Search Pattern

[The Munster]

So now have reached U-461 accumulating 32,000 Tons but hungry for more.
Heading West with a free reign. The question is; is their an ideal search pattern or one that was realistically used by U-Boats that would find Merchant shipping ?
I always feel that I'm missing many Merchants by simply travelling in a straight line !

[Spytrx]

I use the standard patterns that came with the game and low spped (max 5 knts) and don't seem to have much problems finding targets...

[TarJak]

One thing I do when reaching the end of a leg of a search pattern is to submerge for a hydrophone check until the turn is completed. This gives you a good listen around for anyone making noise.

Not guranteed to put you where contacts are but I've found since starting to do this I get many more sound contacts which I can then go chasing. Got a beauty two nights ago when the HMS Victorious showed up and got sunk with all hands.

[Brag]

I try to find a sea lane then go up and down ten kilomters perpendicular to the lane.

A fairly reliable location is AM51 -- draw an east-west line 20 kilometres south of AM-51's northern edge. that's the sealane. I stay submerged and make frequent turns.

Another one, is a line Gibraltar Strait-20 kilometres south of Cape Sao Vicente.

Good hunting :up:

[TarJak]

You could always just set the rudder on 20 degrees and circle for a while.:rotfl:

[Jimbuna]

The first post by TarJak is a pretty good example :yep: :up:

[kurtz]

There was a wiki somewhere about this, and someone showed that the most efficient search pattern is one that moves along perpendicular to the supposed track of the target;

sub--------|~~~~ | -------|~~~~~ |------>

~~~~~~~|~~~~ |~~~~~|~~~~~ |
merchant---------------------------------------------->
~~~~~~~|~~~~ |~~~~~ |~~~~~|
~~~~~~~|-------|~~ ~~~|--------|


Hope the diagram explains this okay, it took me two hours on paintshop:doh:

Edit: added waves as the spaces were removed by some agency.

Mike

[VIICDriver]

I kill alot of merchants just north of Scapa in the passage between Scapa and Lerwick.

Mostly to the western edge of the pass, lots of large merchants and cargos.

Only into earlier 1940 and the aircraft are already becoming a little more dangerous than just the nuisance they were in 39.

Chuck

[TarJak]

The first post by TarJak is a pretty good example :yep: :up:

And the second post is just a complete joke!:rotfl:

[Brag]

The first post by TarJak is a pretty good example :yep: :up:

And the second post is just a complete joke!:rotfl:

As you go around in circles have Bernard sing Waltzing Mathilda.

[TarJak]

Is there a German version?

[Spytrx]

Is there a German version?

Not really - but you could try 'Ich Bin Von Kopf Bis Fuss Auf Liebe Eingestellt' by Marlene Dietrich :88)

[The Munster]

Thanks for the information guys .. or and er .. the jokes .. oh um :roll: :rotfl:

[robj250]

One thing I do when reaching the end of a leg of a search pattern is to submerge for a hydrophone check until the turn is completed. This gives you a good listen around for anyone making noise.

Not guranteed to put you where contacts are but I've found since starting to do this I get many more sound contacts which I can then go chasing. Got a beauty two nights ago when the HMS Victorious showed up and got sunk with all hands.

How often do you do this TarJak? Once a day, and about what time, or how many times a day. I've been out for 9 days and haven't seen a thing.

Rob

[robj250]

I use the standard patterns that came with the game and low spped (max 5 knts) and don't seem to have much problems finding targets...

I tried your suggestion of running at 5 knots and sure enough, shortly after "Ship Spotted".
Rob

[TarJak]

It varies. If my patrol grid is in what I consider to be a bad spot, I don't do it more than once per day, but when I'm patrolling a known hot spot I tend to do a hydrophone check at the end and of each long leg of a search pattern.

If I don't find anything I just surface and keep going to the end of the leg and do it again. If you practise you can do it in high TC as well. just remember when you surface you will have to kick your lazy watch officer out of bed and get the RO to turn the radar on again, so at most you will drop tc to 32 on the crew management screen.

If you manually create your own search patterns just do it at the end of a leg so that turning the sub "clears your baffles" and lets you sweep the blind spot your engine noises cause. I normally patrol at ahead 1/3rd which keeps your speed down when you are doing a hydrophone check.

As I say it's no gurantee to get you where the targets are but if they are about you have a better chance of hearing them than seeing them. Remember that you can hear up to aroun 30km but depending on what mods you run the max you can see in clear weather is 16km, but more likely 8km.