SCXIIC-detecting enemy submarines manually

[Stanny]

Hello everybody,

I am learning how to detect enemy submarines manually in SCXIIC.At this point,all my efforts have proven unsuccessful.

I am going an "Akula Port Egress" mission without any auto crewmen,and really want to detect Akula exiting the harbour.

Well,I must say,I have tried nearly everything.Took a vantage position just at the exit of harbour,stopped all engines and started listening.

Broadband dispays turned on to STA and ITA modes show primarily large merchant traffic.I turn on Narrowband mode and try to find something like submarine noise signature there.Still yet nothing,only a couple of Grisha corvettes,fishing boats and large cargo ships.
OK,I switch between hull,sphere and towed sensors-results are similar.

Then,I decide to accelerate to 5 knots and go a bit inside the harbour.Several "Shkval" torpedoes are launched from the harbour,boat is destroyed,and I see that it was just that Akula (Gepard) which I had to track into the open sea.

Ok,giving it a next try.Loading save at the same vantage point and start listening again.Now I decided to try pinging that Akula.Switching to Single Transmission,sending a lone signal and..."Shkval" torpedo incoming.Mission failed,the boat was destroyed by Gepard (Akula).

Final attempt.Starting at the same entrance of harbour,switching on time compression.Engines switched off,I am lying in absolute silence at the depth of 150 feet.Here are back Shkvals and all the doring consequences as well this time.

Guys,I am really confused.I don't know what to do. How does Akula detect me,while I am keeping absolute silence?I scrolled the bearings she launches Shkvals from numerous times in Narrowband,in all sensors but see nothing.

I will appreciate any advices how to detect that Akula manually in this mission.

Best regards,
Stan.

[Sea Demon]

It's been awhile since I've played any of these missions. But if I'm not mistaken, I had to travel toward the entrance of the harbor at a shallow depth where the surface of the water is noisier and I could hide my presence alot easier in the background noise. Bottom line, this Akula has a bad attitude, so it's probably best to take a course parallel to the suspected course of the Akula leaving the Harbor and attempt to track him that way. When he leaves the harbor he is on the surface and slow. And the surface is rough conditions. Therefore his noise is harder to detect from a distance. Do not use active sonar, as you've just given him a bearing to target his weapons at you. Passive sonar is your best bet. Since he is on the surface, you might even try to visually detect with the periscope. And if you're within 2.5 Nm, high frequency sonar will work for detection. This is a tough mission, and requires work and patience. Caution is advised. Your first detection may occur as the Akula approaches deeper water. That's how it worked for me, if I remember it correctly.

[Stanny]

Thanks a lot,Sea Demon.

I will give it a try today.

Update:

I have completed this mission at last.Thanks to Sea Demon's advice took a position just a bit further inside the harbour.Surfaced to PD,and almost immediately picked Akula up on Sphere Array,both Broadband and Narrowband. Calculated speed at Sonar Demon and made up a TMA firing soution.Waited for Akula to pass by until her entrance to the deep waters,firing shallow counter measures from time to time (you see there's a Victor-III as well as Kilo in that area).This is how that looks like on my screenshot (manually tracked Akula passes by my Seawolf at a very short range) :



After that,I accelerated to 10 knots and went on to the deep waters.Submerged there to the depth of 300 feet and completed the mission.

By the way,SCXIIC is just rocking It is a real walk on the razor's edge

[RodBorza]

Nice to know that you have finished the mission.

However, a question remains: did you fire passive counter measures to fool the other subs?

Wow, I think that's a very risky tactic, because you could get the attention of the enemy subs, than leading them away.

I never fire CMs to fool subs, only actives ones when torpedoes are homing on me.
Is firing passive CMs a tactic that reaaly works?

[Stanny]

Originally Posted by RodBorza

Is firing passive CMs a tactic that reaaly works?

In this particular mission this tactics really works.Despite your submarine laying on PD with all engines stopped,other enemy subs in the area can still see you.I guess,that happens because they ping you being actually close to locations of those ASW surface ships (Grisha V corvettes).You cannot see them pinging you in Sonar Active Intercept,cause it is showing only enemy surface ships pinging you.

I was firing both passive and active shallow countermeasures,just for jamming purposes in critical moments.I loaded intermediate mission save once,and checked what will happen if I do not fire any countermeasures at all-I was fired upon by either Kilo or Victor-III classes.

So,in conclusion,this tactics are mostly suitable when you are actually surrounded by enemy ASW forces,pinged constantly,and have to await for a certain time to accomplish the mission (as tracking Akula untill 17 o'clock in that mission),and when your evasive maneuvering capabilities are limited (if you accelerate-you are compromised).

[RodBorza]

Stanny,

Thanks.
It seems that in certain conditions it helps.
But I don't think it would help in the deep blue missions.

Altough, the info you gave is very good and valid.

Thanks!

[Stanny]

RodBorza,

You are welcome

The main idea of preventive firing of countermeasures is just jamming enemy sonar stations.It is something like as your sub is getting hidden inside other shipping traffic (or noises) and it will be rather hard to distinguish your sub from the noises of countermeasures fired.Anyway,it will give you some additional time for making an evasive maneuver.