[Takao]

Quite the contrary Torplexed and AVGWarhawk.

The majority, if not all, of the photo-recon missions were carried out From September, 1943 til December, 1944. During this time, 13 missions were conducted. Each photo mission involved taking between 1,000-2,000 pictures. For the best results, periscope pictures were taken at 500 yards. On the other hand, good results could be obtained from about 1 mile. Sometimes the water depth kept the submarine 3-4 miles offshore, however, photos taken from this distance were of little value.

In real-life, you were taking pictures of an island landscape, Not creeping all the way up Tokyo Bay to photograph some stupid tanker that looked exactly like the six I sank on the way to Japan! Islands reconned this way were Tarawa, Makin, Apamama, Kwajalein, Jaluit, Wotje, Maloelap, Mili, Eniwetol, Ponape, Oroluk, Nomi, Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Ultithi, Woleai, Yap, Palau, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Sometimes more than one island was covered during a mission, and some islands were photographed more than once. Of all the 13 missions, 12 were successful, and only the last one to Okinawa went uncompleted(due to the submarine USS Swordfish being sunk enroute to the island).

You don't read about them in books because action sells, not taking pictures. I have felt safer attacking task forces and convoys, than I have creeping into a harbor to take a picture. Chapter 22 of Theodore Roscoe's "United States Submarine Operations in World War II" gives good coverage of these little known, but important, photo-recon missions.

As for helpful hints:
1. Wait until nightfall to begin your approach.
2. Patience, Patience, Patience. I usually am running silent at 1 or 2 knots to conserve the batteries and generate as little noise as possible.
3. Keep the scope down until your within 7,000 yards of your target. The distance varies depending on day or night.
4. Try to stay in the deeper areas(if any) as you make your approach.
5. If you have radar, wait until night, use the periscope to makes sure no pesky shore batteries are visible, come up to about 33 feet(I think it is that you can use the radar) and observe the destroyers' patrol patterns. This will give you and idea of when it is safe to move and not to move. Submerge and move out.
6. I never fire torpedoes at destroyers during ingress and egress. It only tends to annoy them and annoyed destroyers are bad, very bad.