Somehow, I don't think "sorry, my bad" will cut it...

[Harmzuay]

So, a couple of weeks ago in a career I've since abandoned (decided to start from scratch at 87% realism in 1939...me and my crew are gonna make it 'till 45, GWX and all...just you wait :p ) I'm sailing my VIIC slightly NNW off the coast of Spain when the Watch Officer starts hollerin' something about a ship. I jump onboard the deck, pull out the ol' binoculars, and have a look myself. Sure enough, there are two unescorted merchants waving French flags chuggin' towards me about 4km out. I head back into the sub and start sweating over the nav map. Soon enough, I've got their track plotted and, wouldn't you know it - a simple turn to port will put me about 700 meters from their track at almost 90 degrees. After the ship gets turned, I dive to around 14 meters, raise the periscope, and wait. The lead ship's a medium merchant followed closely by a smaller cousin - one torp should be sufficient for both. I set my first two tubes for impact detonation at about three, three and a half meters. Soon enough, the lead ship crosses the reticle, and the first fish is in the ocean. Just as the first torp smacks dead center below the lead ship's smoke stack, the second merchant waltzes into view. Second fish is away, and the poor guy futily tries to perform evasive maneuvers - no dice, the second hit is as beautiful as the first. I order the boat to the surface and start running parallel to them, just in case they need a little extra encouragement from the deck gun. Only a few minutes later, and it's pretty obvious that neither ship's going to need any more of a beating, so I decide to save some shells, and tell the nav officer to continue on our course to the patrol area.

It's around this time, as I'm standing on the deck watching the two merchants slowly dipping beneath the waves, I start thinkin', "damn, that was too easy." The next thing I did was faceplant into my desk. It's late 1941 - France has been out of the war for a while, and her ships are considered neutral. Hell, I'm based out of a French port. Err....woops.

I'm not so sure an apology's going to fix this one. Maybe I shouldn't drink so much before I go out on patrols...:rotfl:

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Good one, really good story. Sheets happen to be blank (or what the English use to say in suchmoments...). Thanks for it. :)

[Gezoes]

Good one :)

I'll share one. I once picked up a sluggish noise in the fog at 270 degrees. I had been in a storm on and off for a week, chased by planes and DD's. My beard was growing into the aft torpedo room. I backed up a bit, saw what looked like a big liner, cheered ;), and fired a spread of eels.

Then I saw the Red Cross :huh: :damn:

Fortunately, in GWX, they carry, beautiful, deck lights and all. Quite a sight too!

[Zero Niner]

Lol. Reminds me of the time I attacked a Dutch ship (neutral at that time) thinking it was a French - you know, blue white & red tricolour. Except that the Dutch flag has them horizontal whilst the French one is vertical.
To compound matters, it was my son who made the observation.
"Dad, is Holland an enemy yet?"
"No, why?"
"Then why are you attacking a Dutch ship?"
:oops:
Fortunately I was surfaced & using the deck gun, so the damage wasn't too bad.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

When I started with SH3 manual plotting was I think my biggest problem that made me not sleep a few nights in a row well... I _always_ missed. And I mean it.

This time close to the French coast I spotted a TUG boat, so I attacked it obviously. On that time I was practising aft torpedo shots, so I took position so that the boat was at my 6 (180 deg) after tons of plotting the target course and speed. Rose my scope, observed it last time and then LOSS!

- Wait a minute - I whispered to my First - gimme the flags sheet fast! What is that flag she has on her?
- It's Dutch I think, sir! - he reported.
- What? Please, tell me that we are in state of war with Netherlands...
- No, sir. - He answered a bit shy... - At least that was not reported by BdU yet! - Added a bit louder.

And then a hit. In the very middle of the boat. My first aft torpedo hit in SH3 ever. :)

[Gildor]

I ran across 3 merchants and an armed trawler somewhere nw of Spain in late 1941. I identified the flag as a white field with a blue cross. I looked at my recog manual and they were Finish. I left them alone as they are not listed on the "Enemys of Germany" list. The problem was they were just sitting there. Thankfully, it was daylight and I saw the flags. If it had been at night, and also considering the fact that they didn't have running lights blazing away, I might of actually shot them. (AFAIK via message, I think the standing order is to shoot any ships without running lights at night?) It doesn't seem fair to lose renown if the ships are neutral but darkened.

