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Nangleator
04-01-09, 01:42 PM
I've played stock SHIII up into summer '43 a few times, but always in VIII's. I've been in a IX for ten patrols now, and ran into my first Liberty Cargo ship off Newfoundland.

Bernard must have been at the helm.

It loomed out of a heavy fog, and I scrambled to learn the keel depth of the ship before loosing two torpedoes. He was steaming along quickly, and even though I got two hits, he still disappeared into the fog at about 7 or 8 knots. I surfaced and made chase. My plan was to just regain visual on him long enough to run an eel up his kilt and stop him. I wasn't ready for the immediate sighting I got, and was shocked to see him listing heavily, almost beam on to me and stopped.

Liberty ships have some guns on them. Rather a lot, it turns out.

I got off a snap shot from the front tubes and ordered a crash dive. Between my own indecision and the graphical challenge to my old computer hardware, I received quite a lot of damage, and spent most of the rest of the encounter moving the damage repair crew around. Well, the snapshot saved my butt, and I got a report of the enemy vessel's demise. By the time I ordered the last damaged compartment repaired, I realized I might be having another encounter. I was headed towards the sinking position of the ship at flank speed.

External view showed that I passed no less than about 6 meters from the sinking wreck. I'd like to say "No sweat," but I was sweating.

Jimbuna
04-01-09, 02:26 PM
I call them porcupines...they can pri*k you from so many areas http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/pirate.gif

Nangleator
04-01-09, 04:34 PM
I've found a couple since then. They take a while to sink, with poorly-aimed shots, but they flood and list nicely. Maybe I'll get one to go belly up some day.

Etienne
04-01-09, 04:55 PM
Yeah, some of those merchies you want to go at submerged.

The Large Modern Tankers in SHIV? You do not want to annoy on the surface. Especially if there's two of them.

woody4077
04-01-09, 08:55 PM
i agree the large modern tankers in SH4 can be a pain

bookworm_020
04-02-09, 12:47 AM
Once the merchants get guns, happy times are over!:cry: I still in some mad moments go for the deck gun, I knocked off three merchants after I sunk their lone escort. Was not pretty, but I got all three merchants!:arrgh!:

Synthfg
04-02-09, 05:33 AM
Once the Merchies get guns then the only option is to drop back, At ranges of 3500+ there still pretty inaccurate, but it does mean that you end up doing most of the shooting yourself

Nangleator
04-02-09, 06:07 AM
I actually enjoy gunning the lone ones quite a bit. If they only have guns at one end, then more fun for me.

I'm currently in Fall of '42. Happy times are well past. I've been bounced by aircraft at night just once so far, and haven't seen a serious bombing group yet, in my IX. I'm thinking the first one I see will be the last one.

kdv
04-02-09, 11:56 AM
Depending on the merchant, if they only have a gun in the rear - I'll finish them off from their bow, with their superstructure blocking their gunners.

This only works on a slow moving crippled vessel, otherwise you would have a hard time weaving backwards matching their turns.

Haven't seen a Liberty ship yet - should be interesting when I do get one.

So do they sink with two fish in 'em? Or do they need a third? And what kind of tonnage are they worth?

Nangleator
04-02-09, 12:05 PM
Oh, they're about 8k, if I remember correctly. On two occasions, two eels left them creeping and listing 40°. Also, in both instances, I got impatient and delivered a third.

Sailor Steve
04-02-09, 01:00 PM
The Liberty's base rating in the game is 7170 GRT.