Surface fleets slow down when close to enemy units

[Nova Cygni]

I did a search but couldn't find anything on this.

I was seeing how far a carrier could get before Defcon3 to, say, scout NA as SA or NA as Europe, and notice that the carrier slows down when it is close to enemy units. In fact, it slows down when it can't see units but they are there (at Defcon 5). Submarines are unaffected. But a carrier or battleship which is near enemy units will go slower than a submarine! I'm clearly not very observant to have played this game for years and never noticed this... In the screenie below you can see the speed of the unit represented by how long the trail is, and you can see that the sub is going perhaps twice the speed of the surface vessels. Normal speeds are shown with the units on the right. It seems the units have to be very close together - from my tests units which are in radar range but not near units will still travel at top speed.

[rus|Mike]

Yes, when ships from both sides are near, they all are slowed down.

[trickser]

I noticed this myself very late, at a point where i thought, i would already know all basic defcon rules.

1st. you can use it to stop enemy scouts. Put a battleship on top of an approaching ship scout, before they get even more recon.

2nd This happens also with allys. Can be a pain in the ass if your partner doesnt know, or you dont take care enough. But if you find your enemy blocked, then you have alot of time to nuke it.

[sfericz]

This is news to me

How else have players used this to their advantage? Trickster mentioned some good ways.

[Blackbeard]

This is news to me

How else have players used this to their advantage? Trickster mentioned some good ways.

If you're playing a 2v2, you are Russia, your ally is Europe, you can send some fleet to block the gap between Iceland and Britain. Helps combat cowardice .

[trickser]

Haha, meatshield, yummy

[sfericz]

I was thinking, this must be why most of my naval nukes are off just a bit when I have BB's right near the nukes target.

Like Blackbeard said, using at least one BB at a chock point might just be enough to cluster together any of your opponets fleet flowing into the chock point. Giving better chance to kill more with naval nuking.

If a section of your fleet is around someone else's and gets slowed down. Will another fleet of yours be slowed, by just having the first fleet in radar veiw, but away from any enemy fleet?
Leading to my next question, What determines how close each fleet should be too each other before they are slowed down? Is it radar veiw, attack range, or the mere will of the naval Gods?

Does this also apply to bombers and fighters that mingle with enemies bombers and fighters?

[trickser]

The ships must be very close to each other, so you can say: they touch each other. And it just applies to battleships and carriers.