Refueling

[fvd]

Hi guy's,

On my current mission i left from Surabaya, patrolled the Celebes and the South Chinese sea.
While on patrol Surabaya has been invaded by Japan.
So i got orders to return to Fremantle, Australia.
Although my speed during my mission was never over 8 knots my fuel reserve isn't enough to get back to base in Fremantle, even not to Darwin.
I know Darwin is not a base but maybe it's possible to refuel there?

And how about other ports, is it possible to refuel there?
I mean ports like Singapore, Saigon or other asian ports?

Last question: why are friendly and enemy bases the same colour?
In SH3 you could easily see which ports where axis or allied-side.

Thanks and best regards,
fvd

[hyperion2206]

Hi guy's,

On my current mission i left from Surabaya, patrolled the Celebes and the South Chinese sea.
While on patrol Surabaya has been invaded by Japan.
So i got orders to return to Fremantle, Australia.
Although my speed during my mission was never over 8 knots my fuel reserve isn't enough to get back to base in Fremantle, even not to Darwin.
I know Darwin is not a base but maybe it's possible to refuel there?

And how about other ports, is it possible to refuel there?
I mean ports like Singapore, Saigon or other asian ports?

Last question: why are friendly and enemy bases the same colour?
In SH3 you could easily see which ports where axis or allied-side.

Thanks and best regards,
fvd

Sorry mate, but you can only refuel at ports that either have a solid blue or stripped anchor. The only thing left to do for you: Dive beyond crush depth so that the Japanese don't get your sub in their little hands.

[-Pv-]

I think it's important for all new players to understand the forward bases in the southern command WILL get over-run and to plan your fuel accordingly (even if it means you cut a mission short.) Use your time to best advantage to sink as much tonnage as possible before heading back to Australia. Keep an extra 500 miles in reserve.
-Pv-

[FIREWALL]

I think it's important for all new players to understand the forward bases in the southern command WILL get over-run and to plan your fuel accordingly (even if it means you cut a mission short.) Use your time to best advantage to sink as much tonnage as possible before heading back to Australia. Keep an extra 500 miles in reserve.
-Pv-

The Commanders back then didn't know the future in that there bases would be overran nor should a new player.

This is a small but important thing that should be fixed.

I know from experience that by the time you get the radio message your past the point of no return.

[SteamWake]

I think it's important for all new players to understand the forward bases in the southern command WILL get over-run and to plan your fuel accordingly (even if it means you cut a mission short.) Use your time to best advantage to sink as much tonnage as possible before heading back to Australia. Keep an extra 500 miles in reserve.
-Pv-

The Commanders back then didn't know the future in that there bases would be overran nor should a new player.

This is a small but important thing that should be fixed.

I know from experience that by the time you get the radio message your past the point of no return.

Yup... another call for the RTB button.

[fvd]

I agree with Firewall!

I can't imagine that in the "real" war back then, all boat's were left without help or assistance when there home bases were captured by Japanese forces.
I assume that refueling ships have been sent out to help these boats, no?
If i am right, why isn't this possibility included in the game?

Best regards,
fvd

[Torplexed]

Well, that's the difference between the real war and a sim. In the real war skippers kept abreast of developments on land by listening to a constant stream of civilian radio and reports from headquarters and even scuttlebut. You could plan your fuel radius accordingly. As has been noted all you get in the game is a report after the fact. As for fuel, it could probably have been scrounged up almost anywhere from the thousands of small seaports, ferry landings and villages you don't see located on your SH4 map. There was a great deal of small intercoastal traffic in Indonesia even back then.

[Roger Dodger]

Hi guy's,

. . . Although my speed during my mission was never over 8 knots my fuel reserve isn't enough to get back to base in Fremantle, even not to Darwin.
I know Darwin is not a base but maybe it's possible to refuel there?

And how about other ports, is it possible to refuel there?
I mean ports like Singapore, Saigon or other asian ports?

. . .

Row, row, row yer boat . . . :rotfl:

Start a new career, or reload your game if you did so early enough. If you're starting from Cavite, you may have just enough time to refuel before the Japs close the base if you hurry back when you get the message. The anchorage will remain blue for a little while (but not for long). If you miss the timing, break off your patrol and go directly to Surabaya. There may be some traffic through the Celebes Sea and Makasar Strait to rack up some tonnage on the way back.

