RSRDC career patrol - where to find enemy ships?

[p.jakub88]

Hello everyone,

i am currently using RSRDC mod compatible with TMO.

So far i had mixed luck with finding enemy ships: in some patrols i sunk only one or two and in other occasion dozen or more...

For example in my 6th war patrol that i just finished, i was forced to abandon my patrol area and return home with no single ship kill scored, being there on patrol more than a week - in range of 150 nm from the designated map coordinates. I tried to be close to straits and coasts or even enemy ports, but no ship contact was find.

Could You maybe give me some tips how to successfully locate enemy ships in RSRDC?

Do they use a specific shipping lines?

It is a bit frustrating to be 2 month on the ocean and find only ship or two.

Thank You in advance for reply! :)

Jakub

[Bubblehead1980]

Hello everyone,

i am currently using RSRDC mod compatible with TMO.

So far i had mixed luck with finding enemy ships: in some patrols i sunk only one or two and in other occasion dozen or more...

For example in my 6th war patrol that i just finished, i was forced to abandon my patrol area and return home with no single ship kill scored, being there on patrol more than a week - in range of 150 nm from the designated map coordinates. I tried to be close to straits and coasts or even enemy ports, but no ship contact was find.

Could You maybe give me some tips how to successfully locate enemy ships in RSRDC?

Do they use a specific shipping lines?

It is a bit frustrating to be 2 month on the ocean and find only ship or two.

Thank You in advance for reply! :)

Jakub


Yes RSRD uses historic shipping lanes(although some are missing, im working on fixing that, work in progress.) at time and place used. Unfortunately you will get orders to dry areas or areas where one big fish such as an enemy cruiser, etc will pass through. shipping lanes shift as they did during the war to minimize submarine threat. Example, after October 1944 convoys hug close to the coast of indochina and china. Interesting way it was designed.


What year, month, area did you patrol? Are you out of


I believe there is a map in the RSRD documentation file tha comes with the mod.I would go to the mission editor open up campaigns and will see a file such as Japconvoy44A etc, open them up and will see the shipping lanes, give you an idea where to be.

[p.jakub88]

Yes RSRD uses historic shipping lanes(although some are missing, im working on fixing that, work in progress.) at time and place used. Unfortunately you will get orders to dry areas or areas where one big fish such as an enemy cruiser, etc will pass through. shipping lanes shift as they did during the war to minimize submarine threat. Example, after October 1944 convoys hug close to the coast of indochina and china. Interesting way it was designed.


What year, month, area did you patrol? Are you out of


I believe there is a map in the RSRD documentation file tha comes with the mod.I would go to the mission editor open up campaigns and will see a file such as Japconvoy44A etc, open them up and will see the shipping lanes, give you an idea where to be.



Hello Bubblehead1980,

thank You for the quick answer.

The RSRDC mod comes only with text readmes.

However, there is a map with Japanese shipping lines selected, when You click on the radio icon in Your submarine (i don't know if this feature is also present in stock SH4, since i am using mods like TMO 2.5).

I started my RSRDC career in June 1942 after the Midway battle, being based at first on Pearl Harbor, later transferred to Midway.

Since then, i sailed to many areas and i found most of enemy ships along coast and straits of Borneo, Western New Guinea, Philippines and East China Sea. Few ships were located inside harbors, but shallow waters stopped me from attacking them. I also found few ships along the SE Japanese coast. Sometimes the bad weather discouraged me to engage enemy merchant ships.

Currently i am in June 1943 of my RSRDC career.

I received few orders from HQ to patrol areas where i didn't find any ships at all, despite my fruitless efforts to sail close to coast and through narrow straits...

Would be helpfull, to receive some info by radio from other US submarines where to find enemy merchant ships or even join them in a convoy attack - that would be a nice idea for a mod if You ask me ;).

So far, i didn't encounter any Japanese convoys in my RSRDC career. I suspect, that Japanese organised convoys in different ways, than the Allied did in the Atlantic.

[p.jakub88]

I just finished my 7th war patrol in RSRDC. Finally i encountered enemy merchant ships and even a convoy protected by destroyers. :up:

My main objectives were to get through the La Perouse Strait and into Northern Sea of Japan to conduct anti-shipping operations during 7 days.

On the way to La Perouse Strait i sunk few fishing boats and one merchant ship.
Then in my patrol area i sunk also few fishing boats and one merchant ship.
On my way back i received radio message about incoming Japanese convoy, that will probably pass through the La Perouse Strait.

I made a mistake (periscope up) and a destroyer spotted me and sailed directly into my position. I dived to 400 feet (i have a Balao class submarine) to avoid depth charges that were dropped at me. Then i decided to risk an encounter with the destroyer on surface. Playing cat and mouse game i was finally able to hit him with single torpedo into stern and i sunk him (i must say, that avoiding the convoy's escorts is pretty hard, since i am using TMO 2.5 version compatible with RSRDC) :).
Suddenly i spotted nearby a lonely, unprotected Nagara Maru merchant ship and i sunk it using my deck gun, since i was low on torpedoes.

Later the same day, few miles further i discovered the rest of the convoy (4 merchant ships) which was protected by 2 destroyers. However, i decided to bypass them and head south along Eastern coast of Honshu. Being there, i was able to sink few fishing boats and one merchant ship.

Finally i decided to return to my home base at Midway. In total i sunk 21 ships - almost 30000 tons. :up:

[Bubblehead1980]

Hello Bubblehead1980,

thank You for the quick answer.

The RSRDC mod comes only with text readmes.

However, there is a map with Japanese shipping lines selected, when You click on the radio icon in Your submarine (i don't know if this feature is also present in stock SH4, since i am using mods like TMO 2.5).

I started my RSRDC career in June 1942 after the Midway battle, being based at first on Pearl Harbor, later transferred to Midway.

Since then, i sailed to many areas and i found most of enemy ships along coast and straits of Borneo, Western New Guinea, Philippines and East China Sea. Few ships were located inside harbors, but shallow waters stopped me from attacking them. I also found few ships along the SE Japanese coast. Sometimes the bad weather discouraged me to engage enemy merchant ships.

Currently i am in June 1943 of my RSRDC career.

I received few orders from HQ to patrol areas where i didn't find any ships at all, despite my fruitless efforts to sail close to coast and through narrow straits...

Would be helpfull, to receive some info by radio from other US submarines where to find enemy merchant ships or even join them in a convoy attack - that would be a nice idea for a mod if You ask me ;).

So far, i didn't encounter any Japanese convoys in my RSRDC career. I suspect, that Japanese organised convoys in different ways, than the Allied did in the Atlantic.


Yes, the Japanese did not really run many regular convoys until mid 43 and only in certain areas and really started up convoys in late 1943-early 1944.Look at 1942 convoy file in the RSRD campaign, not that much, some months one or two convoys departed in the entire pacific. Lurker used some pretty impressive documentation to create RSRD that covers convoys with a surpising degrees of accuracy. Their convoy system was also a bit different
as they considered 4 or 5 merchant ships and one or two escorts a convoy for a long time. Escorts were assigned locally and were not always the most effective vessels. Eventually they got a bit more organized with a "grand escort command" building large number of escort vessels, better sonar, getting radar, escort carrier, air patrols along shipping routes, altering shipping routes, sailing in "large" convoys of 12-20 ships and on a limited basis hunter killer decoy groups(like the one USS Barb encountered on 31 August 1944) but it came a little too late. RSRD reflects these changes( I added the hunter killer group, its a tough one)

Yes, the map attached to the radio can help but it can be misleading as some of the shipping areas there are empty in RSRD. These are lanes I am working on filling in at appropriate times.


When playing in the earlier part of the war as you were, it's not uncommon to not encountered convoys and if not on the routes, to miss the lone merchants. You are in 1943 now, convoy routes from Bungo Suido-Palau and Palau-Wewak and Rabaul are on fire from June 43-March 44.

Really would advise opening the Mission Editor and looking at the traffic. It'll give you an idea of where to patrol.

[p.jakub88]

Yes, the Japanese did not really run many regular convoys until mid 43 and only in certain areas and really started up convoys in late 1943-early 1944.Look at 1942 convoy file in the RSRD campaign, not that much, some months one or two convoys departed in the entire pacific. Lurker used some pretty impressive documentation to create RSRD that covers convoys with a surpising degrees of accuracy. Their convoy system was also a bit different
as they considered 4 or 5 merchant ships and one or two escorts a convoy for a long time. Escorts were assigned locally and were not always the most effective vessels. Eventually they got a bit more organized with a "grand escort command" building large number of escort vessels, better sonar, getting radar, escort carrier, air patrols along shipping routes, altering shipping routes, sailing in "large" convoys of 12-20 ships and on a limited basis hunter killer decoy groups(like the one USS Barb encountered on 31 August 1944) but it came a little too late. RSRD reflects these changes( I added the hunter killer group, its a tough one)

Yes, the map attached to the radio can help but it can be misleading as some of the shipping areas there are empty in RSRD. These are lanes I am working on filling in at appropriate times.


When playing in the earlier part of the war as you were, it's not uncommon to not encountered convoys and if not on the routes, to miss the lone merchants. You are in 1943 now, convoy routes from Bungo Suido-Palau and Palau-Wewak and Rabaul are on fire from June 43-March 44.

Really would advise opening the Mission Editor and looking at the traffic. It'll give you an idea of where to patrol.


Hello Bubblehead1980,

thank You for detailed answer, i will keep in mind those informations!

I am currently on July 1943 in my RSRDC career.

I started on June 1942 after the Midway battle, so far i sunk over 100000 tons of enemy ships. :up:

[Bubblehead1980]

Hello Bubblehead1980,

thank You for detailed answer, i will keep in mind those informations!

I am currently on July 1943 in my RSRDC career.

I started on June 1942 after the Midway battle, so far i sunk over 100000 tons of enemy ships. :up:


No problem. I try to explain RSRD to those just starting as I remember it was frustrating and when I was new, I nearly gave up on it initially.Something unique about RSRD convoys is they are not "randomly" generated, they are unique and based on actual convoys, within limits of the sim. Major warship movements as well. Really adds to quality that you don't get many chances to hit the yamato or a fleet carrier. Want some frustration? Track a fleet carrier get in perfect position , launch from 1,000 yards and watch all of your torpedoes fail in one way or another from being a dud, running deep, prematurely exploding and youre like to never get another shot in your career , its all about timing, skill, and some luck.

If RSRD has any flaws is the creator is no longer active so it's outdated in terms of some new ships available etc Example we have great models of the Kaga, Akagi and other warships available now as well as many other merchant vessels that were not available when last version of RSRD was updated so i'm upgrading that among other things.

If you are in July 1943 then convoys are starting to pick up.\. The Bungo Suido-Palau rout is active, as is Palau-Wewak Truk-Rabaul.