Silent Hunter 5 Tactics & Tips - "How do I?" & FAQ! READ IF YOU ARE STUCK

[THEBERBSTER]

A warm welcome “Helmsly“ to the Subsim family.

You will always find someone here to help you.

[Fenix]

So I'm trying to go through the North Western Approaches and I can't find a single ship. Is there some sort of strategy or areas I should look? I've tried following around the big red double arrows and the area to the left of the arrows. I've also tried cruising around the general area and sinking to 30 m, going silent and listening for ships with the hydrophone. I saw a destroyer yesterday but nothing at all since. I'm getting pretty frustrated. Thanks!

[THEBERBSTER]

A.M.C's and Merchants use Loch Ewe.

Storonoway has Convoys travelling South towards Londonderry and then go East.

If you are using OHII v2.5 then look at AM38 and AE97.

If you take up a position in front of Loch Ewe but out of Destroyer range at night you should pick something up.

Try also not in the middle of the area above Loch Ewe but to the East.

The channel from Stornoway to Londonderry will also have shipping. The channel is patrolled by a Destroyer further down. No problem if you get your timing right. No need to Dive.

If you have fog then a raid on Stornoway or Loch Ewe will reap some good kills.

There is also a lot of traffic heading from Scapa Flow across the top of Scotland above Stornoway.

A rectangular patrol box ahead of the entrance is also worth considering. Make sure your box is not to wide so whichever side you are on you will not lose a contact from the opposite side you are on.

Below the South Western End Tip of the Arrow.

You need to Patrol for an hour at a time on the surface and just sit for half an hour at 20 - 30 meters below using your Sonar. You need to be patient.

Nothing seems to happen much during the day it all comes to life once the sun goes down.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Welcome to SUBSIM Helmsly

[Gunsilnger]

Originally Posted by THEBERBSTER

A.M.C's and Merchants use Loch Ewe.

Storonoway has Convoys travelling South towards Londonderry and then go East.

If you are using OHII v2.5 then look at AM38 and AE97.

If you take up a position in front of Loch Ewe but out of Destroyer range at night you should pick something up.

Try also not in the middle of the area above Loch Ewe but to the East.

The channel from Stornoway to Londonderry will also have shipping. The channel is patrolled by a Destroyer further down. No problem if you get your timing right. No need to Dive.

If you have fog then a raid on Stornoway or Loch Ewe will reap some good kills.

There is also a lot of traffic heading from Scapa Flow across the top of Scotland above Stornoway.

A rectangular patrol box ahead of the entrance is also worth considering. Make sure your box is not to wide so whichever side you are on you will not lose a contact from the opposite side you are on.

Below the South Western End Tip of the Arrow.

You need to Patrol for an hour at a time on the surface and just sit for half an hour at 20 - 30 meters below using your Sonar. You need to be patient.

Nothing seems to happen much during the day it all comes to life once the sun goes down.

Good stuff!! As he said, check your hydrophone every hour or so at a depth of 20 to 30 meters. I try not to harbor raid unless it was a port that was raided in real life, like Scapa, but I've had success patrolling just outside of the ports. Give yourself enough room to escape the port patrols if your target radios for help.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Originally Posted by Fenix

So I'm trying to go through the North Western Approaches and I can't find a single ship. Is there some sort of strategy or areas I should look? I've tried following around the big red double arrows and the area to the left of the arrows. I've also tried cruising around the general area and sinking to 30 m, going silent and listening for ships with the hydrophone. I saw a destroyer yesterday but nothing at all since. I'm getting pretty frustrated. Thanks!

Check out this particular thread, some nice stuff there :Here

Also beyond going North and South with your patrol, try submerging ( 40m ) on occasion and see if your sound-man picks something up

[Fenix]

Thanks for the tips! I have a lot to go over now. It seems there is some disagreement between what depth is best for using the hyrdophone.. 20, 30, or 40m. I seem to remember 30m from SHIII. Any comments on this? Also, is the sound guy as good or better than what I can do myself? I never trust that he's hearing everything and since it's such a new campaign for me, he has little experience. Any insight is appreciated.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Originally Posted by Fenix

Thanks for the tips! I have a lot to go over now. It seems there is some disagreement between what depth is best for using the hyrdophone.. 20, 30, or 40m. I seem to remember 30m from SHIII. Any comments on this? Also, is the sound guy as good or better than what I can do myself? I never trust that he's hearing everything and since it's such a new campaign for me, he has little experience. Any insight is appreciated.

I rely on both, but to be honest due to time-constraints probably more
on the computer AI. There is a mod that reduces crew ability:Here

And I know there are ones that increase it.

[Jockz]

Ohoy!

I was wondering about Promosion points,I start with 15 points i think and should i start to use them directly when a new campaign starts? Wich personel should be focused? Maybe Radio/Sound guys and the cook?

Thanks

[THEBERBSTER]

A warm welcome “Jockz“ to the Subsim family.

You will always find someone here to help you.

Link to my post:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=211804

STEP BY STEP TUTORIALS & HOW TO DO IT

Do not give any Bonus points to your Torpedo man.

[USAMP1980]

The carrier is in grid 50N 17W ... SW of center on Feb 6th 1940. Took it out with a two torp salvo I-III at 3 meter depth. Then lowered scope and set depth at 100m silent run. Escorts had no idea where I was.

I'm an Army guy, not a naval guy... so I hope the map reading works similar.

[Jimbuna]

Welcome to SubSim Jockz

[ReallyDedPoet]

Welcome to SUBSIM Jockz

[Sbrooke311]

Hey, so i'm not sure if i'm posting in the right place. However, i can't seem to update my game with the automatic updater. It says that, it hasn't detected that SH5 is installed. Got it on steam, not sure if that is the issue or not. But i'm playing it with mods installed so it is installed!

Im sure there will be more posts to come as i have run aground and sunk twice from periscope, and deck gun damage while trying to infiltrate my spy into Liverpool.

Edit:

an additional question, is there anyway to find the depth under your sub? i get the warning all the time, but i have no clue if i can actually go to periscope depth without running aground. Sometimes i can, sometimes i slam into the bottom and my career meets a short, and abrupt end.

[THEBERBSTER]

With TDW NEWUi the navigator will give you depth under keel.

With v1.2 Stock it is in the bottom left hand corner.

check this link out for the v1.2 patch

http://www.gamefront.com/files/16436441/Silent_Hunter_5_v1_2_EU_Patch_Standard_Edition