Freakin Photo missions

[kipkipkip]

Okay, I'm ready for answers. How do you get into port to photo recon bases when there are a million destroyers, they come zigzagging at you from all angles. You can't just shoot one torp to hit them because they won't come at you straight. I go in rigged for silent running, they detect me, because I can't dive deep. It's like they home in on me 60 miles away or something. Then if you do kill one of them, all of their buddies are home in on you, and you don't have enough torps. Any solutions? If not I'll keep trying.


Kip:arrgh!:

[AVGWarhawk]

My solution for you is to download the Run Silent Run Deep mod and banish away the photo ops. Just did not happen during the war. At least the numerous books on the matter never had a chapter of photo ops. Sure, a few boats did some harbor raiding (USS Wahoo) but torpedoes were shot, not film.

[simonb1612]

Where have you been dispatched to? Some bays have deep(ish) spots. Try approaching in at less than 3kts (speed for silent running) and be patient. do not go in with your periscope up and do not go in on a . peek, move and repeat until close enough.
Good luck:ping:

[Torplexed]

A think a few boats did photo recon early in the war on bases well out of air range. But as the war progressed I'm sure it seemed pointless to send a sub to do a job that a plane can do much better and quicker.

[Takao]

Quite the contrary Torplexed and AVGWarhawk.

The majority, if not all, of the photo-recon missions were carried out From September, 1943 til December, 1944. During this time, 13 missions were conducted. Each photo mission involved taking between 1,000-2,000 pictures. For the best results, periscope pictures were taken at 500 yards. On the other hand, good results could be obtained from about 1 mile. Sometimes the water depth kept the submarine 3-4 miles offshore, however, photos taken from this distance were of little value.

In real-life, you were taking pictures of an island landscape, Not creeping all the way up Tokyo Bay to photograph some stupid tanker that looked exactly like the six I sank on the way to Japan! Islands reconned this way were Tarawa, Makin, Apamama, Kwajalein, Jaluit, Wotje, Maloelap, Mili, Eniwetol, Ponape, Oroluk, Nomi, Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Ultithi, Woleai, Yap, Palau, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Sometimes more than one island was covered during a mission, and some islands were photographed more than once. Of all the 13 missions, 12 were successful, and only the last one to Okinawa went uncompleted(due to the submarine USS Swordfish being sunk enroute to the island).

You don't read about them in books because action sells, not taking pictures. I have felt safer attacking task forces and convoys, than I have creeping into a harbor to take a picture. Chapter 22 of Theodore Roscoe's "United States Submarine Operations in World War II" gives good coverage of these little known, but important, photo-recon missions.

As for helpful hints:
1. Wait until nightfall to begin your approach.
2. Patience, Patience, Patience. I usually am running silent at 1 or 2 knots to conserve the batteries and generate as little noise as possible.
3. Keep the scope down until your within 7,000 yards of your target. The distance varies depending on day or night.
4. Try to stay in the deeper areas(if any) as you make your approach.
5. If you have radar, wait until night, use the periscope to makes sure no pesky shore batteries are visible, come up to about 33 feet(I think it is that you can use the radar) and observe the destroyers' patrol patterns. This will give you and idea of when it is safe to move and not to move. Submerge and move out.
6. I never fire torpedoes at destroyers during ingress and egress. It only tends to annoy them and annoyed destroyers are bad, very bad.

[AVGWarhawk]

Island landscapes photographed I'll buy that....none that I have read sneaking into harbors to photograph ships as the game has us do. Any thing on sneaking into harbors to photo ships? I understand action sells books but the books I have read also includes the dull drums of patrols. I would hope they author would include something like photographing ships in a harbor as at least a hair raiser full of tension.

[Takao]

It was probably the easiest solution(programming wise) for the devs to come up with.

IMHO, I would have made it like a patrol, but limit the distance from island X to about 2 miles and stay in said area for 48-72 hours. It beats clicking the photo icon 1,000-2,000 times.

No, I don't remember reading anything about sneeking in to take a picture of a ship.

But then again, I have only ever had two photo missions. The first I could agree with...the Yamato in Hiroshima. The second, no such joy, a large modern tanker in Tokyo. Wonder what it was carrying...must have been Yama****a's gold

Stupid swear editor see this link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yama****a's_gold

Oh well, you know what the *s mean...another word for crap.

Ahh, here we go, a clean link
http://www.rense.com/general13/treasure.htm

[seaniam81]

whats more annoying is that your sent to take a picture of some tanker, but the tanker isn't there. I've got a mission to take a picture at Soerabaja. so I sneek in and nothing. :damn::damn::damn::damn::damn::damn::damn::damn::d amn:

[aanker]

Island landscapes photographed I'll buy that....none that I have read sneaking into harbors to photograph ships as the game has us do. Any thing on sneaking into harbors to photo ships? I understand action sells books but the books I have read also includes the dull drums of patrols. I would hope they author would include something like photographing ships in a harbor as at least a hair raiser full of tension.
They did do Photo Recons in the Pacific and Atlantic; Operation Torch for example in preparation for the invasion (USS Gunnel). I think taking a picture of a ship was the easiest solution the Dev's came up with... though I agree - not realistic. A while ago I was watching Mr Tater try to figure out how to make an invisible target to make PR's more realistic. I like the recon missions.

Art

[kiwi_2005]

No problem with photo shoots get in there take shots get out, the destroyers are always asleep. Its the getting there thats the hard bit but once im in port its a piece of cake.

[AVGWarhawk]

Island landscapes photographed I'll buy that....none that I have read sneaking into harbors to photograph ships as the game has us do. Any thing on sneaking into harbors to photo ships? I understand action sells books but the books I have read also includes the dull drums of patrols. I would hope they author would include something like photographing ships in a harbor as at least a hair raiser full of tension.
They did do Photo Recons in the Pacific and Atlantic; Operation Torch for example in preparation for the invasion (USS Gunnel). I think taking a picture of a ship was the easiest solution the Dev's came up with... though I agree - not realistic. A while ago I was watching Mr Tater try to figure out how to make an invisible target to make PR's more realistic. I like the recon missions.

Art

That would be nice. Some how make a mission to photograph inlets and such. Just need the game to recognize the inlet as the subject to shoot...not a tanker.

[kipkipkip]

Kiwi,

I think every destroyer in port is awake when I go in. As a matter of fact, every destroyer in the game is awake, and in port. I am on the Okinawa mission, where I'm supposed to photo an air craft carrier, hadn't gotten there yet. If I sit still, they find me, if I move they find me, if I fight, more destroyers come than I have torps...................


aaarrrghhhh!!!!!!:damn:

[aanker]

Island landscapes photographed I'll buy that....none that I have read sneaking into harbors to photograph ships as the game has us do. Any thing on sneaking into harbors to photo ships? I understand action sells books but the books I have read also includes the dull drums of patrols. I would hope they author would include something like photographing ships in a harbor as at least a hair raiser full of tension. They did do Photo Recons in the Pacific and Atlantic; Operation Torch for example in preparation for the invasion (USS Gunnel). I think taking a picture of a ship was the easiest solution the Dev's came up with... though I agree - not realistic. A while ago I was watching Mr Tater try to figure out how to make an invisible target to make PR's more realistic. I like the recon missions.

Art
That would be nice. Some how make a mission to photograph inlets and such. Just need the game to recognize the inlet as the subject to shoot...not a tanker.
Yup, you're right. BTW here is the topic in the mod forum:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=118741
It's really an enjoyable thread to read and I hope a solution will be found.

Art