the best Fleet boat?

[Type941]

So to an unitiated player, what is the best fleet boat there is in the game (so thats american boats i mean). I noticed some Gar class has a massive amount of tubes and is fast too with 20knts speed, which is the boat i picked for my frist compaign. here she is. How good is this boat? Will it prove a good choice throughout the war? Oh, on side note, if this was beauty contest, which one is the prettiest boat? :)

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/8216/sh42008030802145724sshl5.jpg

[V.C. Sniper]

Have you ever heard of the super US submarine class called the Balao class? They're the best subs of WWII. They might come a little later in the war but it's worth it. They are my favorite submarines of WWII. :up:

Best start up subs for n00bs would be the heavy hitting Tambor and a little bit later on the heavier hitter Gato.

All the fleet submarines are beautiful beyond words.:up:

[CinC Battleforce]

Unfortuntly the Tench, isn't in the game, but the Tench class were improved Balao class boats that elimated some points of structual weaknesses in the Balao. The Tench class boats were also able to carry four more torpedos then the Balao. This was able to be done through careful detail rearangement of the interior compartments and a redesign in fuel, ballast and trim tanks. Military capabilities of the the two classes were so simular you can't call one better then the other, but the extra torpedos can really be handy on a long patrol. The Tench enterered service in early 1945. 88 were ordered but only 25 were completed. The Tench class boats were later selected to be converted to the most advanced boats in the Greater underwater Propulsion Program. They were rebuilt as the GUPPY III type boats, while most Bolao rebuilds were to GUPPY II

[snakeyez]

S class
Porpoise class
Salmon class
Sargo class
Tambor class
Gar class
Gato class
Balao class

Each of those improved over their predecessor. The Tambor class was the first class to have 6 forward tubes and 4 aft. The Gato could dive deeper than the Tambor. The Balao could dive deeper than the Gato.

Your only limit in SH4 is what time period you are in as to how modern of a boat you can pick.

[CinC Battleforce]

actually the Tamber\Gar classes could easily make 300 feet with out a problem. It was only on paper that the Gato had a better operational depth. On paper the Tambers could only dive to 250 ft operational depth, but like the Gato class, they had #27.5 mild steel that was 11\16 inch thick. When the Gato class was put to sea the General Board and the Buroghe of Construction and Repair agreed that on paper the Gato could make 300 ft operational depth, but the Tamber and Gar classes equaled this easily. About the only difference in the Tamber and Gato is the fact that the engine room was devided into two with a water tight bulkhead.

CinC

[Lightning61]

I started early with a gar at pearl, didn't take long to get that awesome Gato, but will I get a Baleo?

[Ducimus]

So to an unitiated player, what is the best fleet boat there is in the game (so thats american boats i mean). I noticed some Gar class has a massive amount of tubes and is fast too with 20knts speed, which is the boat i picked for my frist compaign. here she is. How good is this boat? Will it prove a good choice throughout the war? Oh, on side note, if this was beauty contest, which one is the prettiest boat? :)


US subs are really a product of continual design evolution. Its not like the KM where they designed different boats to do different things. The US navy had a doctrine for the submarine, and continually tried to refine the sub to meet that doctrine. In essence to range accross the pacific and support the fleet.

S class is in my opinion, the gutter boat. WW1 vintage, its not a fleet boat.

Porpoise class comes after that. It is about on par, with a german type9b uboat. 4 torpedos forward, 2 aft.

Later still the design evolved again into the Salmon class - 4 tubes forwards, 4 aft,

Shortly aftewards, the salmon class was refined and the result was the Sargo class. The differences between the two fairly minor.


After the Sargo, the design was refined yet again, and the result was the Tambor class. The Tambor class represents the first true fleet boat, with 6 torpedos forward, and 4 aft. At this point its worth mentioning that the P class, salmon, and sargo all, have relaitvly the same rated test depth. Tambor was the first one that could go, a touch deeper.

Following the Tambor class, came another small refinement in the Gar class. Virtually identical to the Tambor, some consider the Tambor and the Gar class, to be a single class of submarine.

Following the Tambor and Gar came the Gato - yet another refinement, same torpedo loadout (6 forward, 4 aft), but a slighly deeper diving depth then the Tambor/Gar. The gato is to the pacific, what the type 7c was to the atlantic. That is to say, it was the "work horse".

Following the Gato, came the Balao. Primary difference being deeper diving depth. Noted mostly for its high tensile steel pressurehull, hence its nicknamed "thick skinned" boat. The Balao is to the gato, what the type 7c/41 is to the type7c.

Following the Balao, came the Tench - a further refinement of the balao, and slightly deeper diving depth. (not present in stock, but added by mod)


The balao and tench class are the "ultimate" in fleet boat design. It was these boats that acutaly stayed in service and performed well into the cold war, some still in service as late as 1960.

[Torplexed]

Excellent nutshell summary of US WW2 subs Ducimus! :up:

[Lightning61]

Thnk you sir!
Still curious if I'll get a Baleo upgrade, or be retired before i get a chance?
Sorry to kidnap the thread, it just seems slightly relevant to the conversation.:hmm:

[Slick Wilhelm]

This begs the further question....if I started my first career in 12/41 in Manila and chose to start in an S-Class boat.....am I going to get more renown because I chose an older boat class? Or am I just in for a greater challenge until I can upgrade?

[Type941]

thats a cool write up thanks! I guess I picked the right boat in Gar class. I love the conning tower look of thé thing, just looks much more modern for some reason.

S Class is something out of an adventure novel. Looks antique, slow and not powerful.

So let's see wjere the game play takes me with Gar, USS Grayling. :)

[Quillan]

I think I've been offered an upgrade to a Balao in two different campaigns, both by mid 1943. I don't recall exactly what point I got the earliest offer, it was either the end of 1942 or early 43, but I can't be certain. You can start with a Balao in Pearl Harbor by starting a mid-43 career, if you wish. It's a great boat.

[-Pv-]

In the stock game, if you do not spend too long at sea (taking too many refits) and you take as many missions as your fuel and weapons permit as well as downing high scores of valuable targets, you'll likely move through all the models during the course of the war. I started out the day after Pearl Harbor with a S boat and have moved up through all of them to my present Balao summer of '43. Each time I upgraded, I was able to appreciate how much more damage I could do to the enemy.
-Pv-

[Lightning61]

Jan '43, got my Baleo! Woo Hoo!

[swdw]

I'm weird. Although I don't care for the S-boats, I do like starting with a chanllnege so early in the war I usually pick a Porpoise class.


Following on Ducimus' post some of the minor differences in the boats were changes in the batteries. The batteries were steadily improved with each class. Sometimes this didn't mean more capacity, but maybe a better recharge and more recharge cycles before the batteries were replaced.

There were also some changes in boat control (hydraulics, electrics, servos), and a lot of changes that you won't see in the game because you don't do maintenance in the game.

Engines were constantly improved too. Like the batteries, this may not mean increased horsepower all the time, but may lean towards more reliable operation.

Some of the changes are things there's no way to manifest in the game, because the end result gives you the same operatoinal characteristics, where in real life, for example, it may have made the job of the planesman a bit easier.

[CinC Battleforce]

The big change came in the USN batteries when the USS Sargo had a new type battery installed. It was still a 126 cell battery but it did allow for a faster recharge time. The time of recharge was halfed. If i remember correctly the "Sargo Battery" was retrofitted into the Salmon class boats. and used on all subswquint classes upto and including the Barbel class of desiel attack boats of the 1950s