I think you can use your own initiative to return to base. The renown you lose for not completing a current mission is not substantial. I think a patrol mission is 200 renown or something. Let me check:

For example, Patrol Java Sea 01:

[MapZone 1]
Name=Patrol Java Sea 01_Zone1
Radius=100.000000
MaxHeight=1000.000000
MinHeight=-1000.000000
Long=13111750.000000
Lat=-415000.000000
Height=0.000000

[Objective 1]
ObjName=Patrol Java Sea 01_Objective1
Obj=7
ObjType=0
RenownAwarded=200
AreaName=Patrol Java Sea 01_Zone1
AreaType=0
Presence=0
Time=2880.000000

Get within 100 nm of the icon, Patrol for 2880 min (48 hours) and you get 200 renown. I report status as soon as I get within 100 nm so they know I have arrived. It also allows you to see later in your log when you arrived to figure out 48hrs later. (I'm so forgetful)

Also, make at least 1 patrol report back to headquarters per day. In my opinion, this is what triggers an update to your status.

Works everytime for me.

patrol mission
 

How do you complete a patrol mission? I arrived at the point on the map, stopped, a few merchants came close so I did the decent thing and sunk them, went back to the spot on the map, waited, got attacked by plains, shot a few down, basically had a ball but still had not got the tick for completing the objective. So what’s the secret?
Thanks
Bob

Hang around for 24 hours then it will turn gray. After that you will be sent another mission to complete.

Patrol missions
 

Hi, I have some troubles with the patrol missions, for example: Patrol off Honshu island and Patrol off Marshall Islands. I tried about everything, at the marshalls I patrolled all the islands (never ran into an enemy ship) but the mission stays incomplete. Do I have to sink a specified tonnage before i can complete this mission? or for the Honshu mission, do i have to steam all around Honshu Island with starting and ending point in the star?

Grtz, Capt.Baracuda

If it's the binoculars icon you need to just hang in the area for 48 hours. I usually just turn off the engines and sit there since you're required to be within something like 50km of it.

Ooooh, ok ty, i'll try that ;)

I've run into this a bit as well, but I've had luck with staying fairly close to the binocular map icon (within about 100 miles of it) and patrolling for at least 48 hours.

When you get mission orders to "Engage and destroy enemy merchant shipping" you have to sink at least 10,000 tons for that to be marked as completed.

All I can suggest is sending progress reports daily. Last night I was enroute to Honshu and sank 2 DD's that would not leave me alone as well as a large modern freighter. My patrol area was marked complete, and I was ordered to sink enemy merchants while I was still over 750 nm from my patrol zone. I think it has something to do with the reports that you send.

Yes, sending reports on convoys and sinkings will generate new things for you to do. Last night I got a pop up after reporting a convoy I could not attack, a message popped up on the screen that said something like , good job we will send other assest to attack the convoy, return to port when ready. Very cool.

I have been saving and loading the same mission to try and solve this issue. i have over 4 days in the boat, but still the mission wont complete (Again its mission 3 from a new career) I am partoling Celebes Sea. I have been around the orange star for ages now, sinking countless contacts. Still no grey star?

Is there a way to edit the save game file, I could in SH3. I have looked at my save game files, but cant find it.

Just a thought: the option to have the navigator plot a search pattern is still in, maybe completing that one is enough? I'm on the 'getting agents ashore' mission myself so I have no idea if that actually works.

A change in the patrol status is only triggered by "sending status reports"

At least once a day send a status report back to HQ. Example:

[Section 102]
FileName=data/Campaigns/Campaign/PatrolObjectives/Patrol Honshu 01/Patrol Honshu 01.mis
StartDate=19420401
EndDate=19451201
GameModes=Career
InclusionProbability=100
MinimumDifficultyRating=0
MinimumPlayerRating=-3
EntryFocalPointLong=16761500.000000
EntryFocalPointLat=4170000.000000
MaximumDistanceFromStartPoint=1500
ExclusiveLayer=Yes
ExclusiveLayerID=182
EvaluationReason=StatusReport <-------
AllMatch=PrimaryObjCompleted
PartialMatch=
PartialMatchingMinimumPercentage=
MinimumFuelPercentage=35
MinimumAmmoPercentage=25

The completion of the primary objective is determined by a Status Report.

Help me with missions!!
 

Hi all,

I'm having trouble with some of the missions. In particular the mission called, engage and destroy enemy merchant shipping. They are often in non shipping lane locations. I patrol until I'm out of fuel and don't run into a single ship!! That and how many ships am I supposed to destroy? Am I just supposed to patrol around the area for a fixed amount of time? Do I drive into the star and stop and wait?? I seem to get these types of missions the most but have yet to be able to complete one.

Here's the easy way:

1. Cruise out to the patrol icon. Use 1/3 speed.

2. All stop. Compress time until the mission has been "completed". I believe 48 hours will do it.

3. Party on, dude. Cruise 1/3 to where there are convoys and sink something.

even for the merchant shipping missions?

48 hours inside the star? I tried putting around the celebes sea (where the star was) and never got a mission complete. You must have to stick pretty close eh? I wish they would be back the fixed grids and not the dynamic ones in IV.

it depends..if it is 'deploy' all you have to do is get relatively close then it gives you a new objective to sink merchants. im not sure what completes that tonnage or vessels sunk or what..just take out some merchants until its complete. if it is 'patrol' then just park there and do what tycho said. 'patrol' completion has no correlation to ships sunk just time spent

Search and destroy missions need a certain amount of tonnage to complete.

As stated previously, you do not HAVE to complete missions. If you are getting low on fuel for God's sake head back to port to refit or end patrol.

Example:

[MapZone 1]
Name=Sink Honshu 01_Zone1
Radius=100.000000
MaxHeight=1000.000000
MinHeight=-1000.000000
Long=16753449.000000
Lat=4163261.000000
Height=0.000000

[Objective 1]
ObjName=Sink Honshu 01_Objective1
Obj=1
ObjType=0
RenownAwarded=100
ZoneName=Sink Honshu 01_Zone1

[Objective 2]
ObjName=Sink Honshu 01_Objective2
Obj=2
ObjType=2
RenownAwarded=250
Tonnage=10000
TonnageType=1

Get to within 100 NM?(or KMS?) of location, sink 10000 tonnage.

You dont have to sink the tonnage within the range I have found. And nothing is preventing you from just heading home. You would just not get the extra renown for completion.

That sounds the most logical yet. Good find m8. :yep:

Accomplish Mission Error
 

Okay, I am highly frusturated and looking to see if anyone else is having this issue:

Starting in 41 from Manila, in career mode with ANY boat if first mission is to drop off troops or supplies I have no problem completing the mission, BUT, if the first mission is patrolling the Luzon Straight of off the Phillipines (Sulu Sea) or dropping off troops and then patrolling the Luzon Straight, I can NEVER accomplish it.

Once I get to the patrol area the orange icon never grays back out thus rendering it impossiable to complete the mission.

It is driving my insane!! I can go on a frenzy sinking ships but can never accomplish the missiondue to this.

Anyone else having this issue?

Thanx!!

You need to stay in the area for 48 hours. It also helps to sink a few and report contacts. Eventually a pop up will come with further instructions.