Convoy hunting = frustrating!

SnipersHunter · 10-28-13, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fireftr18

Zagor has a point. You may have been spotted or found by pinging. Best to get deep and follow the convoy via sonar. Wait until it's close to go to periscope depth. Also remember, the convoys will turn course just like the did in real life.

Yepp that should it be

Raven Morpheus · 10-29-13, 05:15 AM

OK so I've tried what you guys have said and I still can't do it.

I decided to try out the Sub School convoy attack mission.

First thing I do is dive to max depth on the dial to get below the thermal layer. Seems to be between 140ft and max depth on the Sub School mission.

The ship icons are still present but disappearing so after marking the position of the ship that is last in line but on the line of ships closest to me, I proceed with marking the end of the line that represents the position of the ship I just marked. I don't time my marks or anything I just do it when there's a fair gap between the last mark and the new position.

Then after I've got a few marks I start plotting the line the ship should be taking, joining the dots, thus giving me the supposed heading of the convoy.

Then I plot my intercept course.

All the while I'm moving at 2/3 or standard under the water at max depth on the dial.

I mark a circle of about 1000yds radius starting from the point I shall arrive at so that when I get into position I can wait within that circle and then when the ends of the lines you see drawn to indicate the ships are just within that circle I can come up to periscope depth.

In the meantime I set up my torpedos and TDC - I've been using the Dick O'Kane method for this, I seem to have it down to a tee in the torpedo Sub School mission. I set the periscope to 20 (because that's the direction the convoy is coming from), the range to 1500m-ish, the AOB to 70 (starboard with the GFO mod because the convoy is coming from my right) and the speed to 5kts, although I don't at this point know the speed as I've not measured but the markers when clicked on say slow and SONAR concurs.

So, I finally reach my position. I wait for the ships to get into the 1000yd circle and bring the boat up to 55ft, giving me 5ft to compensate for waves and I raise the periscope to take a look.

But I still find the ships have started circling as though they've spotted me!!!!

I've tried setting silent running, I've tried setting battle stations and I've tried crawling along at 1/3 (and ended up being outrun by the convoy)!!

fireftr18 · 10-29-13, 06:42 AM

The tutorial convoy is difficult compared to the base games career convoys. They're much better for practice.

Raven Morpheus · 10-29-13, 07:51 AM

Well I nearly had them just now.

Although I was getting torpedoes exploding in the water before reaching the target which was 4000yds away. I'm guessing either I set the range too low or the torpedoes can't go that far.

So I thought I'd reload after having saved it when I was reaching position. But now, every time I reload, the ships just start turning towards me as though they instantly spot me whereas I comfortably sat at periscope depth watching them for a minute or so after my save point!!

I'll resume my career save and see if I have any better luck (have to find a convoy first) but at this point I'm actually considering going back to SH5 because tracking and taking down a convoy is just so much easier!!

Admiral Halsey · 10-29-13, 09:02 AM

If your using the Mark 14 torp seeing it explode before hitting the target is normal before mid 1943.

magic452 · 10-30-13, 12:34 AM

That school mission is really messed up, for starters the second you start the mission you have already been seen by the escorts, you are far to close to do anything. By this time you should or would be at PD and have all of your firing data figured out. The mission is worthless IMO.

Read my post in the link I gave you. Do a War Patrol that starts after mid '43.
Find a single ship and get some experience with plotting and intercepts and how to approach a target.
You can also patrol around Luzon Strait and find convoys and put what you learned to good use.
Once you find a convoy save the game and get some practice on tracking it and how to best approach.
Just play the save a few times till you get the hang of it.
If you're playing stock there are plenty of targets out there but as opposed to the APO the PTO is a much bigger battlefield
and far more interesting.

Magic

Raven Morpheus · 10-30-13, 09:13 AM

Quote:

That school mission is really messed up, for starters the second you start the mission you have already been seen by the escorts, you are far to close to do anything. By this time you should or would be at PD and have all of your firing data figured out. The mission is worthless IMO.

Well yesterday when I tried the Sub School mission I managed to track them fine, although I did cheat a little and worked out that after a while they turn and come down the map towards you, so I noted a position that would be reasonable to intercept, started again and just went to that position (something like 154 18 by 124 54).

But as I said when I was aiming at the first ship that crossed my path, a ship that was >4km away the first torpedo I fired exploded in the water after what seemed only like a few hundred yards - which meant my cover was basically blown!!

And also even though I'd saved the game about a minute prior to that, when I reloaded it seemed as though I was instantly spotted!!

