"Thanks, but no thanks!" WTF?? lol

[Frostyvegi]

Okay, firstly, only have had SH4 now for a day (only had SH3 for about a week).

Currently running Trigger Maru 1.6, Reflections on the Water and Captain Midnight's CBS Radio. Second mission in is to recon Yokohama (or something around there), so I'm off on my merry way. Approaching the Japan mainland after being in TC.. dive to periscope depth to take a little listen in to see what's ahead and I can sence at least 3 ships 30 degrees to port, long range. Surface and put the pedal down and then get visual of 3 ships, way to far away to actually work out what they are (but curiosity get's the better of me and I free cam it.. passenger liner or some sort, large cargo and a DD).

Like a good captain, I radio in the contact report. Reply comes in short time later basically saying 'Well done, thank you for reporting, we'll send someone out to deal with it. Break off your tracking of the convoy and RTB (I havn't even finished my mission or fired a single torpedo yet.. lol)'.

Do I break off and continue my mission? I don't know if disobeying a direct order like this will get me punished.. ;)

I know I'm going to struggle to catch up with them.. but that passenger transport thing looks way too juicy!!!!


BTW.. first mission was photo recon of Hiroshima!!!!:damn: I'm like,WTF? I stumble across a convoy on my way there (never had a convoy in SH3.. but I get one in my first mission on SH4!! lol).. one escort with 2 large, 2 medium and a smaller merchant.. the escort got called away to where I was when I had a couple of aircraft swoop me before I got to the course of the convoy, and I found myself perfectly placed in the middle of the convoy's route, 2 passing infront of me, 3 passing aft.. sitting submerged.. fired off the 2 aft torpedos and 2 fore.. I think I only got a hit with each though (still getting used to the TDC in SH4 (full realism), surfaced and let the deck gun have a jolly time. Still didn't sink any of the merchants before the escort came back.. but either my deck gun disabled him or he rammed one of the smaller merchants, I submerged and then fired a torp from about 1,500.. he was gone.. then I just practiced manual TDC'ing on the merchants.. only took down both the big ones.. :shifty:

Did end up finishing the mission as well.. just.. bloody nervous work going into the lions mouth like that.. ON MY FIRST MISSION!!!! lol

[sunvalleyslim]

Great read and great huting Frosty on your 1st patrol........Good luck in the future Capt........:up: :up:

[Frostyvegi]

I just confirmed that the big mother sitting at the end of the line of 3 is a Huge European Liner.. my game had crashed while I had alt-tabbed to post up the question.. I saved just after I heard it.. so I'll go back and respot it again and hope someone can give me an answer if I should or should not proceed with planned attack.. 18,000 tonnes is just toooooooooooooooooo juicy though!!!!! :p



Thanks for the support Slim! :up:

[SteamWake]

oops nm

[sqk7744]

Well done Frostyvegi (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/member.php?u=237109)
:up::up:

[nomdeplume]

so I'll go back and respot it again and hope someone can give me an answer if I should or should not proceed with planned attack.. I don't think Command give a hoot whether or not you do as you're told. At worst if you fail to complete your assigned objectives, you'll be given them again on the next mission.

Best bet: don't report the contact if you've got a chance to attack it. Reporting it risks exposing your location to the enemy (thus ruining your chances of attacking anything), and I think was generally only done if the target was getting away and the sub wouldn't be able to catch up to it. So, the historically correct approach would be to engage anything you're able to without telling anybody about it first, and only report contacts you're unable to engage.

The only problem with following the historically accurate approach is that SH4 will frequently give you a reply instructing you to sink particular parts of the convoy, and if you're not able to do this it'll be a failed objective. I'm not sure what the penalty for this is though, if any -- probably none (just a missed opportunity to gain extra renoun). Thus, I only report contacts when I'm out of torpedos.

