Is it normal not to see ONE destroyer after two patrols?

[Quagmire]

Well, here is what is going on off Hokkaido in July '43.


Four merchants with a fifth just picked up on radar. I plugged them over the course of two days. You would think they would at least send out a search plane but I have had no opposition. Stupid mission will not complete either.

One possible reason is that over 50% of patrols out of Pearl in 1942 were to Truk. That's the "front" and near Truk everything is escorts---almost, unescorted is a rare exception in that area).

I guess I need to head to Truk for some excitement, eh?

I'm not knocking you guys. Heck, I think your work is required to enjoy SHIV. Your work rocks! I am just asking if it is normal to park in one spot off the home islands and shoot fish in a barrel.

I feel like I am cheating...
.

[Ducimus]

>>You would think they would at least send out a search plane but I have had no opposition.

I've been rexamining aircraft.


>>Stupid mission will not complete either.
Judging by the icon, i think you have to patrol there for a couple days before it counts as completed.

[jdkbph]

Originally Posted by Quagmire

Stupid mission will not complete either.

I'm not sure exactly what the number is - I use 50nm and have no problem completing these mission types - but there is a max radius around that yellow star icon that defines your assigned patrol area. If you stray beyond that boundary at any time during the 48 hours patrol - eg, to chase a contact - you have to start all over again.

It's hard to tell from the jpg, but those sunk ship icons appear to be out of the patrol area... and some of those waypoints you've got plotted are close.

JD

[tater]

50-55nm is usual. The big problem is that the patrols in the stock game are all set to "continuous." This means that if you need to patrol the area for 48 hours, and you stray 1cm out of the box in that period, the clock resets. I have since changed most all of them to non-continuous, so you the time spent in the box is additive.

The TM campaign so far hasn't altered all the patrols. My current version has more of this done, if it works with the TM 1.7 timeframe, I will try and push it out the door to be included.

tater

[Rockin Robbins]

TM 1.64, ROW, NSM 3.3. I'm assigned to patrol the Carolines area and I'm stuck in the middle of a hornet's nest around Truk. I'm using a 75 nm radius around my patrol areas and no problem with completed missions, by the way.After I upload some screenies I'll update. In short, I've got minelayers all over the place, one unescorted convoy of two ships (sank em both), 10,000 aircraft, some of which have conducted attacks while I am submerged. It's slightly foggy, so I can remain at radar depth even when planes are quite close, but I was attacked three times on approach to a target at periscope depth. It's been exciting! Pictures soon!

[tater]

Wonder if there is a CV group at anchor in the lagoon. Yet another reason to dump CV air groups down lower in plane count. I suppose you can assume they flew off the planes and landed them at the airbase at Truk. Not sure if the IJN did that, the USN always did (so the planes would be available to fly while the CV was incapable of flight ops (since they need to steam ahead to conduct air ops)).

tater

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by tater

Wonder if there is a CV group at anchor in the lagoon. tater

That's what it looks like and I think I've noted the position of the CV, even though I'm not close enough to see it on radar. My patrol area is south of Truk and going after the carrier is going to take me out of the 75 nm radius and make me restart the clock, but as this is my 12th cruise, I'm not going to risk retirement by returning to base empty-handed. And with all the minelayers running around I'll have something to exercise my cuties on!

Shots so far:

Smoke on the horizon, just left of the crosshair. Looks better in the game, even with this enhanced picture. Something about the screenshot process isn't quite right. Time to set up a nice orderly approach and should be a piece of cake!

Tagged the first one with a single shot. Missed two because I forgot to turn the PK off when they did the St Vitus' Dance and I had to chase at ahead emergency at periscope depth for over 15 minutes. Tagged him with a single shot here and this is after the coup de grace in the stern after he stopped. Love the oil slick!!!!

Lotsa planes here from the probable CV. Here's a flight passing by as seen through the observation scope with the sub at radar depth. I like to see what's happening and stay near the surface. I feel like I'm in better control of the situation.

Here you go! He's straight overhead and didn't drop. I'm at periscope depth here using the observation scope which lets you look straight up. He didn't see a thing and I'm happy with the realism there. Water was rough enough I wasn't very visible, unlike when I was making the approach to my second victim, when I was attacked three times by planes while at periscope depth.

If you don't think the merchies zig and zag with tater's stuff in TM 1.64, just look at this mess! Two ships for 12 torpedoes, five hits. Fired a cutie out the stern by mistake. Note to self: that was a BAD IDEA. Spent five real tense minutes dodging that one. I feel like I'm finally seeing the frustration of a real sub skipper.

Thought I had screenies of the Truk area, which is just west of these two ship sinkings by maybe 5 miles. Needless to say, the planes know I'm here, although they haven't seen me since maybe they saw me when they bombed me at periscope depth. It's possible they were just blindly dropping too. But two ships down counts as a sub sighting I guess.

I'm skirting the lagoon to the east and then the south to work my way around to where I think the CV is holed up. More to come as I either get killed or bag myself a nice flattop.