How to Find Battleships, Carriers and Cruisers?

Dane · 04-12-07, 10:29 AM

I've been playing SH4 for quite some time now and have added a number of mods. Thank you all fellows for that. Yet on my patrols, I can find all kinds of convoys and small task forces (usually a sub chaser along with a gunboat and DD) but only once did I find a large task force and that was a friendly one. I have not spent much time near Tokoyo and wonder if that is a good place to hang around? I've started a number of patrols at different time periods of the war and still am missing. I'm not keen on harbor invasion as I usually die. Thanks much.

Quillan · 04-12-07, 10:44 AM

Aside from dumb luck, knowing when historically major naval battles were fought, and where, will help. I talked to a friend of mine last night, who said he'd sunk his first battleship in Sh4. He'd left Pearl heading over towards Japan when he got radio message traffic saying "The Battle of the Coral Sea is underway, all nearby patrol units should assist". He figured he'd find lots of capital ships there, so he reloaded the autosave from port and headed down to the South Pacific instead. Sure enough, he encountered a Japanese task force with lots of capital ships in it.

AVGWarhawk · 04-12-07, 11:13 AM

I have played over 50 hours and have had only one contact with a task force. You are not alone.

Ostfriese · 04-12-07, 11:18 AM

I tried to take part in the battle of Midway. It took several attempts (ie. reloading the game) to get at least a glimpse of the Japanese task forces, and they were moving much to fast, so I had no chance of even closing.

Cruisers, however, are not that difficult. When you start a career in 1941 and join the Asiatic Fleet you'll likely come across the invasion forces. These usually have two or three cruisers, a couple of destroyers and a pack of passenger ships.

Ayari · 04-12-07, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ostfriese

I tried to take part in the battle of Midway. It took several attempts (ie. reloading the game) to get at least a glimpse of the Japanese task forces, and they were moving much to fast, so I had no chance of even closing.

Cruisers, however, are not that difficult. When you start a career in 1941 and join the Asiatic Fleet you'll likely come across the invasion forces. These usually have two or three cruisers, a couple of destroyers and a pack of passenger ships.

I tried to take part in midway, but kept getting swamped by aircraft. I was sure I was close to a carrier, but never found it and just returned to my mission.

I did stumble on a juicy task force with many Takao's and a Fuso or 2, but was RTB from a patrol and had no torpedos. That was pure luck, and I have been trying ever since with no results

Biggles · 04-12-07, 12:07 PM

I don't know 'cause I don't have the game yet (or actually, I do have the GAME, but my gaming comp. is on repairs now so....

) but there might be a chance that there will be some enemy activity around Wake Island just in the beginning of the war. The japanese attacked Wake, and took it on December 23rd, 1941, so if you're really fast out of Pearl, you might be able to see something! But as stated above, this is a guess, and not facts.

Grothesj2 · 04-12-07, 11:18 AM

Seemed to be a fair number around north of Rabual in early 43.

antiwup · 04-12-07, 06:27 PM

i got some luck while in the celebes sea!

d@rk51d3 · 04-12-07, 08:00 PM

My first patrol in '41, sent out to hunt some merchants. I noticed alot of task force reports in the south china sea, so I went for a looksie. Weather turned really bad...... so bad, that when running on the surface, 90% of the time you were still underwater.

Then I hit it. A task force including 1x BB, 1x Fleet Carrier and 3x Escort Carriers.

As it was my first ever encounter I started firing blindly and..... SCORED.

Scratch 1x Fleet Carrier
Scratch 1x Escort Carrier
Scratch 2x Merchants

Damaged 1x BB (got away

)

Nice bit of shiny waiting for me when I returned to port.

Spruence M · 04-12-07, 08:15 PM

Matthias Spruence
SS-23

Approx 100 miles west of Manila I nailed a 2 Hiruku Class Fleet Carriers with 4 Torperdoes. They had been radio'ed and were on the map as a convoy. Took my S-boat in for the kill, imagine my surprise.

04-12-07, 10:29 AM	#1
Dane Mate Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 56 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	How to Find Battleships, Carriers and Cruisers? I've been playing SH4 for quite some time now and have added a number of mods. Thank you all fellows for that. Yet on my patrols, I can find all kinds of convoys and small task forces (usually a sub chaser along with a gunboat and DD) but only once did I find a large task force and that was a friendly one. I have not spent much time near Tokoyo and wonder if that is a good place to hang around? I've started a number of patrols at different time periods of the war and still am missing. I'm not keen on harbor invasion as I usually die. Thanks much.

04-12-07, 10:44 AM	#2
Quillan Samurai Navy Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 579 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Aside from dumb luck, knowing when historically major naval battles were fought, and where, will help. I talked to a friend of mine last night, who said he'd sunk his first battleship in Sh4. He'd left Pearl heading over towards Japan when he got radio message traffic saying "The Battle of the Coral Sea is underway, all nearby patrol units should assist". He figured he'd find lots of capital ships there, so he reloaded the autosave from port and headed down to the South Pacific instead. Sure enough, he encountered a Japanese task force with lots of capital ships in it. __________________ We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, that we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

04-12-07, 11:13 AM	#3
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,303 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	I have played over 50 hours and have had only one contact with a task force. You are not alone. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

04-12-07, 12:07 PM	#6
Biggles Silent Hunter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sweden (I'm not a Viking...) Posts: 3,529 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	I don't know 'cause I don't have the game yet (or actually, I do have the GAME, but my gaming comp. is on repairs now so.... ) but there might be a chance that there will be some enemy activity around Wake Island just in the beginning of the war. The japanese attacked Wake, and took it on December 23rd, 1941, so if you're really fast out of Pearl, you might be able to see something! But as stated above, this is a guess, and not facts. __________________

04-12-07, 11:18 AM	#4
Ostfriese Sea Lord Join Date: May 2004 Location: Northern Germany Posts: 1,901 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I tried to take part in the battle of Midway. It took several attempts (ie. reloading the game) to get at least a glimpse of the Japanese task forces, and they were moving much to fast, so I had no chance of even closing. Cruisers, however, are not that difficult. When you start a career in 1941 and join the Asiatic Fleet you'll likely come across the invasion forces. These usually have two or three cruisers, a couple of destroyers and a pack of passenger ships.

04-12-07, 11:18 AM	#7
Grothesj2 Medic Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 167 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Seemed to be a fair number around north of Rabual in early 43.

04-12-07, 06:27 PM	#8
antiwup Watch Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 15 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	i got some luck while in the celebes sea!

04-12-07, 08:00 PM	#9
d@rk51d3 Sea Lord Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 1,954 Downloads: 207 Uploads: 0	My first patrol in '41, sent out to hunt some merchants. I noticed alot of task force reports in the south china sea, so I went for a looksie. Weather turned really bad...... so bad, that when running on the surface, 90% of the time you were still underwater. Then I hit it. A task force including 1x BB, 1x Fleet Carrier and 3x Escort Carriers. As it was my first ever encounter I started firing blindly and..... SCORED. Scratch 1x Fleet Carrier Scratch 1x Escort Carrier Scratch 2x Merchants Damaged 1x BB (got away ) Nice bit of shiny waiting for me when I returned to port.

04-12-07, 08:15 PM	#10
Spruence M Sonar Guy Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: 14 Meters Posts: 394 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	Matthias Spruence SS-23 Approx 100 miles west of Manila I nailed a 2 Hiruku Class Fleet Carriers with 4 Torperdoes. They had been radio'ed and were on the map as a convoy. Took my S-boat in for the kill, imagine my surprise.