Report Convoys Button

[skirich]

I've been camped out playing around with saves in the Battle Leyte Gulf.
I've come across all of the battlegroups in all my saves and I tried to report the convoys using the Report button in the message center but I cant press it, and it doesnt do a thing.
I havent submitted a report in well over two hours and I was surfaced.


Is this button even functional? How does it work?

[propbeanie]

It is very frustrating to use at times, especially with high-speed groups. Your deck watch has to have reported three ships from the group, such as "Ship spotted, bearing 274, speed Medium" or whatever, signifying three different ships. If you've got ship contacts on the NavMap turned on, then you'll see the three (or more) displayed on the NavMap. At the same time, you have to have the periscope and / or TBT on them, and one of the ships of the group "Locked" on and identified. Then send your "Contact Report", and ~maybe~ then you'll eventually get a reply. Of course, you're doing 19 knots, while they're doing 24 knots (or whatever) and zigging on your zag, so you may have a time of it satisfying the "requirements". If I'm not mistaken, the owner's "Manual" doesn't mention much about this either... :hmmm: :salute:

[fireftr18]

You need to be on the surface and have VISUAL contact for the button to work. I don't use it because, well, if I have visual contact with a group, then they have visual contact with me. So, yes, the "report contact" button is useless.
:k_confused:

[Mios 4Me]

It's usable under the right conditions: low light; surprise; the aftermath of an attack, etc. I bring the sub to 10m, lock on to a target, which enables the button, hit it, then immediately submerge. A reply usually arrives in a couple minutes or so.



Last time it was a previously unknown BB TF, whose AOs, my new orders stated, were to be my priority targets.

[KaleunMarco]

I've been camped out playing around with saves in the Battle Leyte Gulf.
I've come across all of the battlegroups in all my saves and I tried to report the convoys using the Report button in the message center but I cant press it, and it doesnt do a thing.
I havent submitted a report in well over two hours and I was surfaced.
Is this button even functional? How does it work?

You need to be on the surface and have VISUAL contact for the button to work. I don't use it because, well, if I have visual contact with a group, then they have visual contact with me. So, yes, the "report contact" button is useless.
:k_confused:

to add to what firefighter posted...
you have to be on the surface or near enough to the surface for the radio to transmit.....AND you have to be in contact with either a TF or a convoy of at least two ships....and your crew must have identified two or more ships in the TF/Convoy.

your cue for that is the button will activate...which means that the ship icon will be whole and not broken. all three conditions must be met for the button to activate.
if you use that function to transmit and you receive a reply with the course and speed of the enemy and possibly orders to attack, the function is disabled for two (2) hours. after two hours elapse, you can use it again if the conditions above are met.
does this help?
:Kaleun_Salute:

[skirich]

Sounds like a useless pain. Unless it can call in an airstrike why bother. Most WWII subs went dark and only checked in on pre-determined intervals if situation allowed, otherwise it wasn't until they are scheduled to return that anything is reported.

[Mios 4Me]

It really depends on how in character you get. I've reported a second invasion fleet off the Philippines after ripping apart the first with all my torpedoes. Ditto the first accurate position report of Ozawa's fleet off Saipan, theoretically allowing Spruance to hit him a day early (or was it two?).

[skirich]

I take back what i said about it being worthless. I was shadowing Ozikawas task force in Leyte and from a safe distance surfaced to 30 feet locked in on the battleship and noticed a few of our planes in the area just swinging by.
I hit report contact.
I got a reply a minute later telling me good find.
The planes swung around and attacked the convoy. Sunk one cruiser.
Then about 5 minutes later the sky was filled with our planes looking for more targets.
That was freaking epic.