Just Brilliant !

[Von Due]

1939, Scapa Flow,

Got into the bay and lo and behold, an aux cruiser, HMS Revenge and HMS Hood all anchored up.

Aimed at Hood, set depth at 1 meter under the keel.
Launched 4 bow torpedos... waited....
then the dreaded sounds seconds apart *clonk* *clonk* *clonk* *clonk*
4 duds!!!

Retreated through the passage to reload, got back the next night and...
Again, 4 frickin duds...

Reloaded the game when I was still outside Scapa Flow, got in, this time aimed straight at the destroyers next to the passage, to see if the torpedos would go off this time.

No, they didn't. I was carrying with me 8 duds. Clonk, clank, clink and bleepin clonk again.

Now I am more than just slightly pissed off at this. When exactly does the game determine if a torp is a dud? Mid mission? At the loading of the mission? After the previous mission? When selecting torpedos while in the office?

How far back to I have to revert?

[Fahnenbohn]

1939, Scapa Flow,

Got into the bay and lo and behold, an aux cruiser, HMS Revenge and HMS Hood all anchored up.

Aimed at Hood, set depth at 1 meter under the keel.
Launched 4 bow torpedos... waited....
then the dreaded sounds seconds apart *clonk* *clonk* *clonk* *clonk*
4 duds!!!

Retreated through the passage to reload, got back the next night and...
Again, 4 frickin duds...

Reloaded the game when I was still outside Scapa Flow, got in, this time aimed straight at the destroyers next to the passage, to see if the torpedos would go off this time.

No, they didn't. I was carrying with me 8 duds. Clonk, clank, clink and bleepin clonk again.

Now I am more than just slightly pissed off at this. When exactly does the game determine if a torp is a dud? Mid mission? At the loading of the mission? After the previous mission? When selecting torpedos while in the office?

How far back to I have to revert?

A torpedo doesn't explode at less than 300 meters of your sub ...

[bstanko6]

250 meters, but you never fire at less than 300 as Fahnenbohn stated. Dude, sorry to hear that. It is very tedious getting in there! That's some experience.

[Von Due]

The 300 meter safety distance was well and truly exceeded. Them being moored I fired at 5000m in hope the distance would throw off the hunting destroyers.

[Fahnenbohn]

The 300 meter safety distance was well and truly exceeded. Them being moored I fired at 5000m in hope the distance would throw off the hunting destroyers.

So in this case, this is the angle between torpedoes and hull which was too small. Or the torpedoes couldn't go further than 5000 m (as the electric ones).

Or, your torpedoes have been sabotaged !

:arrgh!:

[fumo30]

That was the time of topedo crisis, its just what it really was like. If you don't like it, check your mods.

[Von Due]

So in this case, this is the angle between torpedoes and hull which was too small. Or the torpedoes couldn't go further than 5000 m (as the electric ones).

Or, your torpedoes have been sabotaged !

:arrgh!:

The highlighted bit. This. At least for 2 of the torpedos. 2 were electric, 2 were regular issue going slow. I must have forgotten a lot since I last played SH3 coz for some reason I thought the electric had a much greater range... Go me, huh? That would still give me 4 duds for the regular ones but 4 is much closer to what I would think possible. 28.6% as opposed to 57%.

The angle shouldn't matter as they were set to magnetic but fumo may be onto something too although I thought the torpedo crisis reached its peak around 41-42 when it was mostly solved. I am known to be wrong on many occations though so it could very well be that as well.

It may have been the previous mission that had me in a wishful state, with only 1 dud among the 14 G7a.

[bstanko6]

Ok so it's not distance, and the torps are set right.

What was the weather like? Any waves? Setting the torps too shallow even in light waves can cause failure.

There are torpedo nets in Scapa Flow!

[Von Due]

Ok so it's not distance, and the torps are set right.

What was the weather like? Any waves? Setting the torps too shallow even in light waves can cause failure.

There are torpedo nets in Scapa Flow!

I think distance, at least for the electric ones, could very well explain it. As for the other 2 (or rather 4 with the reload), well it isn't too unheard of, just rotten luck. It was that all 8 would be duds that had me fuming. Funny enough, the one aft torpedo I used to get a clear entry to S.F. worked wonderfully, no dud there. Electric, that one.

The weather was brilliant, calm sea, clear view of all ships at more than 13 km. I didn't know about the nets though! Thanks tons. That complicates things even further!

Of well, I think right now I can let this rest for the time being. Distance exceeding the range of the electric eel, 4 duds in total, nets, bad German design, it adds up to something plausible.

[bstanko6]

Just for fun, try approaching the ships underwater, and as you get closer, raise your scope just enough to see the nets. I have hit them on my first few raids and caused a bit of good damage doing it. They are pretty much underwater walls.

[Fahnenbohn]

I have hit them on my first few raids and caused a bit of good damage doing it. They are pretty much underwater walls.

Yes :/\\!!:damn:

[Von Due]

Surely there must be something in the international laws on warfare against nets. Nets are for fishing haddock, cod, foodstuff, not submarines. I'm certain Wilhelmshaven fisheries and mine deployment are great providers of fresh food.

On mines: It is fortunate that my captain Von Due has a large family, or else I would run out of Von Dues to play. One of the more clumsy of the lot managed, on his first patrol to get on the wrong side of the buoys leaving Wilhelmshaven. There was a loud noise and my lookouts were in terrible shape if they weren't dead. Engines and pretty much everything else was toast. I need to talk with mine laying operations about that.

The other Von Dues in the family don't talk about their goofy cousin a lot...

[Von Due]

Actually, it turned out brilliant. 1 meter depth setting did it!

Hood, 1 Revenge, 1 Aux Cruiser at the bottom of the bay (or rather, not really, as the cruiser sat there happily on the bottom all hull sticking out except it had a good hole in the side). Shallow water indeed. Wish I could have seen Hood go down, she took 2 torpedos and one of them must have hit the magazine or something. She blew up like she was proud of it.

Trying to get into Loch Ewe now but salty me crackers that one is more heavily guarded than S.F.

EDIT
Around midnight. Weather is clear with moderate wind. Made it into Loch Ewe and there are 2 (correction, 3) biggies including a carrier south of the docks but their positions make long range shots impossible if I need to go shallow on the torpedos... This is turning into a real challenge. So far they are too far away to make out which ships they are but they are big, I can tell.

EDIT
I need to think about this. 4 capitol ships, the carrier is an Illustrious, Hood apparently came back to life and there are 2 other I haven't identified yet. And the British Destroyer Society is having a congregation here as well. As for the carrier, I did think the air coverage up here was a bit heavy for 1939 keeping me busy diving from north of Scotland all the way till Loch Ewe. The carrier would explain that.

EDIT
Ok, got there with 7 torpedos. 1 was all Rodney took to her magazine, then I spent a precious torp on a V&W hoping that will take care of the pinging when I approach the others. Only 5 eels left so they better count. Luckily the other biggie is Rodney's sister (someone has a warped sense of humour naming a lady Rodney, or Nelson) so I know where the magazine is on that. Only problem is there is a massive harbour blocking a long range shot and there are an armada of moored destroyers guarding the rest. Now with the V&W gone, I might get a clean shot on Hood (again) and watch what the escort is going to do about it. With luck they will do nothing. Or I could trundle off heading for home, 150,000++ tons logged. Not bad for a patrol.

EDIT
Hood is a Monty Python sketch. 'Tis just a fleshwound. Managed to sink her a second time on the same patrol. A direct hit in the magazine. 2 more to go and 4 torpedos left. Nelson and Illustrious but they are not going to be easy. Need to get up real close and that's where 5 destroyers are waiting. I need heavy fog.

[Von Due]

Rodney and Hood II and a bunch of upset destroyers. The 2 remaining, Illustrious and Nelson are proving to be quite the tough nut to crack.

http://i65.tinypic.com/t8p5rs.png

Sunrise not too far away, time to dive and see what the next night will bring.

[Fahnenbohn]

Very nice pics ! :yeah:

But ... don't you fear that a destroyer will see you with its searchlights ???!! :o

[Fahnenbohn]

Hood apparently came back to life ... Managed to sink her a second time on the same patrol.

