How close can you get to a Merchant before being spotted?

[Shrike37]

I would like to call on your experience to get a better idea of how close I can get to a merchant (while surfaced) before being detected in SH3 GWX3.0. I asked, because so far my basic strategy has been to detect the merchant, then run at flank speed while surfaced (for maximum speed) on an out of the way intercept course. Right now, I think I am being way too cautious and spending more fuel and time than I need by getting pretty far away from the merchant while intercepting.

I realize it is probably based off environmental conditions so approximately how close can I get to the average merchant before detection in these six general conditions:

Daylight:

---Calm Seas

---Medium Seas

---Rough Seas

Night:

---Calm Seas

---Medium Seas

---Rough Seas

[Sailor Steve]

I can't speak for all conditions, but playing the 'Happy Times' single scenario I've been spotted by the sole destroyer at the opening range of 7000 meters. That's broad daylight, calm seas.

[meduza]

At night, they won't spot you unless you ram them. :DL In daylight, with perfect conditins, i was sometimes spoted at the edge of visibility. That's way I always keep my distance and cannot answer your question.

Hope someone else will fill the gaps.

[FIREWALL]

The answers are in the GWX manual. :yep:

[TarJak]

In my testing using the 16km Atmosphere mod:

Calm seas - 6000-7000m in clear visibility but I have been as close as 300m in fog so the visibility really has a lot mor to do with it thatn the sea state, although sea state is a factor.
Medium seas - about the same but occaisionally as close as 1500m depending on visibility.
Rough Seas - 2000m-1500m again closer if the visibility is worse.

At night in all sea states I've been able to get as close as 800m in clear visibility in all sea states, I don' normally get closer than that because I'm ususally shooting my torps and turning away by then anyway.

Remember all this depends on whether you are running surfaced at speed or slow decks awash, which is my recommended approach and what level of crew are aboard. A Veteran crewed merchant is more likely to spot you further away than a noob crewed merchant.