unsinkable auxiliaries

[piersyf]

Just had a very disappointing end to a patrol, and depending on what you guys tell me I may resurrect from the last save or I may just let it end.

Moved close to a harbour on Okinawa. One DD was guarding the entrance, and there were 11 merchants sitting in port. I had 15 torpedoes. I used 5 of them to kill the DD, but 2 of the merchies were a fishing boat and a tug, so gun worthy. 3 of the merchies were auxiliaries, black and white critters rather than the overall dark grey and with a gun turret amidships.

Apart from the frustration of 4 duds, I popped 2 into the bow of one of these auxiliaries, fused contact, both hits lifted the bows out of the water (both hit same place) but not a scratch. I got annoyed and parked myself in a corner where they couldn't see me but I could see 2 unarmed merchants and surfaced in the bay to finish them off. I just got one burning when suddenly I get warnings that I was under attack (no shell splashes), and within 10 seconds my hull was breached, engines destroyed and I went down, but could not find my asailant.

Has anyone else met these auxiliaries, and are they unsinkable? I admit I made an error of judgement surfacing in an enemy port, but that was only because of the invulnerable auxiliaries. Opinions?

[d@rk51d3]

Hit a string of them just west of Scapa, north of Loch Ewe. They went down much easier than I expected, taking only 2 eels each.

[H2OsKT]

Where there land based bunkers? I have encountered those guarding random chanels around Java and Singapore. I am sure they have instalations on mainland Japan. Unfortunately, they are quite agressive and there is no defense other than to keep your range at a distance, submerge and focus on night attacks on boats in port.

Personally, I tend to stay away from a ship at a dock because the water is so shallow. Most merchants go down with one torp when asea, but I seem to waste fish in harbor. The large tankers take three torps only to sit on the seabed. :-( Also, boats at sea have fuel bunkers and cargo which seems to assist in taking them down whereas a docked ship sits higher in the water and has less explosive material onboard.

Just my observations . . . .

[d@rk51d3]

Ooooops, my bad.

I didn't read SHIV, and I was thinking SHIII.

Sorry.

[Raptor1]

Unfortunatly those Coastel Batteries are quite common, I've seen them guarding the Bungo and Kii channels, on the shores of the Sunda Strait, Guarding the enterance to Tokyo Bay, and guarding the enterance into Rabaul (Among other places), so it's pretty safe to assume they have some in Okinawa as well...

[piersyf]

No, THESE suckers... I put a torpedo into it, almost lifted it out of the water, but no damage. I get a shimmering on the hull at the impact point. Do they have force fields? :hmm:

Or were they left out of the damage updates for RSRD or NSM?

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/8670/gunboatua5.jpg

[Raptor1]

I raided Rabaul once and put no less then 10 torpedoes into an Auxiliary and in the end had to give up because both my bow and stern tubes we're empty, that was even worse then firing a full spread at a convoy and getting all duds...

Also, I would suggest putting another torp into it, If at first you don't succeed, come back with overwhelming firepower...

[CaptainHaplo]

These are not unsinkable - however even if you do "sink" them you don't get renown. Its a bug in TMO or RSRDC that causes this. I suspect TMO as thats where the ship is added. Its a zone issui I think. Basically, if you do enough damage to sink the ship - it will simply disappear off the face of the world. No sunk ship in the map, no "she's going down" message. Its only with this one ship - it shows on the map as a nvag or nvab or something similiar. If you zoom in on the map extremely close, you will see it vanishes - where all other ships have round dot showing their location on the map (provided your using map updates). Best choice - just ignore these buggers when you can.

[piersyf]

Thanks Cap'nHaplo! I assume then that they were carried over from TMO to RSDC because I don't have TMO... anyway if they aren't counted as a kill I will ignore them.Thanks for that piece of info...
It does prevent the fox in a hen house escapade where I surface in the harbour and wreak havoc, but in reality that wouldn't be very smart, so I guess they can fill the role of harbour defence, which they do fairly well. Especially as the DD's seem completely unwilling to chase me into a harbour...

[CaptainHaplo]

Sure thing - though I noticed you mentioned NSM in an earlier post as well. Are you running that? Its not 1.5 compatible so that could also be why your getting some weirdness. I use TMO and RSRD and these guys are not that tough - one torp usually is enough - 2 always convinces them to "disappear". I have never seen any force field shimmer (where can my sub get one of those!!!!) so it may be a weirdness with NSM? Either way, I agree, never target one of these buggers unless its just to clear it out the way so that other targets can be attacked.

[JoeCorrado]

Encountered one of these exact same ships, I think it was in Kametsu. For a small booger it sure took a licking and kept on ticking. Spent three torpedos on the sucker, two were contact at 9 feet and one was magnetic under the keel.

Never did get the thing to burn, much less sink. It was still there when I left.

Running most current versions of TMO w/ RSRD.

No, THESE suckers... I put a torpedo into it, almost lifted it out of the water, but no damage. I get a shimmering on the hull at the impact point. Do they have force fields? :hmm:

Or were they left out of the damage updates for RSRD or NSM?

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/8670/gunboatua5.jpg

[Raptor1]

First the Japs develop Gunboats with a draft so shallow a Torpedo can't hit it, Then they develop Anti-Torpedo Forcefields? What's next, Ships that cause your normal straight running Torpedoes to circle around and hit you?

[piersyf]

Yeah I am running NSM as well as RSRD. I don't have 1.5 installed, running 1.4.

I've hit 2 of these things, and both times I've had the 'force field' shimmering at the impact point. It continues for the duration of the session as well, not a quick thing.