Patrol searches

[Revus]

Greetings all,
Got a question on tactics. Hopped back into SH4 from a decent stint in wolves of steel (God I wish there was a comparable realnav for SH4) using a lot of the tactics Uboot skippers used. Makes it feel less gamey, more like a sim.
When it comes to hunting for targets in a patrol sector, I’ve gone from one thing to another. At first I would draw the shipping lanes on my map with the tools, then prowl them on zigzag course til I found something, and then in open water zones (patrol 300nm for 72 hrs) I’d do grid searches.
While reading the greats like Clear the Bridge or Wahoo, O’kane seems to trawl along the coasts most of the time, and isn’t very descript on how they found maru’s in open water.
Anyone have insight as to the ways these guys hunted? Also, any mods out there for more realism? FOTRS’s newest version is great, don’t know when TMO was last updated. I like a challenge outside of just harder AI tin cans.
Thanks guys

[Mad Mardigan]

Greetings all,
Got a question on tactics. Hopped back into SH4 from a decent stint in wolves of steel (God I wish there was a comparable realnav for SH4) using a lot of the tactics Uboot skippers used. Makes it feel less gamey, more like a sim.
When it comes to hunting for targets in a patrol sector, I’ve gone from one thing to another. At first I would draw the shipping lanes on my map with the tools, then prowl them on zigzag course til I found something, and then in open water zones (patrol 300nm for 72 hrs) I’d do grid searches.
While reading the greats like Clear the Bridge or Wahoo, O’kane seems to trawl along the coasts most of the time, and isn’t very descript on how they found maru’s in open water.
Anyone have insight as to the ways these guys hunted? Also, any mods out there for more realism? FOTRS’s newest version is great, don’t know when TMO was last updated. I like a challenge outside of just harder AI tin cans.
Thanks guys

Ahoy, Revus... :Kaleun_Cheers:

Unless I am mistaken, grid searches in the wide open areas, is generally the way to go.. can either use the presets.. or do them in yourself. Along nearby the coast areas, I do a patrol back & forth in a general zig zag, following the somewhat deeper waters, avoiding the shallows as much as is possible.. unless I get a contact that is in the shallows.. then I only go in as close as is possible & still keep some depth under the keel, in case I need to change depths. I avoid getting in any closer.. unless it is a sampan, a fishing boat, those.. I typically just bypass.. unless they stand in My way of proceeding, then it's all bets are off time. (glub glub, enjoy your swim, guys.. oh, & keep an eye out for mr. hungry shark.. :gulp: *chuckles*)

Now, as for TMO.. last I saw of, a subsimmer here.. (looks at BubbleHead) is working on an updated version to that.. & as far as I know of, is not yet.. though, could be close or not to a release of that work. Hopefully, BubbleHead, shall pop by & maybe give a update on the status of that work. :yep:

As for FotRS, know that vickers, has a few add on's they've pulled together to round out FotRS, & is a couple of others that are working on some spit & polish add in's of their own. :yep:

Any way, hope this info helps.. :yep: :up:

fair winds, smooth seas & Good huntin'...

M. M.

:Kaleun_Salute:

[Bubblehead1980]

Greetings all,
Got a question on tactics. Hopped back into SH4 from a decent stint in wolves of steel (God I wish there was a comparable realnav for SH4) using a lot of the tactics Uboot skippers used. Makes it feel less gamey, more like a sim.
When it comes to hunting for targets in a patrol sector, I’ve gone from one thing to another. At first I would draw the shipping lanes on my map with the tools, then prowl them on zigzag course til I found something, and then in open water zones (patrol 300nm for 72 hrs) I’d do grid searches.
While reading the greats like Clear the Bridge or Wahoo, O’kane seems to trawl along the coasts most of the time, and isn’t very descript on how they found maru’s in open water.
Anyone have insight as to the ways these guys hunted? Also, any mods out there for more realism? FOTRS’s newest version is great, don’t know when TMO was last updated. I like a challenge outside of just harder AI tin cans.
Thanks guys



Depending on stage of war and how am operating....

Early war I submerge most days one in patrol area, surface at night., which was standard procedure then, especially if do not have SD radar as of yet, which is main reason that tactic was implemented. I position myself along likely shipping lanes, chokepoints, approaches to harbor, patrol at 90 feet come up for scope observations, check sound manually because you will hear distant noises the operator does not report( which is an unfortunate part of SH 4) which has led to more than a few sinking for me.

Mid late war once start operating on surface more...I judge the likely shipping lanes in my area arrive. At dawn I do a trim dive and check sound as even if have SJ radar will pick them up in distance first. Surface set search pattern where I cover an area and then backtrack within 24-48 hours so it's covered. If running TMO, get vickers smoke mod, it's one of the most important mods for visual tracking of convoys etc at a distance. Not sure if FOTRS has this yet but it should, one of those seemingly simple but truly game changing mods. I can detect in the distance ships at 10 miles or so thanks to smoke plumes, just how ships were actually visually tracked. Wish crew could see them but many what an asset, esp before SJ radar but even then, huge real life advantage subs had. Huge factor is your area, are you in an open ocean area to closer to coast, have to adjust for that also.

