3rd Patrol using TGW1.1a - NOTHING

[robj250]

Well, I have had two patrols that resulted in %$^&. Being sent to (I had to go all the way over the top of the British Isles) to some stupid grid where there isn't anything. Never received any RA reports on Task Forces or Convoys.

Now on my 3rd patrol and I've came all the way around the top of the British Isles (again) to BE67. The only ship I've spotted so far was a US cargo ship and since the US isn't even in the war yet, I didn't sink it because I didn't want the negative renoun for doing it.

Then almost to my grid (5 grids to go) I get a RA about a task force heading N way below me (3 grids away doing 21 kts), so I plan my intercept, just like I used to do in the vanilla SH3. Now since GW does not update the map, I have to rely on my planned intercept. Guess what, I travel at 17 knts to arrive at the planned intercept. I'm RIGHT ON TARGET and have waited for 3 hours and then the Task Force appears just behind me. I don't know how they got past, I had no contacts during that whole "waiting for intercept".

And, just as I see the Task Force reappear behind me, I receive another RA which gives me information about a convoy going NNE at only 6 kts. Well they arn't too far behind me so I plot another intercept with me going 17 kts. I wait for for a couple hours at the planned intercept; NOTHING. So I travel the recipical of NNE for almost 24 hours heading towards the convoy was reported and NOTHING.

SO, I'm going on to my assigned grid and patrol it for my required 24 hours and then go back to Wilmhelsmshaven and get whatever, for doing nothing except running around the North Atlantic wasting fuel.

Well, I heard all this stuff about TGW1.1a being SO wonderful, all I see is harbour traffic which is a nusiance to get past so I don't ram anyone and get sunk in my own port.

In all the three missions so far I have waited in the convoy lanes and see nothing ( I do this after seeing nothing in my patrol grid). After waiting for a couple days, I go back to base.

Well, I don't see what's so wonderful about TGW1.1a.

And, while I'm at it, why didn't the dev. team put in a mod that would put the Watch Officer back on the bridge when the sub surfaces???? Have they looked after this in the supposed even more wonderful GWX???:hmm:

Fed Up.:down: In my first three patrols using the vanilla, I had sunk quite a few ships. :up:

[AVGWarhawk]

What year are you playing? 1939 it is darn quiet. Later on you will have convoys all around you. I'm in 1943 and over by Novia Scotia. I have three convoys to choose from!! I also attacked a task force on the way. Not all of my patrols are exciting especially in the early years. Give it some time and you will wish you had the lone merchants again.....I agree with the WO not going to the tower automatically. Are you using the map in UZO/periscope view to see were the shipping lanes are?

[mr chris]

Hey Rob im sorry to hear that you have not had a great first experiance with the GW.
When waiting for these convoys and Task forces were you using you Hyderphone? Or just the lookout crew up on the bridge?
The harbour traffic might not be everyones cup of tea but it does bring a sence of realism to the ports:yep:
If you are stuggleing to find tagets in the convoy lanes why not try raiding a port? With GW you can be sure the are going to be some targets in them unlike stock SH3.
Im sure the is a way of getting your map to update the contacts with GW i know my map updates the contacts, when you are heading into indercept them.
Keep at it Rob the big sinkings will come.
Good hunting mate:arrgh!: :up:

[Jimbuna]

If it's more of a challenge and excitement your after then trust me rob...your in for a great deal of it with GWX!!! :yep:

DD = DEMONIC DESTROYERS

I don't think you'll be too dissapointed mate :up:
May I suggest you check out the 'GWX Status Report' page in the SH3 Mods Workshop section (sorry but you probably already have) because there are lots of hints and a few photos there.

Testing the expansion is 'edge of the seat stuff'...the actual gaming experience should come with a health warning :o

[AVGWarhawk]

Trust me man, when I started a career in 39 I sunk singletons all over the place. Soon I had convoy after convoy. I was so battered and ripped up by destroyers/flowers/planes I was begging for the slow singleton happy times of the u-boat!!!!! Give it some time man. GW attempts to make it as real as possible. The U-boat did not come out of the gate sinking everything in its path until later in the war. Then the tables turned and the U-boats were getting their butts handed to them. That is were I am right now.

