Sinking Sampans/Fishing Boats

[Thrair]

If I take a route to an area that takes me near a coast, I will inevitably find small fishing type vessels. I have given up trying to get a torpedo to explode on these (what? I get bored, sometimes) and just place a few deck gun shots into them to sink the sobs before I continue on my merry way.

My question is this: Is it unrealistic to be sinking so many of these? I realize it was unrestricted submarine warfare, but would not many of the small fishing boats be civilians from islands the japanese had conquered? From what I understand, sub captains would sometimes sink Sampans and the like after verifying the crew were japanese (and usually giving them a chance to abandon ship). However, it seems to me that most of the japanese fishermen would actually be near Japan proper, and not on the conquered islands in the middle of the pacific.

[Armistead]

Game isn't that smart. The boats can and will radio your position in to anything in the area. They're more danger to you near Japan. I don't waste my time with them, ammo better used on mechants, unless it's a sampan convoy. You can sink them anywhere and get credit.

I was chasing a TF through the Bungo and a Sampan was in my way. No way to go around it, no room, so I went by it far as I could...few seconds later here come 2 escorts from the TF 12NM's away...I had to dive and the TF got away....

[Armistead]

Yea Tom, wouldn't that be fun...Do battles online, people control carriers, subs, ships, ect...both sides planing their tactics, sort of like Battleship Midway, but in a realistic way...I'm nut enough I would play the battle in real time over the period of a day anyway.

[Thrair]

Well, usually when I run into the Sampans I'm near a coast along the way to an objective/patrol area, and in these ares, I rarely run into anything bigger than a lone merchant, so getting reported isn't too big an issue. And since I run TMO, I'm hesitant to use my deck gun on merchants. They tend to be armed and I don't like risking damage.

That said, right now I'm using an exception. Bumped into a large invasion task force while steaming along a coast. It's in the absolute worst weather I've ever seen in this game. And at night, no less. I've saved it and am using it as an impromptu scenario to practice attacking a convoy in low visibility/rough seas. It's perfect for it.

[Armistead]

You can really take convoys out in storms with that deckgun...almost unfair, so have fun.

[Thrair]

You can really take convoys out in storms with that deckgun...almost unfair, so have fun.


Oh, believe you me, I've figured this out. :arrgh!:

Kinda proves that as good as this game is, it's never gonna be truly realistic, even with a super mod.

Mind you, I've been practicing with this save for a while, so I know more than I would if I was playing normally, but even so..... I'm sinking cruisers with the deckgun without them being able to find me. Just aiming at their search lights and (eventually) fires. In reality, this type of crap would get your sub blown out of the water. As I'm fairly sure even in a heavy storm, the report of a deck gun would be highly visible and thus give them something to aim at.

[WernherVonTrapp]

I'm sinking cruisers with the deckgun You're sinking Cruisers with your DG?http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-shocked032.gif What size DG do you have? Are they heavy or light Cruisers?

[Armistead]

I've never sunk heavy CA's with the DG, have sunk some light ones. Now I've tried a few times and put all my 4/50's DG ammo into a heavy, but just set it on fire. Obvious, if you're in a storm, you can shoot away unless a capital ship has surface radar, then dd's will run up your butt. Had that happen tonight. Couldn't stay on the surface in a storm due to the DD's running right up my arse.

Fairly sure the shooting range for warships is 6000 yards, so if you can hit em from that distance, they ain't shooting back. Stock was around 3000.
I think Duc should change TMO to about 9000 yards if that's possible, even more...warships should be able to shoot at least as far as you can.

[Thrair]

Light cruisers, mostly. I did finish a Mogami with a deckgun, but it'd taken 2 torps already.

I've found shot placement seems to help against the warships. Aiming at the engines and below the guns seem to trigger more booms.

Destroyers in particular seem to have a spot almost smack between the command deck and the rear guns that blows up if you hit it with a round or two.

Also, bear in mind I've been using this save file for practice. So "sinking cruisers" is over the course of a few saves. :)

*EDIT* And yah, the warships could use a range boost. If possible an increase in accuracy, perhaps. Or just a reduction in the accuracy of your own DG.

[WernherVonTrapp]

If I take a route to an area that takes me near a coast, I will inevitably find small fishing type vessels. I have given up trying to get a torpedo to explode on these (what? I get bored, sometimes) and just place a few deck gun shots into them to sink the sobs before I continue on my merry way.

My question is this: Is it unrealistic to be sinking so many of these? I realize it was unrestricted submarine warfare, but would not many of the small fishing boats be civilians from islands the japanese had conquered? From what I understand, sub captains would sometimes sink Sampans and the like after verifying the crew were japanese (and usually giving them a chance to abandon ship). However, it seems to me that most of the japanese fishermen would actually be near Japan proper, and not on the conquered islands in the middle of the pacific.I don't think it's entirely impossible but, for the most part, fleetboats had a 3 or 4 inch DG (the 5" coming much later). I think in reality, sinking any major warship with the DG would be highly unlikely. The sampans and fishing boats you're encountering near the outer islands would be historically accurate, if you consider the civilian support crews and laborers (sometimes with their families) that were brought along or encouraged to migrate. Commercial (civilian) fishermen could make quite a business selling fish to the troops. That's not to mention that some of the vessels of their conquered subordinates were commandeered for intelligence or logistical purposes. They were already short a great amount of support vessels when the war began so, it became a "beggars can't be choosers" scenario for them.
As far as sinking DDs, the base of each gun turret should harbor a powder magazine for the shells. I've had some luck (I don't make it a habit to engage on the surface) hitting the DC racks with ordinance.

[Armistead]

You can easily blow the racks off with AA fire...if ya gotta. I have had to come up, run decks awash and take off their racks. Caught in shallow water, I had no choice but AA doe's it quick. Course almost a cheat with the 40's, you can come up just enough to get on the gun and usually they can't hit you to do any amount of damage. I stopped it as it was just unrealistic, but use to take out all the TypeAB's this way late war in Formosa to get at the convoys in the shallows.

[Thrair]

Wait, are you saying you can damage the destroyers rack with the AA gun? I didn't think ships took any damage from the AA gun.

[Armistead]

You can shoot the racks off for sure, but that's all. Still, it's a last ditch measure. When they pass over, surface just to where you can man it and shoot the racks off...You can dive and at least they can't drop on you.

You can also surface beside a damage ship that is dead on the water and as long as you're right beside it, the enemy won't shoot you, but go an inch too far...wham. Course I haven't done that in so long not sure how well it works with TMO now. Really a cheat of sorts. Course the ship your sitting beside can shoot you, so be careful....