Ports

[lukterran]

I was wondering what kind of dangers are involved in attacking a port.

I have done a few Recon Missions but not really any port attacks.

Are there just the normal few destroyers or does SH4 have subnets, port guns and mines as well? Also what kind of ships can be found in port.

All I have seen are a few merchants ships and very small coastal vessels. Are there large aircraft carriers and other warships?

Which ports have water depth close and deep enough for a submerged attack (deep water with in torp range of about 8k)? How do you dive to periscope depth if you only have 50ft under keel when running on the surface?

[slipf18]

The ports are too easy actually.

I don't know of any deep water ports. Mostly it is shallow. You can be at periscope depth but usually have less than 10 feet under the keel.

Most of them just have some subchasers and gun boats. The problem is that they will not come after you. They will shoot at you from the dock though. These ports will have some merchants docked. Occasionally a destroyer. For instance I went into Saigon and Vau Tung (only because I have actually been there IRL) and there is an active destroyer.

On the main island of Japan there are warships in some of those well protected ports (Kobe comes to mind). There are active destroyers in some of these but if you get past them it is easy picking and the warships don't fight back. I have not gone up Tokyo Bay. I considered it but was met with 4 aggressive destroyers at the entrance.

[lukterran]

Originally Posted by slipf18

The ports are too easy actually.

I don't know of any deep water ports. Mostly it is shallow. You can be at periscope depth but usually have less than 10 feet under the keel.

Most of them just have some subchasers and gun boats. The problem is that they will not come after you. They will shoot at you from the dock though. These ports will have some merchants docked. Occasionally a destroyer. For instance I went into Saigon and Vau Tung (only because I have actually been there IRL) and there is an active destroyer.

On the main island of Japan there are warships in some of those well protected ports (Kobe comes to mind). There are active destroyers in some of these but if you get past them it is easy picking and the warships don't fight back. I have not gone up Tokyo Bay. I considered it but was met with 4 aggressive destroyers at the entrance.

Well I guess if I am ever up in the Mainland area I might pop in for a visit and see if any warships are in the harbor. 4 Escorts in very shallow water sounds like a challenge.

However, I guess I will leave the other ports alone. A few merchants ships isn't worth attacking IMO.

I am actually disappointed they didn't add in sub nets and mine fields into the game.

[Hambone307]

I made it into Tokyo Bay once. Won't ever do that one again. Took me almost two hours real time to get past those same 4 destroyers while sustaining some damage from the DC's. I was quite disappointed to only find a few merchants and a CA that was protected by shallow water and a pier... That adventure ended up being a one way trip in the end. In a brief lapse of concentration, I surfaced within the firing range of three shore guns.

[mikesn9]

I had "photo mission" there.. took a while to get it done. I sank 2 of those DD's Damaged the other 2 and they limped off, just gave up.. From then on it was not too bad. Watch out for shore batteries too. Best to stay down until you know you are far enough away to go to decks-awash to charge.

I had to use waaay too many Torpedoes to make it really worth while.

[Raptor_Pilot]

Melekeok is a good deep-water port to pick up some free tonnage, but you cannot approach it surfaced because of multiple shore guns.

Your biggest danger when attacking a port is shore-based gun emplacements, and aircraft patrols.
I've never been caught by a destroyer patrol except at Scapa Flow in SH3. Most of the time you'll hear them coming before they can detect you.

I've never seen mines or submarine nets in SH4, although, I haven't exactly been everywhere yet.
As a general rule, I don't bother attacking a port unless I'm confident I can get in and out safely.

[slipf18]

I agree the biggest dangers are planes and shore batteries. But there are definitely destroyers here and there.

Late in the war I noticed a lot of shipping going in and out of Haikou on the north side of Hainan. So I went nearby trying to pick off merchants coming and going. Eventually I approached Haikou itself and there were 2 destroyers guarding it.

Same wit Macau. A lot of traffic. But in the bay northeast is the port of Kowloon which also has destroyer protection.

I have gone up the west side of Shikoku in Japan. I did run into destroyers. But once past them if you wind your way up towards Hiroshima there are warships in many of those ports. Seems like I had a mission to photo there at Kure. I exited to the east side of Shikoku and ran into destroyers there too.

I remember I had a photo mission at a port on the other side of the island Melekeok is on. Can't remember the name but there were 4 destroyers guarding it. Maybe that was because it was a mission though.

I think there was another port I visited that also had destroyer protection but I cannot recall where. I have not been to any others I don't think. Wait there was one somewhere on the main island of Japan that I had to drop off a spy. No destroyer but shore batteries kicked my can.