50-55nm is usual. The big problem is that the patrols in the stock game are all set to "continuous." This means that if you need to patrol the area for 48 hours, and you stray 1cm out of the box in that period, the clock resets. I have since changed most all of them to non-continuous, so you the time spent in the box is additive.

The TM campaign so far hasn't altered all the patrols. My current version has more of this done, if it works with the TM 1.7 timeframe, I will try and push it out the door to be included.

tater

Wow! What a contrast to what I'm seeing!
 

TM 1.64, ROW, NSM 3.3. I'm assigned to patrol the Carolines area and I'm stuck in the middle of a hornet's nest around Truk. I'm using a 75 nm radius around my patrol areas and no problem with completed missions, by the way.After I upload some screenies I'll update. In short, I've got minelayers all over the place, one unescorted convoy of two ships (sank em both), 10,000 aircraft, some of which have conducted attacks while I am submerged. It's slightly foggy, so I can remain at radar depth even when planes are quite close, but I was attacked three times on approach to a target at periscope depth. It's been exciting! Pictures soon!

Wonder if there is a CV group at anchor in the lagoon. :) Yet another reason to dump CV air groups down lower in plane count. I suppose you can assume they flew off the planes and landed them at the airbase at Truk. Not sure if the IJN did that, the USN always did (so the planes would be available to fly while the CV was incapable of flight ops (since they need to steam ahead to conduct air ops)).

tater

That's what it looks like and I think I've noted the position of the CV, even though I'm not close enough to see it on radar. My patrol area is south of Truk and going after the carrier is going to take me out of the 75 nm radius and make me restart the clock, but as this is my 12th cruise, I'm not going to risk retirement by returning to base empty-handed. And with all the minelayers running around I'll have something to exercise my cuties on!

Shots so far:
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...arolines13.jpg
Smoke on the horizon, just left of the crosshair. Looks better in the game, even with this enhanced picture. Something about the screenshot process isn't quite right. Time to set up a nice orderly approach and should be a piece of cake!
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...Carolines4.jpg
Tagged the first one with a single shot. Missed two because I forgot to turn the PK off when they did the St Vitus' Dance and I had to chase at ahead emergency at periscope depth for over 15 minutes. Tagged him with a single shot here and this is after the coup de grace in the stern after he stopped. Love the oil slick!!!!
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...Carolines8.jpg
Lotsa planes here from the probable CV. Here's a flight passing by as seen through the observation scope with the sub at radar depth. I like to see what's happening and stay near the surface. I feel like I'm in better control of the situation.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...nesCruise1.jpg
Here you go! He's straight overhead and didn't drop. I'm at periscope depth here using the observation scope which lets you look straight up. He didn't see a thing and I'm happy with the realism there. Water was rough enough I wasn't very visible, unlike when I was making the approach to my second victim, when I was attacked three times by planes while at periscope depth.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...Carolines1.jpg
If you don't think the merchies zig and zag with tater's stuff in TM 1.64, just look at this mess! Two ships for 12 torpedoes, five hits. Fired a cutie out the stern by mistake. Note to self: that was a BAD IDEA. Spent five real tense minutes dodging that one. I feel like I'm finally seeing the frustration of a real sub skipper.

Thought I had screenies of the Truk area, which is just west of these two ship sinkings by maybe 5 miles. Needless to say, the planes know I'm here, although they haven't seen me since maybe they saw me when they bombed me at periscope depth. It's possible they were just blindly dropping too. But two ships down counts as a sub sighting I guess.:arrgh!:

I'm skirting the lagoon to the east and then the south to work my way around to where I think the CV is holed up. More to come as I either get killed or bag myself a nice flattop.

Makes perfect sense, Tater. I will move on after the mission completes. I would have never thought of the whole "spawning" issue. Thanks for all the tips. It is interactions like this that will make the mods even better!
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Well, i got an improved version of these sensors up in the mod forum if you want to D/L and play with it. Planes will most definatly spot you at periscope depth now at around 4600 to 4800 meters or less.

So ya, Destoryers, or lack off, will be the least of your "where's mah fun?" concerns next publish of TM assuming all this still works post patch (don't see why it shouldn't). I feel giddy about this, i have come up with a new, improved, and historical way in which to get blown out of the water!

They'll also call nearby warships :D

This is interesting, ducimus...

So we take the invisible bombs that lurker has in RSRD. Add some to all the maritime patrol planes. Wonder if there is any limit how many you could put on a plane?

Set them to do no damage at all (this is in addition to their bombs/DCs). If an H6K had MANY invisible, non damaging "bombs" it would stick around making pass after pass. Perhaps the longer it stays around, the more chance for warships to arrive...

yea. *evil grin* I might even up the lost contact time to 20 mins. As if the 15 minute under the new way it works isn't bad enough. hehehehhe.

intresting idea of the invisible bombs. :hmm:

In SH4, planes make attacks, then leave when out of ammo. IJN doctrine was to try and track subs for DAYS after contact:

Oh yeah do I like where you guys are headed. Great work folks. By the way, I completed the Hokkaido mission and radioed it in. I then was sent to patrol off Honshu only 100nm or so from my first mission.
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/2124/shiv1412jf2.jpg

As you can see it was a merchant shooting gallery again. I bagged three in one day with no opposition once again. So I went ahead and radioed in my success this time and guess what? No good deeds go unpunished. Check out my next mission. PHOTO RECON of Yokohama!!!
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Yokohama eh?

Well, you said you wanted to see a destroyer or Tin can of some sort, right? :lol:

I'll d/l it at soon as patch 1.4 is out of the door and TM has been made compatible.:arrgh!:

Carolines/Truk Lagoon Update
 

When we last left our heroes, they had noticed dozens of aircraft sorties coming from a point in Truk Lagoon during the day. Marking the apparent origin on the chart, the captain conducted an attack team meeting to discuss doing a bit of housecleaning during the night. Submergence would not be possible in most instances. Although we suspect a CV in there, who knows what else we might encounter. Let's go!

We skirted around the east and across to the south of the lagoon for shortest distance to the suspected CV. It was the perfect opportunity to be jumped by two Asashio DE's (thought the complaint was these guys aren't out here) go deep! Played for awhile and came up to do battle.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...hioBattle1.jpg
Ain't they cute! Looks like an Asashio family portrait. Let's show our appreciation by floating a little cutie out there and see what happens. Cutie is only good for 10 knots and if they were actively hunting we might not be able to use it. Fired one cutie out the stern, cut the engines and dived. We slowly descended, our momentum silently carrying us clear of the cutie's ears. BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!! Up for a look!
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...odAsashio1.jpg
Heh, heh, heh! Now he's a good Asashio. Wish we had time to dance, but while the other guy contemplates his buddy's fate, let's beat a hasty retreat. We have to finish our mission by sunrise and don't have time to dance.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...theSlipmap.jpg
Gave him the slip! Now mark 14 is the suspected CV location, plotted during the dozens of day attacks. They pounded us pretty good while we were at periscope depth, although we took no detectable damage. Time to make 'em pay. We'll cross the bar at the narrowest point, make our approach through the deeper water and see what we have.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...haser1map1.jpg
That's no CV, just a subchaser. But we have to take care of him to penetrate any further. Took a shot from 3400 yards. It hit! Blew the subchaser 100' into the air, split in two and landed in 2 pieces. I was so surprised I didn't take any pictures. Next! Up by the island, it's an Agano. Made a stealthy approach to 3400 yards again (hey, it worked once!), shot 3. Hit 1 blew up the magazine!
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...plosionsbe.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...anoIsToast.jpg
I have more pictures but no more time. Stay tuned for Truk Lagoon: foolish mission to hell! Part 3. Heck, I wish there were some warships out here. Just keep finding these merchants. Why do they have these big guns on them though? I can't submerge. I'd hate to see if I only wounded one of them...

To be continued!

Yeah, be careful what you wish for eh? Nimitz has a sick sense of humor! Well its off to Yokohama! Any fellow skippers have any tips on surviving Tokyo Bay?

Robbins looks like he is having a grand ol' time. I hope I get sent to Truk next! :arrgh!:
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Just to throw it in there....

Running the latest Trigger Maru Ive recently been deployed to Hokaiddo in the USS Seahorse in June/July of '43.

I did not run into in escorts far north around Hokaiddo, but I maneuvered a slight bit south to the very northern part of Honshu, near Miyako and had a destroyer and two minsweepers dispatched to find me at dawn after having sunk a mid sized maru a couple hours before.

I was within 10 nm of the sinking at dawn, and about 20 or so nm offshore. They were very obviously sent in as a group and started circling like sharks. I dove to perisocpe depth when I spotted the smoke and watched them from the south in the scope. A seaplane arrived and they depth charged a hole in the water for a while while I crept south to escape.

Seems like the IJN was pretty hot about it all.....But yeah, no shortage of coastal patrols. The only thing I nottice is that convoy action around Hokaiddo is light. I have only sniped boats in harbor, and loners coming into the northern ports after a week on station.