[thegroo]

In GW the convoys are not running in a straight line, they make course changes all the time but they head in a general direction.

When planning your intercept use the speedchart to draw a distance-circle to indicate the possible area the convoy covers
in the time you need to go to the intercept point.
I make the circle about 2/3 of the distance the convoy could make in a straight line.

Once you get there go to 30m and use the sonar.
If you find nothing you have to guess a bit where the convoy could be and try to make
a new intercept.
In two of tree times, i'm now able to make an intercept.

The hunt is far more interresting this way but sometime i curse like hell when i lie
ahead of the convoy in a perfect position and the convoy changes course:damn:

As for not to find anything in your assigned grid, thats not specific to GW.
You get it in a plain installation too.
After spending the 24 hours in the patrol grid go to a better hunting ground like BF13, BF15

All in all, i find GW much better than the stock game.

Regards
Dieter

[robj250]

Okay guys, As I mentioned, I am disappointed so far, BUT I will continue to carry on in 1939 and on into 1940.

I want to get out of Wilmhelshaven (2nd Flotilla) and get transfered to St. Nazaire. Then I will not have to travel so far to get to the Atlantic.

Here's hoping. :D

Regarding the Convoy routes in the map that is in the upper left corner, to pull down. I have done that, but It doesn't do much for me, Is it different when pulled down using the UZO or periscope?

[AVGWarhawk]

Okay guys, As I mentioned, I am disappointed so far, BUT I will continue to carry on in 1939 and on into 1940.

I want to get out of Wilmhelshaven (2nd Flotilla) and get transfered to St. Nazaire. Then I will not have to travel so far to get to the Atlantic.

Here's hoping. :D

Man, stay away from Kiel...talk about a long haul!!!

[mr chris]

Okay guys, As I mentioned, I am disappointed so far, BUT I will continue to carry on in 1939 and on into 1940.

I want to get out of Wilmhelshaven (2nd Flotilla) and get transfered to St. Nazaire. Then I will not have to travel so far to get to the Atlantic.

Here's hoping. :D

Man, stay away from Kiel...talk about a long haul!!!

Something tells me you wont mind so much being based in kiel in GWX;)

[P_Funk]

Well Rob I'm not sure why you're having such trouble. I've never had such trouble finding targets in GW 1.1a.

Also Rob you say that you try for a couple of days and then return to base. That might also be a problem. I can go more than a week without meeting a contact sometimes. 3 days patrolling your likely empty patrol grid doesn't sound very effective. In reality (as GW is trying to recreat) u-boats often wouldn't encounter anything for weeks. I'd keep cracking at it. Also ask around for suggested patrol grids with good activity for your time frame and use SH3 Commander to make sure you get that as your grid next patrol.:up:

[robj250]

On both my patrols (so far) I have been out for just over 10 days.

NO, I don't really want to go to Kiel. If I remember correctly, it was really a pain trying to get out of it and into the sea.

Oh, I'm going to give it some more time. I will hang around in BF13 and BF15 to see what happens and I will follow any advice you mates pass on to me.

[P_Funk]

Kiel is alot easier to sail out of now that there's the Kiel canal. Though SH3 Commander is required to make that trip speedy as well since it requires you be close to land the whole way and thus standard TC wouldn't let you go very fast.

Definately screw around in those grids. Also you could try haunting the mouth of the Channel. When leaving the Biscay ports for a North Atlantic patrol grid I almost always encounter at least one lone merchant and quite often an inbound or outbount convoy.

[mookiemookie]

The Irish Sea is chock full of ships and isn't too far from your grid. However, it's also chock full of DDs and Elcos but at least no minefields to speak of (the northwestern approaches to the North Channel are a different story). That's some good huntin in that area.

[AVGWarhawk]

Furthermore, what kind of watch do you have? I use a rated officer and a rated petty officer for watch and two crewmen. This gives me green all the way across. These guys are like Eagle Eye GI Joe. They see ships 15000m plus and yes that is using GW. Stack the deck in your favor....get good crew on the conning tower!

