Harbor Trouble in Rabaul

Capt Peril · 11-12-14, 10:11 AM

January 22, 1944 USS Golet, Balao Class - Pacific

This urgent message is coming to you from the first officer aboard the USS Galot. Our captain has just revealed to us that he took a few years off being a sub captain and doesn't remember much about it. Further, he knocked our real captain out in a bar fight and came aboard during our last refit as "the new skipper" after stealing our real captain's uniform. I should have suspected something when I noticed the strain on his jacket buttons....

Nevertheless we are in real trouble and need your help.

We have been assigned to photograph the carrier force in Rabaul harbor. There are four patrol ships in the deep water outside the harbor and we must get past them in order to get in position to take photos. It's currently daytime in calm water.

Our plan has been to troll at max depth at 1 knot until night fall to surface decks awash and try to sneak closer. The problem is, this works well for quite a while but eventually we always get caught by the patrol vessels with the same glug glug boom boom result.

Reality is set to Hard. No mods.

1.) How can we remain undetected by the patrols until nightfall?

2.) After nightfall, is it safe to come to decks awash within a certain distance of the patrol boats?

It seems like it will be nearly impossible to sneak past all of these ships and get this mission done. Please help!

Dread Knot · 11-12-14, 10:59 AM

I guess you could get on the radio and argue with your superiors why they are sending in a submarine to do a risky recon mission that Army aircraft designed for that purpose could do out of the airfield at Port Moresby, cheaper, quicker, from altitude, in the daytime light, and you have the negatives the same day.

Some of the missions scripted in the game bear no resemblance to historical reality.

Capt Peril · 11-12-14, 11:50 AM

While I can't argue with that, I would still like to accomplish it. That said I am having one hell of a time doing that. These four warships are in a tight patrol and even though I found a spot to hide until nightfall, I am getting caught every time during the approach and having no luck escaping from four warships in the shallows.

Capt Peril · 11-12-14, 12:41 PM

I finally made it into the bay Rabaul where the carriers are but you can't get within 2000 yards to take photos unless you're on the surface which naturally = getting caught every time. What the hell is with this assignment?? I must be missing something here.

Dread Knot · 11-12-14, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capt Peril

I finally made it into the bay Rabaul where the carriers are but you can't get within 2000 yards to take photos unless you're on the surface which naturally = getting caught every time. What the hell is with this assignment?? I must be missing something here.

They should probably pin a medal on your chest for just getting in there alive.

What's funny is that looking at the historical record, I can't find any evidence that Japanese carriers ever anchored at Rabaul, let alone were based there.

11-12-14, 01:24 PM

Yup - a near-suicidal mission. I seem to recall having succeeded once, but mostly by luck. I'm currently running the TMO mod (custom difficulty settings, with no external views to help) and have tried three times, with the same fatal results. My only suggestion is to make sure you save the game before sending a radio message that will give you a new mission, and if they send you to Raboul, cheat and reload the save. Thot, or ignore the mission entirely, and go look for something to sink instead.

Edit: In fact, thinking about it, I remember not only succeeding in getting the photo's one time few years ago, but deciding to do the obvious, and torpedo the stationary carriers. I can't remember whether I got out alive that time...

Sniper297 · 11-12-14, 02:23 PM

Simplest way to deal with patrol craft is to sink them with torpedoes. After that consider "periscope depth" as a variable - with GATO and later subs inside harbors you often run aground at 66 feet, so come up to 55 feet and use the page up/page down keys to just raise the scope above the surface. Whatever it takes, as long as the tops of the periscope shears are below the surface the only thing you need to worry about is depth charges. And the best way to avoid depth charges in shallow water is to sink everything in the area that carries depth charges.

11-12-14, 10:11 AM	#1
Capt Peril Nub Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 3 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Harbor Trouble in Rabaul January 22, 1944 USS Golet, Balao Class - Pacific This urgent message is coming to you from the first officer aboard the USS Galot. Our captain has just revealed to us that he took a few years off being a sub captain and doesn't remember much about it. Further, he knocked our real captain out in a bar fight and came aboard during our last refit as "the new skipper" after stealing our real captain's uniform. I should have suspected something when I noticed the strain on his jacket buttons.... Nevertheless we are in real trouble and need your help. We have been assigned to photograph the carrier force in Rabaul harbor. There are four patrol ships in the deep water outside the harbor and we must get past them in order to get in position to take photos. It's currently daytime in calm water. Our plan has been to troll at max depth at 1 knot until night fall to surface decks awash and try to sneak closer. The problem is, this works well for quite a while but eventually we always get caught by the patrol vessels with the same glug glug boom boom result. Reality is set to Hard. No mods. 1.) How can we remain undetected by the patrols until nightfall? 2.) After nightfall, is it safe to come to decks awash within a certain distance of the patrol boats? It seems like it will be nearly impossible to sneak past all of these ships and get this mission done. Please help!

11-12-14, 10:59 AM	#2
Dread Knot Ace of the Deep Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,288 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	I guess you could get on the radio and argue with your superiors why they are sending in a submarine to do a risky recon mission that Army aircraft designed for that purpose could do out of the airfield at Port Moresby, cheaper, quicker, from altitude, in the daytime light, and you have the negatives the same day. Some of the missions scripted in the game bear no resemblance to historical reality.

11-12-14, 11:50 AM	#3
Capt Peril Nub Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 3 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	While I can't argue with that, I would still like to accomplish it. That said I am having one hell of a time doing that. These four warships are in a tight patrol and even though I found a spot to hide until nightfall, I am getting caught every time during the approach and having no luck escaping from four warships in the shallows.

11-12-14, 12:41 PM	#4
Capt Peril Nub Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 3 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	I finally made it into the bay Rabaul where the carriers are but you can't get within 2000 yards to take photos unless you're on the surface which naturally = getting caught every time. What the hell is with this assignment?? I must be missing something here.

11-12-14, 01:24 PM	#6
AndyJWest Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Yup - a near-suicidal mission. I seem to recall having succeeded once, but mostly by luck. I'm currently running the TMO mod (custom difficulty settings, with no external views to help) and have tried three times, with the same fatal results. My only suggestion is to make sure you save the game before sending a radio message that will give you a new mission, and if they send you to Raboul, cheat and reload the save. Thot, or ignore the mission entirely, and go look for something to sink instead. Edit: In fact, thinking about it, I remember not only succeeding in getting the photo's one time few years ago, but deciding to do the obvious, and torpedo the stationary carriers. I can't remember whether I got out alive that time...

11-12-14, 02:23 PM	#7
Sniper297 The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Philadelphia Shipyard Brig Posts: 1,386 Downloads: 160 Uploads: 19	Simplest way to deal with patrol craft is to sink them with torpedoes. After that consider "periscope depth" as a variable - with GATO and later subs inside harbors you often run aground at 66 feet, so come up to 55 feet and use the page up/page down keys to just raise the scope above the surface. Whatever it takes, as long as the tops of the periscope shears are below the surface the only thing you need to worry about is depth charges. And the best way to avoid depth charges in shallow water is to sink everything in the area that carries depth charges.