[Frostyvegi]

Do you get extra renoun for reporting the contact, it get's listed as a extra mission and you complete it (Apart from the tonnage bonus?). I decided to track it a little.. was about to give up so I reported it.. but then HQ said 'Go sink 'em!!'.. so for the last 5 hours I've been playing catch up behind the 3 ships.. found out that if I get within 5,000 meters they'll spot me and the DD will turn and start firing.. and I have to get about 4,500 to be able to get close enough for a torp to catch up to the Liner.. so I'm stalking them until night falls and I can get a bit closer.. it's too chunky a target to not go for.. (it's now 21:00.. it gotta start getting dark soon!!!!! :damn: )

[nomdeplume]

Do you get extra renoun for reporting the contact, it get's listed as a extra mission and you complete it (Apart from the tonnage bonus?). Yes, you get extra renoun for completing missions. I'm not sure how much you get for sinking ships you've reported, probably an extra 100 or 200.

As for intercepting, you want to "end around" the convoy -- that is, go around it and position yourself in front of it, rather than catch up to it from behind. You probably also want to go deep and slow, and then come up to attack depth once they're in range (but remember it'll take a few minutes to come up if you go deep).

Ideally, you want to avoid them knowing you're there until your torpedos start striking home. Even if they detect you before you attack, chances are good you'll be close enough that they won't be able to dodge your fish anyway.

[Frostyvegi]

The only problem is their speed.. they are travelling at about 16 knots.. and I'm in a porpouse (spelling?).. top speed is 17/18.. it'd take me too long to be able to get infront of them.. plus they've been altering course every 10 minutes.. so I'd have that to contend with as well. I'm just going to launch 3 shots from directly behind (on my practice runs they went dead straight.. would have hit if the range was there). 1 torp is going to track beneath the boat and hopefully it'll explode directly beneath the boat somewhere.. the other two will be just 2 meters deep and are going to try and break the screws so it can't excape. Then I'll probably just go deep and wait for the DD to leave before finishing it off.. at least, that's what I hope! :p

I'll take some footage of it all.

[mookiemookie]

don't think Command give a hoot whether or not you do as you're told. At worst if you fail to complete your assigned objectives, you'll be given them again on the next mission.This is how so many of those "ZOMG I WAS RETIRED EARLY WITH 96885765765 TONS SUNK" threads start. They do indeed care from my understanding, and it affects more than just the repeat patrol "bug" but it also affects the early retirement "bug".

[Frostyvegi]

Baaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaha.. omg what a fluke!!!!

Ok.. so it's finally night time (about 23:30).. closing in.. but they are zig zagging 90 degrees port then starboard every 3 minutes.. by the time I've got a direct rear shot lined up, they are already turning again before my torps can get half way there. Second try after getting on their tail as quickly as humanly possible.. firing two torpedos from about 3,500 meters (the first one that was to be below the keel didn't fire for some reason.. must have missed the big red button in my haste), so there are only two travelling down the line.

About 1,500 to impact, the bugga turns again.. first drifting to port, then cutting to starboard to get behind the medium merchant. I'm tracking my torpedos then I notice something.. they actually look like they are gonna get close to hitting, would you believe it.

Pause the game, load up fraps (I can't work out this stupid save game/replay thing! Button won't work) and get recording.. watching.. waiting.. circling the camera..

Two direct hits, about 1/3rd the way down the starboard side at about 2 meters deep.. hit practically the same place.. that's my first surprise..

I keep rolling as I pull the camera outta the water and then I notice something strange.. the liner is starting to roll.. quite quickly to the starboard side as water begins filling the gaping hole my torps just opened in it. Within about 10 seconds the Japanese flag gets submerged as the big bugga rolls completely onto it's back. 40 seconds and it's totally gone..

2 torpedos..

Same place..

WOW!

Video to come shortly.. :D

[Frostyvegi]

As promised..

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~exapics1/liner.wmv

Sorry about the picture quality.. still had my gamma up high because of how bright my room get's during the day. If I get a chance to get the replays to work I'll re-record..

[Capt. Shark Bait]

good job on that attack:ping: . about the fish hitting the same spot, if you had about a 1deg spread on either side if midships you should be able to put one in the bow and stern. did seem to sink a bit too quickly, tho. real sinking mechanics mod should take care of that, tho

[Frostyvegi]

The thing was, I didn't want a spread because my shots were originally lined up to follow the bearing of the liner.. was fine until it started to turn..

Yeah, once I finish this mission I'll be loading up a couple of more mods.. that one being one of them.. It's stupid.. about 4 torpedos to take down a old medium cargo.. but 2 in the same place for a 16,000 tonne liner.. :-?