Do you always report a convoy?

Kruger · 10-29-08, 03:50 AM

I did not se any useful effect in reporting convoys and task forces. There are no friendly AI's willing to join the battle, no planes to come and help you, no nothing. You will just receive the eye-candy radio message back to instruct you to make the attack...or not

Rockin Robbins · 10-29-08, 05:14 AM

I always report convoys and single contacts. It adds renown to your score.

If your mission is to sink warships and you do not, then you fail. But escorts are warships and usually you can persuade one to do battle. Welcome to the wonderful world of radarless S-boats. On the dinner menu is a lot of frustration, followed by limited success and hopefully survival.

Diopos · 10-29-08, 08:54 AM

Don't ping when they're warships around! Much more so when they're alot of DDs around! You "announce" yourself! Good for tea parties, bad for sub warfare!

Fattysbox · 10-29-08, 09:31 AM

When you pinged you caused the convoy to zig zag. Don't ping next and its much easier to get in to position. Dive deep when those 3 DDs are close, let them pass and pop up to PD... Convoy should be right in front of you. At least thats my strategy...

SteamWake · 10-29-08, 09:54 AM

You are not 'expected' to report but I usually try to report the contacts, its not always possible and sometimes as you have found out they will task you with disrupting the convoy. Which again is not always possible.

As the others have said pinging for range while the escorts are on point is a bad idea. Its kind of like ringing the dinner bell and shouting "Here I am come and get me !" When the whole idea is to not let them know your there till stuff starts blowing up. Next time pop up your scope for a few moments and use that to get your range. Just dont forget to put it back down again :rotfl: . Get some 'situational awarness' and try to use the passive sonar to track your targets. It will give you rough estimates to range (actually too good but thats another topic).

tomoose · 10-29-08, 10:03 AM

IRL, yes, as a skipper you'd be expected to report whenever possible any significant enemy movement as that provides the Intelligence gurus one more piece of the huge puzzle and could influence operational or even strategic decisions.

In the game, I don't think there's anything gained by not reporting. As you say it might depend on the response you get back on the radio but you don't get any response from HQ if you don't report.

tater · 10-29-08, 10:48 AM

Actually, in RL a USN sub skipper would almost NEVER report a contact.

It was only likely they would do so if they carried specific orders to, and even then they'd not do so unless it was impossible for them to attack, and only then if it was a high-value target. They were very very concerned about enemy DF gear.

I NEVER report contacts, though I know the game wants me to, I simply cannot suspend disbelief and do so.

The real "silent service" was indeed silent. When we started messing with small pack tactics (3 boats, usually) it was hard to get the skippers to even use short range radios with 3 letter code groups because they were so totally used to the doctrine of "no radio use, EVER."

The range to make contact reports in SH4 is grossly short. To have any sense of realism, the range should be set from 4500 yards or whatever it is to maybe 25,000 yards. Any such reports should only be made if there is ZERO chance of making an end around, and only then if the target has real value (a task force, or decent sized convoy).

tater

10-29-08, 05:14 AM	#2
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,900 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	I always report convoys and single contacts. It adds renown to your score. If your mission is to sink warships and you do not, then you fail. But escorts are warships and usually you can persuade one to do battle. Welcome to the wonderful world of radarless S-boats. On the dinner menu is a lot of frustration, followed by limited success and hopefully survival. __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS

10-29-08, 08:54 AM	#3
Diopos Ace of the Deep Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Athens, the original one. Posts: 1,226 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	Don't ping when they're warships around! Much more so when they're alot of DDs around! You "announce" yourself! Good for tea parties, bad for sub warfare! __________________ - Oh God! They're all over the place! CRASH DIVE!!! - Ehm... we can't honey. We're in the car right now. - What?... er right... Doesn't matter! We'll give it a try anyway!

10-29-08, 10:03 AM	#6
tomoose Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 930 Downloads: 23 Uploads: 0	Reporting IRL, yes, as a skipper you'd be expected to report whenever possible any significant enemy movement as that provides the Intelligence gurus one more piece of the huge puzzle and could influence operational or even strategic decisions. In the game, I don't think there's anything gained by not reporting. As you say it might depend on the response you get back on the radio but you don't get any response from HQ if you don't report.

10-29-08, 03:50 AM	#1
Kruger Commander Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 476 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	I did not se any useful effect in reporting convoys and task forces. There are no friendly AI's willing to join the battle, no planes to come and help you, no nothing. You will just receive the eye-candy radio message back to instruct you to make the attack...or not

10-29-08, 09:31 AM	#4
Fattysbox Machinist's Mate Join Date: May 2005 Location: The Windy City Posts: 130 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 0	When you pinged you caused the convoy to zig zag. Don't ping next and its much easier to get in to position. Dive deep when those 3 DDs are close, let them pass and pop up to PD... Convoy should be right in front of you. At least thats my strategy...

10-29-08, 09:54 AM	#5
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	You are not 'expected' to report but I usually try to report the contacts, its not always possible and sometimes as you have found out they will task you with disrupting the convoy. Which again is not always possible. As the others have said pinging for range while the escorts are on point is a bad idea. Its kind of like ringing the dinner bell and shouting "Here I am come and get me !" When the whole idea is to not let them know your there till stuff starts blowing up. Next time pop up your scope for a few moments and use that to get your range. Just dont forget to put it back down again :rotfl: . Get some 'situational awarness' and try to use the passive sonar to track your targets. It will give you rough estimates to range (actually too good but thats another topic).

10-29-08, 10:48 AM	#7
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	Actually, in RL a USN sub skipper would almost NEVER report a contact. It was only likely they would do so if they carried specific orders to, and even then they'd not do so unless it was impossible for them to attack, and only then if it was a high-value target. They were very very concerned about enemy DF gear. I NEVER report contacts, though I know the game wants me to, I simply cannot suspend disbelief and do so. The real "silent service" was indeed silent. When we started messing with small pack tactics (3 boats, usually) it was hard to get the skippers to even use short range radios with 3 letter code groups because they were so totally used to the doctrine of "no radio use, EVER." The range to make contact reports in SH4 is grossly short. To have any sense of realism, the range should be set from 4500 yards or whatever it is to maybe 25,000 yards. Any such reports should only be made if there is ZERO chance of making an end around, and only then if the target has real value (a task force, or decent sized convoy). tater