convoys convoys uuuggghh

[flag4]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

250km west of Gibraltar

+ BE MORE AGRESSIVE ?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by flag4

+ BE MORE AGRESSIVE ?

OH yes

BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!!

[flag4]

...hmm - thought that might be in there somewhere

[vanjast]

If you consider that your average convoy speed is 8 knots, and you should hear (hydrophone) a large convoy up to 100Nm (AFAIK not sure if this is modeled but it doesn't matter) on a good day.. this gives approx 12 hours to traverse this distance. If you idle along at 7 knots in the opposite direction.. your total closing speed is 15 knots, giving you 6 hours.

On a bad day your hydrophone distance should be less, but so should your and convoys speed be less... so six hours is a good balance between detection and irritation.

What I do is run square box patrol at 6 hours per leg (any speed < 7knots will do) and at the end of each leg dive for a hydrophone scan, turn 90 listen again then surface for the next leg.

Get very tedious, but I've picked up convoys at long distances.

[Pisces]

'Reality check'

SH3 has a hard capped hydrophone range of about 34 km radius if you listen manually at the hydro station. That's still a needle in a vast ocean.

[banryu79]

Originally Posted by vanjast

...
What I do is run square box patrol at 6 hours per leg (any speed < 7knots will do) and at the end of each leg dive for a hydrophone scan, turn 90 listen again then surface for the next leg.
...

Thank you, nice patrol strategy.
Until now I never thinked about "sqare box" patrol legs... I had always used "triangle" (or zig-zag) legs... I will try this strategy.

Originally Posted by vanjast

...
Get very tedious, but I've picked up convoys at long distances.

Yeah, I know what you mean but I bet it is more tedious and frustrating to run around at random and still not picking up any contacts at all. For me it's always better to try and maximize my chances to hear/spot them even if in the end I do not found anything.