[MarkShot]

SC 1.08e - Super Escort (stock CD mission)

This is the mission where you are to escort a super tanker and provide ASW support.

First, I would tend to think this mission is totally contrived as this is completely the wrong parameters to deploy an expensive sub. In particular, there isn't even enough water to submerge. Thus, you are guaranteed to be cavitating in order to keep pace with the tanker and your passive sonar capabilities is practically worthless. (No TA, wash out, poor sound acoustics, ...)

Given the situation, I decided that I was going to cavitate and make noise. As such, I decided that I might as well go with active sonar search and turn on the radar too.

In the ensuing mission, I had a number of torps fired at me which I successfully evaded and killed one enemy sub. But, alas, the tanker was sunk.

Any suggestions on how to play this one?

Thanks.

[cj95]

I have the same problem in this scenario.

usually the tanker lasts a few seconds until a sub-launched missle takes it out.....

[MarkShot]

I got to try a few more times. It seems clear to me now that I need to get out in front of the tanker and get the waiting subs before they get tanker.

I'll let you know if I find something that works.

[MarkShot]

I must say that this is just one hard scenario.

I have played it a few times. I won it once, but it was more luck than skill. Torps were flying every place (mine and their's). Nothing really connected. Finally, the tanker made it to the goal area.

Here is what I have found:

Radar doesn't do too much to help against enemy subs, because as soon as they get enough depth, they will submerge.

Active sonar sees too much noise to give decent returns.

Passive sonar is severely hampered by the shallow water and the high speed which you must maintain. You can partially deploy the TA, but it isn't very helpful.

Torps perform very poorly in the shallow water. Pretty much if the targets puts it abeam on their 3/9 line (air combat terminology), it will miss. Of course, the tanker only wants to go straight. So, given its noise and tactics, it is highly vulnerable.

The shallows makes your sub and enemy subs practically invisible. I actually happened across a kilo within about 300-500 yards. My first indication of his presence was actually the HF sonar!

---

I had tried a tactic which can be termed as "supressive" fire. The idea being that you simply bracket the tanker with occassional torps heading left and right that are not enabled. If the enemy hears them, then they are forced to honor the threat which hopefully distracts them from getting a good solution on the tanker and firing on it. More testing would be needed to see if this really works.

[Kapitan]

ive never had the problem where i couldnt submerge i ussualy stay at periscop depth

what i normaly do is

as soon as mission starts the 2 kilos are about 10 miles away in range of your fish i normaly fire two blindly in thier general direction which make them run and cavitate giving you a chance to speed up and close them when the range gets to say 8 miles fire two more but this time aimed directly at them. it also helps if you stage fireing ie. fire tube 2 wait 30 secs fire tube 3 something like that


the two kilos will be too busy running from the torpedos to care about you thus giving you the upper hand on distance but be careful it can back fire !

[Niedziak]

Yeah. Fireing torpedos in general direction to "flush out" subs is good tactic, but somewhat unrealistic. I don't think that any captain will launch ADCAD just to scary enemy and makes him reveal himself. For me this mission is just one hell bad designed mission so I don't bother it. And with depths. I noe this game engine is great, but I think shallow seas and channels are too shallow, just like in hunter//killer. At least deapth in comparison to subs dimentions are wrong or somethink.

[Kapitan]

if you use the tactic hollywood charge then you will understand what im saying you fire two torpeds at two diffrent angles wide apart so the enamy thinks there is two submarines it takes a very inteligent sub skipper to realsie this and fire down the middle!

have a look at the sea wolfs blue book of submarine tactics it is in there

as for shallow water well it is the true depth of the gulf.

if you note the iranian kilo have never deployed to blue water they are only for littoral waters that why you have to go into the gulf region to get them they wont come out and get you !

[Captain Nemo]

If I recall there was a problem with this mission if you played it with SCX installed. There is an updated version of this mission called "Super Escort II" on Bill Nichols website for those with SCX. Can't say that I have tried this mission (non-SCX or SCX version), but after all your comments I might just give it a go.

Nemo

[Sub Sailor]

I went to subgru and downloaded Super Escort II and Surgical Strike II, there are no subs selected. I don't know what the deal is. It does not say they are for SCU, but I think that may be the case.
Does anyone know?
To bad if it is as I would really like to see and improvement in Super Escort.

Ron Banks MMCM(SS), USN(Ret)

[Molon Labe]

Heh, a lot of times my first detection of the enemy subs has been with the periscope. In one case, a neutral and the kilo were so close that I attacked using the scope as the only sensor and I was constantly switching between fire control and the scope to make sure the torp hadn't picked the wrong target.

[Kapitan]

lol i never had any problems i was able to pick them up at about 8 miles and managed to sink them before the saw me