Ok, there's something weird going on here

[ddiplock]

Ok, its Feb 1943 and i've loaded a game twice now on my approach to a small 3 ship Jap convoy, submerged at periscope depth. Twice now on my approch as I get closer the convoy begins to zig-zag and break up.

Now to my knowledge, Japanese merchants did NOT have hydrophones with which to detect submarines, but that sure as hell looks as if that is what is happening. There is no other way for them to detect me!!!!

Does SH4 give merchants hydrophones later in the war???:nope: Despite the fact to my knowledge, in real life, they never had any??

Now I am running with my scope up on the approach, but its the middle of the night, and there is no way at the distance i'm at they could see my periscope....that and I have it sitting very low in the water to avoid any chance of detection :S The only thing I can think of, is on these two occasions, my engines were running at Flank, and now Standard speeds....hence why i'm thinking they are hearing my approach.

[Rockin Robbins]

Yes, speed of approach makes all the difference. Never approach at speeds of more than 10 knots. Your wake glows white in the moonlight and the Japanese were very good at night warfare.

I always flood down to about 30 to 32 feet, the deepest I can be and still run the diesels (I HATE to run on batteries one second longer than I am forced to). Then you can go no faster than 10 knots anyway, so it's impossible to forget:D. You'll find you're able to get within 2000 yards surfaced on a good dark night.

[ddiplock]

Yes, speed of approach makes all the difference. Never approach at speeds of more than 10 knots. Your wake glows white in the moonlight and the Japanese were very good at night warfare.

I always flood down to about 30 to 32 feet, the deepest I can be and still run the diesels (I HATE to run on batteries one second longer than I am forced to). Then you can go no faster than 10 knots anyway, so it's impossible to forget:D. You'll find you're able to get within 2000 yards surfaced on a good dark night.


but i've made approaches to ships in the dark earlier in the war and not had this problem :( guess i'll have to run at higher speeds and see what happens with the scope DOWN on the approach, once i've got the targets speed worked out.

[ddiplock]

Just done a final test, approaching the convoy at ahead standard, at PD with my scope down.....NO chance of being spotted at all now....and they still begin to zig zag.

I think that seals it.....they MUST be hearing my approch my my engines running at standard speed. There can be no other way for them to know i'm there. As I said before, I'm pretty sure Jap merchants did NOT have hydrophones later in the war, or even at all at any time in the war....but it sure as hell looks like these guys have em!! There's no other way for them to know i'm there!!!

[SteamWake]

Now I am running with my scope up on the approach,

This is the key, yes i know its pitch black and there is no 'real' way they could see the scope but the game considers it otherwise.

Just use your scope for quick peeks raise it 20 30 seconds max and put it back down.

Get a quick sighting then use sonar to keep track of motion. Once you think your in position make all your tdc settings, open the doors, THEN raise the scope for any last second adjustments hopefully even if they do start to manuver it will be too late and your too close and kaboom :salute:

As others have said close the final few yards at conservative speeds.

[ddiplock]

This is the key, yes i know its pitch black and there is no 'real' way they could see the scope but the game considers it otherwise.

Just use your scope for quick peeks raise it 20 30 seconds max and put it back down.

Get a quick sighting then use sonar to keep track of motion. Once you think your in position make all your tdc settings, open the doors, THEN raise the scope for any last second adjustments hopefully even if they do start to manuver it will be too late and your too close and kaboom :salute:

As others have said close the final few yards at conservative speeds.


See my post just above yours :)

[DigitalAura]

this has happened to me too... then I figured out it was because of a careless action I made just moments prior to saving the game.
Subsequent loading of the SAVED GAME put me in the middle of a circumstance where I had already been discovered.
In my case, a plane had spotted me minutes before I saved it... so I'm assuming planes can report to merchants below??

...truthfully, I think sometimes the game is kinda glitchy in this regards though.:yep:

[TH0R]

Another hint: never use more than 8X TC when enemy ships are nearby. Somehow they will magically detect you. Happens sometimes. Especially with tin cans.

[Morpheus]

@ddiplock

You don't come to play a german career and just changed to a new type XVIIIboat?

See my post. Never found a solution, my german career is freezed since then http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=150975

morph

[Armistead]

If you use cams, here is something you can practice with. I do both, I just played a career with cams and contacts on to study ships and how they react.

Practice with a few convoys. Put your cam on a ship before they zig or notice you, leaving the cam on the ship, use your icons to do things and see how they respond. Take notes of yardages you're spotted, ect. or actions you took to make them respond. Leave the scope up differnent times and time how long it takes them to respond. Listen to their sirens. You can go to the sound files and listen to the siren sound for ships spotted. The sirens make several sounds for different things.

I had my cam on the nearest merchant and was coming in a narrow angle at decks awash. Starting at 5000 yards, I would make turns and straighten back out. Finally at 3000 yards when I turned, I got noticed.
Running straight I got noticed at 2000 yards.

By using the cam to study how ships react to your actions, it can help you see what you're doing to get caught, test different speeds, ect.

I had the cam on a warship 2000 yard away at night. I raised my scope and counted. After 7 seconds he sped up towards me...

Course mods change crew settings, ect...but it's a good study tool.

If really helps training you should you decide to turn contacts off.