How do you get around the naval range limit for USA?

[baldrick]

As the question says, I am struggling with USA having limited naval range, particularly in the Atlantic, and would welcome any suggestions. Do you just upgrade the vessels to have greater range or is there an option for using allied naval bases somehow? Thanks.

[BlackSmoke 🏴‍☠]

1st.- You can't upgrade ships once built.
2nd.- If you are interested exclusively in range for a certain task (in example to patrol for a naval invasion) and don't want to wait until research and build the new units with extended range... then split your fleets and keep the ships with maximun range in one fleet. The units with shorter range can be assigned to new fleets to patrol coastal areas.
3rd.- No option to use allied naval bases, you simply can use naval bases from members in your faction automatically.

[baldrick]

I noticed that the US starts with a naval base in the Philipines, which is a US Puppet, so I was hoping there might be a way to use British Bermuda or the Cape Verde islands owned by Portugal to extend range across the Atlantic. It seems strange that the US can't even escort its ships all the way to the British Isles. Never mind, thanks for you help.

[Zankor]

I would suggest you use all pre-built Starting ships as a coastal defense or new conquest defense fleets. Wait till 1940 comes and use the escort or pacific fleet designer when researching your 1940 light cruiser, then if you wish after that model of ship is researched just switch to atlantic or whatever you want for the other ships. Use only Light Cruisers for Screens for your main battle fleet, and have your main battle fleet all have 5000 range, so only 1940 ships or later. Ships range is weird in that short range ships can be taken past their range but only if they are a very small part of your fleet. So if your REALLY want to bring a few destroyers you could, I'd suggest a very minimial amount of all modern ones only designed with range extension designer and specialized in engine (range) they have such short range it's insane.

Also I have noticed a bug with fleet range in that when moving ships in and out of a fleet the range can get messed up. When you are done organizing your fleets move ALL ships for the desired fleet into a new one that has never had any other ships in it and the range bug goes away.

[d_jakowenko]

I find the naval mechanics to be awkward and buggy at times, what it sometimes says you can't do, you actually can.

what are you trying to do? You should be able to traverse the atlantic. Keep in mind that missions can only be applied to 3 sea zones maximum per fleet.

If you really can't, the operational range can be improved by building better models.

[baldrick]

I was trying to ensure that I could do convoy escort all the way to the British Isles with at least some sub-defence ships in the fleet. I learned early on that destroyers, though great for sub-defence, reduce your fleet's range, so I created a light cruiser varient with greater range. It has at least some limited ASW capability, so is a viable substitute for destroyers. However, even the light cruiser varient only got me as far as the Mid-Atlantic. I am still pre-1940 in my current game though so maybe it's just a matter of getting better light cruisers later in the game.

[HƸAVΩ¥]

I have rushed US multiple times now. I do not recommend going through Alaska the attrition is awful. I used to rush the pacific fleet company and research the super heavy battleship to reach america with some heavy firepower and I used the naval focuses to create a light cruiser variant which could also reach the US. I would then invade from hawaii using this fleet. However you cant start the war until late 1938 as it takes a while to research and build the super heavy battleship. This meant the Allies would get involved before I beat america meaning forever war.

Now I have found a way to capitulate america by late 1938. firstly reform you navies into there big fleets excluding the subs and the fleet in tiwan (you can use that one for navally invading the phills. Your army at the start of the game can beat americas so firstly build 9 more marines to accompany your existing one. they prepare for naval invasions among americas pacific islands to island jump to hawaii. make sure at the start of the war you have troops to quickly take the phillinpes (fack spelling that). Your fleet will defeat americas make sure to built for destoryer for them however as you will lose all of them. after your fleet repairs and america's navy is destroyed you can finish taking hawaii with as many marines as possible on the naval invasion. Now you have hawaii built its infrastructure and move half your army onto it. then create a new navy from your existing ones made out of all the ships you have which have a max range over 3500km. They can reach america. Set them to convey escort and navally invade sanfansico with the marines on hawaii. Now move the army on hawaii to america and the rest of you army to hawaii and then to america after you foothold increase. Then it is a simple war to capitulate america.

sorry for typos cba to correct