[robj250]

Well, I may (I say may :rotfl: ) have some luck. Finished my 24 hrs in my patrol grid and started heading toward BE15 and the RA gave info on a convoy heading SW in my direction, but a bit to the east of where I am. Have altered course to 90° and plotted the intercept. They are travelling at 7 kts in calm seas and have to travel about 125 km to where I hope I will be. Received the RA at 0341 and it's about 4:50 now and I just arrived at the "point" (I forget the time excatly :oops: ) so it looks like it might be an early morning encounter, if I'm lucky.

And there are gale winds in the BF12. Another sub radio to BdU about that heading SW.

[Corsair]

A normal patrol time is around a month time and you can be days on empty seas or in rough weather / low vis. If you just run around at high TC expecting visual contacts, you will miss a lot. I reckon I find 75% of my targets by regular hydrophone checks with all stopped and myself behind the wheel... In shipping lanes I have one every 3 hours (which tallies to my 6 hour routine crew rotation and checkup of systems) Outside shipping lanes, I am under the whole day making one every 3 hours (takes 2 mins to stop engines, make 2 rotations and start again) at night I make one before surface (usually around 21h00) one around midnight (takes a little longer as I need to dive to 20/30m - weather depending, listen and resurface again) and the last one on the dawn dive. Besides finding targets, it's also a good warning of approaching warships, don't forget by good weather you can hear props a good 15 klicks away.
The info given regarding contacts are not 100% accurate, an indication of a NE bearing can be 30, 45 or 60 degr. and moreover, nothing is against the convoy changing route in the meantime. Try to think what is their destination, there are some bottlenecks.
P.S. there is also nothing that says that you must patrol that grid, just gives you a little more renown...

[AVGWarhawk]

Get that good watch on that conning tower!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[robj250]

Get that good watch on that conning tower!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I only have 1 Watchman qualified (forget - quit for lunch - have to feed my old and feeble body). Have tried qualifying others using SH3 Commander, but it will not let me do it.

About the map in the UZO or Periscope, I don't have such a map. All I have is a sheet with flags on it.

About staying underwater, I find that the CO2 builds up real fast on me, so I can't stay under very long and I have to surface.

[mr chris]

Strike them hard Rob:arrgh!: :arrgh!: :up:

[Corsair]

About staying underwater, I find that the CO2 builds up real fast on me, so I can't stay under very long and I have to surface.

Check the boat, must be a leak somewhere... Or your guys have very big lungs or they breathe too fast.;) I am riding a VIIB in Sept 39 at the moment and stay under from 7h00 to 21h00 at slow speed without touching the warning zone.

[robj250]

About staying underwater, I find that the CO2 builds up real fast on me, so I can't stay under very long and I have to surface.

Check the boat, must be a leak somewhere... Or your guys have very big lungs or they breathe too fast.;) I am riding a VIIB in Sept 39 at the moment and stay under from 7h00 to 21h00 at slow speed without touching the warning zone.

I have a VIIB in early Dec 1939 and I can't stay down that long.

[Corsair]

Then next time you surface, throw a few guys overboard... (the biggest ones...);)

[robj250]

About staying underwater, I find that the CO2 builds up real fast on me, so I can't stay under very long and I have to surface.

Check the boat, must be a leak somewhere... Or your guys have very big lungs or they breathe too fast.;) I am riding a VIIB in Sept 39 at the moment and stay under from 7h00 to 21h00 at slow speed without touching the warning zone.

Could be a leak, maybe Bernard left it open, or he's got huge lungs to fill :rotfl:

[AVGWarhawk]

Get that good watch on that conning tower!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think I only have 1 Watchman qualified (forget - quit for lunch - have to feed my old and feeble body). Have tried qualifying others using SH3 Commander, but it will not let me do it.

About the map in the UZO or Periscope, I don't have such a map. All I have is a sheet with flags on it.

About staying underwater, I find that the CO2 builds up real fast on me, so I can't stay under very long and I have to surface.

My mistake, the map is on the F5 key in the upper left hand corner. Now find'em and sink'em:rock:

[kylania]

Restart your career in 1941 out of Brest, 1st Flotilla. The early years are too quiet really.

