How to call air support while underwater?

[BasilY]

I have a question regarding calling air support. I am patrolling south of Crete in 1941 when I encounter this british task force. The location should be within easy reach of air bases in Crete and the weather is ok. By the time I have visual on the battleships, I am underwater and the radio is not opperable. I have sonar contact much ealier, but when I try sending the contact report, the report is empty.

How can I go about reporting contacts? do I have to have both visual contact and be on the surface?


Will love to have the Goring Gang disable a BB for me.

[Penelope_Grey]

You have to be on the surface to send in a contact report.

[STEED]

How to call air support while underwater?

Congratulations for the daft question of the day. :rotfl: :rotfl:

Big pile of money is on its way.

[GoldenRivet]

get an empty water bottle. write a request for air support on a slip of paper. put the slip of paper in the bottle and cork it really well.

now shoot the bottle out of an empty torpedo tube.

presto - air support request while under water!

[Mooncatt]

ahh cmon guys be nice, some people aint as "up" on naval warefare as u lot are.
but yes, u do have to be on the surface to call for air support. but dont get too close mind but close enough to have them on your map.

[BasilY]

C'mon, I am trying to find a way to send a report about this task force while surface AND out of sight of the task force (they have a slight gunnery advantage over me). As I indicated, I know the task force is coming by sonar contact before they are insight, but when I surface, the contact is lost and I can't send the report anymore. So I can't send a report when I am out of sight of the task force, and when the task force is in sight, it will be suicidal to suface.

Maybe I should rephrase my thread title. But thank you all for your helpful and practical suggestions. By the way, guys, this is a GAME, and SH3 allow uboats to receive radio messages while underwater which isn't historically feasible.

[Subnuts]

Stream your floating wire antenna. Works best if you're shallower than 60 meters and traveling less than two knots.

[Subtype Zero]

Go ahead and try to locate the task force via visual contact. Depending on the weather, you should be okay if you send off the report and then quickly submerge. Then, you can either sneak away or attempt to engage the task force before help arrives.

One word of caution, though. I believe that sending a radio report increases the chances that you will be detected--by how much, I'm not sure. So, be sure to listen on the hydrophone for any reports of warships heading in your direction at high speed. If so, RUN FOR COVER!!!

[Sandman_28054]

Originally Posted by BasilY

C'mon, I am trying to find a way to send a report about this task force while surface AND out of sight of the task force (they have a slight gunnery advantage over me). As I indicated, I know the task force is coming by sonar contact before they are insight, but when I surface, the contact is lost and I can't send the report anymore. So I can't send a report when I am out of sight of the task force, and when the task force is in sight, it will be suicidal to suface.

Maybe I should rephrase my thread title. But thank you all for your helpful and practical suggestions. By the way, guys, this is a GAME, and SH3 allow uboats to receive radio messages while underwater which isn't historically feasible.

It has been my experience that if you receive a sonar contact, turn your boat in the direction they are coming from. Surface and go Ahead Flank. Usually, in clear weather, calm seas, you will see the ship(s) from around 7000 meters. Proceed on with caution until your about 5000 m from the convoy. Reduce speed to Ahead Slow. Scan the horizon with the uzo using the "L" key. Once you have "sighted" the convoy, send your radio report and proceed to attack the convoy in your usual way.

If the weather is stormy, you have a certain amount of advantage. You can sneak up closer with out being seen but then again, escorts and destroyers are actively using their radar so you have to be very careful.

If that is the case, stormy weather, don't expect any support.

I rarely use the "Send Contact Report" function. Most of the time the reply from BDU is "Contact Report Received, Good Work." I have found out that "air support" usually only works about 1 out 7 attempts.

However, you may have better results than I have.

[Mooncatt]

im not sure how relevent this is..
but before the GWX mod (presuming that is what u are running) u had to have all the contacts on your map before "help" would be sent.
in GWX im sure how this works now.
but thanks to the guys that posted a proper reply to this post rather than those that just took the piss

[BasilY]

Thanks guys, I got the report out. But the Goring Gang decline to intervene. Even without them I sunk 3 capital ships, go as deep as posible and got away.

Sure would like some air cover while I am being depth charged for 2-3 hours. This is the first and the last time I will report a contact in hope of air support.

[SandyCaesar]

The only time Goring's flyboys showed up was when I was deck-gunning a lone merchie. They just had to try and steal that kill. Against convoys or destroyers, it was me on my lonesome.

I still got that merchie, though!

[Brag]

I think it was Seth who had these words of widom:

Never seen a stupid question on this forum, but sure have seen lots of stupid answers