ambushed outside German-held Port

[BasilY]

GWX2.1 April 19th, 1945, Imperia, Italy.

April 5th, 1945, I started my last patrol from Suda Bay on the Island of Crete. Patrolling through the Streit of Messina, heading to the Port of Imperia, Italy, on the French/Italian Border. The patrol is uneventful, 9 ships for 20k GRT.

April 19th, with all torpedos spent, I Head for Imperia. For the last 100k or so, I run on the surface, ahead standard. The port Apears blue on the map, and (as far as I know, Imperia is in German hands till the end of the war). 5/6k outside the harbor, I meet a ASW trawler outside the harbor. I was thinking, "Nice, a welcoming committee..."

A welcoming committee indeed. the ASW come to within 3k of me and let loose all weapon on board. There is no WARNING, no "WARSHIP Sighted". At first I thought I hit a mine or Anti-submarine net, so I go reversed. By the time I realize what was going on, HI is at 15% and I am doom.

What's going on? can someone verify Imperia is friendly on April 19th, 1945? And how can I be sure a harbor is indeed friendly before I enter it?

[GoldenRivet]

you can look on the map.

red harbor name = enemy port

blue harbor name = friendly port.

keep in mind, in 1945... using GWX, there is no safe place for your U-boat. ANYWHERE. and every ship or aircraft you encounter should be treated as hostile until you can absolutely 100% verify the identity and nationality of the craft.

[Jimbuna]

Same procedure as carried out throughout the war....submerge, observe through the periscope and identify nationality of vessel.

[Kielhauler1961]

Just to add, I remember reading a post here, somewhere, of a kaluen who docked at at a French Biscay base when it was still under German control. However, the repairs to his boat plus shore leave meant that when he sailed out of the bunker for his next patrol, the base was now in Allied hands, and he got sunk almost immediately!

One to bear in mind.

[GoldenRivet]

i think you are talking about a guy who started the career in august 1939 and docked in a british port, then the war started as he put out to sea.

im pretty sure that if your base falls to allied hands while you are in port it automatically moves you to the next logical base... at least thats what it should have done.

[Brag]

In the summer of 1940, with a heavely damaged boat , I crept up to the coast of France and watched the harbors change from red to blue. Got close to Brest and hung around waiting for our forces to occupy it.

On the morning Germany occupied Brest, the weather turned sour. Hugging the coast, we crept toward the entrance to the bay. Very near the entrance, sighted 3 ships at close range--British destroyers, shallow water!

We dove to PD. The Brits attacked with wabos but were not accurate. After they left, we entered the bay. Pheeew.

[GoldenRivet]

i think that when a port changes hands that a small battle should at least take place in the cripted campaign layer.

It would have been neat if you were waiting around just outside brest for example, and German Bombers and fighters flooded the port with air attacks. followed by german destroyers entering the base at some point.

and when the port changes from german back to allies in 1944-45 there should be a task force that enters the port and dukes it out with whatever is left at anchor.

[Task Force]

My sub was in the port of dover on the night the war started. next thing I know I have a light cruiser turning his guns at me and patroal craft comeing to kill me, Right after I submerged I sunk the crusier and acouple of merchents, Got around the anti sub net and made it back to base with no damage. Thank god there where no mine feilds. Cause now in 1940 there are way to many mines in the english channel and stright of dover.:yep:

[BasilY]

GWX2.1 April 19th, 1945, Imperia, Italy.

April 5th, 1945, I started my last patrol from Suda Bay on the Island of Crete. Patrolling through the Streit of Messina, heading to the Port of Imperia, Italy, on the French/Italian Border. The patrol is uneventful, 9 ships for 20k GRT.

April 19th, with all torpedos spent, I Head for Imperia. For the last 100k or so, I run on the surface, ahead standard. The port Apears blue on the map, and (as far as I know, Imperia is in German hands till the end of the war). 5/6k outside the harbor, I meet a ASW trawler outside the harbor. I was thinking, "Nice, a welcoming committee..."

A welcoming committee indeed. the ASW come to within 3k of me and let loose all weapon on board. There is no WARNING, no "WARSHIP Sighted". At first I thought I hit a mine or Anti-submarine net, so I go reversed. By the time I realize what was going on, HI is at 15% and I am doom.

What's going on? can someone verify Imperia is friendly on April 19th, 1945? And how can I be sure a harbor is indeed friendly before I enter it?

1. The port is blue on the map. April 19th, 1945, Imperia Italy.
2. This happen when I try to enter port, not when I try to leave port.
3. It's night, I didn't see the flag on the ship till it's too late. There is no indication that the port has changed hands. I send a patrol report and receive reply right before entering port.

[GoldenRivet]

April 1945... it was probably an italian vessel which attacked you as italy had already surrendered. Though some italian forces continued to fight along side germans in the field, most of the italians turned against germany.

My guess, though germany held onto your port, the italian navy patrols those waters heavily and you just got into some hard luck.

this makes sense because the italian anti submarine trawler would have been close to the italian coastal waters, and with less than a month remaining in the war... italty had long since been an enemy of germany.

also watch out for this in france, a couple of french ports hold out until almost to the bitter end, though the port is blue and you can dock there... the area is packed with enemy planes and ships

[Jimbuna]

also watch out for this in france, a couple of french ports hold out until almost to the bitter end,

Indeed they did....St Nazaire, La Rochelle and Lorient did not surrender until the last day of the war.

[bookworm_020]

Just because the base is still friendly doesn't mean that the enemy won't be waiting outside to attack you. By 1945 the Allies have total control of the seas and would be activly hunting you.

[nirwana]

:roll: But how in Gods name is it possible that im engaged in a battle with a large british taskforce for almost 24hrs inside a neutral harbor without any forces of the owner try to intervene in any way ? Thats more then unrealistic. Thats like a war declaration of britain towards the neutral state.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=140881

[Jimbuna]

The neutral side will not consider you an enemy unless you fire on them.

[nirwana]

:hmm: hmmm would it be possible to modify the game or smod in a way that the neutrals acting like in RL ? No action if neutrals to them just enter the harbor but forceful reaction towards any foreign force who opens hostility to anyone being present in the harbor to defend their own territory.

Now i understand why the british warships were sitting parallel between me and a vessel from that neutral country. They hoped i would fire onto them and hit the merchant after they speed away.

[Jimbuna]

:hmm: hmmm would it be possible to modify the game or smod in a way that the neutrals acting like in RL ? No action if neutrals to them just enter the harbor but forceful reaction towards any foreign force who opens hostility to anyone being present in the harbor to defend their own territory.

Now i understand why the british warships were sitting parallel between me and a vessel from that neutral country. They hoped i would fire onto them and hit the merchant after they speed away.

That's never been achieved yet I'm afraid. Limitations of the game.

What you could do is get into a positin where there is a neutral between you and the escort....fire on the escort and he will try to fire directly back at you even if there is a neutral in the way.

That neutrals country will then consider the country the escort came from to be an enemy for a period of 24 hours.

Crazy game engine and not very realistic IMO :doh:

[BasilY]

If it is indeed the Italians, I guest I deserved it. I have sunk quite a number of Italian ships in the last few patrols. And I nailed the entire Italian Battle fleet in Port.:88) (Talk about Karma...) Any way, war's over, dead is dead. Time to start another career, maybe in the Pacific. Good Bye, Mediteranean, I got tired sinking the same warships HG5/Nelson over and over again.
Fletcher/Nimitz, Get your liferafts ready.:arrgh!: