I've got the Lone Merchant Blues.....

[Quagmire]

I dont want to sound like I am complaining but I haven't seen a convoy in the last three patrols. All I contact is one lone merchant after another. Sure, I am racking up some great tonnage, but the thrill is gone. Life is becoming very routine.

I miss the thrill of the approach and the nail-biting tension of destroyer evasion that comes with a convoy battle. It's April 1944 and I am south of Formosa (thats the "Convoy College" area for my fellow TMO skippers) in the Philippine Sea. Are there any convoys out there this late in the war? I thought that the Japanese finally convoyed up in 1944?

Oh, and here is my mods list. THANKS!

REL_TriggerMaru_Overhaul_15B
RSRDC_TMOv15_V371
RSRDC_V371_Patch7
#1 PE3 Install
#2d PE3 Special Effects For TMO
#3b PE3 submarine bubbles and caustics and roll pitch for TM
#4 PE3 Ship_debris_SH4_with bodies
#5 PE3 real reflections for harbour and objects
#6 PE3 patch for TM
ROW Sound Effect v_9
PE3 Install less floater
NSM4 classic
NSM4 Realistic Torpedo Malfunctions
#2b PE3 Special effects Zones for NSM4 Classic
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[JoeCorrado]

TMO / RSRD both latest releases for version 1.5 -

A month into our 10th war patrol, and while we have enjoyed some reasonable success in locating and sinking enemy merchant ships in ones and twos, we had yet to encounter any convoys and no major enemy naval units at all. Nothing more than escorts, mostly single merchants and the random patrol units for nearly two years.

Then, just 4 days ago we received FOX traffic that "Heavy IJN Units are en route from Truk to Japan and expected to arrive on Nov 5, 1943." For the first time we find ourselves included in that group of units who consider themselves "in position to intercept and destroy."

After three days, and over 500 miles at nearly continuous 4 engine speed we have arrived in position just to the south east of the Bongo straits, we have pushed the limits of the boat (and prudence as well) to arrive on location ahead of the reported Imperial Japanese Navies "Heavy" Units.

It is November 4th, 1943 @ 07:00 according to our report the enemy can be expected to arrive within the next 36 hours. The USS Balao has 14 torpedoes remaining to her and after waiting nearly two years for this opportunity to arrive; we are ready and eager to welcome the enemy home.


edit: Did the Japanese have enough merchants left to form a convoy in 1944? :rotfl:If you come across one you can expect the escorts to out number the merchants. Maybe the single merchant won't turn out to be such a bad thing after all?

[gAiNiAc]

Originally Posted by JoeCorrado

TMO / RSRD both latest releases for version 1.5 - They are out there, rare but not non existent.

A month into our 10th war patrol, and while we have enjoyed some reasonable success in locating and sinking enemy merchant ships in ones and twos, we had yet to encounter any convoys and no major enemy naval units at all. Nothing more than escorts, mostly single merchants and the random patrol units for over two years.

Then, just 4 days ago we received FOX traffic that "Heavy IJN Units are en route from Truk to Japan and expected to arrive on Nov 5, 1943." For the first time we find ourselves included in that group of units who consider themselves "in position to intercept and destroy."

After three days, and over 500 miles at nearly continuous 4 engine speed we have arrived in position just to the south east of the Bongo straits, we have pushed the limits of the boat (and prudence as well) to arrive on location ahead of the reported Imperial Japanese Navy "Heavy" Units.

It is November 4th, 1943 @ 07:00 according to our report the enemy can be expected to arrive within the next 36 hours. The USS Balao has 14 torpedoes remaining to her and after waiting more than two years for this opportunity to arrive; we are ready and eager to welcome the enemy home.

I LOVE "Flash Traffic", I've gotten home on fumes because of it!

[peewee]

yup, I got one of those. Sat there for about half a day and then 'contact'. It turned out to be two shinano type carriers, Yamato, two kongos and a light cruiser. I managed to sink one carrier and one Kongo (after slowing it with two torps and then diving deep and reloading)..........sweet. I then got a 'mission incomplete' cos I never reached my patrol zone...........no pleasing some Admirals is there?..........sigh

[Captain Dave]

I ran across a convoy in late august 1942, off of Cape Esperance, Guatamala. They tangled with a bunch of American destroyers that night. You should have seen the fireworks, with the guns blazing every which direction. Unfortunetly the IJN sunk a lot of destroyers.

