First TMO night surface attack!

[kstanb]

I did my first TMO, completely-surfaced night attack . I have attacked ports before, but this was the first time I did not go periscope depth for the final approach against a convoy.

It was early 42, with a "P" boat. convoy was small; 4 to 5 freighters, 2 to 3 destroyers. I was decks awash

Got them completely by surprise (usually when attacking at periscope depth they start pinging just before I lauch my attacks).

I fired at the two biggest ships, 2 torps for each. The first got 2 impacts and sunk, the second changed course and evaded.

Interesting that afterwards, I just changed course and left unmolested, they didn't find me at all , I stayed at decks awash (and slow) for like 10 minutes, afterwards, flank speed fully surfaced.

[virtualpender]

How close were you able to get before firing?

Just curious.

[kstanb]

1,500 yards

[donna52522]

I passed an escort once at 600 yards at decks awash (29ft) going standard speed....but this particular escort may have had a low AI crew setting.

Playing TMO 2.5/RSRDC

[kstanb]

I don't know how much closer I could have gone; but I was satisfied with the solution and shot.

and I just did another surface attack a couple hours ago, a task force of one CL and multiple DDs ; I fired 4 torps at the CL at aprox. 2,500 yards, results: 1 early detonation, 2 hits, 1 miss = CL sunk

This time as soon as torp #1 detonated (early detonation), I got a lot of attention and an almost instant hit by the CL, just seconds before I went below surface (I ordered crash dive). It might have been a near miss because damage was not critical.

TMO 2.5 / RSRD ; 100% realism, no map updates

[virtualpender]

Thanks for the follow up and congratulations!

[JacqueShredo]

Nice one

Nothing more exciting than a successful surface attack!

[PacificWolf]

Congratulations Mate, that night surface attack brings back a lot memories when i played GWX 3.

[EricW]

You can get in real close, say under 1000 yds when conditions are right ie. overcast, no moon, choppy water ect. while keeping a minimal aspect to them.
BUT I've noticed that when my torps hit (or near- miss) that my boat gets peppered with gunfire almost immediately . You can sneak in, but make sure that you kill your target quick and know that anything else around is gonna spot you and have a field day, lol.

[kstanb]

in my limited experience (2 surface attacks and 3 or 4 port strikes), it is either they spot you instantly or they do not spot you at all

my current approach is to do a 180 turn and increase speed as soon as all torps are gone, and stay in the surface... if I miss, I might have a chance to shoot stern tubes; and if spotted, I am already facing the opposite direction, and since I am already deck awash, crash dive is quick

[CapnScurvy]

I can tell you there is a randomizer in effect with the game.

Some time ago I took a look at the AI visual detection possibilities. I had several different DD's stationed around a sub to see when/how does the AI react to their visual detection settings. I turned off the AI radar or sonar detection sensors to just have the visual settings in play. No two tests were alike regarding the time interval which passed between making the sub visible from a submerged state. This was true for both day and night periods. The elasped time before the DD's reacted could be anywhere between a couple of seconds to several minutes, if at all.

The most suprising finding was seeing the "Night Visibility" factor (in the AI_visualsensor.cfg file) actually worked backwards to what it should have. The night detection actually increased in sensitivity over the day period when the parameter was increased above default (all other factors staying the same). The "default" nightime detection capabilities was the same time period the sub could be detected during the day. You may say, "well just turn the setting below the default". Nope, the parameter won't go below the daytime default setting. From what I can see, the adjustments occur between the default zero factor and up to 5.0. No -0.0 figures make a difference.

For anyone that's "looked under the hood" of this game you should not find that too suprising though. There are many things that don't work as expected with the game (like getting a different range finding with the stadimeter, depending on which direction you look for taking the reading).