Most of your questions appear to be answered. When it comes to identifying ships, you pretty much have to get close to see the flag. No real way around that. I have some techniques I use when I don't want to get too close, but they're far from perfect.
Single Ships
If I don't want to move in close, I consider where the ship is and the type of ship. Then I decide if I want to take a chance on a shot. I would be much more likely to use this method in the middle of the North Atlantic in 1942 than say in the area bordered by Portugal, Africa and Madeira. There is a lot of Japanese and Spanish traffic through this area.
Convoys
I use the same type of method for convoys, except I have other information I can rely on to make a better decision. In addition to the type and position of the ships, I also have the size of the convoy and number and types of escorts. This is still not perfect, as I have encountered friendly ships mixed in with enemy convoys. I've hit a few friendly's here and there, but hey, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs!!
|