SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - Just got my new Type II D

zygoma · 03-31-12, 12:14 PM

VonApist,
Inspired by your post, I started a new career in a IIA out of Wilmshaven, and so far (7 patrols) keep getting sent to patrol sectors just NE of Dover, or including (or just east of) Scapa Flow.
Closest I've seen so far to a convoy has been a pair of cargo ships, typically a C2 and either a Coastal Merchant or Small Merchant in trail. Typically the C2s and C3s take me 3 shots to sink, even with sending the torps about 1.5 to 2 meters beneath the keel, but it's always rough water, too. On just one occasion I broke the spine of a C3 with a single eel --- yay!
It could be either just my nervousness from knowing I've essentially got no spares, but even with having "Duds" disabled in the Options, and in *very* rough water, I assume the ones that swim on the correct azimuth are either having depth-keeping faults, or the targets are porpoising too high out of the water as the torps reach them.
I'm also realizing that, even with a full complement of crew, by the time I reach anything legal to shoot at, nearly everyone is too fatigued to take a duty post long enough for an attack, unless I essentially tell them they're likely to die if they don't work sleepy for awhile.
Turns out that, at least for me, the 20mm single AA gun isn't enough to do anything exciting except explode cargo on the decks or the intake funnels on and around the superstructure of the cargo ships. But it apparently doesn't penetrate the hull, so it hasn't been enough to provide the coup d' grace on anything. Well, I *did* sink a trawler and a tug with just the machinegun on one of the all-too-rare good weather days. And the one time a lone Hawker Hurricane appeared within sight, he disappeared as soon as I manned the gun. Of course, I'd sent Bernard aloft, and the airplane's pilot may have surmised that the unaccountably naked gunner was just nuts enough to be a good shot, else why would I have assigned him to the sole antiaircraft weapon....
Seems like the only chance I get to let most of the crew rest is to dive for awhile, shut down the propulsion, and let everyone just chill awhile. Usually I outrun the oxygen depletion with having the crew rest up, then get back to propulsion driving around aimlessly on the surface.
Six patrols so far, upgraded from the IIA to the IID at the fourth patrol, and haven't detected any real difference.
It's nice to actually have to be careful to line up torpedo shots, as I don't have a "bootload" of eels sitting around to be wasted.
I *am* looking forward to seeing if this boat will last through the development of radar; I spend lotsa time submerged now using the hydrophones to have at least a chance of finding something to shoot at.
Thanks for the suggestion (and accompanying thread) about using this boat -- it makes a great change from the IXD I usually drive around in.
Zygoma
__________________________________________________ _____
May your number of surface activities exceed your dives by exactly one at the end of your career.

03-31-12, 12:14 PM	#13
zygoma Loader Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 84 Downloads: 66 Uploads: 0	VonApist, Inspired by your post, I started a new career in a IIA out of Wilmshaven, and so far (7 patrols) keep getting sent to patrol sectors just NE of Dover, or including (or just east of) Scapa Flow. Closest I've seen so far to a convoy has been a pair of cargo ships, typically a C2 and either a Coastal Merchant or Small Merchant in trail. Typically the C2s and C3s take me 3 shots to sink, even with sending the torps about 1.5 to 2 meters beneath the keel, but it's always rough water, too. On just one occasion I broke the spine of a C3 with a single eel --- yay! It could be either just my nervousness from knowing I've essentially got no spares, but even with having "Duds" disabled in the Options, and in very rough water, I assume the ones that swim on the correct azimuth are either having depth-keeping faults, or the targets are porpoising too high out of the water as the torps reach them. I'm also realizing that, even with a full complement of crew, by the time I reach anything legal to shoot at, nearly everyone is too fatigued to take a duty post long enough for an attack, unless I essentially tell them they're likely to die if they don't work sleepy for awhile. Turns out that, at least for me, the 20mm single AA gun isn't enough to do anything exciting except explode cargo on the decks or the intake funnels on and around the superstructure of the cargo ships. But it apparently doesn't penetrate the hull, so it hasn't been enough to provide the coup d' grace on anything. Well, I did sink a trawler and a tug with just the machinegun on one of the all-too-rare good weather days. And the one time a lone Hawker Hurricane appeared within sight, he disappeared as soon as I manned the gun. Of course, I'd sent Bernard aloft, and the airplane's pilot may have surmised that the unaccountably naked gunner was just nuts enough to be a good shot, else why would I have assigned him to the sole antiaircraft weapon.... Seems like the only chance I get to let most of the crew rest is to dive for awhile, shut down the propulsion, and let everyone just chill awhile. Usually I outrun the oxygen depletion with having the crew rest up, then get back to propulsion driving around aimlessly on the surface. Six patrols so far, upgraded from the IIA to the IID at the fourth patrol, and haven't detected any real difference. It's nice to actually have to be careful to line up torpedo shots, as I don't have a "bootload" of eels sitting around to be wasted. I am looking forward to seeing if this boat will last through the development of radar; I spend lotsa time submerged now using the hydrophones to have at least a chance of finding something to shoot at. Thanks for the suggestion (and accompanying thread) about using this boat -- it makes a great change from the IXD I usually drive around in. Zygoma __________________________________________________ _____ May your number of surface activities exceed your dives by exactly one at the end of your career.