just curious...

[She-Wolf]

hello y'all, I have a question to ask... in a book I have been reading - not strictly about subs, but touching here and there, it says that in 1942 the Brits came up with L-Band radar which pinpointed the whereabouts of any U-boats that were up on the surface charging their batteries, so that they could then scramble the planes to take them unawares and sink them. The Germans countered by developing an L-band receiver so that they could be forewarned and dive before the planes got there. Then the Brits switched to the S-band radar, which German intelligence did not pick up on, and consequently the U-boat fleet suffered a significant loss from plane attacks. Life got harder for Das Boot. My question is - will that be reflected in SH3? I am in 1939 now, and previous to the new GWX upgrade I was coming up to a significant event to do with Norway ( my ex-father-in-law was on the Cossack when the Altmark was boarded and the prisoners released btw) and I think that was a bit before 1942, so I haven't yet experienced any really tough times. just wondered really.... :) :huh:

[KeptinCranky]

Yes it definitely modeled, you'll not enjoy the first half of 1942 much, plane-wise believe me, after that it gets a little easier again, but then about a year later things are definitely not easy anymore...

[She-Wolf]

ahh, well... that's good. look forward to it.

Slightly off thread, but I was hanging around outside Dover on last patrol. Initially I had hoped to sneak up and see what I could use as target practice as there wasn't much going on at sea, but then I found they had nets up at the harbour entrances, and I wanted to see what happened if a vessel came out - do the nets get lowered, do they sail over the top, or what? So, as I had a bit of a wait until daylight, I grabbed the legs of a passing seagull, as you do, and took a tour around the harbour. Then, just as I am approaching the chimney of a factory block, there is an explosion and great wads of smoke come billowing up! Eh? I thought, wass ist das? Nothing else happened, so I winged my way back to the boot in time for one of Bernards culinary pleasures - underwear soup I think he called it; very tasty!
I never did find out about the nets - a lone merchant ambled my way, which I felt obliged to use my last two eels on, and then, having drownded that and successfully evaded the not very enthusiastic trawler that came a-looking for me, I tootled off back home.:rotfl::rotfl:

[KeptinCranky]

The trouble with loitering near enemy ports I've found, and I've done this a lot for test purposes Liverpool included :smug:, is that unexpected things do happen, collsions, ships that drift into walls and explode, convoys spawning nearby, unexpected visits by herr Goerings flyboys, that sort of thing. It IS a good way to see some of the interesting features of GWX that would otherwise go unnoticed though

I tend to stay away from them now, unless the weather out at sea is crummy and I'm in the vicinity anyway...

A slight caution, if you're ever tempted to visit st. Helena, they do have nets and mines too as I found out to my distress :damn:

[GoldenRivet]

She-wolf

is that your dog in your avatar? looks like some sort of German Shepherd mix. or is that just some random picture?

lokes like the exact dog im looking to get for my wife and I! :cool:

[She-Wolf]

Keptin Cranks, I shall heed your advice - oh yes!!:D

GoldenRivet - yes that is Maisie - she is a lot prettier than me you see. She is a pure-bred GSD and I would like to say she is typical of the breed, but, having been a breeder myself years ago, I know that she is not. In the past there has been a tendency - with British breeders -to line-breed more for beauty rather than temperament and working abililities - because showdogs win prizes for the way their looks and movement conform to the breed standard. In Germany they were and probably still are much more concerned with quality and temperament, and it used to be there that you couldn't breed from a dog without it having gained qualifications as a working dog. Anyway... she comes from a long line of show-dogs - a kennel that was prominent in the 60's and 70's, and which also catered for white German Shepherds ( these were not recognised in the breed standard and so could not be shown because, as a sheep dog, circling the flock all day to keep away predators, the shepherd needed to be able to pick his dogs out from the sheep, and white-coated dogs would be all but invisible from a distance). Many of her forebears on the dam's side were white - probably bred specifically to meet the public demand, as white is a recessive gene and can be guarded against by careful choice of stud, so she is a product of beauty-breeding rather than a balance of brains and beauty, so her temperament is not as 'solid' as I would like. GSD should be reserved, watchful and dignified with strangers. They should greet other dogs courteously, and then go on their way. Ha!! not our Maisie. She frightens the stuffing out of delivery men with her efforts to get at them through the window - even my sons, who she is fine with indoors, dare not put their arm through the window there is such a show of teeth. I feel it lets the breed down, the more so because she is not actually a biter at all - much of it is 'show'. I have had GSD that 'mean business' and such dogs are quiet and thoughtful and sincere in whatever action they decide is appropriate. They don't shout about it, they just DO it. She is just too excitable by half. Getting on for six now, won't change - but we love her, and she IS very beautiful as well as bright and clever with it. Big softy for us :)

