A Question about GWX 3.0 Radio Messages

[Joefour]

Hi All,

I'm running GWX 3.0, it's February, 1940. I'm SW of Ireland, merrily sinking all of the soft targets I come across. I get a series of several messages from BDU ordering me and a couple of other boats to station ourselves in several different locations near the western approaches to the Channel, and to expect the Ark Royal to come through somewhere in the area. I ignored these messages because I wasn't sure (even though supplied with Long. and Lat.), exactly where they wanted me to be. When I finally expended all my torps and came home, I got awarded the Knight's Cross! Obviously the brass were not too irritated with me for ignoring orders. I also tend to maintain radio silence while I'm out there wreaking havoc with Winston's ships.
My question is for future reference: If I had figured out the correct area to be in as given by the radio messages and actually had gone there, would I have had a chance at getting the Ark Royal in my sights? When the messages came in, no markers or anything like that showed up on the tactical map, par exemple, "task force headed east at 12 Kts." or "Neutral warship in zone such-and-such heading SW, fast".
Any ideas? Has anyone else experienced something similar? I'd love to be able to fire off a salvo at a target like that some time.

[HW3]

The messages with Lat. & Long. are historical messages added for atmosphere. Whether the Ark Royal is actually scripted into the campaign to come through there, I can not say for sure.

[Joefour]

Originally Posted by HW3

The messages with Lat. & Long. are historical messages added for atmosphere. Whether the Ark Royal is actually scripted into the campaign to come through there, I can not say for sure.

That's kind of what was in the back of my mind. It seems like an unnecessary risk to be skulking around in the enemy's own backyard just to see IF the reports might be true and come to fruition. What would be cooler than sticking a salvo up HMS Victorious' or King George V's gazoo and changing the historical course of the war (i.e. re:the Bismarck).

I once played the single mission Bismarck and managed to waste everything in sight flying the Union Jack, including the King George, but Bismarck still heeled over and gave up the ghost.

[Pisces]

Oh, and in case you want to check the lat/long grids: 120 km for every degree away from the equator and Greenwich Meridian. 2 km per minute of arc.

The Ark Royal is not properly modeled in GWX 3 and the Illustrious Class is used to fill in.
If it's Historical that the Ark Royal was in that area at that time?
I'd think BBW would have scripted it to be there.


I did look at the scripted campaign files but I'm not telling what I found.

[Joefour]

Originally Posted by Pisces

Oh, and in case you want to check the lat/long grids: 120 km for every degree away from the equator and Greenwich Meridian. 2 km per minute of arc.

Gotcha. Thanks.

[David Brock]

Some what off-topic.... But I have come to hate the saying "New message received" 90% of the message are totally useless to me. Which I had a better radio operator so he new which ones to bin and which to actually notify me about.

[ParaHandy]

Along similar lines, can someone advise me what the 6 digit grid references mean? For example BE2438 etc, as opposed to the AANN references.

[ReallyDedPoet]

I think the below states it fairly well, found it when searching on Google.

A six figure grid references is a reference method used to pin point a location within a square. It is composed of the x-axis (also called the easting or the distance along the map) and the y-axis (northing or the distance up the map). When locating a place on a map using this method, you will have 6 numbers e.g. 216 322 (216 being the easting and 322 being the northing).

I think the reference to pin-point a location is key, some of our real navigation experts at SUBSIM should be able to tell you more

Welcome to SUBSIM by the way

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by ParaHandy

Along similar lines, can someone advise me what the 6 digit grid references mean? For example BE2438 etc, as opposed to the AANN references.

The AANN map reference was actually AANNNN. The KM grid system went down two more levels. There are some posts around (and information at other sites) which will let you trace down to that level. Here's one: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=124408.

The six-character grid reference gives you a lot less ocean to search.

Here's a draggable overlay that lets you see the six-character grid on the SH3 nav chart: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=4196

[ParaHandy]

Originally Posted by reallydedpoet

Welcome to SUBSIM by the way

Thank you

Originally Posted by BigWalleye

The AANN map reference was actually AANNNN. The KM grid system went down two more levels. There are some posts around (and information at other sites) which will let you trace down to that level. Here's one: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=124408.

The six-character grid reference gives you a lot less ocean to search.

Here's a draggable overlay that lets you see the six-character grid on the SH3 nav chart: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=4196

Yeah, my mistake. I should have said what do the AANNNN references refer to as opposed to the AANN ones.

[Pisces]

The 2 letters stand for a particular rectangular area on the map/globe. Mostly in alphabetical order, but not completely sequential around the globe. The coverage of sea and coastline was guiding.

Then each number digit resemble a subdivision of the larger rectangle. Divide it up like a 3x3 telephone numberpad. 1 at the top-left, 9 at the bottom right. The number of the digit in the grid-reference determines which 'button' to consider. Then further sub-divide the button by 3x3. And take the next number digit in the grid-reference to narrow down to smaller area. And so on, and so on, until it is pinpointed sufficiently.

There should not ever be a 0 in that gridreference. But you'll eventually come a cross a gridreference in the game, either given by SH3 Commander as a patrol assignment, or by some radiomessage, of something like "BF10" or "AM10". You can ignore that. Or any patrol grid assignment really. Nobody will blame you if you ignore such orders.

[ParaHandy]

Originally Posted by Pisces

Then each number digit resemble a subdivision of the larger rectangle. Divide it up like a 3x3 telephone numberpad. 1 at the top-left, 9 at the bottom right. The number of the digit in the grid-reference determines which 'button' to consider. Then further sub-divide the button by 3x3. And take the next number digit in the grid-reference to narrow down to smaller area. And so on, and so on, until it is pinpointed sufficiently.

Thanks fella, this is the part that I really couldn't fathom out. So if it was for example BE2855, that would be slap bang in the middle of BE28? BE2899 would be south-east corner of BE28?

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by ParaHandy

Thanks fella, this is the part that I really couldn't fathom out. So if it was for example BE2855, that would be slap bang in the middle of BE28? BE2899 would be south-east corner of BE28?

Yup, you got it right. But do realize that some grids are quite irregular. The 3x3 doesn't always hold up. Some (the A- grids most notable) are 2x5 or 5x2 (and then one grid does contain a zero)

See this huge (4200x 3600-ish) patched screenshot of the map: (large download: 11MB compressed, 44 MB as a windows bitmap file.

http://ricojansen.nl/downloads/Grid_Area_Only.rar

[Tupolev]

You mean everyone isn't using the KM map that came with Aces of the Deep?

Or am I showing my age with that one?

T