Photo Recon Help

[Captain Vlad]

They started me off right on December 7th with a mission to do a photo recon of Osaka Harbor (!!). Well, after a long, cross-Pacific voyage, three sunken Marus, a looooong 1-knot creep into the target area, and one bullet-riddled Sampan, I'm right there at the little orange star....and nothing is happening.:D

Am I missing something?

[TDK1044]

You need to get close enough to see the ships in the harbor and then raise your periscope (either one) and click on the camera icon in order to take photos. Then your mission will be complete.

[leovampire]

I was stumped. I snuk into Tokyo Harbor at night time and got into seriously shallow water and had no clue what to do. Dawn was comming and I knew I would get spoted. I finaly asked the question here and felt Stupid as hell when they said use the Scope and then lock on a ship in the Harbor and then click the lit up Camera button and that's it.

Unfortunatly I didn't do a save and By the time I got the answer plane's were now flying around.

I had to sit on the bottom for a full day and pray now DD's came around. By the time night fall came the oxygen level was so low it wasn't funny.

But I did make it out undamaged.

[seafarer]

In Osaka (I've had that photo mission 3 times now), you can also sneak up towards Awaji and stay south of the narrow straits there. If the night is nice and dark, you can surface, purge the boat's atmosphere and recharge batteries without being detected. I even did it while a convoy formed up off Osaka, then after they left just before sunrise, I dove, crept over, got my pics and then headed out. I would have never made it on one battery charge and without refreshing the air in the boat - there was soo much traffic there in 1941 it was nuts (although it's fun to weave amongst the anchored units off Osaka when a convoy is waiting to form up - the escorts often aren't there yet, or are patroling well out from the anchored ships).

[ddiplock]

I've found that in alot of harbours the waters are too shallow for my boat to get to Periscope depth, since US subs were generally so large. lol

[Captain Vlad]

Thanks for the assistance, guys. Rolls of photographic material are now being analyzed back in the intel room at Pearl Harbor.

Of course, about half the ships I took pictures of I left in flames, but hell, why pass up an easy shot at two 10,000 ton tankers.:rock::arrgh!:

On the way out I ran into an unescorted Japanese Aircraft Carrier...me and no torps left. Never ventured into Japanese interior waters before; the small craft activity was pretty fun to watch...though they're missing a few fishing boats now. They were obviously trying to radio my position.

[SteamWake]

Ive done a similar misson .. twice actually

When I got close enough to snap the shots I witnessed two carriers at anchor.

I couldent help myself so I snapped the shots and sank em both !

Well oky only one sank but the other was listing and on fire.

[JALU3]

Well for the first time since I got this game, upon release, I got a Photo Recon Mission near Java . . . well I got there. It was raining hard in the middle of the night . . . so I couldn't see ****. Now I am there now, it is coming on dawn, the storm has past, it's become clear, and I have the ship locked and squarly in the center of my periscpoe . . . and the photo button is not lighting up when I lock onto ANY SHIP.

What am I doing wrong?

[JALU3]

OK . . . besides locking on to a ship using the TDC . . . how else does one "lock on to a ship", which then activates the photo button . . . so I can complete this mission, and send some of these hulls to the bottom.

[SteamWake]

OK . . . besides locking on to a ship using the TDC . . . how else does one "lock on to a ship", which then activates the photo button . . . so I can complete this mission, and send some of these hulls to the bottom.

Use the attack scope not the TDC. Aim the scope at your 'target' when the camera icon lights up click it. Simple as that.

[JALU3]

OK . . . besides locking on to a ship using the TDC . . . how else does one "lock on to a ship", which then activates the photo button . . . so I can complete this mission, and send some of these hulls to the bottom.

Use the attack scope not the TDC. Aim the scope at your 'target' when the camera icon lights up click it. Simple as that.

I have used both scopes . . . and have the wedge icon underneath the target . . . and let it sit there . . . well the camera icon doesn't turn on . . . and it's morning, and clear (now).

So why would it be that the camera icon doesn't light up?

[Powerthighs]

Did you actually press 'L' to lock the scope on the target?

[SteamWake]

Did you actually press 'L' to lock the scope on the target?

I dont think it even needs to be locked.

Ive frankly never had problems with this one. I put the crosshairs ove the target, the icon for the camera (in the lower hot bar) lights up. I click it, mission accomplished. (Except those pesky escorts and shore guns).

Oh ! and one more thing. Are you sure your looking at the RIGHT ship ? The mission is only looking for a particular ship or two (Flat Tops has been my experience). If you look at other ships in the area the camera icon will not light.

Other than that the only thing I can think of is maybe hes just too far out.

[JALU3]

The only ships in port are merchant ships, and a single gunboat . . . so there are no IJN ships in port. I will see what I can do about targetting different vessels . . . as there is a large tanker.

[peanuts111358]

If I get orders to do a photo recon mission, I usually just ignore it and go find and sink other tonnage instead. I have ended too many careers trying to attempt photo recons. The location you need to be is always in such shallow water that I have to approach on the surface. Once on the surface, I may as well shoot off some fireworks and fire star shells into the air to announce I am there because I always get detected and shot at anyway.

In reality, would submarines be used for photo recon? Aircraft are far better suited for the task of photo recon.

[seafarer]

You do need to be within a certain distance of the actual objective star on the chart too. If you are outside of that, you don't get the camera lit up. It seems to me you need to be with about 2.5-5km of the chart marking, but I'm not sure of the "official" radius or approach.

And yes, US submarines did do photo recon missions in real life. They often were assigned to patrol off shore of invasion beaches just before an amphib assault. Read about the USS Gunnel's first war patrol (http://www.jmlavelle.com/gunnel/patrol1.htm). She was sent on photo reconof Fedala Harbor in preparation for the Torch Landings. USS Spearfish was one boat assigned to photo recon beaches and approaches at Iwo Jima. Here's a pic (http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0818004.jpg) by the USS Pollack of the coast of Honshu in 1943.

[SteamWake]

They often were assigned to patrol off shore of invasion beaches just before an amphib assault.

Thats a hellua lot different from skulking into a harbor, in shallow water, with active pickets, and only one way in one way out.

The photo recon missions in the game are quite challanging and fun if not historically accurate.

[seafarer]

True - sailing into Kawasaki harbor in 70ft of water or less is pretty ridiculous :p They should have scripted them to park off major straits into harbors to monitor traffic - that would have been more realistic. And I really don't think you should be able to complete a recon mission and sink anything in the vicinity of the recon area - the whole point should be getting in and out undetected, to preserve the value of the intelligence.

Kawasaki was such a pain in the a@$ that I just basically blew up everything in my way to get in and out - and you know that could never really happen.