[mr chris]

Restart your career in 1941 out of Brest, 1st Flotilla. The early years are too quiet really.
I think it depends on where you go and what luck you have. I managed to sink nearly 200,000t by the time 41 came round in my last career. And i never sunk a big warship all i sunk were merchants. They are out there so good luck Rob:up:

[P_Funk]

It might be SH3 sobotage thats causing your sub to need to surface more often.

EDIT. sorry thats SH3 Commander sabotage that I meant to say.

[robj250]

It might be SH3 sobotage thats causing your sub to need to surface more often.

EDIT. sorry thats SH3 Commander sabotage that I meant to say.

Then how can I get rid of this "sabotage" in SH3 Commander.

[P_Funk]

It might be SH3 sobotage thats causing your sub to need to surface more often.

EDIT. sorry thats SH3 Commander sabotage that I meant to say.
Then how can I get rid of this "sabotage" in SH3 Commander.
I'm not sure its a selectable option but is more of a constant part of the prog. I might be wrong. I recall reading somewhere that JScones is going to make it another optional feature in the next release.

I suggest reviewing the latest SH3 Commander release notes.

[kylania]

Sabotage you need to actively turn on with SH3 Commander. However random malfunctions are on by default.

To disable them simply rename/remove all the Random_Events*.cfg files in the CFG folder of your SH3 Commander install.

[robj250]

Sabotage you need to actively turn on with SH3 Commander. However random malfunctions are on by default.

To disable them simply rename/remove all the Random_Events*.cfg files in the CFG folder of your SH3 Commander install.

Hi Kylania. I went into SH3 Commander when I got it and removed all the Randon-Events.cfg and put them in a separate folder called originals. However there is still one file left called Events (I think) I cannot do anything with that file.

[HunterICX]

Cant find anything early war Bob?

you should hunt around the entrance of the Irish/UK channel
that entrance is a hot spot and you will meet some nice convoys , you can check that on the special map that GW includes in the navmap (the brown label in the Upper left corner of the screen, pull that one down)

thats how I get my tonnage in early war.:up:

[Jimbuna]

Okay guys, As I mentioned, I am disappointed so far, BUT I will continue to carry on in 1939 and on into 1940.

I want to get out of Wilmhelshaven (2nd Flotilla) and get transfered to St. Nazaire. Then I will not have to travel so far to get to the Atlantic.

Here's hoping. :D

Regarding the Convoy routes in the map that is in the upper left corner, to pull down. I have done that, but It doesn't do much for me, Is it different when pulled down using the UZO or periscope?

The UZO and periscope 'pull down' is only for flags...the navigation map is the only place to get the convoy routes from :up:

[jumpy]

Just started a new career in '39 myself using TGW, out of Wilhelmheven, VIIB.
Am patrolling off the west coast of Ireland.
Talley so far is 3 small merchants sunk and an intermittent contact with a large, cruiser and corvette escorted convoy- every time I get close they come racing over to chuck a few ash cans on me, perhaps I am surfaced too long hehe with my dog-leg approach to getting into a decent firing position before dawn breaks the night. So far the escorts show plenty of willing but no real skill, but at close range this is enough to drive me out of the convoy and force me to reposition twice for an attempted attack.
With luck I shall have at least a couple of them over the next 2 or 3 days, before they get into the Irish Sea proper.
There's not mahoosive amounts of shipping in '39, but the western approaches are not totally devoid of things to sink :up:

[robj250]

Well, the only map I got in the UZO and Periscope, was the one that came with the game.

Glad you're getting something "Jumpy". I received a RA about a convoy in BF15 going SW and I was just in the right position to make a run at 90°. I plotted the intercept according to "hoile" and according to the distance they had to travel at 7 knots, it would have taken them 9 hrs to reach me, sitting right on the line of their route.

I waited for 28 hours and then decided they must have zigged too far off the route that I missed them. The hydrophones pick up nothing.

Now I'm just going to run back and forth in BF12, 15 and 14 hoping to pick up something.

