Your typical patrol

[commandosolo2009]

Originally Posted by 0rpheus

West of Celebes, all the way up the Makassar strait, and then sit just west of Tawi Tawi in the Sulu Archipelago. The tiny corridor west of Tawi Tawi has lots of traffic and you can just park up and let them come to you

But isnt that somewhat forgranted? I mean in real life, if ships were sunk in that area, Japs would divert all ships to another route?

[0rpheus]

Yeah you're probably right, I didn't say it was realistic

[commandosolo2009]

Originally Posted by 0rpheus

Yeah you're probably right, I didn't say it was realistic

But thanks for sharing your routine.

[Bubblehead1980]

How I operate depends on the period of the war and the area, much as it was in RL.At the onset of the war through 42 I submerge during daylight with occasional periscope sweeps and use sonar to make contacts, if need to surface to close target I will.This follows early war doctrine.

Around Jan 43 or so I begin using night surface attacks at night(obviously) and still patrol submerged during daylight with surface patrols becoming more common as the year wears on.Mid 43 till the end I patrol on surface and dive only when have to, to avoid planes, attack etc. Exception to this would be that of RL when patroling close to shore or in Sagami Bay etc

I run TMO with RSRD and when with SubPac I patrol the Japan-Mariannas-Truk lanes often in 43 and 44, Japan-Luzon, Formosa Straits often, sometimes hang around the Tokyo area if assigned.Late 43 into 44 Rabaul-Truk lanes are busy.

When out of Australia I go where assigned but favorite areas are off Northern Luzonor just outside southern formosa straight.Coast of Indochina is pretty fruitful usually as well.October 44(do this from both commands) China coast is packed with convoys but shallow waters and enemy radar can make it challenging.

[Daniel Prates]

If you're bored and don't know where to go, just report your status to base and they will always find you somewhere to go.

[commandosolo2009]

Originally Posted by Daniel Prates

If you're bored and don't know where to go, just report your status to base and they will always find you somewhere to go.

Thats not a dilemma since hq's rps are unrealistic sometimes, and a long dash from brisbane to luzon for example, causes a crash at tc, since alot of traffic generates and I dont want to engage and lose my precious torpedoes except on AO targets. With that being said, I never cross 4000 km from brisbane, and I stick to Rabaul-Palau route, and my policy is to sink only large ships.

I will start practicing calling AOB. I dont want the plot methods anymore, since skippers used their eyes, well, I should too.. If I'm correct there was a periscope method to get the AOB and I wish if somebody lay it plain on the table.

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by commandosolo2009

Thats not a dilemma since hq's rps are unrealistic sometimes, and a long dash from brisbane to luzon for example, causes a crash at tc, since alot of traffic generates and I dont want to engage and lose my precious torpedoes except on AO targets. With that being said, I never cross 4000 km from brisbane, and I stick to Rabaul-Palau route, and my policy is to sink only large ships.

I will start practicing calling AOB. I dont want the plot methods anymore, since skippers used their eyes, well, I should too.. If I'm correct there was a periscope method to get the AOB and I wish if somebody lay it plain on the table.

The AOB is the ships course relative to your sub. If you take two accurate stad measurement and ask for speed it will also give you course. The AOB wheel has two sets of numbers, angle and course, just simple spin the AOB to the course numbers given and it will set the right angle.

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by commandosolo2009

I will start practicing calling AOB. I dont want the plot methods anymore, since skippers used their eyes, well, I should too.. If I'm correct there was a periscope method to get the AOB and I wish if somebody lay it plain on the table.

I think eyeballing (calling AOB) and plot methods should be considered complementry; that is one assists the other. If you mean by plot methods, using map contact updates, I agree this is much easier. I know O'Kane used both his observations and info from the plot for his attacks. The plot could not eliminate the need for visual estimates of AOB, because the target was usually following a zig-zag course, and it was necessary to know the base course and be able to anticipate the next zig. If one had to rely only on stadimeter ranging and plot (without knowing AOB), a course change or zig would only become evident well after the target was into the new course. By the same token, using visual estimates alone, would leave one without a good overall view, masking errors in observation and making an effective approach or "end-around" much more difficult. In short, using both techniques together, minimizes the weaknesses of each.


If the periscope method for obtaining AOB you refer to, is what I think you mean, some have posted that there was a periscope device designed to give an AOB reading, comparable to the stadimeter. I don't know the details, but it would require knowing the length of the ship in question. Of course, it is not represented in the game. Cap'nScurvy is/ was working on something that would accomplish this type of task. Perhaps this is what you refer to? In any case, it is a handy skill to have in this game. I always found it to be fairly difficult to make a decent AOB estimate, though one improves with practice, I suppose.