Patrol technique SH4?

[XenonSurf]

Also avoid shallow waters like the plague. In SH4, the whitest zones on the map are shallow with only 48-55 feet deep from what I could see, meaning that even if there is no risk to run aground at depth < 20 (they have taken this risk out for the pacific theater in SH4 I think, but not sure), you are visible after diving for all trained escorts and also for planes which you then must attack instead of diving (yeah they see you underwater in clear weather and calm sea).


There are usually 3 or 4 depth zones:

Blue zone with > 1000 feet deep.
greyish zone with 300-1000 which is still fine;
Not always: Bright grey zone up to 250 feet, can be fine against a single escort only.
Bright white zone with less than 60 feet deep which you should avoid at day and pass quickly during night only.


Mission mechanics:
In FOTRSU, I think missions and their operation areas work this way: you can leave the mission area to sink ships but you must stay in total within the circle for the time of patrol days requested, for example if you are requested to patrol 5 days in your area (which is within the circle) you can stay 2 days in the circle, then leave it and return, then patrol 3 days in the circle after which you get a message for the mission completed. You are then free to do what you want until you decide to hit the 'Report Status' button, which will get a new mission. Don't press that button if you decide to return to port! Sitll I'm not 100% sure it works that way, but that's what I've seen during my last longer patrol. In all cases, you get renown points for every ship you sink, in your patrol area or not.



XS

[jimmbbo]

Originally Posted by XenonSurf

Also avoid shallow waters like the plague.
There are usually 3 or 4 depth zones:
Blue zone with > 1000 feet deep.
greyish zone with 300-1000 which is still fine;
Not always: Bright grey zone up to 250 feet, can be fine against a single escort only.
Bright white zone with less than 60 feet deep which you should avoid at day and pass quickly during night only.
XS

+1 on shallow water patrols... If assigned a 48 hour stint in the "Jawa" Sea or the SW Yellow Sea, I'll find a location with at least 200 ft depth if possible and TC the assignment away on the surface, diving if needed.

I only attack convoys if I have at least 300 ft depth and an exit route with at least that depth available.

I prefer to have at least 100 ft "chart depth" to attack unescorted merchantmen, but a juicy target may draw me in for the attack if I can maintain periscope depth.

FWIW, on harbor attacks or photo missions, I have never run aground at periscope depth, albeit with single digit depth to keel numbers

[3catcircus]

Wait? You guys just sit idle? I normally pick a promising spot inside the patrol zone and tool along at A1/3 on the surface at night and the dive during the day - running in close to populated areas and back out.

The challenge is not being impatient and bumping up TC past 128. Instant I do that, it seems I then run into a contact...

[XenonSurf]

Originally Posted by 3catcircus

Wait? You guys just sit idle? I normally pick a promising spot inside the patrol zone and tool along at A1/3 on the surface at night and the dive during the day - running in close to populated areas and back out.

The challenge is not being impatient and bumping up TC past 128. Instant I do that, it seems I then run into a contact...

My answer above may suggest that I'm mostly 'waiting' as you say, but that's not what I do all the time. I certainly move in search patterns on routes that lead towards a strait or important port etc.
The FOTRSU or TMO mod provide a chart with historical routes (if you launch the radio) which will certainly increase your contact chances, here 2 comments about it:

- You are not supposed to know about these historical routes, I think headquaters and skippers had a good guess at that time during the war, but these charts were drawn after the war where all convoy routes were known. If you play with realism in mind, better don't look at these charts too often but make your own guesses about possible routes followed by convoys.

- If you use these charts you don't want to 'stay still' but move in search patterns on these routes to increase your contact chances, but approaching a port or strait I find it better to place at some strategic point outside and wait for some time.


Cheers,
XS

[Mios 4Me]

In areas of heavy air cover, I sit tight at 90 meters during the day, then explore at night. If it's an open ocean area, I wander around until I find a shipping lane. If it's somewhat restricted, like part of Convoy College, for example, I run short search patterns perpendicular to the suspected lanes, keeping the radar detection ranges in mind to maintain a small amount of overlap.

I've had very good results haunting larger straits, such as Tsugaru and Makassar. The SBS has a high pucker factor when Kurita comes to call; I usually opt instead for the point where the Sibuyan Sea narrows down on the way to the SBS.

I detest the shallow water assignments like Jawa Sea and only engage with Mark 16s from 4000 meters plus. As soon as the salvo is launched, I'm reversing away as fast as possible without giving away my position. Tried it once with a TF...once...and survived, but it was a near run thing. I wound up reversing at full speed for 20 km while firing DTT shots at charging escorts as fast as they could be loaded.

[jimmbbo]

Originally Posted by 3catcircus

Wait? You guys just sit idle? I normally pick a promising spot inside the patrol zone and tool along at A1/3 on the surface at night and the dive during the day - running in close to populated areas and back out.

Early in the game, fuel is a scarce resource and trips from Pearl to Honshu are right at the edge of the boat's range, with minimal extra... In that instance, I'd prefer to save fuel for a high speed run to intercept a convoy in my too-slow boat rather than patrolling a barren area seeking a low probability target. Proximity to the shipping lanes is a plus, making parking close to them more successful, but in low probability areas, IMO using precious fuel isn't worth it.

FIMO spending fuel in target rich zones is important with RTB for another mission being #1 on the Hit Parade...

Later in the game with better boats, better sensors and trained engine room crews adding range to the tanks, I have more latitude and will spend fuel in longer range searches, but still lay low when in shallow water or in low probability zones.
An interesting side note is that patrolling target rich environments either along the E/SE coast of the Home Islands or in the area around Rabaul is that I usually run out of torpedoes with 60ish% fuel remaining, often allowing a high speed RTB to replenish
If hunting around Rabaul using Tulagi for refit often provides some low hanging fruit running through The Slot, and a harbor raid at Honiara adds a bit of fun

[KaleunMarco]

Originally Posted by Mios 4Me

Tried it once with a TF...once...and survived, but it was a near run thing. I wound up reversing at full speed for 20 km while firing DTT shots at charging escorts as fast as they could be loaded.

ok, i'll bite.
what is a DTT shot?

[propbeanie]

Marco! "Down The Throat"!