My observations after playing sh3 for 1 year

[THE_MASK]

I appreciate the vastness of the oceans . After 1 year of playing sh3 , i have yet to see a task force or an ice berg .

[Torplexed]

It's my understanding that when the game loads objects you get 5 or 6 icebergs. Like finding a needle in a haystack. However, If you want hundreds of icebergs to increase your chance of seeing one it'll take a lot longer to load.

[Heibges]

I have only seen only spotted one task force myself. I have gotten contact reports on many others, but I was out of position or they were moving too fast.

I think this is perfect, and is about like it was in Silent Hunter.

I played the bejeezus out of that game too, and only ever sank a capital ship a few times.

[Floater]

The only time I've seen a taskforce in the default campaign was after I'd attacked a merchant convoy west of Gibraltar and dived deep to escape the escorts. I found myself surrounded by high-speed screw sounds, kept deep and silent, and when they'd passed over returned to PD to look for stragglers.

Then I saw a BB, or possibly a CA, heading off over the horizon at high speed, DDs in attendance. The taskforce must have been only a couple of miles behind the merchants, travelling much faster, and I'd assumed that those noises were the merchants' escorts.

Needless to say, there was no point in trying to catch them up - very frustrating!

[JonZ]

Task Forces are mostly scripted. If you dare to take a look at the SCR file with the mission editor, you'll tend to meet task forces a little bit often :-j

[jasonb885]

Task Forces are mostly scripted. If you dare to take a look at the SCR file with the mission editor, you'll tend to meet task forces a little bit often :-j

Certainly, that's true with all the new mega mods.

But in the original game, TFs were entirely in the RND layer.

[JonZ]

Task Forces are mostly scripted. If you dare to take a look at the SCR file with the mission editor, you'll tend to meet task forces a little bit often :-j

Certainly, that's true with all the new mega mods.

But in the original game, TFs were entirely in the RND layer.


I guess I was lucky in my Vanilla days :hmm:


You are right tought, Just checked the scr layer and no Task Forces involved

[kiwi_2005]

some careers ive finished and seen not one taskforce, where another like the one im playing now ive come across 3 taskforces. One carrier force and 2 BB forces.

There is always a taskforce in between CF and CG grids travelling North towards england. If you hang around or patrol up and down that area your find it. Its fast so its also easy to miss.

the other i sunk travels from Loch Ewe to USA (i think) ive attacked it about 200miles out of Loch Ewe heading SW, Two BB's taskforces travelling fast.

I found all these before 1943.

[flyingdane]

Task Forces are mostly scripted. If you dare to take a look at the SCR file with the mission editor, you'll tend to meet task forces a little bit often :-j

Yep" and if some (kind harted) modder out there could speed up the chance of meeting a taskforce just for the defalt campaine I would be A happy camper. :D :()1:

[JonZ]

Task Forces are mostly scripted. If you dare to take a look at the SCR file with the mission editor, you'll tend to meet task forces a little bit often :-j

Yep" and if some (kind harted) modder out there could speed up the chance of meeting a taskforce just for the defalt campaine I would be A happy camper. :D :()1:

I like the way as it is now. In WW2 u-boats who encountered Battleship were very lucky to be in their path, or were ordered by BdU to intercept in grid position.

[flyingdane]

Very true!...But one can dream!. :ahoy:

[Keelbuster]

Apply RuB or NYGM TW and hang around the entrance to gibraltar. You _will_ encounter TFs.

Kb

[flyingdane]

Hehehe..Thats not what I mean :rotfl: I Like the defalt campaine Sure Iam behind in todays SH3 but I have had this game sence it came out And have Gotten use to it .

Iam not realy where I should be In this game to try to start messing it up with realisem mods (for give my English). :oops:

[ParaB]

I've seen exactly TWO task forces so far, both centered around CAs. Never seen a BB or a CV...


:(

[tycho102]

I appreciate the vastness of the oceans . After 1 year of playing sh3 , i have yet to see a task force

I saw my first one a few days ago. They were moving at 21 knots, and just too far away for me to even attempt an attack. I copied the SH3 save-game folder, and restored an earlier save to reposition myself. Got one (Revenge Battleship), and the other had significant damage.

And that's not all of it. Here's the really awesome part:

No sooner had I launched the initial volley, that I dove (140m water depth) to ~100m and decided on my course of action. I was using the external camera, and the Luftwaffe showed up and bombed the living sh*t out of every single escort (8 of them), as well as the damaged battleship. One escort had dropped a run of charges, and a second one was lining up for a run when the planes took him out. I didn't even know it was the planes; I was going through everything (another ship firing, bad weather), and suddenly saw the planes flying overhead and the rest of the convoy exploding (all at the same time!).





It was actually the most amazing f*cking thing I've seen yet! Brilliant timing, of course.

*sigh*
After all that excitement, I restored my save folder and continued on with my patrol, since there was no way I could have caught up with them in the first place. But it was totally worth it, just too see all that!

[DeepSix]

I've contacted two, both in the vicinity of Gibraltar early in the war. In one the weather was so bad all I ever saw was one or to of the screening destroyers. The second one was in bad weather, too, but I gave in and F-12'd to see what I would miss. A KGV and an Illlustirous, plus some Didos and Fijis. :damn:

[Keelbuster]

No sooner had I launched the initial volley, that I dove (140m water depth) to ~100m and decided on my course of action. I was using the external camera, and the Luftwaffe showed up and bombed the living sh*t out of every single escort (8 of them), as well as the damaged battleship. One escort had dropped a run of charges, and a second one was lining up for a run when the planes took him out. I didn't even know it was the planes; I was going through everything (another ship firing, bad weather), and suddenly saw the planes flying overhead and the rest of the convoy exploding (all at the same time!).


I've never had the pleasure of seeing that kind of airstrike. I once saw the port at Valetta get hit by luftwaffe, but never a convoy, much less a TF, or a damaged TF that is in the process of DCing me!

Did you radio a contact report, or a patrol report beforehand? What Grid co-ords were you at when it happened?!

Kb

[tbarak]

I remember a mission where I had one fish left and our boat stumbled across a lone T3. Of course the never ending awful weather insured the wind was 7 knots, just out of the gun's service range. Then out of nowhere came the airforce and damaged it severely, reducing its speed to a crawl. I nailed it broadside with the last torp and down she went. Usually never see the Luftwaffe but in that instant their timing was grand.

I'm mid-war and I've never seen anything more exciting than a destroyer and one enemy passenger liner that up and disappeared in heavy fog. Almost impossible to see anything with the God's view, never mind on full realism with visibility at just 400 metres. I usually avoid the warships anyway but now and again I'll head toward them to have a look. Usually just an armed trawler or corvette.

[79TransAm]

I found a task force. Snuk within 900m of the escourt carrier, fired two fish. She exploded. Went to 125M silent running, destroyers never found me :)

[tycho102]

I've never had the pleasure of seeing that kind of airstrike. I once saw the port at Valetta get hit by luftwaffe, but never a convoy, much less a TF, or a damaged TF that is in the process of DCing me!

Did you radio a contact report, or a patrol report beforehand? What Grid co-ords were you at when it happened?!

Kb

I did a radio report a few hours before I came across them. I was in the north sea, just east of Britian. I forget the grid, but it was almost directly east of Scappa Flow. Mid-1940, I think (I've been having really awesome "luck" and have put in more hours playing the game than I should).

[XXi]

You know what a BAD LUCK mean ?
Once in a campaign, I finally found a TF I had some chance of intereception. It was very distant, but I decided to plot intercept course.
TF was going straight onto the right position - I plotted so well I got them within few miles, at best position.
BUT

it was deep night and heavy storm. I could HEAR them, even when submerged, bbut they were INVISIBLE, completely. No chance of intercept - either invisible, or I would ram them, apparently. The visibility barely exceeded 300m.