If you decide to get a pup it is good to be able to see mum and dad if possible, and check both parents have been x-rayed for hip dysplasia and have no epilepsy problems. Happy chunky pups which come to meet you, are bright eyed and lively and do not scratch.

[Jimbuna]

Merchants have too deep a draught to sail over the nets, besides....vessels spawn (in the main) outside of the harbour confines.

[She-Wolf]

so how did they get out of harbour in real life Jimbuna?

[bigboywooly]

In RL the nets were usually moved by boom defence vessels
The nets in GWX are set low enough for warships to come out but YOU have to suface to go over
Inviting a beating from all nearby

:rotfl:

Usually the warships just drive into a wall though :roll:

[She-Wolf]

Aha. I shant be trying THAT then BB! :)

[Jimbuna]

so how did they get out of harbour in real life Jimbuna?

I've never performed a harbour raid since the early days, but I used to use the external camera and look for the gap between each section which most harbours had in the game :oops:

[Graf Paper]

So you're saying that these saw-toothed net breakers fitted onto the bow of my u-boat are useless, jimbuna?:cry:

So much for ramming a sub net to break through. *sigh*

[She-Wolf]

mmmmm - interesting......perhaps I will see if I can find this gap next time I am close enough to a port - though I don't like the idea of actually going IN there - just aiming at something was my idea... :-?

[bigboywooly]

So you're saying that these saw-toothed net breakers fitted onto the bow of my u-boat are useless, jimbuna?:cry:

So much for ramming a sub net to break through. *sigh*

You will take damage
I rammed one at high speed submerged in Scapa
Went half way through it and was stuck
Taking damage all the while
Had to blow tanks and surface in the end to free myself

[Knipper]

I haven't tried this yet She-Wolf, but it strikes me that if you go say 10 metres below periscope depth and then raise a scope just enough to get it out of the tube, you should be able to see the nets. That make sense?

[ICZEOZN]

As you enter the harbor, be sure to mark your route on the map so you know a safe way to get back out. I failed to do this once and rammed the net while I was (attempting) to make a quick escape. That was not fun.

[SurfnSea]

I suppose this means my plan of saying, "Red Rover, Red Rover let U-46 come over," won't work.

[Dronston]

So far I only encountered a net once in GWX 2, when I was making my way up to New York. I was at periscope depth with about 7 meters under keel, doing 3 knots when I suddenly heard a screeching sound and reports of damage. It was over in seconds and when I went to external view I saw I had gone over a net. Only 1% damage !
I must have sort of slided over the net or something. After the raid I took no chances and surfaced to race over it at 17 knots.

[She-Wolf]

you are all braver than me! If I spot a net ( through the tube), I shall back off and go find something else to occupy the time..!:rotfl::rotfl:

[Dronston]

you are all braver than me! If I spot a net ( through the tube), I shall back off and go find something else to occupy the time..!:rotfl::rotfl:

Was the periscope in RL actually used to see under water at shallow depths?

[Jimbuna]

you are all braver than me! If I spot a net ( through the tube), I shall back off and go find something else to occupy the time..!:rotfl::rotfl:

Was the periscope in RL actually used to see under water at shallow depths?

I wouldn't have thought so, especially in the dark waters of the Atlantic. Not much light below the surface, and not much point really.
Harbour raids were not exactly a daily event. :nope:

[KeptinCranky]

heh, inspired by Jimbuna's comment:

aboard British warship in any given port:

"Blimey, Jeeves.. that looks like a conning tower. Must be Jerry trying to infiltrate our anchorage again."

"By Jove, Harvey, You're right, I hadn't realised it's tuesday already. Well, I'm afraid the tea is going to have to wait a bit, shall I have the crew at action stations then?"

"by all means, Jeeves, by all means, but let's not hurry overmuch, it seems Jerry is having some difficulty negotiating our subnets.."

"Aye, aye, sir!..come on chaps, it's 4 o' clock on a Tuesday, and what does that mean? It means Jerry has coming raiding once again! They're very dependable those Germans, so if you could man your action stations and stoke up the engines a bit we'll go and give Jerry what-for!"

"oh, and helmsman, try not to run the ship aground this time, the Captain was most dreadfully embarassed last week? Allright? jolly good!"


:D

[She-Wolf]

Clearly someone is not working you hard enough Commodore Cranky sir; all this inspired imagination given life when what you should REALLY be doing with your time is scrubbing floors and press-ups, and mental arithmetic, not ENJOYING yourself!

:hmm::know::rotfl:

[KeptinCranky]

*snort* :rotfl: press-ups she says, :D, as for scrubbing floors...:-? and mental arythmetic, I get enough of that at work :|\\

[Jimbuna]

heh, inspired by Jimbuna's comment:

aboard British warship in any given port:

"Blimey, Jeeves.. that looks like a conning tower. Must be Jerry trying to infiltrate our anchorage again."

"By Jove, Harvey, You're right, I hadn't realised it's tuesday already. Well, I'm afraid the tea is going to have to wait a bit, shall I have the crew at action stations then?"

"by all means, Jeeves, by all means, but let's not hurry overmuch, it seems Jerry is having some difficulty negotiating our subnets.."

"Aye, aye, sir!..come on chaps, it's 4 o' clock on a Tuesday, and what does that mean? It means Jerry has coming raiding once again! They're very dependable those Germans, so if you could man your action stations and stoke up the engines a bit we'll go and give Jerry what-for!"

"oh, and helmsman, try not to run the ship aground this time, the Captain was most dreadfully embarassed last week? Allright? jolly good!"


:D

LMAO :rotfl:

[Oberon]

ROFLMAO!! That sounds about right Cranky! :rotfl:

Portsmouth raiding should only be attempted in a Type VII, and for the love of god, wait until ABSOLUTE darkness before attempting it. There's a sub net which you'll have to surface over, and quite a few machine gun nests littering the beaches which'll take great pleasure in turning your boat into a colander.
However, I did discover a neat feature during my hectic raid into Portsmouth...

They set the air raid siren off as I neared the harbour entrance on the surface, that was when I suspected that it wasn't quite as dark as I needed it to be....the second clue was when tracers started pinging off the conning tower.

Still, no fatalities, 80k in the bag, and 24% hull left and we made it back :up:

Next time I'll stick with the Atlantic with my Type IX :oops:


PS: Oh, and watch out for the Lolwaffe (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=129266);)

[JG10r_Bull]

heh, inspired by Jimbuna's comment:

aboard British warship in any given port:

"Blimey, Jeeves.. that looks like a conning tower. Must be Jerry trying to infiltrate our anchorage again."

"By Jove, Harvey, You're right, I hadn't realised it's tuesday already. Well, I'm afraid the tea is going to have to wait a bit, shall I have the crew at action stations then?"

"by all means, Jeeves, by all means, but let's not hurry overmuch, it seems Jerry is having some difficulty negotiating our subnets.."

"Aye, aye, sir!..come on chaps, it's 4 o' clock on a Tuesday, and what does that mean? It means Jerry has coming raiding once again! They're very dependable those Germans, so if you could man your action stations and stoke up the engines a bit we'll go and give Jerry what-for!"

"oh, and helmsman, try not to run the ship aground this time, the Captain was most dreadfully embarassed last week? Allright? jolly good!"


:D


Whahahhaa that's Good Very Good ROFL :rotfl: :arrgh!:

[johnno74]

you are all braver than me! If I spot a net ( through the tube), I shall back off and go find something else to occupy the time..!:rotfl::rotfl:
Was the periscope in RL actually used to see under water at shallow depths?

In real life it would have to be fairly clear water to see as far as your bow. In the north sea/channel.... well you'd be lucky to see the edge of the conning tour. Its like gravy.

In the pacific you'd probably have more luck.