Photo-Op in Japan

[Scurvy]

I put the "in Japan" in, because now I can't remember if my mission is to photograph Yokohama or Kawasaki or Suzuki...

Crap.

Anyway, my problem is that I've snuck into the area and am plagued by shallow waters and warships.

I sped past the first sonar contact without any trouble, having watched him for a full day--he just drove forward (east) and then drove backward (west) and I timed it. Not the most intelligent captain, but I didn't complain to the Secretary of the Navy.

But then, as I reached shallow waters, the next day, I have 3 warships that seemed like veteran officers of this forum, hunting me down in multiplayer.

I was sunk, after two hours of trying to evade them.

Any suggestions to sneaking into Tokyo without being detected?

Here's what I tried:

Costing tax-payers and pissing off Al Gore by sailing at 22 knots, until I got my first "ship spotted". Then, I dove to periscope depth and veered to port.

Then, I spent 2 hours getting hunted and eventually dying.

Then, I tried sneaking under them at 2 knots, but was at 68% battery and only half-way to deep water and they still detected me, at silent-running and 2 knots...then the game crashed.

*Sigh* I need a bailout.

[Torplexed]

Did you try all this in daylight hours or night? Never tried Tokyo Bay, but I've gotten into Kagoshima Harbor pretty easily in darkness on the surface. Most Japanese escorts don't have radar sets, so I dive if they get close and surface when they're gone.

[Mikeb213]

I have actually been able to get in and out of Tokyo Bay. I went in at night, with a full battery. I snuck in while rigged for silent and once I was detected I continued in running at flank submerged the whole time following the same basic course but having to do course corrections pretty violently to evade the ashcans they kept trying to drop on me. I got in close enough to make take my picture and then turned around and continued back out evading the whole time. It took me 4 hours because I couldn't do much time compression. Once I got back out to deep water I went really deep 400 ft and went back down to silent running and was able to evade. It sucked and took a lot of time. I had a pretty pissed wife because I spent 4 hours in front of the pc doing this 1 mission.

[Scurvy]

It was at night.

And, I may have made a mistake by getting sonar contacts (I'm driving a porpoise with no radar) and diving when I first got a visual contact.

But, I dove as soon as one of my men visually spotted him.

Should I dive before I get too close to a warship and try to sneak past? My batteries are worse-for-wear, here.

Or do you have another strategy?

Thanks again, sir!

[Scurvy]

I have actually been able to get in and out of Tokyo Bay. I went in at night, with a full battery. I snuck in while rigged for silent and once I was detected I continued in running at flank submerged the whole time following the same basic course but having to do course corrections pretty violently to evade the ashcans they kept trying to drop on me. I got in close enough to make take my picture and then turned around and continued back out evading the whole time. It took me 4 hours because I couldn't do much time compression. Once I got back out to deep water I went really deep 400 ft and went back down to silent running and was able to evade. It sucked and took a lot of time. I had a pretty pissed wife because I spent 4 hours in front of the pc doing this 1 mission.

My first quote was to Torp, but...dang, man! That sounds like an interesting drive through a bad neighborhood!

[Mikeb213]

I have tried to unload some torps here or there, but they will speed up and evade them every time you try to get one out.

[sabre22b]

Sitting at 100m, all stop, silent (TL @58m). They find me and depth charge me. Dead.

100m 1 kt, silent. Depth charges. zip zag. stop and start. They don't go away. Dead.

So do I have to wait for heavy (very heavy) fog and try again on the surface?