Tracking Down Shipping Lanes & Fleets

Ok, so I've been getting back into SH4. I'm using RFB with RSRD, planning on trying Trigger Maru with RSRD tonight. Lately I've been finding myself getting a lot of flash traffic about convoys, and I often am close to what I would imagine to be the route.

However, even though I'm in position to locate them, I haven't been able to catch a convoy that was reported by SUBPAC. Also, I've had difficulties locating enemy fleets or naval movements, with only merchants found.

Are there any maps or charts indicating the common shipping lanes in RSRD, and are there also any ways I can track down a naval fleet?

I'd like to sail with the US fleet sometime, even if it's just for the leisure - but more preferably to engage in fleet warfare between the IJN and USN fleets.

So far, I have tried to wait at Wake Island and Midway in the indicated timeframes in World War II history in 1941, but neither fleets materialized. Likewise for the Coral Sea.

Any help, tips, and suggestions would be great. Thanks.

-NK

P.S. I'm on my 10th patrol now, captaining the USS Balao. The replacements for the Mark 14 torpedoes finally arrived along with the Mark 32's - the torpedoes designed after stolen German technology. I'm looking forward to testing them out. It's currently late summer, 1943.

[Zero Niner]

What happened to the paper map that came with the game? I use it a lot when deciding where excatly I should patrol.

[gAiNiAc]

Well............

I find the Ultra traffic to be pretty reliable actually.........

I've intercepted the Midway task force as well as the Solomon Seas battle.........

It's a matter of how you search........

How do you search?

[-Pv-]

I too find the Ultra messages helpful. Even more, knowing the historical concentrations of shipping at certain times. SH4 has similar enough traffic you can take advantage of that. There are web sites where you can get maps of historical traffic. These have worked well for me. Early purchasers of the game got paper maps when purchasing the deluxe version. Some players have offered to send scans of this map to people requesting it.
-Pv-

[Monica Lewinsky]

Originally Posted by -Pv-

I too find the Ultra messages helpful. Even more, knowing the historical concentrations of shipping at certain times.

Me too!

Here is what I do bubba. As the patrol progresses I draw circles from Ultra Messages received on the map [F3]. I draw a circle and use this as a guide:

Draw a circle and point the arrow of the direction of the Ultra message known course:



I use this as a SIMPLE plot history:

A ten mile circle of a single ship

A twenty mile circle for a Task Force

A thirty mile circle for convoys



That way when you have satisfied your main patrol goal you have a history of the past on where to go to empty those torpedo tubes.

Visual example:

[Zero Niner]

Hey, that's a neat system! You can even see roughly where the contact is headed.
Only bummer is no date/time info, so you won't go off for something that's probably despawned.

[Monica Lewinsky]

Originally Posted by Zero Niner

Hey, that's a neat system! You can even see roughly where the contact is headed.
Only bummer is no date/time info, so you won't go off for something that's probably despawned.

Here is my logic [if any]:

- I ALWAYS satisfy the main mission goal FIRST [while drawing the circles en-route - passes the boring times even with TC [time compress.].

- I NEVER exceed 1/3 speed, but I do exceed that when a contact is 30 miles or less and ALWAYS attempt an "end around" approach regardless of the time of day, then dive.

- I NEVER report in to headquarters to give a status report, thusly I can head to the circle areas where in the past there has been KNOWN shipping traffic. I do radio in Convoy contacts.

- After the main mission goal is accomplished, I plot courses to the nearest circles that would use the least amount of fuel to get there.

My success ratio is 50-75% of finding a new or newer ship/ships in a circle. I find it takes out the guess work of where to go and where them rats have been.

Good LUCK!

[Fishie]

One word.

Palau.

[simsurfer]

I like the circles on the map, that I will try next time I play

[gAiNiAc]

Originally Posted by Fishie

One word.

Palau.

Good fishin' there!

Last night I had some unbelievable luck. Came across a carrier by her lonesome with just one destroyer running ahead of her. When I configured for that patrol, I had unwittingly chosen to have four of those little ASW torpedoes in the aft reserves. That meant after my usual patrol had been satisfied, I had four of those minies plus two MK18s in the stern with four german torps in the bow tubes (I forget the name, they're wakeless).

I decided to go after the destroyer first. Fired three bow torpedoes at the destroyer. Two missed, the third blew her to bits (shattered her backbone) on impact.

After that, I was down to just six torpedoes: Two regulars, and four ASW torps. Since I had only one MK18 torpedo in the rear tubes and the rest occupied by those "minies", I had one removed and the tube loaded with a regular torpedo while I fired off the other MK18 at her midsection.

She took the hit handily, didn't sink, only suffered a minor list. I cranked off the other two Mini's into her bow and stern to help improve the flood rate, and improve it did. She started listing more, but wasn't about to go down yet. By this time, the last remaining MK 18 Torpedo had been loaded and ready. I had it fired immediately into the area immediately astern to her midsection.

She continued being stubborn despite the increasing list, and I debated on surfacing to utilize the deckgun when the crew decided to abandon the carrier. Scratch one shiny new Carrier from the list of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

P.S. I plan on starting a new thread on this forum with a running log of each of my patrols in my second career for your reading pleasure since I seem to write these rather well.

[MONOLITH]

Originally Posted by Monica Lewinsky

Here is what I do bubba. As the patrol progresses I draw circles from Ultra Messages received on the map [F3].

Brilliant!

Thank you for the idea.

[Zero Niner]

Originally Posted by gAiNiAc

Well............

I find the Ultra traffic to be pretty reliable actually.........

I've intercepted the Midway task force as well as the Solomon Seas battle.........

It's a matter of how you search........

How do you search?

By and by, this "Ultra' traffic you refer to are actually the Flash messages you receive during your patrol from SUBPAC about convoys and ship movements?

If so, I've noticed that I never received any data on capital ship movement.

I'm using TMO + RSRD + PE3. Plus, even though I tried to do historical cross-referencing with actual records of fleet movements and known shipping routes during WWII, I haven't had much luck!

[Monica Lewinsky]

Originally Posted by MONOLITH

Brilliant!
Thank you for the idea.

Dear Sir,

I wish you success.

Because I get A LOT of it by using them prior circles of known contacts from Ultra to patrol in AFTER the main mission is accomplished.. I wish your crew/sub will put them rats on the bottom where they belong!

Thank you! for the Thank you!

To be HONSET with you, the 10 mile circle is a waste of time for the single ship if the rat[s] are more than 50 miles away. The circles at 20 miles for a Task Force or a 30 mile circle for a known previous convoy has ALWAYS paid me back in HUGE tonnage potential and sinkings.

Recently, I taught myself manual taregeting via Rockin Robins videos.

Between the circles and manual targeting ... I am having a TOTAL blast of FUN with SH4!

That guy [Rockin Robbins] is the GREATEST for posting his video tutorials.

I suggest we tar and feather him for even helping us rug rats. :p :p :p