Convoy reports

[Tanedin]

I've been having trouble intercepting convoys that come in through radio reports. I received a message earlier about a large convoy in BE63 heading West at 8kts. I plotted a course to intercept them some time after 2200. I arrive and dive to 40m to wait for the convoy to arrive at 0000. 2359 comes around and I still have no sign of a convoy. A little while after the convoy square on my map disappears, I get a new message about a convoy in BE66 heading SSW and 8kts.
Is the second convoy actually a second convoy or did the first one just change course on me? I've been trying to follow the guide on the Whiz-wheel included with MaGui.

[Pisces]

Since you use the MaGui mod it is implied that you use the GWX campaign, right? Can you be more specific on year and month. And if possible provide a more precise grid location. That area is crowded with convoy routes during all those years. The general courses would suggest 2 different convoys, but convoys can have significant course changes to make it difficult for you. Also they are very close to eachother, making it unlikely to be 2 seperate convoys. We might never figure out which one it is.

[Edit] You're also not quite clear about the timestamp of the contact reports. You say when you acted upon them, but not when it appeared or for when it is a valid location. I can not recreate a picture if you had any change of intercepting it, or wether you might have made a mistake. Any chance you can make a screendump of the map from a savegame? I often get the same contact reports after loading an older savegame.

[Tanedin]

Sorry about that, I'm using GWX. I'm near the end of 1940 (October/November). I'll try another one as soon as I can so I can include more specific times.

Edit
How does Silent Hunter 3 handle the course of the convoy in the radio reports? Does a convoy heading NE always follow a course of 45 or is it a random course heading somewhere northeast?

[desirableroasted]

Originally Posted by Tanedin

I've been having trouble intercepting convoys that come in through radio reports. I received a message earlier about a large convoy in BE63 heading West at 8kts. I plotted a course to intercept them some time after 2200. I arrive and dive to 40m to wait for the convoy to arrive at 0000. 2359 comes around and I still have no sign of a convoy. A little while after the convoy square on my map disappears, I get a new message about a convoy in BE66 heading SSW and 8kts.
Is the second convoy actually a second convoy or did the first one just change course on me? I've been trying to follow the guide on the Whiz-wheel included with MaGui.

I am sure you have downloaded one of the many excellent "intercept guides" here on the forum, but I find that Darksun's guide on 7-16-2006 to be excellent and easy to use.

Works for me, unless:

1) the convoy has changed course, which they fairly often do.
2) I interpret "West" too literally. The BdU reports mean "westerly" which can be several degrees port or starboard of True West. The difference can add up surprisingly quickly.
3) You said "8 knots." My reports always say "Slow", "Medium" etc. Again, it's a thing of interpretation, and is imprecise.
4) And they can "un-spawn," though that should not be a problem where you were.

I would say that at least 1 out of 6 or 7 convoys that I plan interceptions for fail to show up. To the extent I can work out why, it is almost certainly 1) or 2) and 3).

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by Tanedin

Sorry about that, I'm using GWX. I'm near the end of 1940 (October/November). I'll try another one as soon as I can so I can include more specific times.

Edit
How does Silent Hunter 3 handle the course of the convoy in the radio reports? Does a convoy heading NE always follow a course of 45 or is it a random course heading somewhere northeast?

It can be any course within 11.25 degrees on either side of the given course. So NE is given between 33.75 and 56.25 degrees. It would be real easy and predictable if all courses would be fixed to multiples of 22.5 degrees. It wouldn't be as much fun any more.

In the mission editor you can make a waypoint to have a random offset within a certain radius around it. So you never know which way it goes exactly, unless the uncertainty radius value is left empty. Aside from that it is possible for a unit to make a random choice (integer value between 0 an 100%) between the next-in-line and a fork-waypoint.

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

I am sure you have downloaded one of the many excellent "intercept guides" here on the forum, but I find that Darksun's guide on 7-16-2006 to be excellent and easy to use.

Works for me, unless:

1) the convoy has changed course, which they fairly often do.
2) I interpret "West" too literally. The BdU reports mean "westerly" which can be several degrees port or starboard of True West. The difference can add up surprisingly quickly.
3) You said "8 knots." My reports always say "Slow", "Medium" etc. Again, it's a thing of interpretation, and is imprecise.
4) And they can "un-spawn," though that should not be a problem where you were.

I would say that at least 1 out of 6 or 7 convoys that I plan interceptions for fail to show up. To the extent I can work out why, it is almost certainly 1) or 2) and 3).

This one:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=88961

Yeah, it's a realy nice diagram.

Since Tanedin has access to the 'Range and AOB-finder', here is something I worked out with one of OLCs early versions (I hope this image explains itself):

[EDIT] I guess not, 'intercept angle' is the angle between line to target and intercept-course



Later on I also worked out this method/drawing that is very multifunctional. It allows you to also develop a course for increasing range, or run circles around your target clockwise or anticlockwise (i.o.w. change bearing only), aside from just for intercepting. Or a combination thereof. Very usefull once you have made visual contact and want to move in specific directions to get into position.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...12&postcount=5

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

3) You said "8 knots." My reports always say "Slow", "Medium" etc. Again, it's a thing of interpretation, and is imprecise.

Big convoys are reported with clear speed values, although it might still be a fraction of a knot faster or slower. Vague speed reports like slow/medium are always single units in my experience.