V&W Destroyer class...endless depthcharge supply?

[Paajtor]

I'm in the middle of my 2nd patrol, Oct.'39...we got assigned to grid BE61, so I decided to take the short but dangerous route through the English Channel (my 1st patrol was uneventfull, and I wanted some adventure).
Using IUB1.02, btw.

We passed Calais during the night, diving to periscope depth whenever we spotted a vessel.

Somewhere north of LeHavre, we got in trouble...a V&W class destroyer had seen us.
I've spend over 2hrs playing cat & mouse...the ocean-floor is at about 50m, so there's hardly an escape possible using the vertical.

Dodging his depth-charges is pretty easy: I sit at the hydrophone, and listen to his engines...whenever they rev-up, I hit full-ahead and apply full rudder to L or R.
After 10secs or so, I set rudder to midships, and continue on full speed untill the explosions of the depth-charges stop.
Then I stop the engines, and change depth again, running silent.

This goes on and on, and I was waiting for the moment he would run out of charges.

Will he ever? :()1:

[Nippelspanner]

every dc rack has 40 dc´s...

[reggie_mcfly]

I am no expert (been playing for a week now), but I was in the exact same situation last night.

Without being able to dive really deep, his ASDIC will keep finding you again and again. You can't escape the pings.

Somewhere I remembered reading that ASDIC is much less efficient if:

a) you are near the surface (the waves break up your echo)
b) you keep a small profile (keep bow or stern on)

So when he had made a pass and I was in his blind spot, I made a dash up to periscope depth and turned so my stern was pointing at him. My stealth meter turned green (he couldn't see me) and I slipped away at periscope depth running on silent.

Hope this helps.

[Paajtor]

good tip....gonna try that.

Ok, I figure that I will dry my batteries sooner than he will run out of depthcharges. :damn:


So far, the short route was certainly worth while....my men got some decent experience, dealing with recon-planes and PTboats.
We sunk 1 V&W earlier today...guess this guy is really pissed about that. :lol: ...we got his sister-ship in an ambush - completely by surprise - with 1 electric torp underneath his keel. :D

[Zachstar]

Nice. Always fun taking out the pesky destroyers

[Wulfmann]

I have been DCed by 2 escorts for 2 1/2 hours and they dropped over 300 DCs in doing so. 2 escorts never had 300 DCs so I would guess they are unlimited. 125 was what DDs converted to convoy escorts carried so this is more than what they had.
Life is not always fair. If it was these escorts would have a limit and SH3 would not have Starforce!!! :rotfl:

Wulfmann

[Marhkimov]

every DC rack has 40 DC's...

but you forget to take into account the k-guns, which also have 40 DC's a-piece.

So an average mid-war destroyer with 2 DC racks and 4 k-guns would have a grand total of 240 DC's. :huh:


These are the plain facts from SH3. I looked in the files myself. But by no means am I stating that these are realistic values. And at the very least, you guys should realize that these values CAN be changed... :hmm:

[Crash Dive]

Could you tell me where the files with this info is located? :hmm:
Thank you in advance. :know:

[Marhkimov]

Download TT's mini tweek program and install the rules. Then you can edit the DC reserves.

Get it here: http://www.delraydepot.com/tt/sh3sdk.htm

[Crash Dive]

Thanks :yep:

[Paajtor]

Yes, thank you gj.

I just realized that it ain't that unrealistic, to lower some of the DC-reserves.
After all, why does every warship you encounter in SH3 have a max. ammo-supply?
Sure, our sub is the only active sub in the (offline) campaign, but we can at least try to pretend that there's a large-scale war going on at sea....and so there's a good chance that your enemy has faced other Axis forces earlier on, and therefore could be carrying less ammo as a result.

One can use different values for different classes of warships, to keep the experience interesting.
US units may carry less, UK or French more, depending on if they are escorting a convoy (US), patrolling close to shore (French), or hunting (UK), for example.

