.

Also one thing I tried in my French game is using KE equipped with a sea plane or two for FS. Therefor I can get some scouting needed during battle in remote areas without investing a pricy air base or brining an AV.

[swang]

Lead ship of slow, well armored B, (eventually upgraded to slow, well armored BB) and fill the rest with KEs. 1600c (2000 effective FS tonnage) for 14/month is the cheapest you can get.

[rockmedic109]

I built 56 1600 ton KE at 19/month. Still MUCH cheaper than CL in tonnage per upkeep cost. I gave them 4 5" guns for use against DD and Subs to keep them from only being targets. Named them after, what else, colonies. The 600 ton minesweepers I named after volcanoes.

[BathTubAdmiral]

Jun 1, 2019 0:27:39 GMT -6 swang said:

... and fill the rest with KEs. 1600c (2000 effective FS tonnage) for 14/month is the cheapest you can get.

"Ships equipped for colonial service count as 1.5 times their tonnage on foreign stations."

I'd thought that such a KE would give me 2400 effective tonnage, not 2000?

[rodentnavy]

Jun 1, 2019 0:49:42 GMT -6 BathTubAdmiral said:

Jun 1, 2019 0:27:39 GMT -6 swang said:

... and fill the rest with KEs. 1600c (2000 effective FS tonnage) for 14/month is the cheapest you can get.

"Ships equipped for colonial service count as 1.5 times their tonnage on foreign stations."

I'd thought that such a KE would give me 2400 effective tonnage, not 2000?

It's a typo in the manual, the 2 escaped from the middle...the actual modifier for colonial service is 1.25 

I tend to go the other way on my imperial police boats.  A 700 tonner corvette because it can be churned out in 9/10 months.  I did develop a fairly sparse 3200 ton colonial cruiser with a 25 knot speed which I can put in all those quiet backwaters but still carry 6 inch guns. Using 1930s tech for the original design those still felt stupidly cheapbut they did the job as part of the mix. 

[swang]

My KEs are pretty much empty. 1600 tons, 15 kn speed, reliable engine, no armor, 1 2 in gun to satisfy arming requirements, minesweeping setup, colonial service. For whatever reason, KEs are exempt from the 95% tonnage used requirements.

If they get found, they typically die anyways, so I don't feel like spending more than I need to get them. I always have a dozen or so waiting to replace losses. the combined cost of those dozen (especially in mothball, because crew quality does not matter) is really low...

Back in RTW1, I once called that class Redshirts, and the B leader Yellowshirts.

[rockmedic109]

That sounds like a better idea. Then make an ASW KE when you need to. I've read somewhere that Colonial check only adds 20% extra to the first 6000 tons. Is there any increase after 6000 tons or just diminishing returns?

[aeson]

Jun 2, 2019 18:00:51 GMT -6 rockmedic109 said:

That sounds like a better idea. Then make an ASW KE when you need to. I've read somewhere that Colonial check only adds 20% extra to the first 6000 tons. Is there any increase after 6000 tons or just diminishing returns?

A 10,000t cruiser counts for 7333 tons without or 9166 tons with the Colonial Service box checked in the design screen while a 16,000t cruiser counts for 9,333 tons without and 11,666 tons with the Colonial Service box checked. 9,166 is 25% more than 7,333 and 11,666 is 25% more than 9,333, so it would appear that the 25% bonus to station tonnage fulfillment from fitting the ship for Colonial Service is applied to the final modified displacement of the ship, not to only the first 6,000 tons or to the design displacement.

Incidentally, it appears that the modified tonnage used for station fulfillment on ships larger than 6,000 tons is calculated as 6000 + ([design displacement] - 6000)/3.

[yemo]

Jun 2, 2019 19:14:35 GMT -6 aeson said:

Jun 2, 2019 18:00:51 GMT -6 rockmedic109 said:

That sounds like a better idea. Then make an ASW KE when you need to. I've read somewhere that Colonial check only adds 20% extra to the first 6000 tons. Is there any increase after 6000 tons or just diminishing returns?

A 10,000t cruiser counts for 7333 tons without or 9166 tons with the Colonial Service box checked in the design screen while a 16,000t cruiser counts for 9,333 tons without and 11,666 tons with the Colonial Service box checked. 9,166 is 25% more than 7,333 and 11,666 is 25% more than 9,333, so it would appear that the 25% bonus to station tonnage fulfillment from fitting the ship for Colonial Service is applied to the final modified displacement of the ship, not to only the first 6,000 tons or to the design displacement.

Incidentally, it appears that the modified tonnage used for station fulfillment on ships larger than 6,000 tons is calculated as 6000 + ([design displacement] - 6000)/3.

Something for the #wiki.

[jorgencab]

I use a mix a ships on station depending on the circumstances but in general I do rely on the KE. I usually build one around 1100t that is a decent patrol ship with around 18-20 knots, colonial and with mine sweeping gears. I use these also for trade protection during wars, works quite well.

In addition to that I also station some colonial cruisers, small ones with the ability to mainly conduct trade protection but can also conduct raiding if necessary in wars. I'm not shy of making them short range even to save some costs since they are permanent inhabitant of where they are placed anyway. Later on my colonial cruisers also carries mines to help with mining operations.

I also like to station some destroyers, usually some older ones on the colonies as well to spread them around. Most of my starting destroyers also have short range so I need some spread around if their is a surprise war or something.

My thoughts are how can I satisfy my trade protection when I enter into a war and how can I as quickly as possible start making the enemy hurt through raiding efficiently. So you need enough ships in order to both protect trade and disrupt trade. You also want to disperse mine sweeping and laying capabilities around etc...

Actual fleets gets assigned when tension is high enough to warrant them, those are usually sent out in stages depending on tension levels with large capital ships deployed last over destroyers, cruisers and the air-force.

[rockmedic109]

In my current game {England} I started with 49 cheap 1600 ton KE. I built 48 of them and had enough money to squeeze in another and remain above the $24M mark in my initial build. I send my 6000 ton CLs out to various posts on active fleet.

For TP, I built 12 {and then another 12 when I started to loose ships to mines} cheap 600ton minesweeper KE and a class of 600 ton ASW KE {no minesweeper gear}. I use the MSW and ASW KE for my TP and will supplement with DDs if I have spares.

For England, the KE seems to be a vital little vessel. You can tailor them to your needs and I assume, you can rebuild repurpose them in a rebuild {though they are probably cheap enough to just build new}.

[alsadius]

Usually, I just slap colonial on my raiders (which are big enough ships that the tonnage is easy to find), and call it a day. I might play it differently as the UK, though.

[akosjaccik]

For me, standard practice is duct taping marines to destroyer hulls.
They have to hold on to the portholes however, when we are short on duct tape due to peacetime economy.

[seawolf]

6000 ton colonial cruisers (the largest that aren’t penalized) because they’re actually useful in combat