So am I wasting my time?

[maillemaker]

I left Wilhelmshaven on 2/9/40, and got lots of radio traffic that Ark Royal will be coming through the western end of the English Channel on 2/13/40, and Essex on 2/14/40. So I made the risky trip through the channel at top speed and parked myself at periscope depth, stopped, in the western mouth of the channel, waiting for them.

But I have heard nothing on sonar.

Is this just ambient radio chatter or should I really be expecting the Ark Royal to show up?

I googled her and she seems to have been sunk near Gibraltar on 2/13/40.

Am I wasting my time?

Steve

[sharkbit]

Very probably an "immersion" radio message and you're wasting time.
But...a lot of boats IRL were ordered to do things that were a waste of time as well. I'll sometimes follow those orders for immersion sake if I'm in the area. You just never know what might show up.

[Dissaray]

I would bet that those were emersion notes. Though the Western Aproches aren't a bad hunting ground, all the Chanel trafic plus every thing coming up from Africa by way of Biscay and the trafic from the Irish sea. A veritable cross roads of the Atlantic trade lanes.

[maillemaker]

Well, yes, while sitting still for 2 days we have heard at least 7 ships pass close by, but all proved to be merchants, save for a couple patrol boats.

Tonight I'll cruise around to AM53 on my way to my actual assigned patrol grid.

Steve

[flakmonkey]

Sadly its just an immersion message, i just checked the campaign files (gwx3) and could see nothing for those dates.
Although if you hang around for a few days you might bump into hms rodney heading to plymouth after sailing down from the north.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by flakmonkey

Sadly its just an immersion message, i just checked the campaign files (gwx3) and could see nothing for those dates.
Although if you hang around for a few days you might bump into hms rodney heading to plymouth after sailing down from the north.

Could well do

@OP
Radio messages are mainly for immersion purposes.

If you interrogate the campaign files in the mission editor you will see precisely where what is at each given point....bit of a game killer though.

[maillemaker]

Radio messages are mainly for immersion purposes.

I knew that, but this particular radio message seemed more like the "real" messages. It basically started off by saying that the Ark Royal and Essex (I'm pretty sure those were the names) would be in the mouth of the channel heading for Portsmouth or (somewhere else) on 2/13 and 2/14. Seemed pretty specific and timely.

Then there was a bunch of radio chatter with BDU and other boats moving into position.

If you interrogate the campaign files in the mission editor you will see precisely where what is at each given point....bit of a game killer though.

Yup, which is why I will never do that.

Steve

[Jankowski]

maybe, just maybe one day there WILL be an ark royale comming hrough. GWX 4.0??

[Sailor Steve]

There was a planned GWX4, but it was for SH4. Got cancelled though. Sorry.