Far as TMO goes, yes it is a bit dated now far as number of ships, planes etc since the creator is now longer active in the community, but still an excellent mod and I do have a forthcoming update which adds many ships and planes, changes the traffic, some tweaking of the subs themselves to be more in line with reality, and many other features. One of the main aspects is with darker nights and some adjustments to visual sensors, realistic night surface attacks are now possible, but have not lost the "danger" aspect in TMO, especially after your torpedoes hit and being chased away by escorts. Getting inside a large convoy's screen to attack in 1944/45 is a level of excitement and fun SH 4 that has long been lacking esp in TMO. Submerged escorts are still pretty vicious as ever. Even early war, I made them to not be such pushovers but are not on par with later war escorts. Great balance. I plane to release in June.

Currently I am working on getting the AI torpedo firing submarines (IJN and US) to work in TMO. I am in Sea of Japan in 1945 and have a wolfpack attack set up in campaign, coordinated by messages received, if player arrives at designated location should have two other subs attacking. If this works, will implement it into other year.

FOTRS is an excellent mod and what I consider the new standard mega mod for SH 4.

[Mad Mardigan]

:Kaleun_Cheers:

Thanks for stopping in & giving an update on your work you're doing with TMO, bud... :up:

M. M.

:Kaleun_Salute:

p.s.

Maybe you may see of working on some of those improvements with the FotRS team... would be nice to see them, added into it, as well.. :up:

M. M.

:Kaleun_Salute:

[Revus]

Depending on stage of war and how am operating....

Early war I submerge most days one in patrol area, surface at night., which was standard procedure then, especially if do not have SD radar as of yet, which is main reason that tactic was implemented. I position myself along likely shipping lanes, chokepoints, approaches to harbor, patrol at 90 feet come up for scope observations, check sound manually because you will hear distant noises the operator does not report( which is an unfortunate part of SH 4) which has led to more than a few sinking for me.

Mid late war once start operating on surface more...I judge the likely shipping lanes in my area arrive. At dawn I do a trim dive and check sound as even if have SJ radar will pick them up in distance first. Surface set search pattern where I cover an area and then backtrack within 24-48 hours so it's covered. If running TMO, get vickers smoke mod, it's one of the most important mods for visual tracking of convoys etc at a distance. Not sure if FOTRS has this yet but it should, one of those seemingly simple but truly game changing mods. I can detect in the distance ships at 10 miles or so thanks to smoke plumes, just how ships were actually visually tracked. Wish crew could see them but many what an asset, esp before SJ radar but even then, huge real life advantage subs had. Huge factor is your area, are you in an open ocean area to closer to coast, have to adjust for that also.

Far as TMO goes, yes it is a bit dated now far as number of ships, planes etc since the creator is now longer active in the community, but still an excellent mod and I do have a forthcoming update which adds many ships and planes, changes the traffic, some tweaking of the subs themselves to be more in line with reality, and many other features. One of the main aspects is with darker nights and some adjustments to visual sensors, realistic night surface attacks are now possible, but have not lost the "danger" aspect in TMO, especially after your torpedoes hit and being chased away by escorts. Getting inside a large convoy's screen to attack in 1944/45 is a level of excitement and fun SH 4 that has long been lacking esp in TMO. Submerged escorts are still pretty vicious as ever. Even early war, I made them to not be such pushovers but are not on par with later war escorts. Great balance. I plane to release in June.

Currently I am working on getting the AI torpedo firing submarines (IJN and US) to work in TMO. I am in Sea of Japan in 1945 and have a wolfpack attack set up in campaign, coordinated by messages received, if player arrives at designated location should have two other subs attacking. If this works, will implement it into other year.

FOTRS is an excellent mod and what I consider the new standard mega mod for SH 4.

Appreciate the feedback. A lot of the time when I was still getting used to how SH4 is, I’d stalk the (supposed) shipping lanes pretty heavily, even plotting a zigzag course along it at precise legs to give my SJ the widest coverage at any given time along my route. Felt like I was cheating, as I’m sure the real skips didn’t have as good an idea of where the lanes might have been, and getting accurate NAV fixes were far more involved (love the idea of celestial nav, but I’ve got LtJg’s for that. I’m a LtCdr for crissakes)
It’s been a long time since I’ve encountered a convoy. Mostly singleton Marus in mid ocean.
Guess I’ll have to wait til later in the war before getting accurate convoy intel reports on ULTRA. Either that or ComSubPac just hates me.