Best timing for snorkel?

[Shkval]

Few questions... how long does it takes to fully recharge depleted batteries with snorkel? I have red somewhere that is best to use snorkel 12x20 minutes a day... or something like that? I can't find that thread ... is Jungman's fix for snorkel detection included in GWX 3.0 gold? If not, where can I find it? Links are dead in old threads...

[Bosje]

good question, i never effectively used the schnorkel
air attacks from schnorkel detection are way too close for comfort, i find i'm better off running on the surface and diving on radar detection warning beyond visual range

[u crank]

Batteries would charge at the same rate with snorkel as they would on surface. One engine would charge batteries and one would power boat.

Playing with snorkel and not having late war sensors is death. You won't know what hit you.

[Shkval]

OK, I know snorkel is dangerous, but you haven't answered me anything, anybody some good tips, tactics? What is the best ratio of speed per knots /spending-recharging batteries? I know that with early VIIb you can get about 200 km underwater at 3 knots 'till 10% of batteries... with one surfacing for air about 8 minutes long, and that you need about 100 km recharge at flank speed... anybody has some better idea?

[u crank]

Originally Posted by Shkval

OK, I know snorkel is dangerous, but you haven't answered me anything, anybody some good tips, tactics? What is the best ratio of speed per knots /spending-recharging batteries? I know that with early VIIb you can get about 200 km underwater at 3 knots 'till 10% of batteries... with one surfacing for air about 8 minutes long, and that you need about 100 km recharge at flank speed... anybody has some better idea?

Sorry Shkval, I didn't quite understand your question.

The subs batteries would charge at the same rate regardless of its speed. You could be at a dead stop, it wouldn't matter. The reason for this is that the diesel that is charging the batteries is not powering the boat. That prop does not turn. Going at flank or slow would only change the distance you travel but not the time the recharge takes.

As for tips/tactics, I would never let my batteries go to 10% during patrols or transit. If you are detected by a destroyer at that battery level you would be in deep trouble. I seldom let them get below 70%, unless I'm chasing an unescorted target submerged.

Hope this has been some help. Good hunting

[Shkval]

Well, I tried to measure time to recharge... after 3 hours submerged, I had to be surfaced at least 1 hour 15 minutes to recharge...few times even longer almost 1 hour 45 minutes... that was in bad weather... but when weather suddenly calmed it took only 35 minutes ... so what to do... dive and wait for better weather? Or surface, order flank speed, and pray not to be caught by radar for hour and a half period of time?

[Bosje]

well... if you play it really safe i'd say run submerged at 2/3 and then go to schnorkel depth when batteries are at 50%, recharge from schnorkel and rinse and repeat

you would take a long long time to get anywhere but you would only spend 1/3 of your time, at most, with schnorkel and scopes out of the water, and no time actually on the surface

it would probably work best in a type XXI

[Shkval]

Now we are talking! I'm planing tactics for '43 and onwards, because now I have GWX 3.0 gold installed and all those nice gadgets like snorkel and RWR on it are available when they should be available... and not like vanilla SH3... nothing works... so you had to cheat and make lot's of saves to get hands on XXI beast...

[zygoma]

I use the schnorkel a lot, but I learned early on to have the observation periscope raised and scanning the skies frequently. While that does take the attention of one of the bridge crew almost to exclusion of any other activity, it *does* let me know if I've got a flight of B-24s or Sunderlands figuring on using my poor little lifeline for bombing & strafing practice. And while I can't quantify how much better/safer I do, it seems that even without actually looking through the scope, just having it deployed seems to keep the bastage flyboys away from me.
I run at standard speed submerged with the schnorkel raised, figuring that higher RPMs on the shaft going to the alternator (or generators?) to charge the battery produce more current at higher speeds, so he batteries charge more quickly.
Maybe it's just dumb luck on my part. In fact, with my young career in SH3, it can safely be attributed to the majority of good things that happen during my patrols.
Dunno if it'll work for everybody --- ymmv, of course.
Cheers,
-- Zygoma --
__________________________________________________ ______
May the number of your submarine's surface operations exceed your dives by exactly one at the conclusion of your career.

[Shkval]

Will WO report airplanes even if map update is turned off?

[Frenchy849]

Originally Posted by Shkval

Will WO report airplanes even if map update is turned off?

Well,of course,it only stops contacts to be on the map.

[Shkval]

I mean trough periscope, not on surface?

[Hinrich Schwab]

Just to throw this out there, SHIII does not model a very important reality regarding snorkeling; high speeds break the snorkel mast. To best emulate the realism regarding snorkeling, never exceed Ahead 1/3. Speeds approaching ~10 knots would break the snorkel. Rough weather (Sea State > 5) would make snorkeling impractical due to snorkel flooding.

That being said...

My routine is battery only during the day. After dusk, snorkel to full charge and alternate battery and snorkeling every three hours. Top off the battery around dawn and repeat.

[TorpLos]

Originally Posted by Hinrich Schwab

Just to throw this out there, SHIII does not model a very important reality regarding snorkeling; high speeds break the snorkel mast. To best emulate the realism regarding snorkeling, never exceed Ahead 1/3. Speeds approaching ~10 knots would break the snorkel. Rough weather (Sea State > 5) would make snorkeling impractical due to snorkel flooding.

That being said...

My routine is battery only during the day. After dusk, snorkel to full charge and alternate battery and snorkeling every three hours. Top off the battery around dawn and repeat.

Thats how i play. I never run higher than 5knoten.

In my first patrol in May 1944 i started the routine of diving to 25 m at day. Surface to recharge once (HSIE patch prevents staying under to long, you waste oxygen) then dive again until night. When night comes i raise my Schnorkel and cruise at 4-5 knots. Havent been harassed by that method yet.
However.... I got a little bold and didnt dive one morning. And that was the end of U-352... Didnt even hear the bombs, direct hit, uboot destroyed.. After i spend all that time going round the pening route (Spanish Coast). Gargh

I had a quick question. Since running with the Schorkel was so hard on crews does GWX or NYGM emulate that? I thought i read somewhere in NYGM manual that running with the schornkel in high winds will fatigue the crew quicker, modeling the air being sucked in and out and all that other wonderful jazz that came with being a late war uboot crew.

[Shkval]

Originally Posted by Hinrich Schwab

My routine is battery only during the day. After dusk, snorkel to full charge and alternate battery and snorkeling every three hours. Top off the battery around dawn and repeat.

At what speed during the day... and night... 2 knots...3? And how long is the "black" period of time when Brits got radar and "we" don't have snorkel or any kind of RW... 6 months or longer? Was that the "Black March"? I remember the first time I got hit in the middle of the night out of nowhere... very unpleasant experience...
What do you do in those circumstances?