Harbour raids -Which ones and why

[bigboywooly]

Having carried out a few harbour raids myself I just wondered which ports you guys raid the most and why

I prefer Loch Ewe and the Caribbean ports - plenty of tankers\capital ships

Post your favourites

[Redfoot]

Scapa Flow because you've got 3 entry (and thus exit) points, plus its the closest port to greenland - I spend a lot of time on the PQ convoy route.

Ports on my to-do list are Cape Town and New York. ;)

[Soviet_Sharpshooter]

Portland for me, its nice and big. I dont mind the sub nets either. I just ram over them at perischope depth:rotfl:

[d@rk51d3]

Loch ewe, and scapa flow for me. Almost always a battleship or cruiser sitting there:up: .

Problem is they soak up so many torpedoes:cry:

[_Seth_]

Scapa and loch ewe. plenty of targets, and angry DD's :D:D

[d@rk51d3]

Scapa and loch ewe. plenty of targets, and angry DD's :D:D



DOUBLE D's:o :o :o

.........oh, you mean the destroyers.:oops:

[VonHelsching]

Dover is one of my favorites (also very easy, if you avoid the mines on the east coast)

New York also. Almost without any protection, and you have the statue of Liberty as an eye candy bonus.

[Hakahura]

For me its got to be New York. Best looking port I've seen yet. (Grey Wolves 1.1) Fantastic skyline, cool bridges and best of all The Statue of Liberty with a big fat Passenger Liner moored infront of it. The place is full of targets.

[Mooncatt]

mmmm not been to any US port just yet i could never be bothered to go all that way even with TC on max it still takes ages to get there, but from what your all saying bout new york i might take the time to go, i normally go to scapa and loch ewe

[HunterICX]

Then I'll be the Whacko of this joint and say GIBRALTAR!

I just love the attention I get from the brits :arrgh!:

[DAB]

Loch ewe, and scapa flow for me. Almost always a battleship or cruiser sitting there:up: .

Problem is they soak up so many torpedoes:cry:

Which mod!?

I don't think I have once managed to get into Scapa Flow without finding the place empty

[mr chris]

Have only sucessfuly raided one port and that was casablanca. Sunk four merchants and a armed trawler. Have tryed a few times to get into loch ewe but each time i end up in davy jones's locker. Be it by mines, aircraft or DD's i just give the place a widebirth these days. Might go back one day when i get a bit more experince of raiding harbours:arrgh!:

[d@rk51d3]

Which mod!?

I don't think I have once managed to get into Scapa Flow without finding the place empty


Scapa dries up after 2-3 patrols on stock sh3, but I'm currently running GW1.1a? and scapa always seems to have at least a couple of tankers and a troopie. (head through the eastern slip, throught the scuttled boats, then hug the coast north, right into the harbour)

Loch ewe always comes up trumps with a military target, or three. Well, in my experience anyway.

Last night intercepted a task force entering Loch Ewe: Carrier, BB, cruisers and more destroyers than you could poke a stick at.........



.....They all got away too.:cry:

[Eichenlaub]

D@rk51d3 wrote:


DOUBLE D's:o :o :o

.........oh, you mean the destroyers.:oops:


Check my sig...:oops: :D

Kind regards,

Eichenlaub

[SkvyWvr]

Dover, Scapa Flow, New York and the Carib:up:

[KevinB]

Scapa, I think it's the only place without nets/mines (well I haven't found any so far). And I got a juicy aricraft carrier there in 1940.

[Finnbat]

Its too easy to go for "easy prey" in harbours.
There is no reality in this aspect.

[bigboywooly]

Its too easy to go for "easy prey" in harbours.
There is no reality in this aspect.

Was the Royal Oak not reality then ?
lol
I know what you mean though

[Shahed]

I havént hit any ports in a few patrols, so I can't remember much but here goes..

Port: Reason

Scapa Flow: Home base of the RN, plus good targets.
Bristol: Good targets
Liverpool: Few but ok targets
New York: The best port I've ever hit, 125k tonnage in there, and plenty of renown.
Loch Ewe: Respawning Nelson, easy tonnage, when suffering from patrol blues.
Hartlepool, SouthEnd: Can't remember but was worth it.
Halifax: Have'nt tried this one yet but I expect it to be rich.
Trinidad/Tobago/Curacao: Easy tankers.
Galverston: Tanker Heaven
Miami: can't remember but was worth it.
Key West: There is a liner here IIRC.
Norfolk: A couple of troop transposrts and tankers, but EXTREMELY dangerous. I'd say the worst port to get into.

:rock:

[stabiz]

For me it will always be Scapa Flow. Oh, the memories ...

New York is renown heaven, but its far, far away. I am planning to go there with a Type VII. (Milk cows, milk cows)

[melnibonian]

Hello everyone. I do enjoy harbour raids as there is easy prey and it’s really thrilling to try to get away from all the DDs and the defences. My favourite ones are

Scapa Flow: Easy access and usually loads of capital ships (always a bonus)
New York: Absolutely thrilling. Huge harbour, almost no defences at all, and loads of ships ready for our torpedoes. Ah let’s not forget the passenger liner as well :D
Norfolk: Very difficult but in 1943 you can get US Navy’s aircraft carriers there
Miami: Easy to get in, easy to get out and a few tankers
Tampa: Simple, few defences and you can find a few troop transports.
Freetown: Up until 1942 it’s easy, after that, things get too difficult, but there are loads of cargo ships there.
Rio de Janeiro: Big, spacious with a few tankers.

As far as the ‘Hellish’ ones for me at least
Valetta: Difficult to get in, loads of warships and they have a tendency to attack you instantly. The harbour is a bit small so there is not enough room for manoeuvres, and yes you guess it right I got killed there. Twice!!!!!!!!
Gibraltar: I didn’t even managed to see the harbour :down:
Dakar: It’s full of minefields and most of the ships in there are French (neutral), so what’s the point??

[Jimbuna]

For me it would be Scapa and Loch Ewe (but only if I was having a 'lean' patrol-which is very rare 'Thank the Lord') hehe

The 'daddy' of em all though has got to be New York...not just for the tonnage and the renown, but also for the scenery.:yep:

[Dowly]

Just realised one thing, I´ve had this game since it was released and I haven´t:
1) Visited the New York
2) Get past 1943 in career (I always start a new one :D)
3) Used XXI
4) Seen a milkcow
:doh:

[enaceo]

Usually,when not getting any tonnage on patrol,I check out Loch Ewe or Scopa for the reasons already stated.
Southend and Hartlepool have some big cargos and tankers there.They are few ,but you can get some good tonnage.

New York and the Caribs are also pretty good if you have mission in the eastern US zone.

Miami is also pretty good and easy...
Early war ,you might also want to check some french ports ,but they have mostly small cargo ships.Good if you're in the area and can't get any other ships.

[bigboywooly]

Ah ya gotta visit NY Dowly
I have got to 44 once - but only lasted 1 patrol
Never used the XXI in career
Used a milchcow a couple of times but prolly more the resupply ships

[Shahed]

Ooops yeah ! Gibraltar is good too.

SPOLIER ALERT: DONT read if you don't want to know the way in.

It's easy to get in. Stay surfaced until detected or you detect something you can't evade, then dive to 150m, 1 knot till the hunt for you is over. Peri depth, 3 knots. If you can surface again do it and run in at flank. Dive agin even if you are undetected 30 kms from harbor. I have been surfaced about 15 kms from Gibraltar, maybe I have some screenshots lying around. I was so close I could see the bunkers on the hill with the naked eye. Go straight in from south, or go into the Med first, then come in from the East staying 6 kms form the coastline. Avoid the mines to the left of the harbor. The cruisers are behind a net, the entry to which is right next to the righmost lighthouse. It's about 25 meters wide, you can easily miss it, the other entry is alll the way around to the north.

Also the North African coast is good enough in 42. I visited Casablanca, Oran, Tobruk, Alexandria. AT least one cruiser in each, usually 2 Transports and 3-4 Landing ship tanks.