[melnibonian]

Usually in 1939-40 there are quite a few ships in the northern part of England (close to scapa flow) and all the way to the south of Ireland. If you keep close to the shore you should be able to pick them up. Be careful though as there are quite a few destroyers in the area.

[Faamecanic]

What year are you playing? 1939 it is darn quiet. Later on you will have convoys all around you. I'm in 1943 and over by Novia Scotia. I have three convoys to choose from!! I also attacked a task force on the way. Not all of my patrols are exciting especially in the early years. Give it some time and you will wish you had the lone merchants again.....I agree with the WO not going to the tower automatically. Are you using the map in UZO/periscope view to see were the shipping lanes are?

I just did my first patrol (kept my old career from vanilla and updated to GW so Im in June 1942) to AM78 (just West of S Ireland)...did get 1 RA of a convoy in the shallow waters just S of Ireland. Didnt persue as they were 2 grids away, and didnt feel like dodging DDs in 50m of water.

Since then I have encountered 1 task force (2 Black Swan Frigates and a Hunt I DD). Sunk the two Black Swans as I was bored with not encountering anything.

Question:

1) What is this UZO/periscope view map you speak of??

2) How do you guys hunt down the enemy???? Without my Vanilla Radio contact reports I have no idea how to find them!!

Thanks...and I do love all the added special effects/sounds with GW 1.1!!

[Corsair]

I find 75% of my targets through routine hydrophone checks around 20m deep, all stopped and myself behind the wheel. I don't count the times when I picked up sound contacts and going back to the command room and asking for a report my sonarman would reply "no sound contact". By good weather you can find them at very long distance... I go for a straight bearing first, then checking every 5/10 mns I get an idea if it is moving left or right of me and adjust my bearing always some degrees ahead. After that it's up to you to decide if you just wait for him when you think you are on its path, or surface and speed up to catch up... depends if it's day or night, if plane threat or not, etc... Since they don't just go circling around, depending where you are, you can also figure out what their destination is or the other way around where they come from... they have a logical route.
If you check in the community online manual, there is I think a link to a nice tutorial called "The Hunt" which helped me in the beginning.

[fredbass]

High TC can lower the amount of contacts you make. 256TC or lower is best IMO. Going slow when submerged will allow you to stay down longer. If weather is rough, I usually stay at 25m for a smoother ride thus giving you a bit more time while being submerged. Like others have said, sabotage is off by default. If you don't want it, don't change, delete or move any files.

Oh, almost forgot. It will be a whole new ballgame when GWX arrives, so you all will be discussing a complete new strategy on where to go, what to do and how to do it when released. :lol: :know: :ping: :up:

[Faamecanic]

Oh, almost forgot. It will be a whole new ballgame when GWX arrives, so you all will be discussing a complete new strategy on where to go, what to do and how to do it when released. :lol: :know: :ping: :up:


Oh thats just spiffy! :lol: I have a hard enough time with GW 1.1a

[Jimbuna]

Oh, almost forgot. It will be a whole new ballgame when GWX arrives, so you all will be discussing a complete new strategy on where to go, what to do and how to do it when released. :lol: :know: :ping: :up:


Oh thats just spiffy! :lol: I have a hard enough time with GW 1.1a

Don't worry matey...I'm sure you'll enjoy GWX even more than GW :up:

[Faamecanic]

If you check in the community online manual, there is I think a link to a nice tutorial called "The Hunt" which helped me in the beginning.

I found the convoy map stuffed in the upper Left corner...nice addtion.

I have been chasing a convoy for 3 game days... following your adivce Corsair. I can hear them in the distance (at least for 2 of the 3 days), but I can never catch them. Now they reappear in the next grid over heading to N Ireland :stare: Any other tips? Weather has been poor to down right crappy... my best day was Medium Fog with 15 m/s winds...to rain and heavy fog with 15 m/s winds.

[bigboywooly]

Speed up and make use of the weather
Close in till you spot the last ship or escort
Without being spotted lol

Then overhaul along one flank of the convoy till you are ahead
Then you can turn and close from a 90 degree angle

Thats great weather for a convoy attack