Ghost ships?!

9emini · 03-31-12, 10:13 PM

Thought I'd share something very odd that happened over the past couple of days. Spacetime coordinates: AN76, 15/4/1940.

I intercepted a convoy escorted by a couple of black swans about 25km SE of Lowestoft. (My radioman had earlier reported that a convoy travelling at 8kts was in the area.) There's an 8kt wind with thunder and lightning, but no rain. The most massive ships in the convoy are a couple of 10 kiloton 'large merchants', travelling one behind the other at the back of the 8-strong group of merchant ships. I send a couple of eels toward each. One detonates prematurely while the other three hit their marks. Over time the ships (to my great delight and surprise) go down with no further help from me, and the frigates don't seem to have a clue where I am. Pretty much a first for me, so woohoo! Only curiosity is that one of the sunk ships has no red map icon, tho' it IS in my log.

Some 10 hours later, perhaps 50km SSW of this 'grave', I encounter a couple of large merchant ships, one behind the other, travelling at 8.1kts in pretty much the same direction as the two I'd sunk earlier. First time I've ever seen a couple of unescorted merchants travelling together, but also probably the first time I've made it to 4/'40! I rinse and repeat, sending 2+1 eels toward the two beasts. Three explosions later, I surface to spend a little time manning the deck gun. The ship that was hit twice seems to need no help, as it was clearly 'bow-heavy'. Cutting to the chase, both ships end up hitting the nearby sea floor without anything being added to my log, or anything appearing on map. I'm pretty peeved as 21 kilotons for 3 eels and a few shells sounds like a good deal to me!

It's almost like the second pair of large merchants were ghostly versions of the two I'd sunk earlier that day. Same type, same speed it seems, same relative position (one close behind other), and the second pair were where the first pair would have been had I not sunk them, and had their speed been lessened. They gladly received my ordnance but their demise did nothing for my renown!

bigboywooly · 03-31-12, 10:24 PM

did you save and reload inbetween meeting the 2 pairs ?

9emini · 04-01-12, 12:59 AM

Nope - tend to leave game running for weeks on end without having to do this.

bigboywooly · 04-01-12, 01:14 AM

I know it can happen with reloaded saves

Have also seen it myself as you described
Sank a couple of destroyers in Narvik and when the rest had left I sailed out of port too
Then got a map icon of 2 DDs behind me closing - the 2 I had sunk
Real enough to sink me tho

u35_captain · 04-01-12, 01:21 AM

Had something similar happen to me on the way to raid Reykjavik. Sank a C2 and a Small Merchant but only got credit for the latter. Because I lost contact with the C2 after hitting it, the ocean got the credit for the ship sinking.

Showed up as a kill on my navigation map, but no tonnage added to the total. And since this mission was almost always rough seas, this happened a second time on the way back to base.

Chances are it's a reload thing like discussed above, but is it possible the weather got the credit?

bigboywooly · 04-01-12, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by u35_captain

Had something similar happen to me on the way to raid Reykjavik. Sank a C2 and a Small Merchant but only got credit for the latter. Because I lost contact with the C2 after hitting it, the ocean got the credit for the ship sinking.

Showed up as a kill on my navigation map, but no tonnage added to the total. And since this mission was almost always rough seas, this happened a second time on the way back to base.

Chances are it's a reload thing like discussed above, but is it possible the weather got the credit?

Yes weather will get credit for sinkings
If you damage a ship in stormy seas the weather can finish it off

andwii · 04-01-12, 02:17 AM

oh ya ive had this problem way to many times, I think its because they respawn so fast. Try port raiding, then coming back the next day. All the ships you sank will be back, yet if you sink them again you wont get anything for it.

bigboywooly · 04-01-12, 02:27 AM

They will respawn as soon as you leave render range
Thats why never lose contact with a convoy or could be sinking the same ships again for no gain

03-31-12, 10:13 PM	#1
9emini Seaman Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Aboard the Galaga Posts: 37 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Ghost ships?! Thought I'd share something very odd that happened over the past couple of days. Spacetime coordinates: AN76, 15/4/1940. I intercepted a convoy escorted by a couple of black swans about 25km SE of Lowestoft. (My radioman had earlier reported that a convoy travelling at 8kts was in the area.) There's an 8kt wind with thunder and lightning, but no rain. The most massive ships in the convoy are a couple of 10 kiloton 'large merchants', travelling one behind the other at the back of the 8-strong group of merchant ships. I send a couple of eels toward each. One detonates prematurely while the other three hit their marks. Over time the ships (to my great delight and surprise) go down with no further help from me, and the frigates don't seem to have a clue where I am. Pretty much a first for me, so woohoo! Only curiosity is that one of the sunk ships has no red map icon, tho' it IS in my log. Some 10 hours later, perhaps 50km SSW of this 'grave', I encounter a couple of large merchant ships, one behind the other, travelling at 8.1kts in pretty much the same direction as the two I'd sunk earlier. First time I've ever seen a couple of unescorted merchants travelling together, but also probably the first time I've made it to 4/'40! I rinse and repeat, sending 2+1 eels toward the two beasts. Three explosions later, I surface to spend a little time manning the deck gun. The ship that was hit twice seems to need no help, as it was clearly 'bow-heavy'. Cutting to the chase, both ships end up hitting the nearby sea floor without anything being added to my log, or anything appearing on map. I'm pretty peeved as 21 kilotons for 3 eels and a few shells sounds like a good deal to me! It's almost like the second pair of large merchants were ghostly versions of the two I'd sunk earlier that day. Same type, same speed it seems, same relative position (one close behind other), and the second pair were where the first pair would have been had I not sunk them, and had their speed been lessened. They gladly received my ordnance but their demise did nothing for my renown! __________________ SH3 + GWX3.0 + 100% realism + restart patrol if sunk + no TC =

03-31-12, 10:24 PM	#2
bigboywooly Rear Admiral Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Swindon, England Posts: 10,151 Downloads: 35 Uploads: 0	did you save and reload inbetween meeting the 2 pairs ? __________________ My mediafire page http://www.mediafire.com/?11eoq19bq9r41

04-01-12, 12:59 AM	#3
9emini Seaman Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Aboard the Galaga Posts: 37 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Nope - tend to leave game running for weeks on end without having to do this. __________________ SH3 + GWX3.0 + 100% realism + restart patrol if sunk + no TC =

04-01-12, 01:14 AM	#4
bigboywooly Rear Admiral Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Swindon, England Posts: 10,151 Downloads: 35 Uploads: 0	I know it can happen with reloaded saves Have also seen it myself as you described Sank a couple of destroyers in Narvik and when the rest had left I sailed out of port too Then got a map icon of 2 DDs behind me closing - the 2 I had sunk Real enough to sink me tho __________________ My mediafire page http://www.mediafire.com/?11eoq19bq9r41

04-01-12, 02:27 AM	#8
bigboywooly Rear Admiral Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Swindon, England Posts: 10,151 Downloads: 35 Uploads: 0	They will respawn as soon as you leave render range Thats why never lose contact with a convoy or could be sinking the same ships again for no gain __________________ My mediafire page http://www.mediafire.com/?11eoq19bq9r41

04-01-12, 01:21 AM	#5
u35_captain Mate Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 54 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Had something similar happen to me on the way to raid Reykjavik. Sank a C2 and a Small Merchant but only got credit for the latter. Because I lost contact with the C2 after hitting it, the ocean got the credit for the ship sinking. Showed up as a kill on my navigation map, but no tonnage added to the total. And since this mission was almost always rough seas, this happened a second time on the way back to base. Chances are it's a reload thing like discussed above, but is it possible the weather got the credit?

04-01-12, 02:17 AM	#7
andwii Frogman Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Bridge of U-123 Posts: 300 Downloads: 76 Uploads: 0	oh ya ive had this problem way to many times, I think its because they respawn so fast. Try port raiding, then coming back the next day. All the ships you sank will be back, yet if you sink them again you wont get anything for it.