Mission «Naval Patrol»

What is this mission?

You assign your naval recons an air region over the sea in HoI4. They start flying over it, detecting the enemy fleet and raising its detection. In game the mission is called «Naval Patrol».

It's like «Air Recon», only for the sea: planes watch, the enemy fleet turns visible. The difference is that this mission gives the fleet no direct bonuses — eyes only.

Note: planes don't join battle. They find and show; your ships and naval bombers sink.

Why do you need it?

First reason — see the enemy composition. You literally see at sea what fleet the enemy has, and pick a stronger stack. No more meeting battleships with destroyers.

Second reason — naval intel. While recons work, data on the enemy fleet piles up. The more you know, the more precisely you pick a composition against him — gold for a skilled player.

Third reason — recon without battle. Learning the enemy's strength without joining a direct clash pays off. Especially when your fleet is weaker and every meeting may be the last.

The real truth about «Naval Patrol»

Honestly: if the war runs on land, this button is useless. It has nothing to watch: the enemy fleet sits in ports or doesn't exist at all.

And at sea it's not as useful as it looks. The mission gives the fleet no direct bonuses — information only. So switch it on only when you run an active fleet war and truly need to know whom to fight. But what exactly does this mission do in HoI4?

What happens when you switch it on?

Open the air map — the plane icon at the bottom right or the F3 key. Select a naval recon wing, in the orders menu press «Naval Patrol», then right-click the air region over the sea.

After that planes start sorties one after another and hunt ships. Enemy fleet detection grows: planes help your task forces on patrol find the enemy. An enemy that hid in the fog appears on the map.

How does the recon go?

Recon works through detection. «Naval Patrol» has the best multiplier of all missions in HoI4 — 1.5: for reference, ordinary recon has 1.0, the rest 0.5 and below. So the patrol reveals the sea fastest of all.

But remember: eyes only. Detection alone sinks no ships — it only shows where the enemy is and how strong he is. Your ships and naval bombers decide next. Now let's learn when to switch this mission on.

When to switch this mission on?

When you fight with the fleet and don't know what you're up against. The enemy is somewhere at sea, his composition unknown — time to watch, or you risk losing the whole fleet on a mere scouting run, which stings in HoI4.

Before switching on, check three things:

• An active war runs at sea, not only on land;
• You have recon gear — a naval recon wing;
• Planes reach it with normal coverage.
• Air superiority is yours.

Who should switch it on?

• • In what «Naval Patrol» situation.

    Any country fighting at sea. Preparing a decisive battle, catching convoys, holding a strait — everywhere it matters to know the enemy composition in advance. With no naval war, you don't need the button.

    The mission is especially useful for those weaker at sea: seeing a strong stack in advance means not feeding your fleet to it.

    Usually experienced players who don't run a fleet use a pair: a naval bomber + a naval patrol bomber. The recon highlights the fleet, and the bomber on Mission «Naval Strike» destroys the enemy fleet.

  • How to get «Naval Patrol» access?

    Build the right plane.

    • Take a large airframe and fit torpedo mountings (the mount opens in 1933). Then the plane gets the needed class, and the mission becomes available.

    Note: no need to put dozens of factories on such a plane, though it's expensive. 5-15 military factories is enough — a steady stream of new recon wings.

Which region to assign «Naval Patrol» to?

The air region over the sea where the enemy fleet may sail: the main war theater, straits, approaches to your convoys.

Check coverage and range. At 50% coverage the mission works at half strength while fuel burns anyway. No need to watch empty waters with no enemy. But how do you run the mission right?

First way — pinpoint recons in the main region

Pick the most important sea region — where things get decided — and hang a strong wing there. Detection grows fast, the enemy composition fully visible.

This way is for a decisive battle. All eyes on one point, and you know exactly whom to fight. Downside — neighboring regions stay dark.

I recommend this way first. If you are new and don't know where to start — start with the region where your main fleet fights.

Second way — spreading over regions

Split recons into groups and spread them across all regions, to understand where the enemy fleet even is. Each group watches its sector a little.

It's pricier: many planes and fuel per region needed. But no fleet slips through unseen. Works well when the enemy is active in several seas at once. Now what else can go wrong.

• Nuances worth knowing

  • Best detection multiplier.

    «Naval Patrol» has a 1.5 factor — above all missions: ordinary recon 1.0, the rest 0.5 and below. The naval patrol reveals the sea fastest of all.

  • Normal fuel, no resource needed.

    Fuel use — 1.0 per plane like most missions. And command power the mission needs none at all — free here.

  • No direct bonuses.

    The patrol doesn't boost your fleet — it only shows the enemy. Expect no damage from it: ships and naval bombers deal damage.

  • Intel piles up.

    While recons work, naval intel piles up. The longer they hang over the region, the more precisely you understand what fleet the enemy has.

• Typical beginner mistakes

  • Patrolling with no naval war.

    The most common mistake. The war runs on land, yet the wing hangs over the sea burning fuel. No naval war — don't assign the mission.

  • Waiting for damage from recon.

    The patrol neither sinks nor weakens the enemy directly. If damage is needed — assign «Naval Strike», and keep the patrol as eyes alongside.

• Tips from top players

  • Watch the main theater.

    Keep the patrol where your fleet fights. Exactly there, knowing the enemy composition turns into victories.

  • Pick the stack to match.

    Saw battleships — lead your battleships and carriers. Saw subs — lead destroyers. The patrol exists to fight strong against weak.

  • Cover from the sky.

    Naval recons are defenseless against fighters. Keep your fighters on Mission «Air Superiority» in the region.