Engaging task force with S-18

[Elektroniikka-Asentaja]

Ahoy!

After reinstalling the game I decided to play a bit vanilla without any tweaks (ya ya.. No need for the blabbering about TMO and stuff, I know I should use them).

I'm now roaming around with a lovely diesel piggie and met enemy task force near manilla (1941 just after manilla invasion). I saved as I feared that I'll screw up, especially now when I have more realism than usually. And so I did.

The task force contains 3 akizuki DDs, 3 Takao heavy cruisers and 3 small passenger carriers. What should I do? It's not a mission impossible but as I have only 4 tubes I most likely will spend a moment out there..

The TF is moving directly to south on my course as I'm moving directly to north, bad positioning..

Happy hunting!

[commandosolo2009]

Originally Posted by Elektroniikka-Asentaja

The task force contains 3 akizuki DDs, 3 Takao heavy cruisers and 3 small passenger carriers. What should I do? The TF is moving directly to south on my course as I'm moving directly to north, bad positioning..

Happy hunting!

The first thing it to determine their base course, so If you fail at first you loop around and start over. The second thing is to start hydrophone tracking. Thirdly, if they're in reach, you need to determine their configuration.

On a 100% difficulty, it will be tad difficult without contacts on. However, an estimate is more likely.

Try to go within their center, and stay low past the middle escort below the thermocline (variable but once informed stay below it with 15 meters safe depth). Once he crosses you, input the firing solution, bring up to periscope depth, and open outer doors once in shooting depth. Yo-yo periscope for observations and correct PK as necessary. When you're satisfied with the firing solution, bring up scope for the shooting bearing, mark, set, fire!

Down scope, dive to crash depth and sail opposite base course.

Rinse and repeat over base course.


Good luck

[Diopos]

1. Avoid engaging them in the shallows.
2. Establish/verify the depth of the thermocline before you engage.
3. Small passenger carriers don't worth the risk (gamewise). If I went in, I'd go for a cruiser if possible.

I almost always start my careers in S-boats and I'm always glad when I get a "proper" fleetboat!


.

[Bubblehead1980]

Played this battle out a few times, most difficult in an S-Boat on high realism due to low surface speed compared tot he fleet boats.Good news if you have more reliable torpedos.

Also, the small passenger carriers are troopships, thus carrying invasion troops, definitely high priority targets.

[Elektroniikka-Asentaja]

Do you mean that thermal layer stops sonar pings or makes them less effective? I doubt that the boat survives that deep xD

And yea I was going to first attack the cruisers and in case I have any. torps left then mess with the rest.. I would have never asked if I'd have a tambor or something but the truth that I only have 4 tubes is a bit confusing.. I'll give it a go tomorrow, tired skipper isn't an effective skipper

[commandosolo2009]

Originally Posted by Elektroniikka-Asentaja

Do you mean that thermal layer stops sonar pings or makes them less effective? I doubt that the boat survives that deep xD

And yea I was going to first attack the cruisers and in case I have any. torps left then mess with the rest.. I would have never asked if I'd have a tambor or something but the truth that I only have 4 tubes is a bit confusing.. I'll give it a go tomorrow, tired skipper isn't an effective skipper

Thermal layer is the thermocline. Thermocline is a steep gradient (big difference) in temperature recorded by the Bathythermograph. The sonar pinging is scattered as it hits the thermocline, so that in normal situations it would hit the sub and be reflected to destroyers receivers, giving depth and position. Below thermocline, the waves are scattered and little if not nothing is sent back as sonar pong. This is aided by silent routine, slow speed and keeping mechanical friction minimum ( = no cooking, no torpedo loading, no taps on the bulkheads, etc...)


In a nutshell, thermocline makes sonar less effective. Schlaffen sie gut.

[Bubblehead1980]

The "depth to keel" button that gives you a ping does not tell you where the thermal layers are, it simply gives you distance to the bottom of the sea.The bathythermograph is included as an auto feature that only the crew operates by informing you when there is a thermal layer.Just a heads up, seems to be some confusion.

[TorpX]

I play the S-boats a lot. However, this advice applies to RFB, your stock S-class may be different.

First, if you do go for the cruisers, use all four tubes on one. IMO, the S-boats aren't well suited to engage multiple targets. Second, the S-class can't turn worth a dime in SH4. If your in immidiate danger, go as deep as you can and use bursts of speed to get out from under depth charges. Otherwise, just quietly slink away. At the start of the war, the escorts will probably not be very good. You can take advantage of this.

If possible get ahead of them, and position yourself near their track. If that's not possible, put yourself on a normal approach course, and get within torpedo range. Try not to use up your battery more than you have to.

A normal approach course is 90 deg. from the target bearing (in the direction of the targets movement, of course). This allows you to close the target with minimum speed. Good luck.

[Elektroniikka-Asentaja]

So... I got it done

I rigged for silent running ~5000 meters away from them, did a little turn to get better angle and then let 3 torpedoes loose while starting to dive to 65 meters. All torpedos hit (no duds YAY!) and the cruiser was under water in less than a minute. Kinda made me feel bad to watch its light signal lamp blinking still when the command deck disappeared underwater. Last message probably was something like

..-. ..- -.-. -.- / .- -- . .-. .. -.-. .- -. ...

(f**k americans)

Anyway, after the cruiser was taken down I headed towards north to get behind them as they moved towards south, nobody seemed to know where I was.

One DD had stopped for some reason, it was just standing out there and flashing searchlights, probably trying to listen around and find me. I turned around and decided to give them a little headache as all other ships were now heading to wrong direction to find me. I checked torpedo reserves..

WHAAT!? Those damn landlubbers in Jawa had given me a full load of Mark 14s?? So I had one torpedo left..



I shot the DD, it sank with the first one. Secured from silent running and started steaming away from the task force. Nobody seemed to notice me even if I was moving ahead flank.

I decided to go back to Surabaya to refit (and hope that they'll give me something that I can use...) and met a few merchants along the way, seas were ridiculously rough, deck gun was underwater almost half of the time but I managed to sink all 3 merchants I met.

Refit in Jawa.. More mark 14s.. Perhaps they have some Japanese agent there?

So I ended patrol as it seems I need to manually add those mark 10 torps..

Apparently brass was happy about sinking the cruiser as they awarded me with battle star



Thanks for the tips and help everyone, I'm starting to learn this game