Bad weather tactics

Mios 4Me · 02-18-19, 12:07 PM

Found an unescorted convoy of large freighters off the coast of Honshu but the weather is so bad I can't detect them far away enough for the torpedoes to arm. I'd happily gun down a huge liner but these are too heavily armed for short ranges. I tried to use radar on the attack screen but couldn't get a firing solution.

Dawn and clearing weather will bring swarms of pesky planes. Am I overlooking anything?

This is stock 1.3 with automatic targeting.

propbeanie · 02-18-19, 03:13 PM

You really don't always need a "Lock" in auto-targeting. Make certain that you have your tubes doors open, and then point your scope or TBT at the target, and press the PK button. As soon as you can, press the Fire button. If you are between 500-800 yards away, especially if close to a 90° solution, you should hit the beast. You could "lead" the target toward the direction of travel, but still aiming at its hull. Be careful of oblique angles, especially if you have "duds" checked in the Options screen, because if the torpedo gyro has to turn too far, it might "circle-run" on you and come back like a boomerang...

Now, if you don't have the Steam version, you could try the Silent Hunter 4 v1.4 update, and get slightly better game performance. However, your old Saves would not be compatible with it. If you have Steam, you have to purchase and use their Uboat Mission Addon package, which would take you to version 1.5, which is better.

Mios 4Me · 02-18-19, 04:56 PM

I can't acquire the targets beyond 350m. By then I'm backing out full speed at varying angles under heavy fire, so I'd rather not spray torpedoes without a high likelihood of hitting. This is the only convoy of its kind i've found and the war's almost over.

I hoped radar might work but couldn't get a red solution light. Plus I have no idea what the odd appendage on the sub icon on the attack screen is - related to tracking, I assume, but it loops back 180 degrees. If I click PK, a white x appears at its end.

So I should bore into the convoy from the flank at 90 degrees using radar, select the nearest victim, add a click or two ahead to the torpedo spread, then fire blindly at a moderate depth setting, and hope for the best?

I have the Steam version but can't install the update or the 1.5 game on the current laptop. Once this career is over, I have stock 1.5 on the new laptop but I think I'll mod it first. Would be nice to have a Mark 16 laden Tench in 1941, assuming anyone's created that.

propbeanie · 02-18-19, 05:45 PM

No flank speed when shooting - unless you're running from a persistent DD on the surface, and use the rear tubes...

Ahead 1/3. Can you see the ships' "shadows" in the fog / rain / wind? If you can see them, they most likely can see you, especially during daylight hours. Have you plotted their course on your NavMap yet? That would help you immensely in figuring out where they are going to be after a set time period. What you describe with the white "X" is where your torpedo is going to go, and where it is projected to impact what you set the PK on (Position Keeper). If you see it going off at a weird angle to your boat instead of straight out and then a pinch of a bend, say no more than 15°, then you should try to come straighter in on the target, being mindful of range. There are a few tutorials on targeting, whether auto- or manual- up in Rockin Robbin's Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks thread. Be sure and visit THEBERBSTER's thread SH4 <> TUTORIALS <> HOW TO DO IT <> INFO <> DOWNLOAD LINKS -STICKY INDEX. Those two fellows point you at just about every useful tidbit of info there is to be found on SH4...

Barkerov · 02-18-19, 06:13 PM

I agree with propbeanie, this is where learning maunal targeting could really come in handy for you.

For me, I would just use the radar to make a plot on the map, time them on course for 3 mins (if your measuring in yards, 3:15 if you're using meters) divide that number by 100 to get speed. Then I would use the plot to get range and AOB, program all that into the TDC, check that the solution lined up with the targets position in the attack map and when I was happy, then I'd fire.

I imagine you'd see them through the fog very clearly after that. For a while at least...

Mios 4Me · 02-19-19, 08:26 AM

Thanks for the the suggestions - they are useful indeed. I'd hoped to use radar to hit multiple targets per attack but the first one shattered the formation and they never regrouped. Individual large ships acted as if they had radar detectors but not radar itself as they avoided my attack setups. I finally hunted them down individually by passive sonar, submerging, and backing off at flank to launch at the very edge of vision. The two smaller ones I battle-surfaced on, saving the Mark 16 Thunderfish for sniping a fat liner and escort from 4500m later.

Gotta say I love the new torps and the 5/25 when used individually. Together the ROF is almost halved, rendering the second gun almost moot.