Now that`s a disappointment :nope:

[SkvyWvr]

I was run over by a TF just west of the rock. Clear day on the surface. Out of nowhere bang "were taking damage sir" and again bang. I dove as fast as I could and was pounced on by 3 DDs. After a serious pounding I gave them the slip, came up and scoped around. 2 Nelsons and 7 DDs. With no way to catch them I limped away with 36% hull integrity. Close one! :cry:

[Der Eisen-Wal]

here's a noobie question, if you stumble on large convoy, or any other situation with DDs, do you try to take them out or just dive and pray? i lined one up with a 4 torp salvo at 000 but he ran me right through before i could get them off. is it suicidal or do you only have a chance if he hasn't spotted u?

[SkvyWvr]

I've taken the lead one out by getting into a good position and going all stop. I let him get to to within 500m and fire. Once he is gone I get into the middle of the convoy and can usally take out 2 or 3 big ones before the other escorts can weave their way around the convoy lanes to get at me. If it's only 1 other escort I can usally take hime out by again going DIW and waiting for him to cross my path. :smug:

[DeepSix]

here's a noobie question, if you stumble on large convoy, or any other situation with DDs, do you try to take them out or just dive and pray? i lined one up with a 4 torp salvo at 000 but he ran me right through before i could get them off. is it suicidal or do you only have a chance if he hasn't spotted u?

I usually try to avoid firing at destroyers. Early war, that's pretty easy to do because they aren't very bright. Shooting at them is a waste of torpedoes - they are too fast and too maneuverable for it. Plus, their tonnage ranges from 1000-2000 (if I'm remembering correctly), so it's not so much suicidal as it is an expensive kill. I'd rather sink a C3 (7000-8000 tons) with one fish, than a V&W (~1500 tons I think) with two, three, four....

I think it's better to avoid/ignore lone DDs, and in a convoy attack only go for the merchants. Try to get away without getting detected, but if you are, ride it out because your odds of survival are pretty good during the first few years. After mid-1943, though, I start avoiding convoys (I confess) because ASW is so much improved. 1944 and thereafter, my goal is to remain undetected at all times. If you run into a hunter-killer group, by all means do not get found out. If they detect you, they almost certainly will kill you.

My two cents. Some people really like sinking destroyers.

[jasonb885]

I found a task force. Snuk within 900m of the escourt carrier, fired two fish. She exploded. Went to 125M silent running, destroyers never found me :)

That was a HK group, actually.

No true TFs as defined in the RND layer have CVEs.

[Der Eisen-Wal]

here's a noobie question, if you stumble on large convoy, or any other situation with DDs, do you try to take them out or just dive and pray? i lined one up with a 4 torp salvo at 000 but he ran me right through before i could get them off. is it suicidal or do you only have a chance if he hasn't spotted u?

I usually try to avoid firing at destroyers. Early war, that's pretty easy to do because they aren't very bright. Shooting at them is a waste of torpedoes - they are too fast and too maneuverable for it. Plus, their tonnage ranges from 1000-2000 (if I'm remembering correctly), so it's not so much suicidal as it is an expensive kill. I'd rather sink a C3 (7000-8000 tons) with one fish, than a V&W (~1500 tons I think) with two, three, four....

I think it's better to avoid/ignore lone DDs, and in a convoy attack only go for the merchants. Try to get away without getting detected, but if you are, ride it out because your odds of survival are pretty good during the first few years. After mid-1943, though, I start avoiding convoys (I confess) because ASW is so much improved. 1944 and thereafter, my goal is to remain undetected at all times. If you run into a hunter-killer group, by all means do not get found out. If they detect you, they almost certainly will kill you.

My two cents. Some people really like sinking destroyers.

thanks. yeah i foudn out they are too fast the hard way, and it's a scary thought that they will get better. what would be the standard technique of evading DD and DC? Usually if they're trying to track me I go deep and go silent.. and if they are closing i try toput 90 degrees between bearings or all stop or just ride to him at a 40 degree AoB hoping he doesn't know where i am.

[THE_MASK]

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