What is this Mystery Ship?
 

I came across this ship in a north channel close to Rathlin Island. It was stationary.

The interesting thing about it was that neither the TDC, nor any other mechanism for identifying targets, recognized it. Nor was it identified on the charts, so I did have that option enabled. As it if it wasn't there. I was able to torpedo it, multiple times, and it exploded in flames, but never suffered any damage.

It has two huge lights on top. There was a smaller ship next to it, that was identified and easily sunk, but not it.

Is this some kind of navigation aid that is there for appearances, but is not an actual target that can be destroyed?

http://i44.tinypic.com/qp44kx.jpg

She's a lightship! she is considered "environment" I guess, so you can't sink her.. and she's always neutral!

read the GWX manual at page 416.. :up:

Cool, Im yet to encounter one of these. I wonder if you surfaced near if it would report your position to those nasty RAF planes?

Sag, that's interesting. I figured she must be a lightship, but why neutral? The only ships that pass through there would be British or Irish. I did mistakenly sink two Irish ships in that location, but if that lightship was out of commission, that would help the German war effort, no? It certainly couldn't hurt Germany, but it could make life for the British convoys that much more hazardous. So I figured she deserved to be sunk. But the game does not allow it to sustain damage. Which is odd.

Yes, it could hurt Germany. The lightship you sink today might warn of the rocks your fellow u-boat runs aground on next week. Lightships were considered off-limits. They acted as at-sea lighthouses for everyone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightvessel

You can sink them (at least on GWX 2.0 i think) but they are very hard to sink cause they are stronger than superbattleships and gives nothing worth of it...Good thing is that around them is often enemy ships moored :)

I've seen this ship some 60 km south east of Dundee with a frighter along with it. Just lying there and doing nothing. 'Redemption' or something... (can't recall what it says) wtf is that?

I have frequently seen such lightships at the NW corner of Denmark, off the point of Skagen.

Steve

Just a note of warning:
The little ship next to the lightship is there so your watch crew can "see" the lightship, since the lightship itself is classed as environmental they cant see it directly and wouldnt call out "ship spotted" or drop the tc, so to avoid collisions there is a standard ship placed near it, sinking this ship anit a good idea.

I love your picture of the uboat on the beach, flakmonkey!

Steve

Thanks Flakmonkey, lol. I sank that ship anyway. Which is okay, I won't be in that area again. I don't even know why it is there. The water is quite deep and it is miles and miles from shore.

Wasn't aware they could be sunk....environmental and devoid of a damage model.

The rest has been answered by flakmonkey.

guessing it was referred to the "companion-ship" not the light-ship (Feuerschiff in german) itself. :hmmm:

I always sink those ships. They reappear next patrol too... :woot:

Yeah, more than likely the case.