Finding Task Forces

[andylegate]

You know, reading the many threads here, I always see other commanders talking about how they intercepted this task force and that task force and take on sinking flattops and BB's.

Now, while I consider this a VERY risky business for a u-boat that was designed mainly for preying on helpless merchants, the craving to tackle some large military targets has got me searching. :arrgh!:

Here's the problem. When ever I get a report on a task force, it is always:

500 to 700 km away!
Moving at high speed!
Never seem to appear in the same places.

Now, either all of you are just incredibly lucky, or you seem to know something that I don't (I'm suspecting the latter here).

Can any of you clue me in? I love SH3 with GWX, but I'm getting a little bored (oops, there's that word again, and I can hear my crew screaming in panic) attacking convoys over and over again.

[TarJak]

The Med, Norway and the North Sea between Scotland and Norway are the best places to hunt for TF's You can also check out some of the actual naval battle sites like Bismark v Hood around the dates that the battles took place if you use GWX.

[madmike81]

Have you tried the Med yet? It is full, and i mean full of TF's. I have been chasing one around that has 3 BB's, 4 CL's, and a handfull of DD's.

On finding them...try to sprint and listen. Run 25-50 kilometers/miles, then dive down and listen manually to your hydrophone.

Your also more apt to run into Italian TF's as well...nice eye candy...cant say i have ever seen them do anything...lol.

You will be able to hear the ships long before your sonar operator does.

But overall i would have to say that running into a TF in the atlantic is a hit and miss operation...but in the Med you will bump into them practically every patrol.

Just watch out for the air power...whew...they are everywhere.

[Cezbor]

As madmike81 suggested, I would try The Med. There're plenty of TF's. Although it's higly unrealistic to use GWX 1.03 SpyMod it could help you if you'll be to lazy or ... tired to find TF's of your own. But .... SpyMod doesn't show all TF's (thanks God), as I discovered many times. Good hunting.

[Brag]

In the Atlantic I ran into a TF once. I was somewhere west od Spain when a TF was reported W of Ireland. I could see that if it did not change course, it would pass less than 100 kilometres from my position in 27 hours. I moved to intercept its track.

Sure enough, I heard them on my hydrophone, adjusted my position. Managed to bag a Revenge.

Anyway, it's a rare event and you only have a few seconds to fire your torpedoes.

[Keelbuster]

they go through gibraltar often. You can catch them on their way straight down the continent towards the mouth of gibraltar. Hang out anywhere along their path, and you're good. Sometimes you get multiple radio reports. mark each location exactly and draw a line. You can figure out teh perfect intercept this way. A VIIB with full superchargers can pull 21kts, just like a fast TF.

[U49]

I love SH3 with GWX, but I'm getting a little bored (oops, there's that word again, and I can hear my crew screaming in panic) attacking convoys over and over again.

If you are into GWX, then you are in the lucky situation that:
a) GWX is more and more modelling the real naval operations into the simulation
b) you can check out the history books and be there at the right time.

My last career put me just in time at the right place to rescue Bismarck for example.
2 Battleships sunk in 2 hours give you a warm feeling in the morning...
;)

[NiclDoe]

This is my newist way of finding TFs. First you park your boat of Gib.where the Elcos dont patrol and just wait and wait till you hear a report is coming and attck at night. hey it works for me and i found atleast 2 per patrol or 4 if im lucky.

[John O]

This is my newist way of finding TFs. First you park your boat of Gib.where the Elcos dont patrol and just wait and wait till you hear a report is coming and attck at night. hey it works for me and i found atleast 2 per patrol or 4 if im lucky.

Yes, off Gibralter is where I've ran into a few. It helps to cheat a little using the save game feature noting the time and place of the TF if you are close and get there when it arrives. As some say, "Save often, and survive".

[NealT]

Another place I have liked is south and west of the tip of Africa. A long ways to go...but they come from Australia fairly regularly...

[andylegate]

Great suggestions guys! Thanks! :up:

[Jimbuna]

200km west of Gib :up:

[KeptinCranky]

Gibraltar, hmph, AM36 I say, both those from Scapa and from Loch Ewe pass through there, and you can spend the downtime deckgunning merchies or lying on the bottom waiting for the planes to go away :D it's fairly deep in some places, deep enough anyway, and not all that far from Bergen, Kiel and Willi

you could also try st. George's channel when sailing out of the French ports :D

</shallow water sailor mutterings> :arrgh!:

[Lafferty]

Wow i never new the Med had that many TF's i should patrol that area.

[TarJak]

Yep the Med is probably one of the best places for military targets. There are plenty of places in there to find capital ships as well.

[John O]

Gibraltar, hmph, AM36 I say, both those from Scapa and from Loch Ewe pass through there, and you can spend the downtime deckgunning merchies or lying on the bottom waiting for the planes to go away :D it's fairly deep in some places, deep enough anyway, and not all that far from Bergen, Kiel and Willi

you could also try st. George's channel when sailing out of the French ports :D

</shallow water sailor mutterings> :arrgh!:

How deep is the water there?

[KeptinCranky]

Knee-deep :up:

No, I'm kidding, in AM36 it won't be deeper than 150 meters
st george's channel should also be something like that. there's a few deeper spots in there though, as well as in the Irish sea, I generally try to attack convoys and TFs and such near or in those, I'm not totally suicidal :rotfl:

I try to stay where I can sit my boat on the bottom without imploding because that's where most of the traffic is going to be :D no deeper than 250 meters mostly, and I've been in spots where a serious wave will put your boat on the bottom, but that was mostly in type IIs

it's also very annoying to take all that time to cross the atlantic just to get sunk by the first ship you meet on the US coast :damn: so now I just hunt near England.

The Med is an exception, I never go near shallow water there if I can help it, it's not necessary and if it's shallow there it's so shallow you can't crashdive safely, which is not a good thing in the Med