Well...that worked
 

Running some testing in TMO. Wanted to test my improved minefields. Testing the one in La Perouse Strait. While approaching a convoy was ahead entering, decided to see if could evade patrols. Convoy was making 7 knots. Conned boat under a large freighter running submerged at 7 knots...the escort did not hear me lol he passed within a thousand yards off port side, did not hear us , never tried that one before. Then just a few minutes after he passed, I hit a mine and well, test was over lol.

Ooops. Would it be possible to use periscope to watch for mines while submerged?

Yes, put the scope up part of the way, but generally speaking, by the time you see one, it is basically too late.

Yes, since we do not have FM sonar for detecting mines in later war, used the scope to navigate the tsuhshima minefields in 1945 (think I put post up about it) very time consuming and nerve racking as well as difficult. Once you notice the pattern and depth they are set at, somewhat simple to get through. Still had some close calls though.

as it happens, i am re-reading Lockwood and it's May 1945 and the FM sonar kits are working at about 50-60% eff and he gets like 20 of them for all of ComSubPac. I think they ran just one or two wolf packs into the Sea of Japan before the Air Corps won the war for us.:har:

Interesting. You know (kind of ironic) of all the sub books have read, have yet to read Lockwood's, but it is in the planes. True but all of the missions, even with less than perfect FM sonar, they made it through and home without being taken out by mines. Current career and assigned to Sea of Japan in June 1945, have AI torpedo firing subs worked in, (testing to see if they work) that will be in the area...can we say wolfpack or in USN parlance of the time, "Coordinated Attack Group".

I have considered implementing Operation Starvation i.e. the widespread mining by USAAF of home islands into the sim. Already, at appropriate periods of time have US mines laid by submarines at proper dates in certain areas. Interesting to be conducting a submerged approaching on a target, then just as about to fire, the merchant strikes a mine lol. If not completely destroyed, one torpedo can usually finish them off or can watch them slowly sink over time. Found in many cases, mine strike will bring in enemy air patrols and depending on location, surface patrols. More fun was when a patrol craft approaching the stricken freighter(stern in air, going down by the bow) came in close and hit a mine as well. These mines represented those laid by Drum in 1942 off home islands.

In TMO, surfaced mines are now a threat. I went easy since we have no warnings from look outs and will upon release provide a spoiler list for those who want to know, where can be cautious at least. For Tsushima, can either try to pass them by night or navigate during day via periscope or external view if it is on, call it equivalent to simulate FM sonar, which would map field, see the pattern and help steer away, even if close. I have done this, it is possible. Just wish we had something to simulate it. I know long ago someone had idea of making mines emit a noise and could pick up on sonar, I believe supposed to have some type of visual display as well.Problem is when every mine made a noise, stumbled into a field, caused a lot of CTD issues and lag. That was before LAA etc if I recall was widely used and mod lost it's support.

I know lost a few to mines, I meant that in Operation Barney where FM was first used in combat, the Sea of Japan mission in 1945, did not lose boats to mines. Bonefish was sunk by escorts in Toyoma Bay.