02-18-19, 12:07 PM	#1
Mios 4Me Sonar Guy Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 394 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Bad weather tactics Found an unescorted convoy of large freighters off the coast of Honshu but the weather is so bad I can't detect them far away enough for the torpedoes to arm. I'd happily gun down a huge liner but these are too heavily armed for short ranges. I tried to use radar on the attack screen but couldn't get a firing solution. Dawn and clearing weather will bring swarms of pesky planes. Am I overlooking anything? This is stock 1.3 with automatic targeting.

02-18-19, 03:13 PM	#2
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 10,098 Downloads: 451 Uploads: 2	You really don't always need a "Lock" in auto-targeting. Make certain that you have your tubes doors open, and then point your scope or TBT at the target, and press the PK button. As soon as you can, press the Fire button. If you are between 500-800 yards away, especially if close to a 90° solution, you should hit the beast. You could "lead" the target toward the direction of travel, but still aiming at its hull. Be careful of oblique angles, especially if you have "duds" checked in the Options screen, because if the torpedo gyro has to turn too far, it might "circle-run" on you and come back like a boomerang... Now, if you don't have the Steam version, you could try the Silent Hunter 4 v1.4 update, and get slightly better game performance. However, your old Saves would not be compatible with it. If you have Steam, you have to purchase and use their Uboat Mission Addon package, which would take you to version 1.5, which is better. __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayers" - Jimbuna

02-18-19, 05:45 PM	#4
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 10,098 Downloads: 451 Uploads: 2	No flank speed when shooting - unless you're running from a persistent DD on the surface, and use the rear tubes... Ahead 1/3. Can you see the ships' "shadows" in the fog / rain / wind? If you can see them, they most likely can see you, especially during daylight hours. Have you plotted their course on your NavMap yet? That would help you immensely in figuring out where they are going to be after a set time period. What you describe with the white "X" is where your torpedo is going to go, and where it is projected to impact what you set the PK on (Position Keeper). If you see it going off at a weird angle to your boat instead of straight out and then a pinch of a bend, say no more than 15°, then you should try to come straighter in on the target, being mindful of range. There are a few tutorials on targeting, whether auto- or manual- up in Rockin Robbin's Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks thread. Be sure and visit THEBERBSTER's thread SH4 <> TUTORIALS <> HOW TO DO IT <> INFO <> DOWNLOAD LINKS -STICKY INDEX. Those two fellows point you at just about every useful tidbit of info there is to be found on SH4... __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayers" - Jimbuna

02-18-19, 04:56 PM	#3
Mios 4Me Sonar Guy Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 394 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	I can't acquire the targets beyond 350m. By then I'm backing out full speed at varying angles under heavy fire, so I'd rather not spray torpedoes without a high likelihood of hitting. This is the only convoy of its kind i've found and the war's almost over. I hoped radar might work but couldn't get a red solution light. Plus I have no idea what the odd appendage on the sub icon on the attack screen is - related to tracking, I assume, but it loops back 180 degrees. If I click PK, a white x appears at its end. So I should bore into the convoy from the flank at 90 degrees using radar, select the nearest victim, add a click or two ahead to the torpedo spread, then fire blindly at a moderate depth setting, and hope for the best? I have the Steam version but can't install the update or the 1.5 game on the current laptop. Once this career is over, I have stock 1.5 on the new laptop but I think I'll mod it first. Would be nice to have a Mark 16 laden Tench in 1941, assuming anyone's created that.

02-18-19, 06:13 PM	#5
Barkerov Soundman Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Australia Posts: 147 Downloads: 42 Uploads: 0	I agree with propbeanie, this is where learning maunal targeting could really come in handy for you. For me, I would just use the radar to make a plot on the map, time them on course for 3 mins (if your measuring in yards, 3:15 if you're using meters) divide that number by 100 to get speed. Then I would use the plot to get range and AOB, program all that into the TDC, check that the solution lined up with the targets position in the attack map and when I was happy, then I'd fire. I imagine you'd see them through the fog very clearly after that. For a while at least...

02-19-19, 08:26 AM	#6
Mios 4Me Sonar Guy Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 394 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the the suggestions - they are useful indeed. I'd hoped to use radar to hit multiple targets per attack but the first one shattered the formation and they never regrouped. Individual large ships acted as if they had radar detectors but not radar itself as they avoided my attack setups. I finally hunted them down individually by passive sonar, submerging, and backing off at flank to launch at the very edge of vision. The two smaller ones I battle-surfaced on, saving the Mark 16 Thunderfish for sniping a fat liner and escort from 4500m later. Gotta say I love the new torps and the 5/25 when used individually. Together the ROF is almost halved, rendering the second gun almost moot.