[Ducimus]

All im going to say, is, i see more convoys then i care to. Ive acutally thought of reducing the spawn frequency of convoys. I think its a tad too many, but then again, maybe i just got lucky.

[Quagmire]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

All im going to say, is, i see more convoys then i care to. Ive acutally thought of reducing the spawn frequency of convoys. I think its a tad too many, but then again, maybe i just got lucky.

Well I am sure you are using your mod and possible RSRD. So have you seen any convoys in 1944? And if so, where?

Thanks man!

BTW, I do realise that I am probably a little late in the war for "Battle of the Atlantic" convoy lanes. However I would think I would bump into something more than a lone merchant eventually.
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[Ducimus]

Truthfully, i don't use RSRD. It's not that i don't think its a great mod, i just have this unexplained desire to do my own campaign work. I think its one of those things where i just won't be happy unless i did it myself. Since im not a dedicated campaign writer, TM's "built iin" campaign is not as extensive as lurkers, but a heck of alot better then stock. I've actually put more work into TM's "built in" campaign then i let on, but on the same note, i have only put so much time into it because i have so many other things im dealing with as well.

[Quagmire]

Thats completely understandable. BTW, I am really looking forward to the next TMO update!
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[Ducimus]

This thread got me thinking if i should touch up convoys.

Basically right now, in the default campaign Early war has more single merchants then convoys spawning. As the war progresses, the amount of single merchants reduces and the amount of convoys increases.

I made convoy reports pretty sparce so you won't be getting too many contact reports. Convoy composition is either 4 to 6, to 9 merchants ( i may have some 12 merchant convoys in there, but not very common), with probably 6 merchant convoys being the most common, with escorts ranging anywhere between 2 and 3 escorts being the most common with some convoys with 4 escorts. All convoys zig zag at regular invtervals (no i wont say how long their zig zags are, that ruins the fun)

At anyrate, ive run into a few too many 2 escort convoys, but then maybe that 3rd escort was there and i just didnt see him. They don't always bother to engage if theres already 1 or 2 escorts on you. On the other hand trying to loose a couple escorts takes awhile, but then again, if i do have too many 2 escort convoys, their entirely too easy to attack. (but then again, its not like the IJN had alot of warships to draw from like the allies - yes i play "back and forth" with myself when making design decision.. a regular waffle iron! ).

I have to go back through the convoy files and re evalute my settings there based on what ive seen the last 3 patrols. Either way its *close* to my visioin of what i want for a convoy.. maybe close enough, i dont know. Kind of hard to gauge a whole slew of convoy entries based on just 3 patrols. Since burnout demands that i take a break, i may just put it off on a back burner.

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by Captain Dave

I ran across a convoy in late august 1942, off of Cape Esperance, Guatamala. They tangled with a bunch of American destroyers that night. You should have seen the fireworks, with the guns blazing every which direction. Unfortunetly the IJN sunk a lot of destroyers.

Are you sure you weren't a witness to the Battle of Savo Island?

[UnderseaLcpl]

Just a shot in the dark as I do not have the aforementioned mods but maybe hanging around a port approach would help.

[JoeCorrado]

After Action Report: 5 Nov 1943, USS Balao

Encountered Heavy IJN Units moving in line this day at approximately 1600 . Enemy ASW escorts both flank and ahead of main formation. Moved to engage and attack began at 16:40 - one Fuso Class Battleship 29,330 tons sank and one Mogami Class Heavy Cruiser 8,500 tons sank, inflicted moderate damage to one Tayo Class Escort Carrier.

Recieved attention from ASW units for nearly 4 hours and was unable to further prosecute the attack. Heavy IJN Units last seen moving NNW at 18 knots. Formation included Battleships, Cruisers and atleast two (one damaged) escort carriers.

Balao suffered damage during repeated depth charge attacks that cannot be repaired at sea.

Returning to Pearl.


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Ducimus- you should give RSRD a try with your own TMO. The two just cannot be beat. True,you will not be seeing many convoys and even less of these major naval formations- but when you do run across one- you sure do enjoy it! Lurker and you have combined for one heck of an enjoyable experience!

[claybirdd]

I totally agree TMO + RSRD =the apex of SHIV.

[DeepIron]

BTW, historially speaking, The USS Gudgeon, the first US sub to hunt in Japanese waters reported a "lack of mechant shipping" in the area SE of Japan she was assigned to. Later, after she returned to Pearl, Lt. Cmdr. Grenville found out that most merchant shipping was much further south of Japan in early to mid-1942...