How close is too close?

[jiduthie]

I've recently come back to SH3 and I'm thinking about going no contact updates. I've always gone full realism except for that and external cam(I can't imagine playing the game without seeing the explosions, watching the ships sink.) But looking at OLC's mod makes me want to finally take the leap.

One thing I worry about though is evading escort screens. Before I would use the compass to draw circles around escorts with a guesstimated radius of their view range based on the weather/visibility but without updates this may be a little impractical and perhaps more than a little "gamey."

How does everyone generally evaluate if they're getting too close to an escort in different combinations of weather, time of day, and visibility possibilities?

[BillCar]

You can't really know, but neither could a U-boat commander. Run decks awash and keep your profile as narrow to the convoy as you can – take the dog leg approach, whether gliding in from the front or (in really rough, dark weather only) overhauling at flank from behind.

In all honesty, I find that the explanation of surface convoy attacks contained in the Submarine Commander's Handook works pretty well.

You can get awfully close to escorts (inside 1000 metres) if the night is dark enough and the waves are high enough. Just stay low.

[Obltn Strand]

Time is also a factor.

Surface night attacks are criminally easy in -39 and becomes harder as the war progresses. In and after -42 radar makes this even more difficult.

[Dissaray]

If you absoultly don't want to be seen there are realy only two methods: Kill anyone that hapens to be looking or be where they can't see you. The former is rather strait forward I should think while the latter implys being submerged.

I prefer the latter aproach as it saves more eels for the big jucy, unarmord, targets that make up the bulk of the convoy; that and my flotillachife over on the WaW site kept scolding me for wasting torpirdos on "Non mission esental targets." I have started using the Dog Leg aproach, or some variation there of as the situation demands, most of the time; especialy late in the war as it reduces the ammount of movment I have to make and there by reduces the likelyhood that the Tommies will find and rain hot death down apon my poor head. My standing policy has been for some time as falows: If I can see it and it has a gun chances are they can see me too and it is only a mater of time befor they will find me. This means dive to PD apon first visual contact, though most of the time I am under when I start picking up radar emitions. Once safly out of site I decide my next move which tends to vary from killing them if they are a large target, like a flat top or a battleship, engaging any merchant shiping they hapen to be escorting or just leting them go apon their marry way. I especialy like the middle option as it makes them look rather incompotent.

Moral of the story is: If you can see that war ship chances are good that they can see you too; act acordingly.

[Snestorm]

Try to keep them just inside YOUR limit of visibility.

F.eks. If your bridge gang is reporting contacts at 4.000+ Meters, try to keep everything at 4.700 to 4.900 Meters until you're ready to "make your move".

If you keep your aspect to the minimum, at night you can generaly close to:
3.000 Meters at Full.
2.000 Meters at Slow.
800 - 1.200 Meters at just under 2 Knots. (Don't use this one on a DD!)