TMO and night surface attacks

[dlsa]

Hi all,

I am playing SH IV 1.5 TMO with RSRD. When approaching at night I am always spotted at ranges above 3000 yds both by merchants and escorts. Date is mid 42. Is this normal ?

Cheers

[captgeo]

being spotted always depends on weather and sea conditions......sounds pretty normal to me, ....but then I dont play TMO myself

[Armistead]

TMO visuals are a lil tough for close night attacks. If you use RSRD, you can get a lil closer if you don't use the TMO visuals for RSRD fix. Many factors come into play. For the most part escorts and warships have much better visuals than merchants.

Try to stay as narrow as possible. The only problem with this is if you get closer, you have to turn around which exposes your flank and often can be seen, so often you end up diving anyway.

Your sub speed, the more wake, the easier they see you. For the most part this is a value of speed, not the actual wake graphic.

Weather, lite fog is helpful as is rougher seas.

Moon, obvious the more light, the easier you can be seen, best on moonless nights.

Decks awash. This can be viewed two ways. You can take your sub down enough where only you can man the bridge, but the electrics come on. Technically the game sees you as dived, so you're a sonar target as well as a visual, but for the most part your above the sonar cone and they would see you first. I prefer to go only deep enough that the crew stays on watch and the engines remain on, but you can get much closer the other way. Regardless, keep a heavy ballast, if you start getting shot at, you want to get under ASAP.

One method that works well, plot enemy and position yourself in a stern attack position about 6000 yards away before they arrive. Try to hit something of course, but shoot and run, since it's a stern shoot, no turning. Eventually your torp wake will be seen or you get a hit and the escorts will come a looking where your torps came from, but you'll be long gone. Now the convoy will have an exposed flank, attack again closer with bow why the escorts are looking for you where you were. Run away again, rinse and repeat. I like to keep a mix of M14's and 18's for such attacks, using 14's for long range to pull the escorts, 18's for others.

Watch out later war, the enemy may have radar, so get the APR. If you don't have it, pay attention, if you see escorts heading your way fast, haul arse and get out of radar range. You can use their radar against them if you plan well. Just get in radar range, let the escorts come, then haul arse heading to an attack position. For instance, I will plot enemy track, sit about 5000 yards off the track, let radar get me. The escorts will come. Let them get about 8-10,000 yards, dive deep and head to your attack position at flank. When escorts get about 5000 yards, go silent. You should be out of their hunting pattern when they arrive and hopefully have an exposed flank.