Historically, can you really see under water with your periscope?
 

I use periscope under water to avoid depth charges, sub net and even mine. but it is realistic?

No.

You can see IRL, but not as far as you can see in this game.
RL underwater visibility is anywhere from zero (murky water) to maybe 50m (super-clear water). Whereas in stock SH3 you can see about 150m IIRC.

thx for the quick reply.
is there a mod to fix that?

Surprised me that,I would have thought a PS in real life would have had no problem viewing under water,as long as the visibility of the water itself was good of course.
I imagine the water in some of the Pacific areas to be almost crystal clear,or at the very least clear.
:hmm:
I myself use the OS to monitor DCs dropping if they are near me,so long as I dont keep it raised too much out of its housing.A useful aid sometimes that tactic.

I think SH3C has an option which changes underwater visibility but I'm not sure exactly what it changes... it might just make the water "murkier" without actually reducing the visibility distance. Someone else will know.

OLCE2 reduces underwater visibility to 50m. That's how I know how far you can see... I had to research* it for realism.

*research
Noun, countable and uncountable, plural researches
1. The act of repeated googling.

You are lucky to see more than 2m in the sea near me!

Sea?
You mean that big puddle on the right?

Yes, one more of Commander's many wonderful functions is the ability to control the water density. I have mine set for 3, which means I can still see the bow with the periscope, but just barely. It's really cool in external views, as with the F12 key you can park yourself ahead of the boat and watch it swim into view, just like the opening of Das Boot.:rock:

Interesting,I might have to invest in this mod for reduced water vis.Not sure if I have missed it already but can anyone direct me to the link?.After getting it,is it ok to install for the stock 1.4 version?,as I have yet to install any of the larger mods,like SHC,GWX etc.

Good point about the opening to Das Boot,I love watching it come out of the murk at the beginning.I guess thats all the proof you need about murky water,and i'm sure those guys knew what they were doing.

Cheers :up:

If you are playing stock SH3 game. You may try my favorite old mod "BeeryWater 1.44".

As Steve has correctly pointed out...SH3 Commander willl alter/adjust your game water clarity from anything between 0 and 20 (the higher the number, the clearer the water).

It's in my sig link: SH3Cmdr31.exe.

And since it's not a mod, but an external application that digs into the game to let you control things, it's compatible with any version of the game, stock or modded. It's the best tool there is for the...NO! No lengthy worshipful descriptions this time. It does lots of cool...NO! Control yourself! You'll love it. I can say no more.:rotfl:

In regards to the first question, well...US nucs were often able to use the periscope for underwater "hull shots" on Soviet vessels, so it's possible. However, the optics were considerably more advanced, and it probably depends on the water conditions.

...not much help, am I?:lost:

Well, in the SH4 thread on planes being able to see subs at 100 feet or more depth, I argued that just off Subic bay we could see rocks on the bottom, and it was deep enough for supercarriers to pass; but then in another thread on seeing the bottom of the hull and the propellors I just today argued that at from another ship those things usually can't be seen.

So, you may not be much help, at least you have lots of company.:rotfl: