An elusive task force

[ppk]

I get contact reports for a particular task force so often that I can't be the only one. It leaves the Blackpool-Liverpool area and transits through the Sea of the Hebrides (''Hebriden'' on the in-game map) and to Scapa. I've tried to catch it twice so far - in November 1939, and again in March 1940 - without any luck whatsoever.

Both times I slipped in through the pass between the two Hebrides islands at night some hours before the TF would be there according to it's position/speed I get from the frequent position updates. And both times there was no task force to be found. I was lying at 25 meters in a spot where I could not possibly miss it - or so I thought - as there's shore within 20k's on both sides.

Has anyone ever caught it? Is it worth the trouble? I was hoping to find some big juicy capital ships. There's a lot of traffic through that pass though so it wasn't a complete waste of time. I found targets for all my torpedoes within 3-4 days of hunting there. Short patrol, lots of action!

[RoaldLarsen]

How are you getting these "contact reports"? Are they radio messages in GWX (as opposed to symbols appearing on your map)? If so, unless you have a mod enabled that reduces radio traffic to scripted events, you need to be aware that many of the radio messages you get are "for immersion purposes only" and bear no relation to what is actually happening in the game engine. IOW, most of the messages talk about things which, as far as the game is concerned, aren't really happening. If that is the case here, you will never find that task force.

[Coyote88]

Is there a task force icon (gray diamond) appearing on the navigation map, or just a radio message? Most of the radio messages are just 'chrome' and don't really reflect anything happening in the game except in a vague, here's-what-was-going-on-in-the-war sort of way.

[Weiss Pinguin]

Well, it could also be the game reporting a group of PT boats. I seem to recall reading that there were groups of them scripted to patrol the coast, and possibly they disappear before you see them.

[ppk]

No I know the random radio messages are just for immersion, in fact I have WB's 'light' radio messages mod because I just find them annoying. I meant the BdU reports that put diamonds on the map. These are supposed to be real, right?

Funny you would mention patrol boats though, as both times I found a group of Elco's on the scene (although the task force, from the reports, was reported to travel at 10 knots). Might it be that I'm getting all these reports for torpedo boats?

[Draka]

Task Force = warships
Elco boats are warships
Ayup, you found 'em

[ppk]

Bummer. Thought task forces were big warships! :damn:

[Jimbuna]

Access the Campaign_SCR through the mission editor and you'll see precisely what it is http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/pirate.gif

[Task Force]

yes, im here. oah... the other kind. LOL:rotfl2:

[Gaijin]

Funny you would mention patrol boats though, as both times I found a group of Elco's on the scene (although the task force, from the reports, was reported to travel at 10 knots). Might it be that I'm getting all these reports for torpedo boats?

Yup. Those torp boats have broken my heart many a time. Any regular task force reports going clockwise around the British coast...are probably* not worth going after IMO.


*I say probably, but with GWX, one never knows...

[Task Force]

yea, lol, that one that goes around the top of britian, dosent exist, ive tryed to intercept... no ships to slip a torp into...:rotfl2:

[ppk]

Found a nice place to vent my torpedo boat frustrations. Vacations in Norway.

Ran into this guy on my way to Narvik. What's up Bismarck?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/DevilBean/SH3Img19-12-2009_215937_861.jpg

Ooooh, Mr. Nelson... Didn't I sink you in November already?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/DevilBean/SH3Img19-12-2009_223121_453.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/DevilBean/SH3Img19-12-2009_22514_601.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/DevilBean/SH3Img19-12-2009_225614_578.jpg

British destroyers have a disco party. The ash cans never came close.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/DevilBean/SH3Img19-12-2009_23447_304.jpg

She wouldn't sink but for some reason they left a single destroyer as protection... And an immobile one at that.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/DevilBean/SH3Img19-12-2009_23432_127.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/DevilBean/SH3Img19-12-2009_234830_877.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/DevilBean/SH3Img19-12-2009_235423_426.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/DevilBean/SH3Img19-12-2009_235619_677.jpg

Unfortunately I never found the Warspite... Whatever. :arrgh!:

[Weiss Pinguin]

I once caught the Warspite escorting a convoy. :arrgh!: Out of a snapshot spread of 3, my last eel caught it right under the middle... Unfortunately during another attack my game crashed, no saves. :(

[BrewerAlpha]

Great photo-journal, ppk.

[BillCar]

I caught a task force just out of the Hebrides last night, actually, but could not close distance. Four or five destroyers, HMS Hood, HMS Nelson, and HMS Rodney. Pretty big show, but there was no way I could catch them. It was ver disappointing. That would be late October, 1939.