Good hunting

[Sailor Steve]

I can't imagine that in the "real" war back then, all boat's were left without help or assistance when there home bases were captured by Japanese forces.
I assume that refueling ships have been sent out to help these boats, no?
If i am right, why isn't this possibility included in the game?
Torplexed explained how they could avoid being caught out when a forward base fell to the enemy, but no, they wouldn't send a tender into enemy-controlled waters, and they didn't have the resources to escort a mission like that, or the area wouldn't have fallen.

In real life they could also tell which way the fight was going and plan accordingly. Any sub setting out in that period should have enough fuel to make it to a friendly port.

[THE_MASK]

Well, that's the difference between the real war and a sim. In the real war skippers kept abreast of developments on land by listening to a constant stream of civilian radio and reports from headquarters and even scuttlebut. You could plan your fuel radius accordingly. As has been noted all you get in the game is a report after the fact. As for fuel, it could probably have been scrounged up almost anywhere from the thousands of small seaports, ferry landings and villages you don't see located on your SH4 map. There was a great deal of small intercoastal traffic in Indonesia even back then. We have a radio .

[hyperion2206]

Well, that's the difference between the real war and a sim. In the real war skippers kept abreast of developments on land by listening to a constant stream of civilian radio and reports from headquarters and even scuttlebut. You could plan your fuel radius accordingly. As has been noted all you get in the game is a report after the fact. As for fuel, it could probably have been scrounged up almost anywhere from the thousands of small seaports, ferry landings and villages you don't see located on your SH4 map. There was a great deal of small intercoastal traffic in Indonesia even back then. We have a radio .

We do, but the majority (me included) never listens to it. It distracts me and if I want to listen to it I have to crank the volume up because I can hardly hear what the guy is telling me. And there's another thing that annoys me: When I enter my base after weeks of patrolling I still listen to the same show I tuned in when I was leaving my base- that's hardly realistic.:p
Ok, forget my last point, I was just trying to be funny.:88)

[Torplexed]

I was thinking it have been cool to have a graphic device in the game like a fuel radius circle that you could toggle to show how far you can go on what's left in the tanks. As it is, you kinda have to go on instinct. "I spent this percentage of fuel getting here....I need at least that much to get back."

In all my reading I don't know of one instance where a US sub ran outta gas. Must have had someone on board doing the math all the time. ;)

If you were to run short near a US base I could see a tanker or tender being dispatched to your rescue. But like Sailor Steve said, not deep in Empire waters without air cover.

[Sailor Steve]

In all my reading I don't know of one instance where a US sub ran outta gas. Must have had someone on board doing the math all the time. ;)
Somebody like the LI in Das Boot.

"Um, sir, we really should be thinking about heading for home..."
"Not now! Another six hours at flank and we'll catch that convoy!"
"But sir..."

[MorganThePirate]

I don't know how much fuel you have. A solution is to dive and surface to recharge batteries + O2. You can make the return trip to your base. Some time ago, I had only 15% fuel and I made back from Honshu to Pearl. I dive deep and surfaced for short time to recharge batteries and clear the environment. Since that time I run my fish about 10 nm per hour (except in some peculiar situations). Your fuel will go for almost 13,000 nm. Good luck and good fishing.:arrgh!:

[-Pv-]

There is a small edit you can make to the commands.cfg file with Notepad which provides a very good estimation of how much fuel you will use at a particular engine setting. Use it while fully surfaced and the batteries fully charged. Add the following code and press shift-G:

[Cmd257]
Name=Report_time_to_turn
Ctxt=1
MnID=0x3F250002
Key0=0x47,s,"Shift+G"

-Pv-

[fvd]

There is a small edit you can make to the commands.cfg file with Notepad which provides a very good estimation of how much fuel you will use at a particular engine setting. Use it while fully surfaced and the batteries fully charged. Add the following code and press shift-G:

[Cmd257]
Name=Report_time_to_turn
Ctxt=1
MnID=0x3F250002
Key0=0x47,s,"Shift+G"

-Pv-

Thanks PV, i made the change in commands.cfg.
I will test it right away.

