Strange sinking ... bug?
 

And another question. On my current patrol in my trusty Gato-class boat I had the strangest loss of my submarine ever and it occured multiple times in different occasions. It always happened upon attacking enemy ships guarded by DD when I submerged after launching my torpedoes. Even in silent mode, being careful and without the enemy showing any signs of having spotted me, upon reaching the depth of between 20-30 m (66-100 feet) I suddenly take damage and flooding EVERYWHERE at once.

Now, I have three different scenarios I'm thinking about:
1) The Japanese in my game (plain vanilla) developed ASROC 30 years before the US - somewhat unlikely, I guess;
2) a bug and I have computer trouble;
§) the game is so smart that it remembers the boat took some hull damage on this patrol and that even though the damage was repaired the hull does not withstand that much water pressure anymore and the "plugs pop out" when I dive too deep.

If the latter is the case, does an ordinary refit (e.g. in Tulagi) fully repair the boat, or doe I have to end my patrol and return to Pearl?

Thanks so much.

End patrol is the only way to repair hull damages.

I have noticed on a number of occasions especially where you have 2 DD’s escorting the Hora Maru type ship.

Even though I am a long distance away and is at night the forward DD always seems to spot me.

I am stopped and my periscope is only just above the water line.

I have to take evasive action as the DD heads straight towards me and then depth charges me.

I have now found the answer is to let this first DD pass a distance before attempting to put the periscope up for the first time.

Hull damage is never repaired. If you have taken hull damage in the past few days and you go to certain depths if the hull cant take it you die. I will not engage anything on the surface or with escorts with anything over 50% hull damage. It is better to take the boat in and get it fixed.

Interesting
 

Thanks a lot. Ending the patrol is terrible, because I'm in the Solomons and have to return to Pearl, but better than being restricted to Periscope depth.

Two more questions
 

Sorry to ask some more but I can't figure out two other points of interest:

1) Crew torpedo solutions: are they better with battle stations because more people are involved?

2) Reporting a contact seems pretty tricky, because you have to be surfaced and rather close. Do you have to be 100& surfaced or is radar depth enough? And how close do you have to be? Sometimes I can't report a contact even though I clearly have it in my binocular sights.

Thanks

I don't think so. It's either manual or auto TDC. Torpedo solution accuracy aren't affected by the number of crew present.

If your on auto targeting then no the solution is no better at BS than without.

In order to report a contact you must be in visual range have a lock on a vessel and radio it in using the right hand icon on the clipboard. It only applies to convoys and task forces not individual ships.

Battle Stations, I just keep forgetting to do it.

Another thing regarding sending contact reports, you have to visually ID a vessel part of the convoy or TF, not an escort.. This can be difficult and not get spotted. If you want to take a look and get an ID, keep your speed down below 10 and keep your profile narrow. I will usually get in front to the flank a tad and stay narrow with my arse/aft pointed at the group stopped. This way once I get an ID I can move forward and away without turning exposing my flank. Also, depending on mods, you need to lock the target in binocs and ID it, with TMO just a click.

Again, mod setup may vary how this works, but this is what works for me.

For contact reports this helps;

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=211613

I've found that you can sit at a depth of 27-28 feet (decks awash but still surfaced) and let an escort get within 3000-4000 yards without him seeing you, even in daylight with perfect visibility. Main trick is to set the periscope or TBT on one of the ships (not an escort) and hit the L key to lock the target, THEN send the contact report and submerge - you'll get the reply at periscope depth, you can receive but not transmit while submerged.

As for the sudden death, it's irritating - no damage and then destroyed by a single attack. Personally I hate that so much that I cheat.

Silent 3ditor;
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=4489

Was made for SH-3 but also works for SH4. Open Data\Submarine\SubType\SubType.zon (whatever your favorite is, for example Data\Submarine\Gato\NSS_Gato.zon if the Gato is the one you like best).

Using the Gato as an example, I open NSS_Gato.zon in Silent 3ditor and find;

37: CollisionableObject
ArmorLevel=25
HitPoints=450
CrashDepth=277 (actually CRUSH depth in meters)
CrashSpeed=2.67
Rebound=0.45

No idea what effect rebound has on anything, but change the hit points and the CrashSpeed;

37: CollisionableObject
ArmorLevel=25
HitPoints=999
CrashDepth=277
CrashSpeed=0.1
Rebound=0.45

With those numbers you get a bit less than half the normal damage, adjust to taste. CrashSpeed is how many hit points you take per second when below crush depth, and crush depth is actually a percentage of max depending on how much hull damage you have. If max depth is 500 feet and your hull is 50% damaged, your new max depth is 250 feet, and you lose 2.67 points per second below that depth. Original total hit points 450, lose half of those in the attack you have 225, go below crush depth for 2 minutes and you lose 320 more points, which means you're dead. Changing just those two values means 999-225=774 remaining, lose 0.1 hit points per second and after 2 minutes below crush depth you've lost 12 points and are still alive.

It always seemed pointless to me to have a damage control team if they have no chance to actually do anything, so I cheat. :know:

Thanks to you guys
 

This is great, thanks a lot.

Yes, the sudden sinking was due to the hull damage. After ending the patrol (and getting repaired) everything was back to normal.

And I'll try the contact reports next time, what you're posting makes a lot of sense.

@ TheBerbster: yep, I always forget it too, that's why I asked. I just had a series of stupid misses at short range, so I thought the automatic targeting (still in my first War career, will change that next time) might depend on the skill of the crew.

Hi Sniper and Armistead

Just added your posts to my Tutorials thread so others will benefit from your experience.

Peter

Auto targeting may be quick, but often with ships helming, you need to be able to shoot where you think the ship will be, not based on current info.

And another question
 

Guys, I'm terribly sorry to keep pestering you, but something else occurred to me: Playing without the mods and with Auto-targetting, I have over 400 kt to my credit with corresponding Renown. It's early 1943 and my trusty USS Drum is a Gato-Class.

Now the question: why can't I get or when will I be able to get the 40mm Bofors? Historically, it should be available by now, I guess.

And, while we're on the topic of AA guns, can I damage ships with a 20mm gun, e.g. killing gun crew or is that a waste of bullets?

Thanks a lot

P.S.: The only airplanes I shoot at are the ones landed in a harbour. (HAR, take this for forcing me to dive-surface-dive-surface-dive… the whole time)

Edit: Yes, I'm trying to learn new techniques, and I'm consuming all the tutorials on different aiming technologies. My problem is the speed: My main tactic is to dive deep before the convoy/task force and then surface in the middle in parallel to the ships. I then choose one side and attack with bow and stern tubes, before going deep again (60-70m). Only below the thermal layer do I call battle stations and cancel silent running to get the tubes reloaded. Then I try to sneak out in the turmoil and maybe loiter around to pick of stragglers or ships that are dead in the water but refuse to go down. I just need to aim off-course and very quickly and at multiple targets.