Stubborn British Patrol Boat
 

Hello,

Before I get to my question I must say that Subsim.com is a wonderful resource! I am a real flight sim junkie, but played the original Silent Hunter a long time ago. I saw an ad for SHIII recently and jumped on it. Boy has the series matured!! :)
GWX is awesome too :up:

I was completing a practice mission and sunk a few ships. I dove down to the beginning of the depth meters "red band" to avoid the destroyers. After a few depth charge attacks (and some repairs) I got away. I rigged for silent running and kept the engine RPM's below 200. After the hydrophone technician lost all contacts I started to slowly creep back up. Anyway, I was followed by a British patrol boat for hours. I never heard a ping, so he would have needed to hear me to keep in contact. How would this happen since I was rigged for silent running, going VERY slowly, and running deep? I bet I was under a thermal layer anyway.

I stopped the boat and raised the periscope. He just kept circling with a radius of around 250 meters. I was running low on battery power and high on CO2 levels, so I had to attack. I couldn't get a fix with the torpedoes, so I surfaced and sunk him with the deck gun. How in the world did he seem to know where I am without prior knowledge of my position and without active radar while I was deep and running silent? Why didn't he attack or call for destroyers if he knew I was there?

I read the "AI Demystified" thread, but it didn't really turn anything up.

Thanks

Maybe, it was your engine-rpm.
I always keep it on 100rpm or less, to be truely silent.

Oh, and welcome! :)

I usually turn the engines off and wait for the sonar ping to fade, then I alter course by 90 deg and move slowly for a while, turn them off again and listen for a ping. In case there isn't any ping I continue on the same course . Works most of the time assuming you're running really deep.

Wow, quick responses.

That makes sense. I guess I didn't realise how sensitive the hydrophones were. I also didn't want to become a sitting duck. I didn't think the submarine would be able to maintain depth and pitch without water going over the dive planes, like stalling an airplane when not enough air goes over the ailerons, elevator, or rudder.

Well, that's why I'm a "Bilge Rat" :lol:

Thanks

Welcome Kaleun NathanKing. The GWX learning curve is a steep one. Visit my webbie for some useful info on tactics :D

Herzlich Willkommen, Nathan,

If you're using GWX (& SH3 Commander) your boat will tend to rise after a while if your speed is 0 or 1 knot. This will lead to some hairy moments when DDs are hunting for you, esp. if a thermal layer is hiding you. Your sonarman (if he's not stone deaf) will tell you when they're heading away -- that's your chance to crank up the rpms and maintain depth (and even slip the noose).

Mach's gut!