Can coastal merchants' engines explode randomly? Are other U-Boats active in-theatre?

[phlupplephlupple]

Hey there,


Pretty new to Silent Hunter III, or at least, new to playing it on 100% realism and really giving it my all.


Running mod: Ahnenerbe WideGui 1920x1080 Final - nothing else



I was just setting up a shot on a Norwegian coastal merchant in AN31, south of Bergen, just off the coast of Norway. I was at periscope depth, waiting for him to cross my port 90 degrees to fire. Approximately two minutes before he would have reached this point, I thought I'd observe him with the periscope to confirm his heading and range. I observed him for a few seconds and then BOOM, he exploded for no apparent reason. I checked my surroundings with the periscope and listened for something on the hydrophone but to no avail. I'm pretty sure I spotted an impact texture on the rear-starboard side of his hull suggesting he had been struck by something.



I assume the player is the only U-Boat on the map, so it couldn't have been another submarine, right? A mine? A bug?



Thanks in advance for any help!

[BristolBrick]

I've never seen another submarine, but I would think that the game might simulate them, I believe it simulates a whole ship's route, rather than just having random encounters plotted. I think this is the case because sometimes I reload a save file for whatever reason, and if I keep the same course I did the first time I played, I'll bump into the same ships.

Seems reasonable to me, and after all the contact reports have to come from somewhere haven't they? (Although a few probably are planes)

Still I am very curious if this is actually the case.

I greatly doubt it was another U-boat since due to SH3 limitations AI-controlled submarines can't dive or fire torpedoes. It's possible that a friendly aircraft might have been patrolling in the area and attacked the merchant. Aircraft are fairly common near coastal waters. An other possibility is weather: stormy sea and big waves cause damage to small ships and can even sink them. Or as you mentioned, it could also have been a mine.

[BristolBrick]

But storm damage would be unlikely to cause it to explode suddenly, more likely the water would spill in and cause it to tilt one way or the other.

I ran over a storm damaged destroyer once! (Rammed it side on and it capsized!)

[XenonSurf]

In the stock game the answer is : NO.


In WAC, AI subs are included as well as in other mega mods (In WAC they are in ports already). There will be battles in which you are not (yet) involved, the thing is: Be there at the right time to meet historical battles and you will see all sort of units. You can adjust date in bunker with KSD Commander.


However, even in WAC, I have yet to see an AI sub attacking a ship. So, the moment I see an AI sub together with enemy ships and the AI doesn't fire I'll know for sure. This may take awhile to be in such a situation...
Best way to investigate is to look if a mod is supporting 'Wolfpacks' in which case you should be directed to a location by BDU in which a group of subs, plus you, are attacking a convoy.

The old DOS game Aces of the Deep has this feature.