Giving away your position

[nomad_delta]

Hi everyone! I'm new to sub sims in general (just got SH4) and also the forums here, so I'll start off with some noob questions I guess...

I'm curious about whether doing various things will give away your position to the enemy:

1. If one has radar, does using it alert the enemy to your presence, or can you just cruise around with radar sweeping away full blast all the time? If enemy ships do detect it, is it only within a certain range or certain types of ships that are able to pick it up?

2. Do any enemy ships have their own radar, and can they detect your sub with it? If so, how does one avoid being detected?

3. If I'm spotted by a fishing boat, will it report my position or can I safely ignore them? What about other ships -- merchants, etc? If they can report my position, will destroying them prevent them from doing so?

4. Do any ships other than destroyers have hydrophones/sonar? Does increasing my sub's speed make it more likely that they'll detect me? (i.e., moving at standard vs 1/3rd)

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

nomad_delta

[DCOg]

Great questions!
I also would like to know this.

DCOg

[CaptainHaplo]

Welcome aboard Nomad and DCOg!

1. If one has radar, does using it alert the enemy to your presence, or can you just cruise around with radar sweeping away full blast all the time? If enemy ships do detect it, is it only within a certain range or certain types of ships that are able to pick it up?

Answer - later in the war escorts and large warships got radar detectors. Early on they didn't have them. As for range - its a good bet that if you can see them - and they have the equipment - they know something is "out there" painting them. Historically - RD only gave bearing - although you could use multiple bearing readings to establish a position. The game doesnt seem to model that though. As for types of ships - warships only - merchants never got RD to my knowledge.

2. Do any enemy ships have their own radar, and can they detect your sub with it? If so, how does one avoid being detected?

Answer - again - later in the war escorts started getting fitted with radar. Yes - they can detect you with it. How to avoid it? Simple - radar doesnt work when your submerged. So do an end-around - get in front of your target - submerge and let them come to you.

3. If I'm spotted by a fishing boat, will it report my position or can I safely ignore them? What about other ships -- merchants, etc? If they can report my position, will destroying them prevent them from doing so?

Answer - YES! Any ship you see other than a lifeboat/liferaft will radio in a sighting. As to preventing it - you can't. Even if you torp a merchant and he sinks with one hit - the game reports your position - so basically even if he goes boom he gets off an SOS. Dont want to get tattled on? Don't get sighted! Remember - on the surface - the faster you go - the easier you are to see... Which leads us to....

4. Do any ships other than destroyers have hydrophones/sonar? Does increasing my sub's speed make it more likely that they'll detect me? (i.e., moving at standard vs 1/3rd)

Answer - Yes - if its an escort - it likely has sonar depending on the date. Easy way to tell is go to external camera and look at the ship. If you see dc racks - it has hydrophones at least. Also - like when your on the surface- higher speed underwater makes your more "visible" to detection. When submerged and trying to avoid detection - set silent running and your speed to no more than 2 knots. Depth also helps - both due to sound transmission and the "layer" effect if you can find one. It also helps to keep a minimum "profile" (be heading directly for or away from the escort) if you are being pinged with active sonar.

Hope these answers help.

[nomad_delta]

Excellent, thanks for the anwers -- that's all very helpful info! I'm doing better already because of it.

nomad_delta