I "accidently" sank a French merchant that turned out to be neutral as well.

[AVGWarhawk]

All you can say is "Did I do that?" :o

[Sheerin]

During my last patrol just north of Port of Spain I sank two T3 tankers. THe only problem was they were US flagged and it was November of 1941.

After this experience I started thinking about manipulating the cfg file and making it so that sinking a neutral doesn't cost renown (or earn renown for that matter), would that be considered cheating?

[bigboywooly]

During my last patrol just north of Port of Spain I sank two T3 tankers. THe only problem was they were US flagged and it was November of 1941.

After this experience I started thinking about manipulating the cfg file and making it so that sinking a neutral doesn't cost renown (or earn renown for that matter), would that be considered cheating?

Hi and welcome to Subsim
How you play your game is entirely up to you
I leave the negative renown in
That way I have to check and if I get it wrong I am penalised

Sometimes I hit a neutral in the middle of a convoy and have to take it on the chin
If I knew there would be no loss of renoun I wouldnt worry about what I sunk

Nearly attacked a neutral convoy the other day
Got into a close position in the end and could see the lights
Would have been a huge hit if sank the lot - no escorts

[melnibonian]

During my last patrol just north of Port of Spain I sank two T3 tankers. THe only problem was they were US flagged and it was November of 1941.

After this experience I started thinking about manipulating the cfg file and making it so that sinking a neutral doesn't cost renown (or earn renown for that matter), would that be considered cheating?
Cheating is different from person to person. If you feel that by editing the cfg files you will have more fun in your game, go forth and do it. It's just a game and it's all about having fun;) :yep: :yep: :up:

Enjoy it and sink them all:D :arrgh!: :up:

[Sheerin]

During my last patrol just north of Port of Spain I sank two T3 tankers. THe only problem was they were US flagged and it was November of 1941.

After this experience I started thinking about manipulating the cfg file and making it so that sinking a neutral doesn't cost renown (or earn renown for that matter), would that be considered cheating? Cheating is different from person to person. If you feel that by editing the cfg files you will have more fun in your game, go forth and do it. It's just a game and it's all about having fun;) :yep: :yep: :up:

Enjoy it and sink them all:D :arrgh!: :up:

True, I suppose. Though I'd like to remain as true to the simulation as possible. Would a uboat commander have been penalized for sinking a non-friendly neutral ship?

[bigboywooly]

The USA he would have , more than likely
Hitler was desperately trying to avoid the States joining in so US targets were def off limits
Plenty of other neutrals were sunk during the war
Early on if suspected of carrying contraband as governed by the prize rules
Later by virtue of being in an escorted convoy

[Sheerin]

The USA he would have , more than likely
Hitler was desperately trying to avoid the States joining in so US targets were def off limits
Plenty of other neutrals were sunk during the war
Early on if suspected of carrying contraband as governed by the prize rules
Later by virtue of being in an escorted convoy

dang. I suppose I'm off to the Eastern front now...

[bigboywooly]

Sink a few real enemies
That should make uncle Karl forget about your mishap

[melnibonian]

BBW is correct here. There are so many enemy ships in the seas you don't have to hunt down the neutrals. I know it can get frustrating to patrol for days and see only neutrals but that's realism for you;) :D :D

[Sheerin]

BBW is correct here. There are so many enemy ships in the seas you don't have to hunt down the neutrals. I know it can get frustrating to patrol for days and see only neutrals but that's realism for you;) :D :D

What happened was that it was quite foggy and I got a sonar report of two merchants near by. I intercepted, got a solution and fired. Both tankers took the two eels and fianlly keeled over. It was only when my NO announced their fate that I realised they were neutral.

Usually I avoid them like the plague, especially in convoys, though most of the time the neutrals are the juciest targets (Liners, T3's etc). Luckily for me i'm in January of '42, so they're fair game!

[melnibonian]

What happened was that it was quite foggy and I got a sonar report of two merchants near by. I intercepted, got a solution and fired. Both tankers took the two eels and fianlly keeled over. It was only when my NO announced their fate that I realised they were neutral.

Usually I avoid them like the plague, especially in convoys, though most of the time the neutrals are the juciest targets (Liners, T3's etc). Luckily for me i'm in January of '42, so they're fair game!
Don't say this to me Captain. I believe you. It's Uncle Karl you have to persuade;) :D :D :rotfl: :rotfl: