Also remember that you can create formations, where the ships from one Task Group are NOT in a single spot.
Task Group Window (F12), 2nd Tab "Special Orders/Organization"
First select a ship in the task group you want to split off, usually this is a DE or CE, then hit the "Escort" button.
This will create a subordinate task group with only this ship in it.
You can now set the threat axis, the task group to protect, the distance and the bearing the ship is supposed to take
Example:
A destroyer escort is split off from a mostely missile armed taskgroup
It is ordered to preceed the TG 120.000km towards the TGs destination and 30° clockwise
A second DE might be ordered to preceede the main TG 120.000km and 30° counterclockwise
This would produce the following formation:
TG Moving
that way
^
DE DE
TG
Edited because this text should have been here, not inside the fleet formation
Once you are finished, hit "Save Escorts" and then "Recall Escorts"
That last order will give each of your specified escorts a "Join Main Task Group" order.
After that, whenever you hit "Deploy Escorts" all specified escorts will be splitt off with the orders you gave them re. position relative to the main TG.