I will however try what you've suggested, although it's not the actual tracking bit I have a problem with at the moment - it's more getting into position to fire without a convoy/ship going nuts and circling all over the place and DD's depth charging the beejesus out of me.

So far apart from once yesterday (where I was given up by a dodgy torpedo) it seems that even if I creep into position under the thermal layer as soon as I come up to periscope depth convoys spot me instantly.

10-29-13, 05:15 AM	#2
Raven Morpheus Machinist's Mate Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 125 Downloads: 143 Uploads: 0	OK so I've tried what you guys have said and I still can't do it. I decided to try out the Sub School convoy attack mission. First thing I do is dive to max depth on the dial to get below the thermal layer. Seems to be between 140ft and max depth on the Sub School mission. The ship icons are still present but disappearing so after marking the position of the ship that is last in line but on the line of ships closest to me, I proceed with marking the end of the line that represents the position of the ship I just marked. I don't time my marks or anything I just do it when there's a fair gap between the last mark and the new position. Then after I've got a few marks I start plotting the line the ship should be taking, joining the dots, thus giving me the supposed heading of the convoy. Then I plot my intercept course. All the while I'm moving at 2/3 or standard under the water at max depth on the dial. I mark a circle of about 1000yds radius starting from the point I shall arrive at so that when I get into position I can wait within that circle and then when the ends of the lines you see drawn to indicate the ships are just within that circle I can come up to periscope depth. In the meantime I set up my torpedos and TDC - I've been using the Dick O'Kane method for this, I seem to have it down to a tee in the torpedo Sub School mission. I set the periscope to 20 (because that's the direction the convoy is coming from), the range to 1500m-ish, the AOB to 70 (starboard with the GFO mod because the convoy is coming from my right) and the speed to 5kts, although I don't at this point know the speed as I've not measured but the markers when clicked on say slow and SONAR concurs. So, I finally reach my position. I wait for the ships to get into the 1000yd circle and bring the boat up to 55ft, giving me 5ft to compensate for waves and I raise the periscope to take a look. But I still find the ships have started circling as though they've spotted me!!!! I've tried setting silent running, I've tried setting battle stations and I've tried crawling along at 1/3 (and ended up being outrun by the convoy)!! Last edited by Raven Morpheus; 10-29-13 at 05:31 AM.

10-29-13, 06:42 AM	#3
fireftr18 Ocean Warrior Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 2,528 Downloads: 77 Uploads: 0	The tutorial convoy is difficult compared to the base games career convoys. They're much better for practice. __________________ Of all the forms of Martial Arts, Karaoke causes the most pain!

10-30-13, 12:34 AM	#6
magic452 Sea Lord Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Reno Nevada USA Posts: 1,860 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	That school mission is really messed up, for starters the second you start the mission you have already been seen by the escorts, you are far to close to do anything. By this time you should or would be at PD and have all of your firing data figured out. The mission is worthless IMO. Read my post in the link I gave you. Do a War Patrol that starts after mid '43. Find a single ship and get some experience with plotting and intercepts and how to approach a target. You can also patrol around Luzon Strait and find convoys and put what you learned to good use. Once you find a convoy save the game and get some practice on tracking it and how to best approach. Just play the save a few times till you get the hang of it. If you're playing stock there are plenty of targets out there but as opposed to the APO the PTO is a much bigger battlefield and far more interesting. Magic __________________ Reported lost 11 Feb. 1942 Signature by depthtok33l Last edited by magic452; 10-30-13 at 12:49 AM.

10-29-13, 07:51 AM	#4
Raven Morpheus Machinist's Mate Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 125 Downloads: 143 Uploads: 0	Well I nearly had them just now. Although I was getting torpedoes exploding in the water before reaching the target which was 4000yds away. I'm guessing either I set the range too low or the torpedoes can't go that far. So I thought I'd reload after having saved it when I was reaching position. But now, every time I reload, the ships just start turning towards me as though they instantly spot me whereas I comfortably sat at periscope depth watching them for a minute or so after my save point!! I'll resume my career save and see if I have any better luck (have to find a convoy first) but at this point I'm actually considering going back to SH5 because tracking and taking down a convoy is just so much easier!!

10-29-13, 09:02 AM	#5
Admiral Halsey Best Admiral in the USN Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: USS Enterprise (CV-6) Posts: 1,740 Downloads: 317 Uploads: 0	If your using the Mark 14 torp seeing it explode before hitting the target is normal before mid 1943.