Since your good in making adjustments, is there any chance you know a solution for this:
-Is it possible to change the default settings for the torpedo's?
By default they are set to "slow" and to "magnetic and contact" detonation.
I always change these settings to "fast" and to "contact" detonation.
If it would be possible to change these settings somewhere it would be great!

I also would like to edit the recognition manual, i prefer the recog. manual of SH3 where you could see both views of a ship on one page (now you have to click a button to see the front and 45° angle view of the ship)
It would save a lot of clicking and time if both views where on one page below eachother.
Can this be done?
I also would change the position of the arrow-buttons, the one you use to turn the pages of the manual.
Now one is on the right side and the other on the left side.
If would be much faster if they were right beside eachother...

Thanks!
Best regards,
fvd

[fvd]

There is a small edit you can make to the commands.cfg file with Notepad which provides a very good estimation of how much fuel you will use at a particular engine setting. Use it while fully surfaced and the batteries fully charged. Add the following code and press shift-G:

[Cmd257]
Name=Report_time_to_turn
Ctxt=1
MnID=0x3F250002
Key0=0x47,s,"Shift+G"

-Pv-

Like i promised to PV, i tested his changing of the commands.cfg.
It works just great.
You press shift+G and you get an estimation of your radius with the fuel which is left.
Something strange happens though:
When surfaced, and batteries fully charged and a speed of 11 knots my estimation of distance with the current amount of fuel was much larger then when my speed was just 5 knots...
You would assume that a higher speed results in a higher fuel consumption, no?!
Some bug in the game???

Regards,
fvd

[fvd]

I don't know how much fuel you have. A solution is to dive and surface to recharge batteries + O2. You can make the return trip to your base. Some time ago, I had only 15% fuel and I made back from Honshu to Pearl. I dive deep and surfaced for short time to recharge batteries and clear the environment. Since that time I run my fish about 10 nm per hour (except in some peculiar situations). Your fuel will go for almost 13,000 nm. Good luck and good fishing.:arrgh!:

MorganThePirate,

Thanks very much for your advice about sailing submerged most of the time.
I tried it and i was actually able to get back to Fremantle, arrived there with only 4% of fuel in the tank.
But you saved my career!!!:up:

[seafarer]

There is a small edit you can make to the commands.cfg file with Notepad which provides a very good estimation of how much fuel you will use at a particular engine setting. Use it while fully surfaced and the batteries fully charged. Add the following code and press shift-G:

[Cmd257]
Name=Report_time_to_turn
Ctxt=1
MnID=0x3F250002
Key0=0x47,s,"Shift+G"

-Pv-

Like i promised to PV, i tested his changing of the commands.cfg.
It works just great.
You press shift+G and you get an estimation of your radius with the fuel which is left.
Something strange happens though:
When surfaced, and batteries fully charged and a speed of 11 knots my estimation of distance with the current amount of fuel was much larger then when my speed was just 5 knots...
You would assume that a higher speed results in a higher fuel consumption, no?!
Some bug in the game???

Regards,
fvd

Nope, that's reality.

Higher the speed, the shorter the run time (to cover a given distance), but the increased power needed to maintain the speed increases per unti time fuel consumption = you use a lot of fuel (remember that power required varies with as the cube of speed, or something similar - ie. it's not at all linear).

Slower speed, true, your fuel consumption per unit time drops, but it takes you far, far longer to cover the same distance. The extra time needed to complete the voyage again = you use a lot of fuel

Inbetween these two extremes is the happy medium where you cover the distance with the least amount of fuel used.

See some real world ship numbers (http://www.ussmissouri.org/speedVSFuel.aspx)

[tomoose]

I usually check the "maximum range at current speed" report and then the "range to end" report to see how I'm doing once I've been in location for a while. It makes a big difference in how I continue my patrol particularly when I've completed one task in the East China Sea and then get orders to patrol the Luzon Strait. I'll plot my course there, throw in a search pattern, and then from there back to homebase. I'll consult the "maximum range at current speed" vs "range to end" reports and adjust accordingly.

I've noticed that while you do get reports such as "50% fuel in reserve" this does NOT reflect what you're actually using (i.e. you can have 0% in fuel reserve but still have enough to keep going for a while). So what's in "reserve" is not what's in your actual fuel tanks so to speak. That's why I find my method above seems to keep me from running short.

Just a thought.
:up: