Too many Aircraft???

[FAdmiral]

Originally Posted by vindex

First patrol (Dec 10, 1941) I saw no enemy aircraft until I reached the coast of Japan, where there were a handful of AS overflights. Second patrol (Feb 10, 1942) and about a 1/2 day west of Midway there are Vals and Zeros all over the place. They buzz me every 15 minutes, usually solo, sometimes two (although usually only one attacks). Their flight vectors don't look like they come from Wake, they look like they're from NW. There's a big American task force to my south, but I can't see any evidence of a Japanese carrier group (I saved and roved around at high speed, high TC out of sheer curiosity -- nothing). Is this normal? Or is there some kind of engagement going on?

I went thru something like that back in SH3, here is the transcript report:

January 28, 1940
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1151 - Spotted 3 swordfish, dived to 20 meters, they did not attack.
1220 - Have been sighting numerous swordfish, possible Carrier TF nearby?
1306 - Observed 2 swordfish coming from NW, turned around & went back.
1350 - Spotted more swordfish coming from NW, will head in that direction.
1657 - No more planes sighted till now, 2 more swordfish but different direction.
1717 - Sighted another swordfish, getting dark now, should end carrier flights.
1830 - Fairly dark now, surfaced to charge batteries & get some fresh air, Grid AN43
January 29, 1940
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0847 - Here we go again, more swordfish sighted, dived to 20 meters, no attack.
0924 - Sound contact, surface & turn south to investigate, Grid AN28
0952 - Sighted British merchant, dived to PD for submerged attack.
1010 - Fired 1 torp., solid hit forward on starboard side, ship sinks fast.
1213 - Spotted 3 swordfish (getting monotonous) dived to 20 meters, no attack.
1215 - All swordfish dropped bombs near my location, 6 explosions, no damage suffered.
1450 - More swordfish were spotted but they did not approach so stayed surfaced.
1510 - 4 more swordfish spotted again but they did not see me, continued on.
1619 - SWORDFISH !! (there has to be a carrier nearby) fairly dusk now, not seen.
1627 - Making observations on directions swordfish are patroling & returning. (NE)
1630 - Plotting course towards NE, will look for carrier at night, no sound on TF.
January 30, 1940
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0815 - Spotted swordfish to west, returning on WNW course, Grid AN23.
0906 - Sighted C2 merchant but flying flag of Norway, continued on.
1300 - There has been steady stream of swordfish going east, then returning west, all AM.
1700 - Surfaced & headed south with swordfish sightings all afternoon.
1705 - Attacked by swordfish, dived to 20 meters, bombs did no damage.
1830 - Much darker now, surfaced to head south again at good speed, Grid AN28.
January 31, 1940
----------------
0140 - Submerged to PD for sound check, still in Grid AN28.
0230 - no contacts heard, surfaced to resume course towards last direction.
0730 - Submerged to PD for sound check, no ships sounds heard by soundman.
0810 - Swordfish sighted thru periscope, observed making south to north flights.
0830 - Coming to course 000, Carrier TF must be in that direction, will investigate.
0841 - Sound contact, merchant to the south, will investigate this contact.
1106 - Sighted Coastal Merchant moving WNW at 8 kts., British !, will attack.
1135 - Fired 1 bow torp., good hit forward, ship sank very quick, resume course to TF.
1145 - More swordfish sighted coming from north, moving north to continue looking for TF.
1510 - 2 MORE swordfish spotted (ENOUGH is ENOUGH) man the flak gun, 1 shot down, 1 flamed.
1700 - Following returning swordfish, should lead me to their carrier (I HOPE)
1717 - DD sighted to the northwest, probably a lead escort of the Carrier Task Force.
1719 - Spotted 2nd DD, more to the northeast of the 1st DD & more distant.
1725 - JACKPOT !!! Task Force on the northwestern horizon, dived to PD, come to 270 deg.
1730 - Enemy column on scope, BB is first in line, Carrier is 2nd. (Carrier: Main Target)
1751 - Breached DD screen, proceeding slow & silent, wait for carrier to come into range.
1803 - Fired 4 eel spread at 850 meters, all hits along port side, SCRATCH 1 FLATTOP !!!
1805 - Diving to 140 meters, course 270 deg., flank speed, will use big ships for shielding.
1809 - Speed done to 3 kts., running silent, turning starboard to go under the ships column.
1818 - Many search lights scanning the sea, no DD's close enough to hear pinging.
1850 - dark now, moving very slow to the northwest using silent running, DD fairly near.
1910 - Came up to 100 meters, DD moving away and circling, was never pinged.
2000 - Came up to PD, scanning the horizon, making sure no ships near, no sound either.
2130 - Finally surfaced to charge batteries, moving to the east at 12 kts. (Fresh Air)
2200 - Grid AN31, heading for Kiel with 2 eels left, 1 forward & 1 aft.

I just knew there was a carrier out there somewhere with all those Swordfish

JIM

[vindex]

Okay, so what you're saying is there's probably a carrier out there somewhere. Do others concur? Because I saw some posting yesterday mentioning "carrier aircraft spawning where there is no carrier" -- but I can't verify if that's accurate or not.

If there's a carrier, man, I'm gunning for it.

Other questions: can you pick up Jap fliers who have parachuted? Because if not, what's the point of them floating there? Will I lose renown if I "engage" and destroy a downed Jap pilot or a lifeboat? Because the game keeps identifying them as merchants and asking me if I want to engage them (probably just a bug).

[FAdmiral]

Well if SH4 works the same way SH3 did, I would bet that there is a carrier
out there but they will move around fast so its hard to get a good fix.
I wouldn't pick up a Jap flyer and deprive my AA gunner some fun

JIM

[vindex]

I came across the following comment in the screenshot thread:

"Speaking Midway, someone took a look at the code as theres a bug in there. Apparently a lot of the Japanese taskforces sail for Midway in January and not June, get near and then sail back to Japan and disappear."

That could explain.

[Volum]

Submerging during the day, keeps pilots and Davey Jones locker away!

[vindex]

Yeah, I hear you. At some point you don't really have a choice, because you'll very quickly run out of AA ammo.