Gunboats have sonar?

[Dignan]

So I'm in a bit of a pickle. I'm waiting off the japanese coast at an undisclosed location to insert my ONI agent. There was a good amount of fog when I arrived and and I cut off my engines to await nightfall. Radar was picking up contacts moving around me. One of them looked like a merchant ship. I just saw half a silouette through the fog. I submerged to periscope depth but I think I was spotted by this ship and reported. Several contacts in the vicinity immediately made a dash for me. I dove to a depth of about 300, sitting just above the ocean floor. The three contacts are now just circling above my position.

My question is do gunboats have sonar? I'm not hearing any pinging, they don't sound like destroyers, they sound like something smaller and louder, but they continue to hover above me (about three of them). Somehow these small gunboats know I'm here and won't leave. I've sat patiently for about an hour. They continue to circle above me. Should this be possible? They aren't pinging nor dropping DCs. I'm waiting for nightfall to surface and complete the mission but won't be able to with these things on my position. Advice?

[Dignan]

Well, I started moving away at 1/3. They don't seem to be following me but I'm still wondering if gunboats have the ability to detect subs in this game. I'm moving towards shore but must decrease my depth as I go as the water gets shallower. I'll be in big trouble if these gunboats call in any DD buddies. Nowhere to maneuver.

[Kamikaze Krazy]

Hello Dignan, I believe that they may have passive sonar capability. I had the same thing happen to me. I successfully sneaked into Yokohama harbor when I torped a Fubuki class destroyer. I blew it up and moved about 1,500-2,000 yards to a new firing position to get the rest of the ship at port. Then things started to get a bit TOO interesting... when 1 sub chaser, 2 destroyers, 2 Atami and 1 Hira gunboats arrived. I managed to sink the other ships and slip out. One of the enemy gunboats got too close and I sank him with my periscope!:rotfl: I do know that if they can ping you, it means they have active sonar.

I'm just wondering Sir if you know the difference between active and pasive sonar? I'm just respectfully asking, that's all. The gunboats are like a hornet; small with a temperment to match. They are not afraid of anyone or anything at all.

And a little story on how it happened...
The enemy gunboat captain: "BANZAI!!!! Glory for the Empire!!" Me: "OHHHH CRAP!" :hmm: Me:"Dive officer, make your depth 90 feet!" DO: "Make my depth 90 feet aye Sir!" Exacly 30 seconds later, Gunboat hits periscope and sinks... Me::rotfl:

I hope I didn't go too far.

[gimpy117]

could they be subchasers???
i know they have a high pitched whine sound...

[Captain Vlad]

I remember when I invariably ran into small patrolling vessels in the Makassar Straights and other places, but since 1.4, I haven't encountered any. Makes me sad. Those little gunboats seem more dangerous than destroyers in some circumstances...and while RSRD puts minesweepers and other such as convoy escorts, I still haven't seen any patrols in shallow areas like I used too.*sigh*

[Kamikaze Krazy]

"could they be subchasers???" -gimpy117

Sir, thats a negative, just like the poor sod just said:

"They aren't pinging nor dropping DCs." -Dignan

I didn't meant to be disrespectful in any way sir.

Personaly I think that the subchasers are more dangerous than the destroyers. The gunboats will just hang around you while your down at 300 feet. While the subchaser can only achieve a max speed of 16 knots. it is FAR more nimble than a destroyer and in the later part of the war, it can drop a crap load of ordnance into the water.

One time I was playing around with a destroyer and a subchaser. The destroyer had to move away about 2,000 yards before it could attack again while the little S.O.B. subchaser could litteraly do circles around my sub at a range of 700 yards! I would be at periscope depth trying to get him with a torp when I have to dive again otherwise he'll DC me. Then by the time it takes me to get back to periscope depth, he will be behind me again. That forces me down again to 300 feet. The cycle repeated two more times before I really realized how pointless it was, so I stayed down until he calmed down and just sat there. I go about 900 yards away from him before I went cautiously back up to periscope depth... and FINALY sank him.

[thumper]

One got me outside of OSAKA, It does have sonar i could hear it pinigng thru the hull. He used one,count them one depth charge, it went off just aft of my conning tower..I sank like a rock. And the real pisser was the dropped me after i had sunk 3 freighters, 1 heavy cruiser Mogami class and 1 Hiryu class carrier..Their escorts didn't even pick me up..