Allied detection of Axis naval units

[mroyer]

I'm playing my first pbem game as the Axis (Vanilla 1939 campaign) and we're using fog-of-war rules. We're pushing towards the end of 1940 now and I'm struck by how often the Allied forces seem to locate Axis ships and submarines. It seems nearly automatic - once in a while I can dodge detection, but that's usually a brief reprieve before they locate me again, even if I'm well off established convoy routes.

Is there something going on with this (rules-wise) like a high level of Allied naval intelligence - or is my opponent simply brilliant at predicting my moves?

-Mark R.

[KorutZelva]

Hard to say without seeing where it happens. But yeah having spy tech lvls can sometimes get the location of a naval unit. I think it's like 1% per unit per tech level. If you have a bunch of ships travelling together for an extanded period of time, at some point an intel hit will eventually betray the location.

But the allies have so much ships they can afford to place them in likely spots to get you to bump into them.

[Leadwieght]

Also, if your opponent has upgraded his Carriers or Maritime bombers with Long-Range aircraft, that increases their "passive" spotting range.

A carrier or Maritime Bomber with Lvl-0 in Long-Range Aircraft can automatically spot any naval unit within two hexes, without the need to send out an air mission. For carriers, this spotting range increase by one hex per upgrade; for Maritime bombers in increases by 2 hexes per level, so, when upgraded, these units can see quite a bit of the ocean.

In practice what this means is that your opponent's spotting capability is probably getting better and you will need to avoid to operating subs too close to Britain or Northern Ireland. Similar to what happened in the real war.

[mroyer]

Thanks for the thoughts, Leadweight and KorutZelva. His carriers do seem particularly effective so perhaps there's something to that. I was just surprised he has been so effective against subs this early in the war.

-Mark R.