Quote:
Originally Posted by Zero Niner
I'm on patrol SW of Taiwan, I spot a convoy with 4 merchants and 2 escorts (a DE and a subchaser). I determine its course and speed and get ahead of it and submerge to ambush it.
Speed 1kt, silent running, RPMs <100, I'm perpendicular to the convoy's course at a range of 3000 yds or so to convoy's baseline when the DE starts pinging.
How does he do it when I'm quiet and he's on the other side of the convoy?
How can I ambush the convoy and approach undetected when I can't, even on silent running? Even at all stop he still hears something and starts looking.
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Are you running FOTRS? I forget.
Keep in mind that the escorts in SH4 are ALWAYS pinging when underway, even if you do not hear the pinging. You will only hear it once they focus the beam in your general direction, your profile to the beam matters as well, when they are not alerted. Example lead escort is coming and you're at closing in, but showing his sonar beam (which you cant hear yet) your broadsides, will get a hit, likely start hearing pinging or at minimum, will slow down to listen, and is now alerted as is rest of convoy. I would approach, keep profile low to the closest escort, perhaps dive just below thermal layer if possible, once the escort clears, pop up to periscope depth.
One thing is you are running too slow at 1 kt during approach. You are practically immobile at such a slow speed and does not make a difference in detection. Rig for silent running and run at 1/3, this will give have you at just over 2 kts, less than 100 RPM. Would only run at 1 knot when need to slow slightly when timing approach, or really trying to conserve battery power in extreme circumstances.
Kind of ridiculous because while on occasion did constantly ping, every escort was not always pinging. This makes it incredibly difficult at times to penetrate a escort screen submerged unless very deep, where as subs could usually sneak in at periscope depth or 100 feet. There is a hack that fixes this (Nicolas SH 4 Sonar fix) but it seems to do whacky things to the sensors once enemy is alerted when run with LAA, which is required with mods now, as the hack was designed long ago.
Then they have hydrophones and depending on their speed, sea conditions, your speed, type of hydrophone, skill level of escort, sensitivity of the sensor etc. Most of these such as skill level, type, you will have no idea about at the time.
If he is actually hearing you approach on silent running at 1 kt from other side of convoy, then the hydrophones are a bit too strong lol, need some adjusting.