If you don't use SH3 commander, then you will be able to sink her 4 or more times during your career ... :rotfl2:

And the British Destroyer Society is having a congregation here as well.

:har:

Now with the V&W gone, I might get a clean shot on Hood (again) and watch what the escort is going to do about it. With luck they will do nothing. Or I could trundle off heading for home, 150,000++ tons logged. Not bad for a patrol.

Always attack ! And even if you are sunk, you are in shallow waters, so your crew will be able to be rescued ! ... But did you think about mines ?? :hmm2:

Nelson and Illustrious but they are not going to be easy. Need to get up real close and that's where 5 destroyers are waiting.

If they are waiting, then they are anchored, so they won't move to hunt you ...

[Von Due]

If they are waiting, then they are anchored, so they won't move to hunt you ...

That's a valuable piece of info. Unfortunately they still seem very capable of cueing this ASW trawler in on me, if memory serves me right and there are a few of those.

As for the searchlights, I was 3000 meters away, decks awash when I dove 90 minutes before sunrise. It was a concern but I gambled and it payed off with nice pics and slightly better approach speed.

Sun has risen now and I'm attempting a 0.45 knots 25 RPM scouting for nets around the last two biggies.

I just hope these destroyers are all listening.... I really need to stop gamble at some point.

EDIT
Adding to the searchlight bit. I have spent 3-4 hours observing from a distance their search after I hit the first two and they seem obsessed with searching a small-ish area, eyeballing it I try to stay away from that area with about 2500 meters safety distance.

[Von Due]

... But did you think about mines ?? :hmm2:


Truth to be told, I almost forgot all about those and I never saw any in game. Are they visible or are they just instant-kill zones in the game world? Only on a couple occations when crossing the bay after Rodney did I scan the waters but nothing appeared miney. As for the entry, I hugged the southern shores no more than 500 meters away from land, again, never saw any mines. Perhaps I was lucky, perhaps they weren't there. I don't know.

[Von Due]

This is nervewrecking. Entered their sonar range at 0.45 kts. Estimated time across the area 1 hour 30 minutes. Got so close to the wreckage of Rodney I could hear the metal skreetchy sounds through the hull. Expecting pings any moment and those creepy sounds for 20 minutes can make a foul mouthed sailor take to the bottle.

Spotted one net and now I know the first destroyer that is using sonar. First one is a listener, but the second about 150 meters away is searching. Backed away rrreeeaaaal slow while turning my bow towards him. They stopped pinging but if an ASW is on its way then there is trouble.

Trying to plot a route with minimum exposure. If land is just 100 meters further in than the map shows then there might be an opening wide enough to slip an envelope through.

... I need a cigarette. 12 minutes of vague pinging, not good enough to get a fix on me but the ASW moved in and depth charged an area nearby. Not close enough to be a threat but still. Pinging has stopped for now. I'm not even halfway there,

[Von Due]

Time to retreat to a safe distance. Can't get around the net without them pinging me. Now warships are moving in from the north. My money on destroyers wanting to join the party. Ok, a new plan is needed.

[Fahnenbohn]

Are they visible or are they just instant-kill zones in the game world?

No, they are visible underwater ...

While waiting for the last kill to go down ... I decided to take a closer look at the ship and look for damage visual effects. Suddenly I noticed something odd, very faint, in the background. Can you see it?

http://s880.photobucket.com/user/Vasco_Ferr/media/SH3/SH3Img16-10-2015_22.31.4_134_zpshxtjfg3n.jpg.html][IMG]http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac9/Vasco_Ferr/SH3/SH3Img16-10-2015_22.31.4_134_zpshxtjfg3n.jpghttp://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac9/Vasco_Ferr/SH3/SH3Img16-10-2015_22.31.4_134_zpshxtjfg3n.jpg
[IMG]http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/%3Ca%20href=http://s880.photobucket.com/user/Vasco_Ferr/media/SH3/SH3Img16-10-2015_22.31.4_134_zpshxtjfg3n.jpg.html%20target=_bl ank%3Ehttp://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac9/Vasco_Ferr/SH3/SH3Img16-10-2015_22.31.4_134_zpshxtjfg3n.jpg

Perhaps I was lucky, perhaps they weren't there. I don't know.