[Hakahura]

Ooops yeah ! Gibraltar is good too.

SPOLIER ALERT: DONT read if you don't want to know the way in.

It's easy to get in. Stay surfaced until detected or you detect something you can't evade, then dive to 150m, 1 knot till the hunt for you is over. Peri depth, 3 knots. If you can surface again do it and run in at flank. Dive agin even if you are undetected 30 kms from harbor. I have been surfaced about 15 kms from Gibraltar, maybe I have some screenshots lying around. I was so close I could see the bunkers on the hill with the naked eye. Go straight in from south, or go into the Med first, then come in from the East staying 6 kms form the coastline. Avoid the mines to the left of the harbor. The cruisers are behind a net, the entry to which is right next to the righmost lighthouse. It's about 25 meters wide, you can easily miss it, the other entry is alll the way around to the north.

Also the North African coast is good enough in 42. I visited Casablanca, Oran, Tobruk, Alexandria. AT least one cruiser in each, usually 2 Transports and 3-4 Landing ship tanks.

:) Shahed, relax its not a spoiler :- it's intel. You can never have too much of that, cheers mate.:)

[spork542]

Not Portsmouth. :lol:

[Torvald Von Mansee]

Does the Nelson in Loch Ewe constantly respawn? Because I've killed it, twice, in my current campaign which would seem to indicate that the class had been whiped out.

[KevinB]

Has anyone gone through the Suez Canal as yet?

[SkvyWvr]

Has anyone gone through the Suez Canal as yet?

:o Been up to the bitter lakes from the south through the Red Sea but never all the way through.

[Shahed]

Suez ? LOL ! That would be a total riot ! A feat of naval history I tell you. MUAHHAHA !!! :rock:

The Nelson, I think I sunk it 3 or 4 times in my one and only campaign to date (still running). It does respawn. In fact, here's what you do sink it and then go 36 kms away from Loch Ewe, and then return :doh: You'll find it in the same place. SInk it again and you won't get the tonnage (thank goodness). But it will be there sitting big fat Foi Gras duck. :huh:






Neue Funkspruch...

From: U-126, Die Steigende Sonne, TYPE IXC
To: BdU, All UBoot Commanders
Date: 15/03/43 00:55 Local Time

Location Tunis. Rearmed, repaired.
Convoy KMS raided and severly impaired. 14 Ships sunk.

Request intel on approach to Suez.

EIN ZEIL: DEN SIEG !

U-126 Out.

[rasmus1896]

i have only been to spaca flow and i dont have very much raid when i have syvive.:nope:
i think its cause fo my big boat

[mookiemookie]

Galverston: Tanker Heaven
:rock:

Sorry to somewhat hijack the thread...

Grr...as a Texan, it really sticks in my craw that the designers renamed GALVESTON. I was just there this weekend, watching all the tanker and cargo ships as I sat on the beach and imagining how I'd set myself up for a shot on them. A sign you play SH3 too much? :yep: Anyways, has anyone made an attempt at fixing this?

Back on topic...

I haven't tried any port raids since installing GW. I assume you all are using it with it installed, since all the harbors I ever saw with the stock game were ghost towns. Am I right?

[GT182]

Now you've all piqued my curiosity. New York, here we come, U-109 is on her way. Sounds like I'll be able to get that IX/D2 afterall. :D

[Shahed]

What is the correct name, GalveRston, or Galveston ?

I'm sure it's really easy to fix, just have to change spelling.

[bigboywooly]

Same as Lowescroft when it should Lowestoft lol
I can assure you Galveston will be correct in the new GWX - and Lowestoft :rotfl:

[Shahed]

LMAO ! ok. :up: :rock:

[mookiemookie]

YEE HAW! A tip of my ten gallon hat to you and yours. ;)

[Ulic]

Did my first harbour raid today. Coming from Bessel I decided to raid one of the southern British harbours, finally choosing Bristol.

Approach was relatively easy. The entrance channel has some armed trawlers and destroyers, but it is wide enough to evade them. At night on the surface I encountered one PT boat who managed to shoot a few holes in my U-46 before submerging, no real damage.

The harbour itself was protected by 1 destroyer and 1 PT boat. On approach the destroyer detected me and attacked. I made a lucky shot with 1 torpedo, hitting the DD in it's engine room. She didn't sink, but lost her engines so the real threat was gone.

In the harbour I sank 1 auxilirary cruiser, 1 troop transport and 1 large tanker. When I left the harbour I shot my last internal torpedo at the DD, but it bounced off. (small detail, the DD did ping me and threw some depth charges from her stationary position :D)

Halfway down the channel I encoutered a single large merchant which I sank with my last (external) torps.

In fact it was a pretty easy raid, with a nice 40k tonnage.

[bigboywooly]

:hmm:
Make the most of it
:rotfl: :rotfl:

[SkvyWvr]

:hmm:
Make the most of it
:rotfl: :rotfl:

Is it just me or did that sound ominus. :o :o :o

[bigboywooly]

:hmm:
Make the most of it
:rotfl: :rotfl:

Is it just me or did that sound ominus. :o :o :o

Ah now that really would be telling :arrgh!:

[Hakahura]

I can't wait for the next Grey Wolves installment, whenever that is, but please don't spoil harbour raiding! Make it harder to get in by all means, but leave the fat juicy targets, especially the liner in New York.

[bigboywooly]

I can't wait for the next Grey Wolves installment, whenever that is, but please don't spoil harbour raiding! Make it harder to get in by all means, but leave the fat juicy targets, especially the liner in New York.

I couldnt deprive you lot of the fat liner - could I :rotfl: ?

[Kiwi Zero Six]

I tried to raid Dover this morning. Decided to have a look around with periscope. As the thing goes up but what do I see...MINES. On either side of me. Rather close, too.

Deciding that running away is the better part of valour, I retreated. Got pinged by a DD on the way out, sank him (shouldn't sit still directly behind me at 600m, mate) and got a small tanker on my way back to base, too.

[Shahed]

GW is an AWESOME mod, and I'm loving it immensely. I was lucky enough that I installed it on my 2nd patrol. SInce then I've been glued to Sh3.

The only thing about harbor raiding is not enough protection.

Air patrols, DDs, and surface groups should be in the vicinity, and should respond. I can stay for days surfaced in Scapa Flow, no kidding. Actually make that the whole duration of the war. I've even been reloading my external torps sitting peacefully in a corner of Loch Ewe in broad daylight. In reality every Brit with a shovel would come and dig a very deep watery grave for that kind of Uboot which surfaced within a stone's throw of the beach.

Did I mention that I surfaced in Norfolk and deck gunned a warship ? (can't remember what it was). Ok, that one cost 45% Hull Integrity, and thankfully no wounded or killed. That's the way it should be. Hit the surface button by mistake btw, I am crazy but not THAT crazy. In this case there was some response and I had company from the outskirts fo the harbor rushing in.

It should be virtually impossible to raid a port, except under certain "right" circumstances which open a small window of opportunity, occasionally. By this I mean Naval bases, merchant ports should be better defended as well.

Of course we all want to have fun so it should still be possible, but not in the way it is now. Now if I have a really bad patrol guess where I end up offloading my 20 leftover fish.... Loch Ewe.

Now having said all that, I know, thanks to the posts from the GWX team, how the response system works in SH3. I know how much work is involved in creating a working set of parameters for this to work.

GW ROCKS ! Keep up the great work guys !

:rock:

[Torvald Von Mansee]

The Nelson, I think I sunk it 3 or 4 times in my one and only campaign to date (still running). It does respawn. In fact, here's what you do sink it and then go 36 kms away from Loch Ewe, and then return :doh: You'll find it in the same place. SInk it again and you won't get the tonnage (thank goodness). But it will be there sitting big fat Foi Gras duck. :huh:


Sigh. I wonder how many times one will be able to sink the Yamato/Musashi over the course of a career in SH4? Damn, I wish they'd do IJN subs for that one.

[Hakahura]

Well New York is still my favorite but Norfolk comes close. Just like melnibonian said, quite hard to get in, I got grounded a couple of times on sandbanks that cost me some hull integrity plus alot of attention from the noise I made getting off. But after a bit of evasion, the pay off... :up: BOGUE AIRCRAFT CARRIER:up: . Broke its back with a salvo of 2 T1s. Then I got me a Large tanker and Large Merchantman on the way out! What a way to end a patrol! The crews moral is through the roof, singing so loud they are drowning out the gramaphone! Lots of shiny gongs all round from Bdu when we got back to St Nazaire. Next patrol we get on far side of the Atlantic we will definitly save a few fish to set swiming at Norfolk before coming home.

[yobert]

How close are you the harbor when you start to dive? I tryed dover but i ran out of battery befor i got there =P

[Shahed]

As close as you can be, preferably 6 kms from the closest ship docked in harbor. I dive only when necessary, as the war progresses it's necessary more and more often.

[bigboywooly]

How close are you the harbor when you start to dive? I tryed dover but i ran out of battery befor i got there =P

Keep your speed slow and your battery should last for hours :up:

[Shahed]

Good point. Once dived I hardly ever go more than 3 knots.

[yobert]

Thanks for helping a noob like me =) I tryed casablanca but it was to easey, Only play with 29% so far tho

[Biggles]

Hello mates! I'm totaly new on this forum (this is my first post EVER in here, so please keep that in mind when you trying to judge my noobiness).:roll:

I've been looking around for a bit, and I like this thread. I've been playing SHIII for about a year now (Realism 0%,as I said, noob) allthough my gaming comp. is broken down due to some problems with my graphic card, so I can't really play at the present moment. I want so badly right now, as I have some wild ideas about visiting the Aussies:) (I haven't GW yet, but it seams great, I'll get it I swear.)

Now about Greywolves.....is it any harbor activity in the docks at the original game, or is it only worth it to attack a harbor in GW???

I once tried Dover just sometime about Xmas 1939 early 1940, I took myself into the harbor at night, pitchdark and couldn't see a thing, rainy,foggy(and what I've heard from some of you there where MINES there too:o bloody hell, I was lucky:cool:
Anyway, I got inside, thought "Yay!" and made myself ready for a nice coupple o' kills.......it was empty....no I think it was totaly empty in there, didn't find anything, so I went out again, rather dissapointed(spelling?) had a tap dance aganst a DD, won:cool: and headed for the french coast where I sank a french (or Dutch I don't remember) merchant. well.....is Dover always empty or what?

[Dillinger022]

In Grey Wolves, Dover is NEVER empty. No ports are ever empty in GW! I raided Dover in October 1939 with a Type VIIB and found 1 Dido Light Cruiser, 1 Fiji Light Cruiser, 1 Passenger Liner, 1 Troop Transport, 3 Small Tankers, and quite a few small merchants/tramp steamers. Oh and a s***load of DDs, and Armed Trawlers. You'll always find the same ships there from 1939 to 1945.

[bigboywooly]

In Grey Wolves, Dover is NEVER empty. No ports are ever empty in GW! I raided Dover in October 1939 with a Type VIIB and found 1 Dido Light Cruiser, 1 Fiji Light Cruiser, 1 Passenger Liner, 1 Troop Transport, 3 Small Tankers, and quite a few small merchants/tramp steamers. Oh and a s***load of DDs, and Armed Trawlers. You'll always find the same ships there from 1939 to 1945.

Yes its a pain the same ships are in the same places
Its to do with the way the SCR works
A harbour can be layered to include different ships at different times
But its a real pain in the @ss to do and will bump up the scr size loads - for something a lot of players wont use
Believe me I have tried alsorts to randomise the ships but thats the only way so far

[Uapa]

Cape Town. It's full all the time and it's secured by 2 Flower Class Corvette.
Small Tip:
Go into this harbor from south try to have a right Light House in front of you, it will lead you in the safe way

[mr chris]

Am out on patrol at the moment in my VIIB i was sent to freetown. Have not found any good hunting. I also use SH3 GEN which adds so much to the game i belive. In the latest version of the programe it gives you side missions to undertake should you so wish. On my current patrol it says to go and raid Rio de Janerio and raid the harbour, this it quite away from freetown. I was just wondering if anyone has been that far in a type seven before and would i make it there and then back to carneries to refuel so i could then get back to france. At this moment iam just off freetown with just over half a tank of fuel left.

[Biggles]

Sorry, but....SH3 GEN????? I'm very sorry, but the only mod I have is a skin mod so.......but as soon as I get my gamecomp. working, I'll get them all! I swear! (And I will not buy 'em, I heard about that X1software stuff, bloody cheaters:down: )

[Sebbe]

I once got close to Gibraltar, when I found out it contained only one Tanker 2.:nope:
(still running on stock version)
Kinda dissapointing when you finally got trough that bottleneck...

But my last visit to Loch Ewe was great: two carriers, a Dido cruiser and a Tanker.

Too bad that the DD's harbour AI is terrible: they always manage to crash themselves into the docks or even get beached! Snuck into Scapa Flow yesterday (with Grey Wolves this time) and I saw 6 DD's heading straight for the beach! They stopped just in time, but it took them half an hour to get out in the open again (and give me hell on the way out).

Do you guys get this too?

[Biggles]

Hmm...no, never been in there:oops:

I did once go around Cuba and thinking of going into Miami, but I didn't have the guts......:roll:
Is Miami well protected?

[bigboywooly]

I once got close to Gibraltar, when I found out it contained only one Tanker 2.:nope:
(still running on stock version)
Kinda dissapointing when you finally got trough that bottleneck...

But my last visit to Loch Ewe was great: two carriers, a Dido cruiser and a Tanker.

Too bad that the DD's harbour AI is terrible: they always manage to crash themselves into the docks or even get beached! Snuck into Scapa Flow yesterday (with Grey Wolves this time) and I saw 6 DD's heading straight for the beach! They stopped just in time, but it took them half an hour to get out in the open again (and give me hell on the way out).

Do you guys get this too?

Yes unfortunately the AI routines suck
They take the quickest straightest route towards you - even if that means beaching or into the harbour walls

[Flying Dutchman]

A long long time ago with only the stock SH3 files on my computer I've been raiding the Scapaflow harbour and found (of course) the big battleship waiting for me.

But this is the curious thing: I fired two torpedoes at it, but the whole ship already exploded at the first impact, well before the second torp.
Was this normal?? Super-lucky shot or is this thing just weak?

I'll go in this week again and try and find out if I can reproduce the same thing :D .

[Phantom II]

New York City by far:

In my last patrol I scored

2x Old Liners
2x T2 Tankers
1x T3 Tanker
1x Passenger Liner
1x Troop Transport
1x Liberty Cargo
1x Victory Cargo

Best patrol so far :)

-Phantom

[Eichenlaub]

Flying Dutchman,

You probably hit a critical section of the ship, most likely a fuel tank or ammunition bunker. Ships tend to blow up spectacularly when explosive goods are detonated by a torpedo impact!:rock:

Every ship has critical locations...try to find them. Nowadays I usually bag C3's with a single shot (stock 1.4b game).

Kind regards,

Eichenlaub

[Biggles]

Wow. So you mean you can find the ammo bunker in a ship?:o I mean, I know what happens if you hit the engines, but still, I never ever had the experience that the ship blows up because of one torpedo hit. (that is, ofcourse, never a BIG one, but if you hit a fishing boat with a torpedo.........:arrgh!:

[Eichenlaub]

Biggles:

Try and look for the online Wikipedia SHIII manual. There's a section detailing the critical hit locations. Generally, merchants have 4 locations (engine room, fuel tank, propulson and keel) while large warships have 6 (they have forward and rear ammo bunkers in addition to the other zones). I don't know about small warships like destroyers - they seem too small to me to have critical locations. Besides, in the stock game Destroyers or Escorts always sink after a single torpedo hit. At least, 1 hit was always enough for me, no matter how superficial that magnetic impact seemed to be.

Kind regards,

Eichenlaub

[Biggles]

Allright, I'll check it out! Cheers mate:up: