Lone Wolf vs Pack Wolves
 

I've reinstalled SH4 after quite a long time away. I'm quite enjoying it again and for my lunch time entertainment I brought out the Ubisoft Bonus disk with all the old Navy recruitment video stuff. One of the first things they said in the first video is that contrary to popular belief, subs weren't lone navies unto themselves (paraphrased), but that they actually operated in groups with supply subs and whatnot. Most of you already know this, of course.

Could someone please help me come to grips, from a role-playing standpoint, how I can remain immersed in SH4, playing as a lone wolf but knowing that didn't really happen? How do you guys justify it when you play? Do you consider the game more of an approximation and just pretend there are others in your group, and that the actions of one (namely you) really represent the actions of many?

It is a realization of the game ... it can not be overcome. We deal with it.

This is what the multiplayer aspect of the game was created for but it is not modeled in the single player format.

From what I've been reading American wolf packs, though they did exist, were few and far between. Not starting until late 1943, the few that were assigned usually operated in groups of three, barring of course the one nine-boat pack late in the war.

The problem is that unlike the Germans, who were generally quite chatty, American submarines observed strict radio silence, so once they were in the patrol area they were still pretty much alone. The tactics were coordinated before-hand and the results calculated afterward.

You mention supply submarines. As far as I'm aware US subs carried supplies to island ground troops, but there was nothing in the US arsenal resembling the German milch kuh. Any fuel and torpedo resupply was done via a tender anchored at an advanced, but secure, forward base.

Thanks for the replies.

SailorSteve, do you have the original boxed version of SH4? If so, load up the bonus disk and watch that first video. It's an actual Navy recruitment video talking about how these tender subs sailed with other groups of subs and resupplied them. Of course I might have heard it wrong, and the video might have also been produced much later in the war. In any case, I have my answer between the two of you: deal with it, and remember that US subs, even though sailing in packs, observed radio silence and general autonomy. Between these answers I'll stick with what I said above---it's an approximation (and don't think too much about it).

having read numerous sub books, i recall no mention of a tender sub or milkcow. A few times subs may have transferred fuel to another.

us subs didn't work like german wolfpacks, they usually had a leader and would spread out and seldom attacked together.....usually attack, radio position so another could attack...japs didn't travel in large convoys like the us did in the atlantic...although they did have larger convoys later war....but still small compared to us in the atlantic...

never played multiplayer, but understand they do pack attack together...

I think they are mixing two aspects of operations.

Yes, submarines were organized into squadrons, and divisions. These had supply ships and such assigned to them for their support/supply. Sometimes, they might have sailed together (sub tender with subs) to a forward base. For instance this was done with the S-class as they were short ranged, and might need fuel or spare parts en-route. I think this mainly happened before war broke out.

Operating in enemy waters was usually done alone, or as part of a small "wolf-pack". (Skippers seemed to have mixed feelings about the efficacy of this.) Once they left Midway, they were for all practical purposes on their own, until they returned.

None of this is a big realism killer, imo. The big difference between the game and real-life is that the RL skippers had to follow orders, or face serious consequences. They couldn't ignore a mission to go to Palau, and skip over to Luzon instead to look for some aircraft carriers, because that was more exciting. They had to adhere to timetables and schedules; they couldn't just prolong their patrol to pump up their score. Also, I think they were judged according to circumstances. For instance, sinking one ship out of three contacts, might be considered very good. Sinking two out of 15 contacts probably would not be seen as satisfactory, even though the game gives you more points.