Need advice from the most wise......

andylegate · 09-20-07, 06:52 AM

This gets me everytime:

U-108 has been assigned to patrol CF-98. On our merry way down there, I get a contact report of a enemy convoy, about 75 km north of my position, headed NNW at about 4 knots.
I pull down my handy-dandy speed and distance info for 4 knots and figure out that in 7 hours convoy will be located. On my way there, sure enough, I receive an additional update and it's where it's suppose to be.

However, on my way there, my speed drops from 19 knots to 16 knots, and then I see it; the depth meter fluctuating up and down dramatically.

@#*^@*&^!!!!

I climb up to the bridge, and sure enough: Overcast, high winds, 10 foot waves, and heavy fog!

(*^&**^((*#$%!!!!!!

Visability is down below 300 meters. Everytime I try engaging a convoy in this type of weather I either come close to running into them, or I'm not able to target my torps very well.

I don't have radar yet, as it's still 1941.

I've tried shadowing the convoy, but the weather seems to last for many days on end!

Can anyone give me some advice?

bert8for3 · 09-20-07, 07:31 AM

There was a pretty good discussion about this here ... http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...attack+weather

TarJak · 09-20-07, 07:40 AM

I don't know if I'm the most wise but I give out advice anyway.

Stick with it the weather will improve some time. If it takes a week to improve then break off the shadowing and leave it to someone else.

seafarer · 09-20-07, 08:46 AM

Hey, you want realism? Welcome to the northern Atlantic ocean and its wonderous climate.

My father worked a K-gun crew on RCN River class frigates, mostly on convoy duty. He told me stories about weeks at a time where it was so gray you couldn't tell night from day. And weather so nasty that ships at full throttle could barely make steerage way against the wind and current. Of course, they loved it just because they knew that it effectively shut out the uboats. But, they then really feared the times the weather cleared, as that's when the boats that had been shadowing them would lunge in to take advantage of the momentary visibility. Sucks when the good ol' mark I eyeball is really your only decent sensor :p (although really out eyeball should be called the mark II, or perhaps the mark Ib, since cephalopods have an image forming eye on a par with ours, but they invented theirs before us mammals did).

P.S. for what it's worth, the Pacific northeast in winter could make the N. Atlantic look like a lounge pool - I speak from personal experience in both oceans.

P.P.S. One of my father's ships, HMCS Waskesiu, got some payback at least - they and HMS Nene sank U257 in '44 (she was depth charged to the surface and then sunk by gunfire, with some survivors, so the kill and the uboat identity were clear).

papa_smurf · 09-20-07, 10:04 AM

Just keep on shadowing, the weather will clear eventually. Also keep submerging every so often to track the convoy by hydrophone, and you should be able to get a rough idea of the convoys direction/speed.

andylegate · 09-20-07, 10:07 AM

Yes, I'd spent many a day on the North Atlantic while in the US Navy myself. And in the Tin Cans that I served on, spent several of those days walking on the bulkheads from the heavy rolls.

However, this was down in the tropics. While it get's bad, it doesn't stay that way. Weather systems do move on and the waters tend to calm down, and fog.....well I've never seen fog that bad around the Canary Islands.........

Ah well, we'll just "weather it out" so to speak!

Spruence M · 09-20-07, 02:17 PM

I've heard of the GWX spy sat.

I just want a weather satalite...

Seems to me, you leave port, and a random number of days after that, the weather goes to crap for the remainder of the patrol.

Canovaro · 09-20-07, 02:41 PM

Nah just quit the chase, stop the engines, go to p/d and wait it out.

Corsair · 09-20-07, 04:19 PM

Head South...

Brag · 09-20-07, 04:54 PM

Oh, the weather, bleah! (it doesn't sound very wise)

:rotfl:

sunvalleyslim · 09-24-07, 11:32 PM

Pray for clear skies and smooth sailing..........

Jimbuna · 09-25-07, 05:47 AM

Your hydrophones can hear a lot further than you can see (in fog, even more so).
Get into a position (submerged) in front of the convoy and plot it's rough course with the hydrophone contacts.
You should soon get a sense of the position of the ships. When they're perpendicular to you, fire a salvo of four (5 degrees spread).....and cross them fingures

09-20-07, 06:52 AM	#1
andylegate Medic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: SC, USA Posts: 168 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Need advice from the most wise...... This gets me everytime: U-108 has been assigned to patrol CF-98. On our merry way down there, I get a contact report of a enemy convoy, about 75 km north of my position, headed NNW at about 4 knots. I pull down my handy-dandy speed and distance info for 4 knots and figure out that in 7 hours convoy will be located. On my way there, sure enough, I receive an additional update and it's where it's suppose to be. However, on my way there, my speed drops from 19 knots to 16 knots, and then I see it; the depth meter fluctuating up and down dramatically. @#^@&^!!!! I climb up to the bridge, and sure enough: Overcast, high winds, 10 foot waves, and heavy fog! (^&^((#$%!!!!!! Visability is down below 300 meters. Everytime I try engaging a convoy in this type of weather I either come close to running into them, or I'm not able to target my torps very well. I don't have radar yet, as it's still 1941. I've tried shadowing the convoy, but the weather seems to last for many days on end! Can anyone give me some advice? __________________ My Real Life Navy Brag Page Below http://www1.freewebs.com/andylegate/

09-20-07, 10:07 AM	#6
andylegate Medic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: SC, USA Posts: 168 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Yes, I'd spent many a day on the North Atlantic while in the US Navy myself. And in the Tin Cans that I served on, spent several of those days walking on the bulkheads from the heavy rolls. However, this was down in the tropics. While it get's bad, it doesn't stay that way. Weather systems do move on and the waters tend to calm down, and fog.....well I've never seen fog that bad around the Canary Islands......... Ah well, we'll just "weather it out" so to speak! __________________ My Real Life Navy Brag Page Below http://www1.freewebs.com/andylegate/

09-20-07, 04:19 PM	#9
Corsair Ace of the Deep Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Toulouse France Posts: 1,140 Downloads: 51 Uploads: 0	Head South... __________________ NYGM 3.4A / Living SH3 V5.1 + SH3 Commander

09-20-07, 04:54 PM	#10
Brag Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Docked on a Russian pond Posts: 7,072 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Oh, the weather, bleah! (it doesn't sound very wise) :rotfl: :rotfl: __________________ Espionage, adventure, suspense, are just a click away Click here to look inside Brag's book: Amazon.com: Kingmaker: Alexey Braguine: Books Order Kingmaker here: http://www.subsim.com/store.html For Tactics visit:http://www.freewebs.com/kielman/

09-24-07, 11:32 PM	#11
sunvalleyslim Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles, Ca Posts: 1,142 Downloads: 267 Uploads: 0	Pray for clear skies and smooth sailing.......... __________________ Crew member/ decommission member TM2(SS)(SD) 3/68-7/70 DIESEL BOATS FOREVER USS SEGUNDO (SS398)

09-20-07, 07:31 AM	#2
bert8for3 Ace of the Deep Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 1,124 Downloads: 110 Uploads: 0	There was a pretty good discussion about this here ... http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...attack+weather

09-20-07, 07:40 AM	#3
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	I don't know if I'm the most wise but I give out advice anyway. Stick with it the weather will improve some time. If it takes a week to improve then break off the shadowing and leave it to someone else.

09-20-07, 08:46 AM	#4
seafarer Commodore Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 622 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Hey, you want realism? Welcome to the northern Atlantic ocean and its wonderous climate. My father worked a K-gun crew on RCN River class frigates, mostly on convoy duty. He told me stories about weeks at a time where it was so gray you couldn't tell night from day. And weather so nasty that ships at full throttle could barely make steerage way against the wind and current. Of course, they loved it just because they knew that it effectively shut out the uboats. But, they then really feared the times the weather cleared, as that's when the boats that had been shadowing them would lunge in to take advantage of the momentary visibility. Sucks when the good ol' mark I eyeball is really your only decent sensor :p (although really out eyeball should be called the mark II, or perhaps the mark Ib, since cephalopods have an image forming eye on a par with ours, but they invented theirs before us mammals did). P.S. for what it's worth, the Pacific northeast in winter could make the N. Atlantic look like a lounge pool - I speak from personal experience in both oceans. P.P.S. One of my father's ships, HMCS Waskesiu, got some payback at least - they and HMS Nene sank U257 in '44 (she was depth charged to the surface and then sunk by gunfire, with some survivors, so the kill and the uboat identity were clear).

09-20-07, 10:04 AM	#5
papa_smurf Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2,851 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	Just keep on shadowing, the weather will clear eventually. Also keep submerging every so often to track the convoy by hydrophone, and you should be able to get a rough idea of the convoys direction/speed.

09-20-07, 02:17 PM	#7
Spruence M Sonar Guy Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: 14 Meters Posts: 394 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	I've heard of the GWX spy sat. I just want a weather satalite... Seems to me, you leave port, and a random number of days after that, the weather goes to crap for the remainder of the patrol.

09-20-07, 02:41 PM	#8
Canovaro Ace of the Deep Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,062 Downloads: 34 Uploads: 0	Nah just quit the chase, stop the engines, go to p/d and wait it out.

09-25-07, 05:47 AM	#12
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,645 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Your hydrophones can hear a lot further than you can see (in fog, even more so). Get into a position (submerged) in front of the convoy and plot it's rough course with the hydrophone contacts. You should soon get a sense of the position of the ships. When they're perpendicular to you, fire a salvo of four (5 degrees spread).....and cross them fingures __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!