trawlers

[Godalmighty83]

so trawlers and fishing boats, viable targets or off limits?

i only ask as i recently tested out my newest AA gun out on a fishing boat and for the first time i felt a bit guilty.

[U-104]

it is ok.

[STEED]

It's war no time to be nice. ;)

[Marriott]

i usually ignore trawlers and fishing boats unless its been a slow patrol.

[Takeda Shingen]

It's a game, so you can shoot them up. In the real war, you would have been in some trouble. I ignore and avoid them because they are worthless as targets, and they call in air and sea units. Being depth charged in shallow water is not fun.

[KeybdFlyer]

Use them for deck-gun practice - they're feeding the enemy! But keep a sharp lookout while you're doing so. They have radios. (They're worth next to nothing, but the practice is useful)

[bookworm_020]

If i'm chasing a single contact in heavy fog and find out it's a tug or trawler, then it's going to pay (my flak crews love me for it!):arrgh!:

I love sinking them, especialy when it's going to be hard for the aircraft and ships to respond. Remember it's war, depriving them of fish may not be as fun as oil, but if they get hungery, I'll gladly send a tin fish their way!:rock:

[IrishUboot]

they're feeding the enemy!

LOL That's one way of looking at it.

I wouldn't waste any of my HE rounds on a fishing trawler, and I too would feel guilty about doing so. :smug:

[P_Funk]

I play it how I think a real Kaleun would have. There's no honour or value in sinking 50 tonnes of cod. There isn't any Bdu imperative to SINK ALL FISHING TAWLERS BEFORE BRITISH TEA TIME! If you're doing that then you're just being a reeeal douche.:yep:

[moselgott]

I think trawlers and the rest of the "liliput fleet" is -as long as the weather fits- a perfect aim for the signal flares. Except for these little vessels they are good for nothing

[andy_311]

I just ignore them period,not worth the ammo and worth nothing in renown.

[Saukko]

Maybe not worth it, but more or less historically correct.

I found this at uboat.net, U-596 did some deck gun practice on 20th and 21st August 1943.

Date - U-boat - Commander - Name of ship - Tons - Nationality
20 Aug, 1943 - U-596 - Victor-Wilhelm Nonn - El Sayeda - 68 - Egyptian
21 Aug, 1943 - U-596 - Victor-Wilhelm Nonn - Panikos - 21 - British
21 Aug, 1943 - U-596 - Victor-Wilhelm Nonn - Namaz - 50 - British
21 Aug, 1943 - U-596 - Victor-Wilhelm Nonn - Lily - 132 - Palestinian

The Panikos was sunk with 25 rounds from the deck gun, the Namaz with 13 rounds and the Lily with 8 rounds.

See? First it took 25 rounds to sink a 21 ton boat, but then they finished 132 ton boat with just 8 rounds.

[Immelman]

Whats the point its waste of deck gun ammo plus you expose youself to attack by giving your position away specially '42 and onwards. If you absolutley want to do it take down there antenna mast first

[IrishUboot]

Maybe not worth it, but more or less historically correct.

I found this at uboat.net, U-596 did some deck gun practice on 20th and 21st August 1943.

Date - U-boat - Commander - Name of ship - Tons - Nationality
20 Aug, 1943 - U-596 - Victor-Wilhelm Nonn - El Sayeda - 68 - Egyptian
21 Aug, 1943 - U-596 - Victor-Wilhelm Nonn - Panikos - 21 - British
21 Aug, 1943 - U-596 - Victor-Wilhelm Nonn - Namaz - 50 - British
21 Aug, 1943 - U-596 - Victor-Wilhelm Nonn - Lily - 132 - Palestinian

The Panikos was sunk with 25 rounds from the deck gun, the Namaz with 13 rounds and the Lily with 8 rounds.

See? First it took 25 rounds to sink a 21 ton boat, but then they finished 132 ton boat with just 8 rounds.
How common was this? I know that Heinrich Liebe (U-38) sunk the Irish trawler Leukos in March 1940 12 miles NW of Tory Island. What would Dönitz's view have been? I have my doubts that he could possibly have saw them as targets of any real value to the war effort. Sea fishing would not have provided an adequate food source for Britain, especially inland. Focus on the imports from America and other supporting nations.

The existence of Q-ships in the Great War would indicate that it wasn't all that uncommon since the very idea was to lure the German u-boat into close quarters on the surface and engage it with the concealed guns. Smaller vessels, such as trawlers, were favored for this task. Again though, they were more effective in certain areas where the Germans would expect vital imports or movement of materials of importance to the British war effort, such as coal and oil. Fishing vessels wouldn't be much of an attraction.

[Godalmighty83]

finished 132 ton boat with just 8 rounds.

with the grey wolves mod it would have took 130 rounds and took about 3.2 years to complete.

[TarJak]

Never both with them myself unless they are really in the way. I shot one up with the deck gun one patrol to see what it would take to sink it. Too much time too much ammo not enough renown. Never waste a torp on anything smaller than a DE.

[Dillinger022]

My Analysis

Fishing Boats: Since these are not commercial fishing vessels, their contribution to the British economy is extremely negligible. These are just local fishermen trying to make a living. Thus they are in no way involved in the war effort. Therefore, they should NOT be targeted.

Small Coastal Vessels: Even as small cargo vessels they contribute in one way or another to the war effort. Therefore, they should be considered LOW-PRIORITY TARGETS.

Tug Boats: Their only contribution to the war effort is towing damaged ships to the safety of ports, which is barely an indirect contribution. Therefore, they should NOT be targeted.

Trawlers: Since these are commercial fishing vessels, they are able to contribute in a noticeable way to the economy, and thus to the war effort. Therefore, they should be considered LOW-PRIORITY TARGETS.

[Takeda Shingen]

with the grey wolves mod it would have took 130 rounds and took about 3.2 years to complete.

I grow weary of the inaccuracy of these claims. The figures are 1244 rounds, 3.8 years and 25 patrols. It will then take another decade to sink. You should get your tonnage credit by 1957.

In seriousness, according to U-boat.net, those losses mentioned are the only cases where civilian vessels under 1000 tonnes were attacked. That hardly makes for historical accuracy. Save the ordnance for the big ships.