What makes the best trade protectors?

[alsadius]

I've found that covering my TP needs in war is a bit confusing in many cases - I'm never quite sure what to do. Most of the time, I just use old destroyers for the bulk of it, with maybe a few CLs or old battleships that I don't want in battles helping out. I try to get some minesweeping in there, as well. In past wars where I've used CAs, I've noticed them driving away enemy CLs, which is nice, but it's hard to keep a strong CA force into the 1920s without feeling like a fool. 

What should I be using here? I figured I wanted at least a few ships that could scare off enemy raiders, hence the old battleships (this is a lot of what the R-class did in WW2, for example), but it's not practical to have a couple dozen powerful units on trade protection unless you're the UK/US. Is there any set of best practices here? 

[dorn]

Jun 20, 2019 10:57:57 GMT -6 alsadius said:

I've found that covering my TP needs in war is a bit confusing in many cases - I'm never quite sure what to do. Most of the time, I just use old destroyers for the bulk of it, with maybe a few CLs or old battleships that I don't want in battles helping out. I try to get some minesweeping in there, as well. In past wars where I've used CAs, I've noticed them driving away enemy CLs, which is nice, but it's hard to keep a strong CA force into the 1920s without feeling like a fool. 

What should I be using here? I figured I wanted at least a few ships that could scare off enemy raiders, hence the old battleships (this is a lot of what the R-class did in WW2, for example), but it's not practical to have a couple dozen powerful units on trade protection unless you're the UK/US. Is there any set of best practices here? 

Using battleship for that purpose is a little overkill. RN used R class because of Germany were using capital ships and at least in 2 occasions German capital ships did not attack convoy because presence of RN battleship.

I usually use a lot of corvettes and destroyers and I start try to use light cruisers. But issue is that it seems to me that raider interception and that own ships thwart enemy raiders is much less than in RTW1 making strategy of ignoring raiders much more viable than heavily invest in cruisers.

[mycophobia]

Also using BBs to cover convoys are kinda covered by the game's convoy defence missions where your BBs will have a chance to show up anyway when on AF. So I assume it is abstracted in that priority convoys are presumed to receive BB protection in convoy defence missions anyway. I do use some CL and occasionally CA for TP for the reason that they seem to have a better chance thwarting surface raiders as mentioned above.

[dohboy]

Does naval aviation have any trade protection value? I mean besides the occasional submarine sunk by flying boats. I would think commerce raiding would be a risky proposition close to a large airfield, especially with good radio tech.

[rodentnavy]

Jun 20, 2019 10:57:57 GMT -6 alsadius said:

but it's hard to keep a strong CA force into the 1920s without feeling like a fool. 

I pride myself on foolishness  .  Seriously I have had very few bad experiences  from holding on to some of the better balanced armoured cruisers.  You do have to pay attention in the 1920s because those 6" guns can start getting really good on the new build CLs and of course people start building effective heavy cruisers but armoured cruisers are the go to trade protection rate for me....at least until heavy cruisers and better dual/triple gun turreted light cruisers come along. 

[wknehring]

I use my old DDs, some protected cruisers and sometimes some CAs I am going to convert into CVL when I am waiting for the tech.

[rob06waves2018]

Anything that you don't want in the battle line.

"No, Commander, you can't charge at a 60,000t dreadnought with one 3" gun and a single torpedo. Your mother will be very upset. Stick to playing with the nice slow convoys..."

[JagdFlanker]

i use only KE since they are cheap, and i try to always have 3 times as much trade protection than i need

i build them in groups of 12, and mid-late game i generally have ~24 MS and ~48 ASW KE (i call them FF/frigates)

i don't use flying boats so these are my only source of sub control - although i do get a lot of sub kills with my 'phantom flying boats'

[dorn]

Jun 20, 2019 11:37:44 GMT -6 dohboy said:

Does naval aviation have any trade protection value? I mean besides the occasional submarine sunk by flying boats. I would think commerce raiding would be a risky proposition close to a large airfield, especially with good radio tech.

They do not. However CVL and CV get boost to ASW rating later. But I think still corvettes are more costs effective.

[jorgencab]

I try to have my trade protection by corvettes and especially built destroyers escorts (frigates). The KE are mainly minesweepers while the frigates are mainly for ASW duty.

I keep roughly x2 to x3 number of trade protection ships than what is requested.

[jwsmith26]

Jun 20, 2019 15:03:27 GMT -6 JagdFlanker said:

i use only KE since they are cheap, and i try to always have 3 times as much trade protection than i need

i build them in groups of 12, and mid-late game i generally have ~24 MS and ~48 ASW KE (i call them FF/frigates)

i don't use flying boats so these are my only source of sub control - although i do get a lot of sub kills with my 'phantom flying boats'

I am quite curious about why you don't use flying boats.

[JagdFlanker]

Jun 21, 2019 8:44:46 GMT -6 jwsmith26 said:

I am quite curious about why you don't use flying boats.

torp bombers can search, plus they attack with torps

i keep it simple and only use fighters and TBs - before i develop TBs i use med bombers, and before med bombers i'l use flying boats

i develop float planes but only use them on AMCs for the raiding bonus - i'v never even tried mounting them on other ships, and finding the enemy has never been a problem in battle

[jwsmith26]

Interesting. My main reason for building flying boats is to destroy enemy submarines. Depending on the quantity of enemy subs, my flying boats typically destroy between 1 and 3 subs per turn. That's a good enough reason for me because I really dislike subs (enemy subs, that is). In that sense, somewhat indirectly, they serve a role in trade protection.

It's nice that they also work as search machines, but as you point out that activity can be carried out by other plane types.

[JagdFlanker]

Jun 21, 2019 9:13:18 GMT -6 jwsmith26 said:

Interesting. My main reason for building flying boats is to destroy enemy submarines. Depending on the quantity of enemy subs, my flying boats typically destroy between 1 and 3 subs per turn. That's a good enough reason for me because I really dislike subs (enemy subs, that is). In that sense, somewhat indirectly, they serve a role in trade protection.

It's nice that they also work as search machines, but as you point out that activity can be carried out by other plane types.

the KEs do decent work on killing subs, they sink subs most turns

the flying boats killing subs routine does not check if you have flying boats in service so you don't need to have any to kill subs with them - not that it would change my mind to start using flying boats

[dorn]

Jun 21, 2019 9:50:50 GMT -6 JagdFlanker said:

Jun 21, 2019 9:13:18 GMT -6 jwsmith26 said:

Interesting. My main reason for building flying boats is to destroy enemy submarines. Depending on the quantity of enemy subs, my flying boats typically destroy between 1 and 3 subs per turn. That's a good enough reason for me because I really dislike subs (enemy subs, that is). In that sense, somewhat indirectly, they serve a role in trade protection.

It's nice that they also work as search machines, but as you point out that activity can be carried out by other plane types.

the KEs do decent work on killing subs, they sink subs most turns

the flying boats killing subs routine does not check if you have flying boats in service so you don't need to have any to kill subs with them - not that it would change my mind to start using flying boats

I do almost same except I use flying boats on bases to have superior range. Sometimes it is useful but using MB/TB is usually better.

It is because of mission, there have very seldom additional value..