Do you always report a convoy?

[ncorpuz34]

I start a new career in an S-boat early in the war (no radar) and a couple of days into the patrol, at about 0200 I come off TC as my SO reports multiple contacts. On my binocs I spot 3 destroyers doing a sweep towards my area and the reflections of at least 6 more bigger ships more off into the horizon. Looks like something big! Am I detected? Im not sure, the destroyers aren't "steaming towards my location" so I assume not. I make a radio report of the contact back to base and wait for the response. I am ordered to "Sink IJN Warships" and my mission objects are updated.

Hmm...easier said than done.

So I submerge and get on the sonar. I make a few pings on which in the end turn out to be a convoy of about 6 merchant ships, 3 big passenger liners, 1 cruiser and 6 DDs. The front 3 DDs are now in my area with spots lights but dont know my exact location. Since no surface radar, and my crew is having a hard time maintaining a visual, I had to use active sonar to calculate a heading and range of the convoy. I turns out im in a bad position to attack and as half the convoy has already passed me and is about 5000 yrds away. I sneak past the 3 DDs to get within range. Forced to pass up the juicy 10k ton passenger liners, I turn my attention towards the cruiser and notice through the periscope that the convoy is already on alert and is doing zig-zags. I usually use the O' kane or Cromwell method but since I had no early warning about the convoy, I have to use the good ol TDC. I am forced to get contact range readings using active sonar due to a bug in the new RFB 1.52 not being able to hold a lock on a ship (inhibiting the stadimeter). But at this point didnt matter since the convoy is already doing evasive manuevers. I try to get the best solutions with the TDC before firing off my 4 fish in a spread hoping to hit the cruiser. All miss. Frustrated, I break off the attack and go deep to avoid the DDs and decided to live to fight another day.

Okay now onto my question(s):
Am I expected to always report a convoy no matter what?

There was another time when I spotted the a large IJN convoy and in a good position (Battleships, Carriers, Cruisers), I make a report and get a message somehting like "We have been notified of the convoy, will send out additional forces to deal with them. Attack at your own descretion" So I wasn't FORCED to sink any of the ships. (I was in good position, I did anyway, ending up taking out 1 BB and 1 Cruiser).
In this case I was hoping to get that same msg but guess it didn't happen.

So if I sank 10 ships on this patrol but if none of them were warships, do I fail the mission?

Now I know at least to TRY to get in a better position before making a report but in this case was a bit difficult as I had no radar to determine the convoy's heading and range. My deckcrew seemed to be asleep as well so no visual updates (Contacts came to within 2000yrds, clear weather, excellent visibility, during the night) except for my own eyes (another feature of the extreme 'realism' of the new RFB?:hmm

Should I have even made at report in my (bad) position? Even though my mission objects said to report any convoys spotted in the patrol area first before any action is taken (Im also running RSRD). I assume IRL, there was no question about it.

[Kruger]

I did not se any useful effect in reporting convoys and task forces. There are no friendly AI's willing to join the battle, no planes to come and help you, no nothing. You will just receive the eye-candy radio message back to instruct you to make the attack...or not

[Rockin Robbins]

I always report convoys and single contacts. It adds renown to your score.

If your mission is to sink warships and you do not, then you fail. But escorts are warships and usually you can persuade one to do battle. Welcome to the wonderful world of radarless S-boats. On the dinner menu is a lot of frustration, followed by limited success and hopefully survival.

[Diopos]

Don't ping when they're warships around! Much more so when they're alot of DDs around! You "announce" yourself! Good for tea parties, bad for sub warfare!

[Fattysbox]

When you pinged you caused the convoy to zig zag. Don't ping next and its much easier to get in to position. Dive deep when those 3 DDs are close, let them pass and pop up to PD... Convoy should be right in front of you. At least thats my strategy...

[SteamWake]

You are not 'expected' to report but I usually try to report the contacts, its not always possible and sometimes as you have found out they will task you with disrupting the convoy. Which again is not always possible.

As the others have said pinging for range while the escorts are on point is a bad idea. Its kind of like ringing the dinner bell and shouting "Here I am come and get me !" When the whole idea is to not let them know your there till stuff starts blowing up. Next time pop up your scope for a few moments and use that to get your range. Just dont forget to put it back down again :rotfl: . Get some 'situational awarness' and try to use the passive sonar to track your targets. It will give you rough estimates to range (actually too good but thats another topic).

[I'm goin' down]

How do you report a convoy, ship or anytingh for that matter.? I could use all the renown I can muster.

[peabody]

Originally Posted by I'm goin' down

How do you report a convoy, ship or anytingh for that matter.? I could use all the renown I can muster.

Down on the right side the button that looks like a ships wheel, click it. It brings up the clipboard (captain's log) On the first page (the tab with the ! ) When you open that page you see an envelope on the left to report status (like mission completed or whatever your status is) and on the right is a picture of a ship to report contacts, but you must be on the surface to do it. And close enough to see the whites of their eyes, and if it's Saturday after a hard Friday night the eyes are all bloodshot so you are out of luck. .

Do I make contact reports....heck NO. I sink them...all of them...well ok 1 or 2.

Peabody

[I'm goin' down]

thank you sir.

[Diopos]

Originally Posted by peabody

...
... I sink them...all of them...well ok 1 or 2.

Peabody

Spirit:
Implementation:
We must form a clan or something!
As in: Sea-kings of the near-miss.!:rotfl:

[peabody]

Originally Posted by Diopos

Spirit:
Implementation:
We must form a clan or something!
As in: Sea-kings of the near-miss.!:rotfl:

I am not just a member of Sea-kings of the near-miss, I am the President.:rotfl:

Peabody

[tater]

Actually, you can only make a report inside 4500m. I never make them, so I'm not sure, do you have to be surfaced, too? That's insanely close, regardless.