One note about multiplayer, though.
As it is right now, I should be able (haven't tried yet) to go mp with others who also have IUB1.02.
What if I edit these ammo-value's? Is it still mp-compatible?
I have my doubts about my installation anyway...I have the clear-water mod, and BadWeatherGuns installed. :hmm:

[Kalach]

Interesting, the longest I'm normally being DC'd for is only an hour or so before I make my escape (or die :dead: ). Though somethimes it seems as though they have been DCing everywhere very intensly and should of runout by that time.
I'll have to get a standard issue KM chalkboard and try to keep track of them from now on ;)

When they do run out though (say it's just 1 DD after you), will it go back to doing whatever it was doing (convoy escort/sea patrol) or will it keep following you and waiting for help?

[Marhkimov]

Most likely the DD will follow you, even if the DC stores are empty (unless you altered their reserves, good luck! ;) )

[Paajtor]

I think I found the answer to my question about multiplayer compatibility...in Timetravellers's own words:

This is basically a game hacker's program, and you must assume all responsibility for what you change or by running it.

So if you're going to use this, take note of the changes you do, and revert those when you want to go mp...unless IUB1.03 (in my case) will have these kinds of changes? (so you can go mp with other IUB-players).

[Hartmann]

Perhaps the DD scorts of the convoys can ressuply depth charges from a ship in the convoy ????

I don´t know if it was done in the british navy but whit ressuply of charges can give to the DD a lot of endurance.

[Paajtor]

Yes, I have thought about that too....ammunition-ships were often part of a convoy (and a primary target too).
But I don't think it was a normal procedure, to resupply other ships while still at sea...it was very difficult, and risky.

For example, read here (http://www.multied.com/navy/AE/shasta.html), about an ammunition-ship called the Shasta:

On 19 November 1942, Shasta departed Alameda Calif., for Noumea, New Caledonia, on the first of her 10 wartime transpacific voyages. At the western end of each voyage, she moved from island to island replenishing the ammunition supplies of the Battle Fleet. With one exception, a deployment to Adak, Alaska, in support of the Attu and Kiska operations, Shasta's activities centered around the campaigns in the western Pacific. Her cargo supported the campaigns against the Gilberts, the Marianas, the Palaus, and the Philippines.

The highlights of Shasta's wartime career came in 1945. In February, she participated in the first successful underway ammunition replenishment.

[Wulfmann]

every DC rack has 40 DC's...but you forget to take into account the k-guns, which also have 40 DC's a-piece.So an average mid-war destroyer with 2 DC racks and 4 k-guns would have a grand total of 240 DC's. :huh:

Can you point to a source that backs that figure?
None of mine have that 240DC total and I have many references. The highest total number is 125 that I see in print and that is for escorts that were converted to be AS warships.

Wulfmann

[Marhkimov]

No no, I wasn't saying that 240 is a realistic value... In fact, it should be a lot lower.


I'm simply saying that SH3 models on average 240 DC's per destroyer.

[Wulfmann]

OK, I see your point. Because they can have 240 they may have that as a possible limit which is better than unlimited. I think when 2 "4" (elite) escorts get on you it may be impossible to get away and since I made all of mone 3 or 4 it is downright tough from the beginning with convoys having 6-10 escorts in 1943-44 and 2-4 being 4s I may have made it too hard. I might have to redo the escorts so there is one 4 in each convoy as I want it very very hard but I also want a chance, even if it is small.
The most satisfying thing I have done is survived 2 hour poundings and just barely. Once I got away after over 2 hours shouting, "Not this time" from Das Boot!!
The trick is to not let them get a grip on you and the best way I have found is cross under the merchant ships not move behind the convoy.
They must move around the merchants and it seems much harder for them.
I have been playing 100% for 6 months so do not know for sure how they maneuver but that seems to be the key. Once they have you locked with 2 or more as a team it is very unlikely you will survive with elite crews.

Wulfmann

[Payoff]

I have had a destroyer (early years) pound me for some time in shallow water and eventually run out. . . I think. He kept making "attack runs" over my boat but quit dropping charges. I was pretty tickled with this turn of events, until another DD arrived on the scene and took over. Then things got ugly.

[sergbuto]

One can use different values for different classes of warships, to keep the experience interesting.
US units may carry less, UK or French more, depending on if they are escorting a convoy (US), patrolling close to shore (French), or hunting (UK), for example.

One can't. It the same value per device for all the ships.

[Paajtor]

Ah, to bad. :cry: