Lost at sea

[leonard]

I'm playing scenario 40 of Leyte with a friend. He (Japanese) has a horde of Daihatsu barges assaulting from the sea. Pretty spectacular and nice set up.
However, the rules for boats seem to be underdeveloped at this stage. So, here are some questions:

* A Daihaitsu is Demoralized at sea (along with all its contents). Is there a legal direction where to flee ? If the Dahaitsu chooses to try to recover, are all the contents sharing the boat status (i.e Good Order, Disrupted or still Demoralized) or do the contents need separate recover ?

* Offboard artillery hits a hex with 2 Daihatsus and get "X" result. What happens ? I would say one Daihatsu is sunk with all its contents. What about the other one ? Does it have to be submitted to M2 or is it sunk as well since when you get a X, another transport in the hex is automatically eliminated ?

* finally, what is the exact influence of the leaders transported in the Daihatsus ? Do they help morale in same hex, in adjacent hexes ?

Phew...

[plloyd1010]

* A Daihaitsu is Demoralized at sea (along with all its contents). Is there a legal direction where to flee ? If the Dahaitsu chooses to try to recover, are all the contents sharing the boat status (i.e Good Order, Disrupted or still Demoralized) or do the contents need separate recover ?

I have a copy of a prototype River Fleets. In those, demoralized boats don't move. I don't know about contents recovery, but I would vote for separate recovery. That would create a potential simulation of guys just not wanting to leave the boat.
 

* Offboard artillery hits a hex with 2 Daihatsus and get "X" result. What happens ? I would say one Daihatsu is sunk with all its contents. What about the other one ? Does it have to be submitted to M2 or is it sunk as well since when you get a X, another transport in the hex is automatically eliminated ?

I would go with the M2. Sort of like a stack of trucks.
 

* finally, what is the exact influence of the leaders transported in the Daihatsus ? Do they help morale in same hex, in adjacent hexes ?

Guadalcanal gives the only clue here. It says that LCVPs and LVTs in different hexes may not activate in the same activation. So I would say same hex, yes; adjacent hexes, no

[JayTownsend]

Hi Leonard!

Question:  A Daihaitsu is Demoralized at sea (along with all its contents). Is there a legal direction where to flee ? If the Dahaitsu chooses to try to recover, are all the contents sharing the boat status (i.e Good Order, Disrupted or still Demoralized) or do the contents need separate recover ?

Answer: Just like a truck transporting units, all the units suffer the same fate, except at sea units don't unload when disrupted or demoralized.  

Answer: Do demoralized at sea units flee. I have a couple thoughts on this, one they stay where they are until they recover, two they flee to the landing zone anyway and unload all the units as demoralized, as the landing zone is the safest place to flee to even if heading for the enemy. I am leaning towards the second, as many landing-craft just headed to the beach shot up and burning even without alive crews, this was their best option to survive and not sink at sea. 

Question:  Offboard artillery hits a hex with 2 Daihatsus and get "X" result. What happens ? I would say one Daihatsu is sunk with all its contents. What about the other one ? Does it have to be submitted to M2 or is it sunk as well since when you get a X, another transport in the hex is automatically eliminated ?

Answer: Treat just like any stack of combat units. An "X" results eliminates one step of Daihatsu and anything passengers it is carrying. It I have two units in a stack and get a "X" against them, I roll the dice again, on a result of 1-3 the top unit is affected on a result of 4-6 is affected. the same formula for three units in a stack: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6.   

Question: finally, what is the exact influence of the leaders transported in the Daihatsus ? Do they help morale in same hex, in adjacent hexes ?

Answer: No

Some of this might be helpful as well:
 Clarifications:
LVTs, Landing-craft & Ships:
Ships of opposing sides cannot be in the same hex (no assault combat in the water). Landing craft and amphibious units can be in assaults with ground forces when then hit beaches.
LVT 4 = APC
LVT A1 and LVT A4 and Type 2 KA-MI = AFV
LVT 4, LVT A4, LCVP & Daihatsu are open top.
LVT A1 and Type 2 KA-MI are closed top.
LVT 4, LCVP & Daihatsu = 1 step units.
LVT A1 and LVT A4 and Type 2 KA-MI = 2 step units.
LVT A1 and LVT A4 and Type 2 KA-MI have inherent leaders.
Ocean-traveling LVT 4, LCVP & Daihatsu do not suffer leader decapitation while at sea: other landing-craft would still head for the landing beaches regardless if the Colonel in another craft was killed or not and most likely his death would not be acknowledged for some time.
LVT (A)'s should have been given an amphibious armor symbol.
LVT-4s are transportation units, like trucks.

[leonard]

Download version.

Hi Jay !
Are you sure ? Daihatsu counters have no armor in the game. How can they be APC ? Of course, this would change the situation a lot if they were armoured.

[JayTownsend]

They are the same as a LCVP. Not sure how much armor protection either has but it has to be more than a truck and able to stop rifle bullets at least. I’ll have to reach this.

[plloyd1010]

The LCVP is mostly plywood and sheet metal.

[JayTownsend]

Yes, I agree with you guys after researching it. Corrected!