Rescuing Pilots

[SubmarinerJoe]

Hello all, i've got a mission to rescue downed pilots in the Solomons. I've tried to look up other threads and have found people encountering similar issues. I know i'm supposed to use the deck binoculars to "look" at the pilot and the little life raft symbol should become active.

Right now the sea is fairly rough so i'm kind of bobbing up and down with the pilot. I can line up the binocular's crosshairs on him but there's never an opportunity to "lock" onto him. And as you can imagine the life raft never becomes an option. Is there some kind of trick people use to do this or am I just going to have to sit here until I get calmer seas?

EDIT: I'm using the latest edition of Trigger Maru if that makes a difference.

FINAL EDIT: Tried again and got super close to the pilot. Didn't realize how close you needed to be. Problem solved

[KaleunMarco]

Right now the sea is fairly rough so i'm kind of bobbing up and down with the pilot. I can line up the binocular's crosshairs on him but there's never an opportunity to "lock" onto him. And as you can imagine the life raft never becomes an option. Is there some kind of trick people use to do this or am I just going to have to sit here until I get calmer seas?

FINAL EDIT: Tried again and got super close to the pilot. Didn't realize how close you needed to be. Problem solved
you are correct in thinking that rescuing pilots is difficult in SH4.
normally, you can close to a few hundred yards to be able to lock on and get a rescue lamp.
it is one of my least favorite missions in SH4 because it is tedious and time-consuming and you do not gain very many points for completing that mission.
glad you worked it out.
good luck.
:Kaleun_Salute:

[propbeanie]

A couple-three pointers: You can see the "pink" from afar off, your crew cannot. You cannot rescue until your crew says they have spotted the "Survivor", which I ~think~ they call out "Ship spotted! bearing..." This will generally be 400-600 yards from the "Survivor". Some missions, they "drift", some missions they drift a LOT. Try to figure which direction they are drifting as you approach, and then approach from the side they drift to. I usually use Ahead Flank to close on distant "pink clouds", Ahead Standard" on ones closer, but Ahead 1/3 when getting closer. As you hear the "Ship Spotted, if you are on a seemingly good course to catch them, go to All Stop. You have to be on the bridge, with the bridge menu below, use the binoculars and anticipate your aim for the cross-hair to turn red as you put your mouse on that life-ring menu item and click. Generally speaking, the closer to 0° you are to the pilot, the less pitch you will have. As you get toward 90° or 270°, you will experience the most. Somewhere between 345° and 15° works best, but don't let sub parts like the bow sprit get in your way, and do not run over the "Survivor"... lol - They do usually survive, but it will take them a time to come back up, and it's usually not very close to where you are... :roll: - Rough seas are the worst, as you found out, but you did it! Practice makes perfect! Toward the end of 1944 onwards, that was one of the main, most important chores US subs did. Here is a pdf we found several months back while doing some research for FotRSU mod, but haven't implemented yet: "Mission: Lifeguard (https://www.archives.gov/files/publications/prologue/2014/fall/lifeguard.pdf)". Good stuff. Adm Chaz Lockwood wrote a book Zoomies, Subs, and Zeros (https://www.amazon.com/Zoomies-Zeros-Annotated-Charles-Lockwood-ebook/dp/B07QHXKTFG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3FH1TS2UX0UEZ&dchild=1&keywords=zoomies+subs+and+zeros&qid=1588034795&sprefix=zoomies+subs+and+%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-1) (SubSim link), on the subject, written in the Lockwood style of his other books. :salute:

[torpedobait]

Hello all, i've got a mission to rescue downed pilots in the Solomons. I've tried to look up other threads and have found people encountering similar issues. I know i'm supposed to use the deck binoculars to "look" at the pilot and the little life raft symbol should become active.

Right now the sea is fairly rough so i'm kind of bobbing up and down with the pilot. I can line up the binocular's crosshairs on him but there's never an opportunity to "lock" onto him. And as you can imagine the life raft never becomes an option. Is there some kind of trick people use to do this or am I just going to have to sit here until I get calmer seas?

EDIT: I'm using the latest edition of Trigger Maru if that makes a difference.

FINAL EDIT: Tried again and got super close to the pilot. Didn't realize how close you needed to be. Problem solved

To supplement what Props offered, don't try to hold the binocular's crosshairs directly on the pilot. When you are about 100-300 yards out and moving slowly (at least 4 knots or less) the crosshairs will turn red when you hold them a few feet ABOVE the pilot or raft, not on it. As soon as the crosshairs turn red, the Life Ring on the Orders bar will illuminate. Then put the cursor on that and hold the left mouse button down for a few seconds (seems to vary how long is needed). Meanwhile keep the binoculars steady - not easy to juggle all this, which is why it is so hard. It gets easier once you catch on.

[jimmbbo]

IMO this mission could have been great but is a major PITA... Lotsa wasted time and false leads, THEN the Kaleun needs to navigate to the pilot THEN figure out how to "rescue" him..

To add $0.02 the mix, as posted, I discovered that the downed pilots drift, sometimes a LOT, and estimating the drift and taking a course to where the pilot will be saves some aggravation. Unfortunately the game provides pilot location information sporadically, making that challenge a, well... challenge.
Good hunting!!
:Kaleun_Salute: