Reporting a convoy?
 

I'm running TMO and just noticed that I've never had the "need" to use the "report contacts/convoy" button.

Anyone know what it's useful for? Even when I do run into a small-medium convoy and report it all they tell me to do is attack it. Is there some way to get air support or something with the radio?

All you're going to get is that message or a message to "break off at your discretion."

If you report major warships, you get an "Attaboy" message from ComSubPac. That's like wetting your pants in a dark suit: You get a warm feeling, but no one else notices.

Well you do get objectives, like "sink merchants" or "sink warships" occasionally, and if you fulfill them, you will get points. That's the only effect it has on gameplay.

On the other hand, the game also factors radio traffic into the odds of airplanes appearing. I think this works for both friendly and enemy units - send a radio report, and you are more likely to be attacked by enemy planes (if they're in range), but are also more likely to have friendly air units show up to help (if they're in range).

To report a group, your sub AI must gain visual contact of it. The danger of that is you often have to get close enough that the enemy sees you as well, plus you have to be on the surface to radio the contact. Sometimes you can lock on long enough to ID ships yourself and be able to report it.