I think you were lucky ... But do you play with a supermod ?

[Von Due]

No, they are visible underwater ...
I think you were lucky ... But do you play with a supermod ?

Thanks for that info. Yeah must have been. Playing with GWX3 + a few other mods.

Widescreen MaGui v3.4-SA
WideScreen MaGui v3.4-SA FIX for GWX v3
TMT v2 (GWX3 version)
GWX - 16km Atmosphere
GWX - Enhanced Damage Effects
GWX - Late War Sensors Snorkel Antennas
GWX - VIIC41 Player Sub
J_to_Z_Class_mod
J_to_Z_Class_visual_fix
guns_UK
Merchant_Fleet_Mod_3.2
Filter and Clock

Again, I have neer seen any mines. I always start with the 2nd flotilla out of Wilhelmshaven and although I was hit by something once on my way out (suitable reward for ignoring the buoys I suppose) which I thought was a mine, I have never seen any in game.

[Fahnenbohn]

Thanks for that info. Yeah must have been. Playing with GWX3 + a few other mods.

There are minefields in GWX 3.0. So watch out when leaving Loch Ewe !!!! :o

[Von Due]

There are minefields in GWX 3.0. So watch out when leaving Loch Ewe !!!! :o

I'll look out for them for sure! Also found out colliding with a net is totally harmless, IF I travel well below 1 knot, more like 0.3 knots. Question then do I have time for that? :)

Ok, so got rid of the menacing looking floating dock for some additional 20 something thousand. Unless I get some heavy fog I don't think the last two biggies are going to happen. Going to wait another 9 hours and if the weather doesn't deteriorate then I'm eastbound. Got 3 electric eels left, they'll find some other target.

[Von Due]

Probably the last pics from Loch Ewe for now. Good grief this was tedious.

After sinking the floating dock, I had a CTD and had to reload. Luckily that was after the first 2 hits.

Now it was time to decide. So:

I decided, because I'm off me head, that the ASW trawler couldn't hit the atlantic ocean if it tried so using broad daylight I navigated the nets and pinpointed Illustrious and Nelson. The pinging was insane. Up to 5 destroyers pinging me like it was a party game. Coming in from every direction I couldn't hear anything other than this blasted noise.

It took a good while to set up the attack on Illustrious. The range was about 400 meters with a net right behind me less than 50 meters away. It was fairly cramped and not suitable for large, graceful maneuvering. Had 4 eels left, 3 electric in the bow tubes and one ordinary in the aft tube. Since I knew where the magazine on Nelson was, I decided to spend one on her, and the remaining 3 on Illustrious since I had no idea where her fuel tank or magazine were (one would have thought she has a bay for storing the planes' munition).

She took one under the keel from around 350 meters, followed up by 2 set at 1 meter, hoping they would hit a critical compartement or at least flood her good. Lo and behold, they did not hit anything critical but they did manage to weigh her down with salty water.

While she was deciding whether to sink or not, I navigated the nets until I found Nelson. She was there happy as a lark minding her own business. From 350 meters she had a torpedogram delivered to her magazine. She blew up beatufully. Illustrious sank 30 minutes after she was hit.

The result:

http://i67.tinypic.com/30u4l14.png

2nd image is a close encounter with a Tribal. Moored but I can pretend it's very scary. At least that pinging is.

EDIT:
It is near noon, waiting near the island for darkness to go decks awash and get the hell out of here.

[Fahnenbohn]

Nice job !!! :yeah:

Now, try to stay alive when leaving this hellish lair ! The Kriegsmarine needs brave sailors like you ! :yep:

[Von Due]

Nice job !!! :yeah:

Now, try to stay alive when leaving this hellish lair ! The Kriegsmarine needs brave sailors like you ! :yep:

Got back to Wilhelmshaven with 16 shells for the main gun left after a slightly uneventful return trip around the Shetland islands. Avoided 2 destroyers at safe distances and dodged a spotter plane. Managed to sink a coastal tanker and a merchant for some extra 4200. Total tonnage 270,000++.

13 Iron Cross, 2nd class
3 Iron Cross, 1st Class
4 U boat clasps
If I get more U Boat war badges I will need a bigger boat.

4 promotions.

This was probably the hardest patrol I can remember ever doing and one I will not do again in a good while. Back to hunting random merchants and convoys for a while.

PS I kind of feel sorry for this Swordfish (I suppose it was) coming in to Loch Ewe only to find his landing strip and parking space at an unhealthy angle. I wonder where he went off to next.

PPS Sometimes, the GWX radio messages can be a bit silly. I sail U-47 and received a message from 47 that he had sunk the Royal Oak. I had no idea I did!! Another thing is, those messages can be a bit excessive at times. Over a period of 3 minutes I received 7 or 8 messages. Makes it challenging to keep TC up to get back before I die of old age.

EDIT
Cmdr Log
http://i63.tinypic.com/18zxpw.png

[Fahnenbohn]

This was probably the hardest patrol I can remember ever doing and one I will not do again in a good while. Back to hunting random merchants and convoys for a while.

Yeah, i believe you ! :)

Another thing is, those messages can be a bit excessive at times. Over a period of 3 minutes I received 7 or 8 messages. Makes it challenging to keep TC up to get back before I die of old age.

Try this :
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=1385
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=1386

----

I really liked to read your adventures, dude ! Maybe, you could join us at DEF. You would have your own thread where you would be able to relate all the incredible and also sometimes terrible events that could happen during your patrols ! :)

If you want to learn more about, just click on my signature.

F.

[Von Due]

Yeah, i believe you ! :)



Try this :
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=1385
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=1386

----

I really liked to read your adventures, dude ! Maybe, you could join us at DEF. You would have your own thread where you would be able to relate all the incredible and also sometimes terrible events that could happen during your patrols ! :)

If you want to learn more about, just click on my signature.

F.


Thanks for the kind words. It started off as me being highly annoyed and it turned out to be quite the adventure.

As for DEF, I had a look but right now I can't really commit myself to anything like that. Real life and all. Thanks for the invite though.

As for the 4th patrol, I am sent through the channel to BF15 and thought I would pay Dover a visit. Not much there except a Southampton guarded by an ASW and what I believe is an elco. Arrived early morning before sunrise and started inspecting the net. It was a very nice gesture of the British to leave a gap between the southern peer and the net, just wide enough to get a VIIB through. Took a bit of plotting but I'm through and am about to fix her position for a shot to what I hope is her magazine.

Then there is the escape. Something is patrolling in the Dover straight. With luck they are elcos and ASWs. Got all day to listen to them if need be.

[Fahnenbohn]

As for DEF, I had a look but right now I can't really commit myself to anything like that. Real life and all. Thanks for the invite though.

No problem, Sir !

It was a very nice gesture of the British to leave a gap between the southern peer and the net, just wide enough to get a VIIB through.

:har: Nice find !

Then there is the escape. Something is patrolling in the Dover straight. With luck they are elcos and ASWs. Got all day to listen to them if need be.

Surface, and shoot'em with the deck gun ! I've always done that, and that's fun, believe me ! :) Fortunately, the torpedo boats in SH3 ... never attack with torpedoes ! :rotfl2:

[Von Due]

Surface, and shoot'em with the deck gun ! I've always done that, and that's fun, believe me ! :) Fortunately, the torpedo boats in SH3 ... never attack with torpedoes ! :rotfl2:

Hah, I might be mad but I'm not suicidal :haha: the deck gun is for lone merchants only for me. Small ones get a few rounds from the AA gun.

That the torpedo boats never fire their torpedos, reminds me of stock subs apart from your own. Do they ever dive?

The AI subs never dive but the merchants do, with a little help, that's pretty backwards.

ETIT
There was nothing but ASWs and torpedo boats that I could see. Felt good.

http://i65.tinypic.com/2vdkvfd.png

On my way to Dunkirk now to see if that large tanker is still there and possibly see how much a French destroyer can take.