Effective patrolling methods

[Pisces]

As an alternative to 1) you could increase the reporting range of mapcontacts:

"Display Range To Opportunity Radio Contacts" or "Display Range To Important Radio Contacts" in Sh3/data/cfg/contacts.cfg

I'm not sure what the diference is between them though. Probably "Opportunity" are lone vessels, and "Important" are convoys.

Getting a contact reported still depends on chance. But the game doesn't limit them based on the range to your uboat.

[Edit]Some time ago I worked out what the best hydrophone interval was to not let a target escape your attention. Or atleast with minimal chance.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...7&postcount=27

[Paul Riley]

Thanks for the replies.

What I was really after though is ideas on good solid patrolling methods,as in specific patrol lines/patterns,and their distance etc,and how long they should realistically be carried out for before you realise that nothing is going to come that way.But what I would REALLY like is a link to any such material on the web,authentic material written by the captains themselves,how they patrolled and what patterns if any they employed.Its possible that the following book 'the uboat commander's handbook' may contain such info,but it appears quite a rare book and is hard to get hold of in the UK.I believe most of it was compiled by Doenitz himself from his early actions in WWI through to the modern tactics in WWII.I would really like to get into this book.I DO have Iron Coffins which I really enjoyed,but the other book is very specific about tactics and technical data.

Cheers.

[RoaldLarsen]

Originally Posted by Paul Riley

Thanks for the replies.

What I was really after though is ideas on good solid patrolling methods,as in specific patrol lines/patterns,and their distance etc,and how long they should realistically be carried out for before you realise that nothing is going to come that way.But what I would REALLY like is a link to any such material on the web,authentic material written by the captains themselves,how they patrolled and what patterns if any they employed.Its possible that the following book 'the uboat commander's handbook' may contain such info,but it appears quite a rare book and is hard to get hold of in the UK.I believe most of it was compiled by Doenitz himself from his early actions in WWI through to the modern tactics in WWII.I would really like to get into this book.I DO have Iron Coffins which I really enjoyed,but the other book is very specific about tactics and technical data.

Cheers.

Much of the most effective patrolling methods were employed by wolfpacks. Unfortunately, the game just doesn't model these (perhaps the biggest failing of SH3).

The best advice I can give you comes from the in-game capablities of the sub. To maximize the number of contacts found, submerge, stop, listen on the hydrophones, surface, sprint at highest speed for about 20km, repeat. Probably most effective in lines perpendicular to expected route of convoy.

This is not necessarily what you should do, because it is not the safest behaviour, nor does it necessarly replicate what u-boats actually did. Also, it will result in more contacts than occurred historically.

I think that the game is (im-?)balanced in such a way as to encourage greater reliance on the hydrophone rather than the eyeball for making contacts. I have the impression that IRL the reverse was true.

I don't think there is any reason to think, after waiting a certain amount of time at a spot , that not having seen anythign yet indicates you won't see anything in the future, if you are near a convoy route. OTOH, if you are in some remote backwater, and nothing shows up after a while, it is probably safe to assume that nothing has been scripted to appear in that area.

[Paul Riley]

Thanks a lot RoaldLarson,

Quite helpful,the 20km dash you described,its akin to what I was doing previous,I draw a 20km circle either side of the expected route,and move to the centre of the 1st,dive,listen,surface,move to the edge,repeat,then move onto the 2nd circle and repeat all the previous,however I only do it at the convoy's expected speed,say no more than 8kts.This is not practical at all the more I think of it,because while I am patrolling the 1st cirlce at 8kts,a target could move through the 2nd circle and be gone by the time I reach that area.Your high speed patrolling sounds more effective,but wouldnt this sap fuel much quicker?,which could be better saved for extended patrols that could go into weeks?.
I am confident I may be on the AK48 route,according to the game map that is,but we shall see.
I just wish there was some info on the web,i'd like to know more about patrol tactics.

Well,thanks again for the reply.

[RoaldLarsen]

Originally Posted by Paul Riley

Your high speed patrolling sounds more effective,but wouldnt this sap fuel much quicker?,which could be better saved for extended patrols that could go into weeks?.

Yes. So while it may maximize contacts gained per unit of time, it may not maximize total contacts, because the amount of available time will be reduced.

Originally Posted by Paul Riley

I am confident I may be on the AK48 route,according to the game map that is,but we shall see.

In the game, convoys follow a scripted set of waypoints from their start to finish ponts. However, the locations of the intermediate waypoints for a given convoy are randomized within a scripted radius. Because convoys randomize their routes, being perhaps hundreds of kilometres from a given waypoint, one can never be confident that one is on the path of a given convoy unless one has a recent sighting report.

Originally Posted by Paul Riley

I just wish there was some info on the web,i'd like to know more about patrol tactics.

Well,thanks again for the reply.

I have run across descriptions of wolfpack search techniques and search patterns used by surface vessels after losing contact with a u-boat, but I have never read anything that described search patterns used by single u-boats.

What the wolfpacks would try to do was form a line on the surface, perpendicular to the expected path of a convoy, and spaced so that the distance between boats was equal to the diameter of the circle of visual range of a boat. The line would then move towards the expected convoy, maintaining spacing, until a contact was made. Often the spacing had to be greater than optimal, due to a shortage of boats.

The best approximation of this that a single boat can make is to patrol in a line perpendicular to the path of the convoy. I am not sure what the optimal length of that line should be, but I would guess that a large fraction of the total possible displacement from the convoy's nominal course would be better than a small fraction. I tend to use lines about 100km long.

In AK48, I'd start in the SE corner and run 100km or so on a course of 330, then go about 20km on 240, 100km on 150, then complete the box and repeat. Speed and portion spent submerged would be dictated mostly by fuel state and expectation of aircraft.

[Paul Riley]

Thanks again Roald.

I'll let you know how I go in a few days about this current patrol,if nothing,i'll have to break off and head back to base along the route and drop down near to the single merchant lane to the South,as it will be almost November 42 by then,and god knows what the allies may have developed,and I don't want to know
I know one thing,I want a decent bloody radar set instead of Fumo29,its practically useless as it only covers a 10 degree arc to the front.I only ever found a possible use for it in low visibility situations and at night,and only when I am sure i'm free of the air zone/s.Regarding air zones,would you agree that the maximum range of bombers in 42 would be approx 1700km?,as when i'm greater than this distance air attacks practically stop,but naturally as I get closer to the bay of Biscay its like trying to breathe while being continually whacked in the gut by a silverback gorrilla!

[RoaldLarsen]

Originally Posted by Paul Riley

I know one thing,I want a decent bloody radar set instead of Fumo29,its practically useless as it only covers a 10 degree arc to the front.I only ever found a possible use for it in low visibility situations and at night,and only when I am sure i'm free of the air zone/s.Regarding air zones,would you agree that the maximum range of bombers in 42 would be approx 1700km?,as when i'm greater than this distance air attacks practically stop,but naturally as I get closer to the bay of Biscay its like trying to breathe while being continually whacked in the gut by a silverback gorrilla!

Your description sounds about right. I'm in 1944 now, and Biscay seems to have more air traffic than O'Hare on a Friday afternoon. Air coverage seems to get worse from '43 on.

Radar is about the last thing I upgrade on a boat. It will give your position away. I only use it to find lone merchants in heavy fog, when a hydrophone check has confirmed there are no warships about.