"Use HE shells on merchants' radio to prevent them from transmitting your position.."
 

That's what it said on one of the loading screens for the game.
:hmmm:

If that works, that could be a bloody cool feature. And a good indicator for AI developments for this game in general, something we could all sure hope for :yep:

U-571. :haha::nope:
Oops. Did i say (wrote) it out loud. :oops:

I read in the sub-books of Clay Blair that indeed some Subs try to shot the bridge for cut of radio communication....

This would really a cool feature...

Andreas

Seriously?

If a radioman cant transmit a statusupdate and location by the time
they get shelled from a lurking sub, then there's something wrong.

Whats next? "shoot the enemy captain and they surrender"?

Too much negative vibes :sunny:
It's just difficulty for casuals, can be modded for sure.

By the way, we should check first, if we actually can hit with ease :salute:

he can not when your first shell hit.... :smug:

...no, I know what you mean....to radio "position" and "attack by sub" you need 10 seconds....

I must read the exact story again but a german sub fired on the bridge to stop the radioman from transmitting (most of the crew was in the rudder boats at this time)

Andreas

I don't see why this shouldn't be possible or 'moded out'. It should be hard to achieve / hit, but certainly not impossible.

A radio should be made possible to destroy by a well placed torpedo hit.

Extra points for hitting the antenna just as they get to "our position is...", for dramatic effect:O:.

But yes, incredible feature. Should be fun for modders to play with.

:haha::haha::haha:

ROFLMAO!! :har::har:

good for a lone ship

It depends but could be very difficult.

In daytime you have to surface at visual range of the ship, and prepare the gun to fire, it could take several seconds , enough time for the ship to use the radio .

In the case that your crew is very fast and can fire in seconds you still have to hit the radio at the first shot and know the exact place.

This is a very interesting question and I hesitate to express a direct "No way" or "Of course" opinion either way. Certainly there is a long list of criteria to be able to radio the position of an attack which could be source of "no radio" outcomes. And still the radio ability is likely rather robust so it might be very difficult to prevent the "radio success" outcome.

Radio Equipment and Crew Ability are two distinct requirements for a radio message to be sent. A radioman without a radio won't succeed just the same as a radio without a radioman won't.

Causes for equipment failure:

• General electrical power failure (battery / backup power?)
• Radio destroyed (more than one radio?)
• Antenna destroyed (more than one antenna?)
• Range exceeded (message impossible to send?)

Causes for crew failure:

• Death (Torpedo more likely than shell?)
• Shock / Panic (Morale-based?)
• Imminent sinking (Task prioritization?)

I imagine hitting an ammo or kerosene ship might causes destruction such that any radio operations would be impossible immediately even if it took the hulk of the ship many minutes or hours to sink.

See that structure topside with the big antenna sticking out of it ?

Yes, sir. That's the radio shack.

You and Wentz get on the deck. On my command, put a shell right through the god damn porthole.

:rotfl2:

i see this being very usefull in low visability where in fog or heavy rain you can be surfaced and on deck before they see you or at least before they can identify you as the enemy.


but ya, in good visability there should be no way to stop being reported in time

I once shot the eraser off a Number 2 pencil once. And it was half used too boot.

Be a usefull addition if playing as a surface raider as was standard practice for them
Not so much for uboats :doh:

I'm reading Blair's Hitler's U-Boat War, and this sure sounds familiar. I believe there was a case early early in the war, where they were still fighting with some rules, stopping the ship and getting the crew to board boats before sinking. In this case I think the radioman stayed on board radioing the position, and they went after him.

My understanding of prize rules was. The target vessel was to heave to upon seeing the sub. If any radio transmission were detected by the DF, the sub had all clearance to shell the bridge and other areas of the superstructure.

If the target vessel was hauling "contra ban" (I always thought that was an eighties term coined by our government then :)) then the crew of the vessel were to get on the life boats, and the ship scuttle OR torpedoed, or captured by a prize crew.

Prize rules were just a fine example of people trying to make something as horrible as war a regulated thing....It just doesn't work.

Linky: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraband