Getting caught on the surface by bombers, DD's hammering the crap out of me in shallow water, and coastal batteries that can somehow see a sub slipping into a harbor even though the nights pitch black.

Planes, I can't stop trying to shoot them down. Last one crashed into my stern and sank me.

Sheer incompetence... :dead:

1 sub net
1 betty
2 DD s

All because of, as Rifleman13 said, incompetence.

macgi452

An Armed Merchant (Aack!)
 

This really burnt me, making an approach on a convoy (~ March 1944), 2 big merchants escorted by 2 armed merchants in rough seas. Running the TMO 1.6.2 and RSRDC...Scope down and waiting for sound bearings to approach my firing point. Poke up the scope and here is the lead armed merchant steering direct for me--I've been scope down, silent running, and heard no pings (did armed merchants have sonar?). And in the background his partner is also pulling out of line and headed for me. Dropped scope to hope it is coincidnence.

It isn't. They both non chalantly cruised over top and killed me. Unbelievable. Made me wish I'd simply tried to take them out (they draw more than a destroyer and surely don't maeuver all that great?)...lesson learned. Ducimus is evil.

Some Japanese merchants were equipped with hydrophones. How well trained they were on them I can't say.

Small almost-uncharted islands in the East Indies, those are the main cause of death

I'd heard that, but still not sure about accurate sonar (vs hydrophones)...in rough seas, with a convoy moving at 12 knots, and a submarine running silent at 1 knot, not sure it is realistic to have an armed merchant pick you up so precisely...which brings me back to Ducimus is evil.

Question??????
 

Groomsie we all agree that Ducimus is evil, very smart but evil.
I'm still playing 1.4 so in 1.5 with TMO there are killer merchants??
If so do they have DC s. Is this for U boats or Fleet boats?

Magic452

The japanese used XPCs (converted merchants) as escorts quite a bit. Some are indeed armed with depth charges, sonar, etc. They are in RSRDC.

Thanks Tater
They are converted merchants, not armed merchants. ( they don't look like merchants.)
I'll be on the look out for these guys.

I'm on my 8th. patrol out of Midway and patrolling around Japan and have only seen one warship and didn't mess with him as I was in shallow water.
been coming home with 50 or 60,000 tons, but no warships.?????


Magic452
1.4 with TMO & RSRDC.

Lucky ***, I've had a parade of Jap carriers, about half a dozen invasion fleets plus extremely well escorted lone small passenger ships...:huh: Life's fun in the Phillipines...:rock:

Call them what you will...
 

Yep, whatever you call them it is basically a merchant with guns, depth charges, and it would appear sonar/hydrophones. They do show up in the recognition manual along with warships, so they are not classified as merchants per se.

Surprised to get nailed by one so professionally/easily...probably took him for granted and in hind sight I think I should have tried to exploit the fact it is basically a merchant--deeper draft and slower speed than a subchaser or destroyer--and as such I should have gone after one or both and then move to the merchants. Lesson learned.

And Ducimus is evil in a good way. We love it.

As a sub driver I've been trained by the best ~ in U-Boats by the RN & USN in '43 and '44 (GWX) and it's taught me extreme caution. Meaning, don't be seen, don't be heard and never take liberties with a surface ship. Kill it when you can.

As far as playing SH3 (modded) I guess it qualifies as a "Perisher" course for SH4 skippers.

Time compression kills me in about 2 seconds flat when the hydrophone still shows that DD 5000+ yards out rather than finishing his attack run after stuffing a depth charge down my hatch...:damn: