What got you interested in WWII submarines?

[Red Devil]

I have always been fascinated by the u boat and other mainly naval aspects of WW2. When the web came along I realised the research area just went universal. As a result, and the many contributions from surviving members of subs etc and families, I have amassed a massive collection of WW2 images and information.

The best is when I get an email and 'my father is in that image, I am so happy to find it' and such like.

My ww2 site is http://www.39-45war.com

Then I got into the heroic us sailors in the Pacific and got loads of info sent to me on that, so that topic grew and grew. British subs of course, but their role was mainly clandestine and those pages grew more slowly.

I have a great respect for submariners of both sides as it was a very brave thing to do under very exacting circumstances. 75% of U boat crews never got back to base and that's due in no small part to:

Http://www.mikekemble.com/walker/windex.html

a personal hero of mine. His tactics were distributed to every RH ship to be used against U Boats, and they worked.

[Admiral Halsey]

I was bored on YouTube one day and accidentally wrote Silent Hunter instead of Silent Hill. Decided to watch a couple of the videos and was instantly hooked.

[hutch1612]

Hi to everyone on here.
I suppose I am quite new to the forum although I am an old hand at submarine sims having played silent service on the commodore 64 and going onto the Amiga 500 & 1200 then PCs to play aces of the deep, silent hunter up to silent hunter 5. I think it was because I was brought up watching war films and reading books like the Cruel Sea and the fact my late father served in the Royal Navy during the last war. He never really spoke about his time in the war although on rare occasion he might mention something if a Naval war film was on. I did learn after his death that he had been on board the HMS Amethyst when it depth charged and sank U1276 after she had just torpedoed HMS Vervain off the coast of Ireland in 1945 I also learned that he was part of a boarding party that that went on U249 when it surrendered To Amethyst and Magpie at the end of the war. Its a real pity that I never got to say how proud I am of him for his effort during the war. I also have a great respect for the men of the U boat arm too for fighting for what they believed in. I guess I just like being sneaky and that's what U boats are good at. I am using LSH3 modded up at 98% realistic with the 2% is just narcissistic but then everyone loves to see their boats from the outside.... Happy Hunting Herr Kaleuns!!!

[saipan]

always been a ww2 buff. das boat really influenced me. i had to order the soundtrack on cassette. no internet back in 1984. still watch in very few months. tora tora tora also makes my skin get goose bumps.

[Aktungbby]

hutch1612!Hms Amethyst Of course you have omitted the most famous crew member of all: Simon the cat ; the only feline ever to be awarded the Dickon Medal for animal gallantry a little later in her career off China.(1949) And when the King says "Splice the Mainbrace...!!

" There was a particularly large, bold and vicious rat that, together with his band of followers, was causing havoc with the supplies; the crew had named him 'Mao Tse-tung'. Many attempts were made to trap him, as it was felt that Simon, in his weakened state, would not be able to cope with him: but he had evaded the traps. However, one day the animals came face to face: Simon sprang first and killed the rat outright. The delighted crew hailed him as a hero, and he was promoted to Able Seacat Simon — the feline equivalent of Able Seaman.
The days dragged on, more than two months after the original incident, with fierce heat and humidity, no relief in sight, and dwindling supplies of everything, including fuel. At times the boilers had to be shut down to conserve fuel, so there was no ventilation and no refrigeration. Even Simon started to wilt, although he continued with his duties and his rounds, helping, with the ship's terrier dog Peggy, to keep up the crew's flagging spirits. Then there was a typhoon; Simon was kept shut up to avoid possibly losing him, and slept through it all in the captain's cabin. Amethyst survived again — but rations and fuel were becoming desperately scarce. Kerans decided he had to make a dash for it while it was still possible.

So, on the night of 30 July 1949, Amethyst left under cover of darkness, and after a further series of adventures and more damage from Communist guns on shore, made it to the open sea, to be met by HMS Concord. The ordeal was over, after 101 days. King George VI sent his congratulations and ordered that the mainbrace be spliced. On 1 August a special presentation was made on deck, representing what the whole crew had been through. While both officers and men stood at attention, Simon was held by a boy seaman while a citation was read out by P/O George Griffiths, and Able Seacat Simon was awarded the Amethyst campaign ribbon. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_(cat)Simon the cat wearing the Dickon medal for animal gallantry; the only cat so honored!

[Captain Diver]

I became a bubble head simmer when Silent Hunter first came out. The rest is history.

[Red Devil]

I would also add to my reasons, the admiration of the fighting services in WW2, they were a different breed, respect to all in the European theatre, and to the Americans in the Pacific. I do not include the Japanese soldiers as in this, they were extremely brutal and cruel.

[scott_c2911]

Watching shows like stingray and voyage to the bottom of the sea etc. Also films like the enemy below and other war films while growing up. Hornblower series when i was older too.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by hutch1612

Hi to everyone on here.
I suppose I am quite new to the forum although I am an old hand at submarine sims having played silent service on the commodore 64 and going onto the Amiga 500 & 1200 then PCs to play aces of the deep, silent hunter up to silent hunter 5. I think it was because I was brought up watching war films and reading books like the Cruel Sea and the fact my late father served in the Royal Navy during the last war. He never really spoke about his time in the war although on rare occasion he might mention something if a Naval war film was on. I did learn after his death that he had been on board the HMS Amethyst when it depth charged and sank U1276 after she had just torpedoed HMS Vervain off the coast of Ireland in 1945 I also learned that he was part of a boarding party that that went on U249 when it surrendered To Amethyst and Magpie at the end of the war. Its a real pity that I never got to say how proud I am of him for his effort during the war. I also have a great respect for the men of the U boat arm too for fighting for what they believed in. I guess I just like being sneaky and that's what U boats are good at. I am using LSH3 modded up at 98% realistic with the 2% is just narcissistic but then everyone loves to see their boats from the outside.... Happy Hunting Herr Kaleuns!!!

Welcome to SubSim hutch

[merc4ulfate]

My interest is simple ... the hunt.

The submarine is the sniper of the seas. It's motivation is not to move swiftly nor brandish its power but to quietly and with stealth subdue it's target into a false sense of safety and strike in silence delivering it's target lethality and a swift and cleansing rest in a watery grave.

The hunt is the goal ... the kill is not.

Be swift and merciful in your killing. Your enemy is your brother and his suffering blackens your heart. There are times where killing is a necessity but the joy of killing is never fruitful.

[Sledgehammer427]

Long story short I bought a 4 game pack from a store at the age of 5 to play Fighting Steel, the surface combat simulator. In that pack was Silent Hunter Commanders edition and I started gaining interest, especially after the release of U-571. After a long hiatus because of school and entering young adulthood I returned to SH3 in '07 and made an account here.
It's all been up, down, and around including through the hill ever since

[mikica1974]

I have been playing for years 1-5 silent hunter I find the men who served on submarines as the günter prien're right heroes have been in the naval warfare and were every day exposed to death and who are my great heroes who are very brave in the naval war against the enemy in order to fight this because I inspire to the u-boot and their teams and have read many books about the u-boat war

[Red Devil]

Originally Posted by Sledgehammer427

Long story short I bought a 4 game pack from a store at the age of 5 to play Fighting Steel, the surface combat simulator. In that pack was Silent Hunter Commanders edition and I started gaining interest, especially after the release of U-571. After a long hiatus because of school and entering young adulthood I returned to SH3 in '07 and made an account here.
It's all been up, down, and around including through the hill ever since

Are you refering to the film U571? A complete work of fiction bearing no resemblance to actuality. It got slagged in the UK and hardly got a viewing in cinemas. Typical Hollywood trash.

[chebonaparte]

ww2 was side hobby as kid opening up huge encyclopedias of ww2 planes ships tanks etc.

my father loved Das Boot uboat movie! )

then my older brother made models of uboat and i later made model planes cars etc

sh2 got me hooked on SH series - still the most satisfying fun version imho

[Sledgehammer427]

Originally Posted by Red Devil

Are you refering to the film U571? A complete work of fiction bearing no resemblance to actuality. It got slagged in the UK and hardly got a viewing in cinemas. Typical Hollywood trash.

Aye, thats the movie. It was very appealing in the theater although I was read up enough on the real history to know it was a complete farce.