That didn't end well. Pre-war Scapa Flow is not a good place to dock.

[Von Due]

So I decided to take GWX's orders about a 5 day patrol seriously and found there was no time to reach the assigned grid before heading back.
Coming back I got zero experience as expected and for the 2nd patrol I was given the exact same orders with the exact same beriefing, AND there was only 1 day in port to fit the new hydrophone, not tens of days. So I thought ok, perhaps because I didn't complete the mission, the game still regard me as on the same patrol and the new orders were a reminder.

Great! So then I figured let's see if other neutral ports will let me refuel, say Cork, or Scapa Flow.

So, what I did with this new commander was to send him into Scapa Flow to do some petty espionage and before leaving I thought let's refuel and see how that goes.

I got the expected NULL grid with SF as starting base and WH (2nd Flt) on the briefing but when the game loaded, the sub was leaking everywhere and it was time to hit the exit button.

Any idea what's up with that?

Last: Can I use any or just some or no nautral port for refueling and will I stil be on the same patrol as before, objective wise?

[T.Von Hogan]

:har:
That's too funny! Pre-war Scapa Flow is fine to dock at, but the war starts between the 2nd and 3rd mission. So...there you were sitting in a military port full of destroyers with ALL their guns aimed at you waiting for the war to start. It started and you saw the results.
Was your Captain's name Bernard?:hmm2:

If you use your fuel wisely you should never have to dock at a port other than your home base. Neutral ports can be used thru out the war for refueling but no damage will be fixed. Extreme caution should be used when using neutral ports since different countries declared war on Germany at different times and you just found out what happens if they become enemy ports while sitting in one.

Good luck on future endeavors sir:salute:

[Von Due]

Oh I am usually pretty conservative when it comes to fuel and torpedos but this had to be tested! I can see how a declaration of war may give them the impetus to open fire at my docked, fully armed and very enemy sub but this was still weeks before the war started or so I thought.

[Von Due]

Just a quick update.

Tried to dock at Cork since that port is neutral when the war breaks out. That eliminates any enemy fire. Same thing as before happened but this time I didn't quite immediately, but rushed to the bridge to have a look and what did I see but dry land. Starting the patrol in Cork had me starting several hundred meters inland. Reloaded the Scapa Flow attempt and docked again. Again, damage and leaks everywhere and true enough, I was again several hundred meters inland. No wonder the boat was taking damage but I do question the leaks though as the rain wasn't that heavy.

So, there might be a problem here then with the boat spawning on dry land when docking in at least these two ports and starting the return patrol from there. Nobody else had that issue?

[Sailor Steve]

This sounds related to the old problem of saving while on patrol an reloading only to find yourself plunging to the bottom in an uncontrollable dive. I don't remember the solution for that, as it's been years since it last happened.

Maybe you shouldn't dock anywhere except a credited German base.

[d@rk51d3]

Docked at Scapa a couple of times.

Always respawned on land.

[s7rikeback]

Just a quick update.

Tried to dock at Cork since that port is neutral when the war breaks out. That eliminates any enemy fire. Same thing as before happened but this time I didn't quite immediately, but rushed to the bridge to have a look and what did I see but dry land. Starting the patrol in Cork had me starting several hundred meters inland. Reloaded the Scapa Flow attempt and docked again. Again, damage and leaks everywhere and true enough, I was again several hundred meters inland. No wonder the boat was taking damage but I do question the leaks though as the rain wasn't that heavy.

So, there might be a problem here then with the boat spawning on dry land when docking in at least these two ports and starting the return patrol from there. Nobody else had that issue?

Yes same happened to me last night.

This was without any mid patrol saves - like you i thought i'd sneak in to Scapa Flow and look around before England declares war.

I saw serveral pairs of destroyers plus a few merchants - thought i'd waste a bit of time, and save in port, Goes to start my 2nd patrol and bang i've been sent inland and all over!!!

regards
s7rikeback

[Von Due]

Thanks tons for the valuable feedback, guys. Who would have thought SH3 has bugs in it, huh? :haha:

Ok that settles it, no docking except at home port for me. German controlled ports in general may be fine but I may not have the patience to find out right now. I may look into it in the future though.

[Onkel Neal]

Docked at Scapa Flow many times, they always gave me a 2100 gun salute:wah:

[Fahnenbohn]

Docking at Scape Flow ?? You, guys, are a bunch of cheaters ... :)

[Von Due]

Docking at Scape Flow ?? You, guys, are a bunch of cheaters ... :)

No, no, no, nuuuuuu. Call it... a friendly visit, to marvel British defense systems and ship design.

EDIT in response to Sailor Steve's post
The uncontrollable dive, IIRC was related to saving while submerged, especially during a storm, and possibly also related to having ships nearby, something I kind of ask for when going into Scapa Flow :) Cork, on the other hand, is not a port as such in that it has no dock with ships moored, still it allows me to dock there.

[Fahnenbohn]

No, no, no, nuuuuuu. Call it... a friendly visit, to marvel British defense systems and ship design.

http://nsm08.casimages.com/img/2016/05/03//16050302591318069014197186.jpg (http://www.casimages.com/img.php?i=16050302591318069014197186.jpg)

[Von Due]

Coming to think of it, visiting these ports in peace time for intelligence gathering isn't that historically inaccurate. Scapa Flow is a little questionable though but in general, ever since the advent of intelligence agencies, pretty much every European nation had a pretty good idea what the other nations' naval capabilities were, how their ports were laid out, how to get in and out, defences etc. Spies and agents from all nations racing across the map all days a week, ships logs being scrutinized by intel, shipyards being under the looking glass, ship registers from insurance companies being read by other nations and so on.

One could think of this friendly visiting business as a way to add some of that into the game.

EDIT
Somewhat to the point albeit not really naval related.
I have a reprint of a German made map of the area around the city of Bergen, Norway. It has some nice little details like the words "Not for the public" (loosely translated) printed on it. On this map, of exquisite detail, you have all the main roads, all the secondary roads, paths, trails, etc in the area of that time, named and some of them have additional details like "suitable for heavy vehicles during winter" or "not suitable for heavy vehicles during spring". The original, to my knowledge was printed before the war. All those little details a traveling tourist could bring back home.

Speaking of tourists. Some years back, a Russian tourist was questioned by the police after being seen around the local airbase here. The airbase is located near a large lake, popular for fishing and canooing and suchlike. He was fishing. With the most state of the art fishing rod Moscow could produce. It had a socket for earplugs on it and he was presumably listening for fish... or radio traffic, possibly.

[Sailor Steve]

EDIT in response to Sailor Steve's post
The uncontrollable dive, IIRC was related to saving while submerged, especially during a storm, and possibly also related to having ships nearby, something I kind of ask for when going into Scapa Flow :) Cork, on the other hand, is not a port as such in that it has no dock with ships moored, still it allows me to dock there.
Fair enough. As I said, I really don't remember. I do never save submerged, but in a storm you're submerged half the time anyway. Who knows what it thought? :dead: