Really should change the thread title to "Total noob totally suks" :)

Here's an example of how the interface confuses me. The manual says for the hydrophone station:

• Direction handler: Left-click on the handler to change the listening direction.
• Hydrophone volume: Set the volume of sound received with the hydrophone.
• Send ping (only available for sonar): Left-click to send a ping in the current sonar

Now, the only thing I can seem to do is rotate the direction handler. How do you set the volume? It seems I did at one point but I was just clicking, sliding, pressing buttons etc to see if I could work it out and don't know what did it.

Also, when I switch to observation scope the view is totally black. Pressing the up/down buttons makes a noise but the view stays black and the "height pointer" doesn't move. Honestly, I'm spending 99% of the time trying to click things rather than attacking convoys. Very frustrating without a decent manual.

Or inform you of the activity of another escort on the other side of the convoy, while completely ignoring the one 800 yards away and bearing down on your tail at 20 knots.

Less effective when there's more than 1 enemy with sonar. Early in the war they seem to just circle. Later I think their tactics improve, at least in GWX? They will start to take turns listening from a slight distance while another makes their DC run. Go to flank, and as far as I can tell the slow-moving DD on passive sonar is very likely to get a fix on you no matter how much noise their friends are making.

At this point, I have a hard time getting away. I've got one or more enemies listening for me, moving slow or even stopped. Meanwhile they're directing one or more guys pinging for me and dropping strings of well-placed wabos. Move to evade, and the listener gets a fresh target. Stay put and I get sunk.

What's worked for me so far:

* Watch for bearing changes to each attacker. Figure out who's actively searching and who's listening. The attackers will be moving at high speed in a predictable pattern, they are easier to evade.

* The guy listening is the real problem. He's harder to get a fix on, because he's creeping along or even stopped. I want to increase my range to him, or if he's close, maybe even run right at him and get in his blind spot. Either way I need to break contact with this guy and force him to search.

* Try to keep tabs on all of the hunters. Bearing and speed changes will usually tell me when they've got me pickled. When I'm sure, I gun it and turn to get out of the way of the DC run. Changing depth can also be a good idea. I turn so that the next time they circle around pinging, I will be presenting the smallest target possible. Ideally I want to be headed directly away.

* It's important to try and give the listeners the wrong impression as to where I'm headed. I'll kill the engines, come out of my turn & coast for a bit, then put on 10 degrees of rudder in the opposite direction. Set speed to under 1kt & continue turning. If someone is at all close on passive sonar, and I'm not absolutely sure I'm being pinged, I will stop completely.

* If there aren't depth charges being dropped right on top of me, I only move when I'm in a blind spot, at the furthest distance in the search pattern, or the enemy is at long range or moving fast. I know I've got them foxed if they stop pinging, at this point if I'm patient and only move when it's safe, eventually I will get away.

Question #1 Lt click the interface of the hydrophone station so you get the "free view" where your perspective changes when you move the mouse. Move the perspective a bit upwards and a twinge to the left. You will see a circular dial on the bottom right of the bearing (compass) dial. Left click again to get the pointer icon. When you scroll over it a tool tip will say "ambient volume". Thats your volume control. Turn up the volume on your pc speakers a bit till you can hear the faint gurgling noises. Lt click that "knob" once, and start roatating the bearing needle. If you can't hear any mechanical noises hit it again. Trial and error. The good news is: once you set the viewing perspective of the hydrophone station, it remains that way through your entire game session. So no need to futz around with it again.

Question #2 . Obs periscope is controlled by the INSERT & DELETE buttons. The attack scope is the Pg up & Pg down buttons.

Good luck and welcome.