Arctic Convoy: Where the h#$% are they

[joea]

Ok I am fed up, I am either doing something wrong or there is something wrong with the sim. SH3 1.4 RuB 1.43, latest version of IC and HT. Nope 3 weeks in April and May and no ruddy convoy yet. I am sitting on the convoy routes but see nothing, no contact reports, except for a fast enemy TF running up and down the coast.

So I've asked this before, am I not waiting long enough? I get many more contacts in the North Atlantic grids...are the convoys here simply less frequent? Logic and history says yes but please confirm for me.

[Letum]

try useing your hydrophones more insted of relying on visual and radio reports - take a dive every 4 hours and keep moveing

[BladeHeart]

Also try and stay close to the convoy routes shown on the map; though not particularly accurate it does give you a good idea of what area to expect the convoys to be in.
:lurk:

[joea]

Hmmm that's what I've been doing. :nope: Maybe just not waiting long enough will go and complete the patrol.

[BladeHeart]

Well. on my current career I have just acquired a Type VIIc and have my first PZ just south of Iceland in January 1941., AL3 to be precise.

When I get there we can compare notes. What month and year is it for your character? :)

:lurk:

[joea]

April 23-May 14 1943, patrol number 8 in the 11th Flotilla from Bergen. Got AF27 did my 24 then heaed north out of the grid where the convoy route is on the map. Been thinking maybe I have not waited long enough? For toher patorls it takes time to get to my grid so more time to spawn convoys??? Ill give it til the end of May.

[jasonb885]

April 23-May 14 1943, patrol number 8 in the 11th Flotilla from Bergen. Got AF27 did my 24 then heaed north out of the grid where the convoy route is on the map. Been thinking maybe I have not waited long enough? For toher patorls it takes time to get to my grid so more time to spawn convoys??? Ill give it til the end of May.

The Arctic convoys only spawn every 30 to 45 days.

I was going to change that for the latest IC release but I forgot.

Not sure if that's ever going to go in or not...

[joea]

Ahh yes Jason, this morning opened the rnd file and saw that so wanted to ask you about it. Also I see the contact report probability is around 30%, does this represent radio fixes, or sighitng probablilities or what? Just as an example, weren't artic convoys easily spotted by Luftwaffe recon on their way past Norway? Although the Luftwaffe was not too careful about sharing info.

Another question, when do convoys and units spawn? Is the delay counted from when the player starts his mission or what?

[Hitman]

@Jason

Historically speaking, PQ-QP convoys started dec 1941, PQ1 not being attacked. Churchill promised convoys every 15 days then realized he could not provide more than 3 convoys per two moths. Convoys flowed until june 1942 regularly, then the PQ7 disaster made them stop. Convoys restarted under the cover of the Arctic nights in Dec 1942 and left from Lock Ewe in early 1943, instead of Iceland, being renamed JW and RA on the return voyage. Arctic convoys flowed until June 1945, and where the only ones to be attacked constantly by U-Boots and wolfpacks (If small ones) until the end of the war.

I really love the Arctic theatre, but unfortunately SH3 does not have the 13th Flotilla (Based at Trondheim), which carried the main bulk of operations in the Arctic from june 1943 to may 1945.

Tons of info here:

http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/arctic.html

:rock: