Does anyone know about U-boat ranges?
 

I'm doing some research about u-boats ranges, but many websites have conflicting information.

www.uboatwar.net
www.uboat.net
www.wikipedia.net (yuk!)

A big problem with these websites is that they make huge errors when deciding between the units. Nautical miles, (statute) miles, and kilometers are often confused for one another. The same goes for KNOTS and KPH. This is what I assume to be the standard for range measurements:

TypeXXX range: YYY miles (surfaced w/ diesels) at ZZZ knots

Is that correct? Should the distance be measured in miles or nm? I'm not sure. And to relate it back to SH3, does SH3 use miles or nm for u-boat ranges?


And does anyone have any reliable range facts?

Does this sound correct to you guys?


Type IIA: 1600 mi @ 8 kts (sur) 35 mi @ 4 kts (sub)
Type IID: 5650 mi @ 8 kts (sur) 56 mi @ 4 kts (sub)

Type VIIB: 8700 mi @ 10 kts (sur) 90 mi @ 4 kts (sub)
Type VIIC: 8500 mi @ 10 kts (sur) 80 mi @ 4 kts (sub)
Type VIIC/41: 8500 mi @ 10 kts (sur) 80 mi @ 4 kts (sub)
Type VIIC/42: 12600 mi @ 10 kts (sur) 80 mi @ 4 kts (sub)

Type IXB: 12000 mi @ 10 kts (sur) 64 mi @ 4 kts (sub)
Type IXC: 13450 mi @ 10 kts (sur) 63 mi @ 4 kts (sub)
Type IXD2: 23700 mi @ 12 kts (sur) 57 mi @ 4 kts (sub)

Type XXI: 15500 mi @ 10 kts (sur) 340 mi @ 5 kts (sub)



And does know whether SH3 represents distance units in miles or nautical miles?

EDIT: SH3 uses miles.

Hmm, I don't know facts about actual subs, but the Sh3 manual shows sub-ranges in nm.

The Sh3 crew reports maximum range in km, as does course-plotting. I've never seen range info in miles, although maybe it's an option, or different versions.

I looked in the individual u-boat .SIM files, and this is what I see:

milesSurfaced = x
knotsSurfaced = x

milesSubmerged = x
knotsSubmerged = x


Do you think the devs meant it? Or was it a typo?

Don't ask me :huh: Who knows, maybe the game-data is calculated in miles and knots, then converted to the game-screens in kilometers?

FWIW I wish everything was measured in nm.

I wish whoever invented all of these confusing units is dead...


My wish has already been granted. :rotfl:

Marhkimov said
It's always risky to use a tertiary source of information.
The primary source comprises the original data.
Books are written to summarise the primary sources. They may make mistakes, or they may copy each other's mistakes. They are the secondary sources.
Websites usually summarise the books, introducing their own errors, and often taking the most convenient single secondary source to hand. Only rarely will the website author actually have an authorative knowledge of the subject.

It's a little unnerving how many people on this forum refer to websites as their source of information when they quote "facts".

Try your local library for a book containing reliable information.

That's exactly why I posted here. I don't trust the websites...

I am hoping that someone with a few book references will post some good data.

SH3 uses Km/m/cm, Kg, °/'/", Knts, Grid XX## - in game and in code

So are you saying that the SIM files have typo's?

I'm just informing you of what standed's SH3 uses.

In the SIM files

Range in Km
Speed in Knts
MASS in Kg's
Placement of parts in decimal cm YZX coords

and so on.

I keep throwing around the hints, eh? :hmm:

Well, we gotta fix what we have first. ;)

Right or wrong, thats what ive been using *shrug*

EDIT: Honestly i don't think it matters if theyre not 100% accurate as long as:

1.) its in the ballpark
2.) the subs scale to on another as they did in WW2.

I've checked it over and over and over. Those values are pretty much correct... However, I have to correct myself. I think those are actually supposed to be nautical miles, not miles.

Either way, those are the exact numbers that SH3 is supposed to use.


Type IIA: 1600 nm @ 8 kts (sur) 35 nm @ 4 kts (sub)
Type IID: 5650 nm @ 8 kts (sur) 56 nm @ 4 kts (sub)

Type VIIB: 8700 nm @ 10 kts (sur) 90 nm @ 4 kts (sub)
Type VIIC: 8500 nm @ 10 kts (sur) 80 nm @ 4 kts (sub)
Type VIIC/41: 8500 nm @ 10 kts (sur) 80 nm @ 4 kts (sub)
Type VIIC/42: 12600 nm @ 10 kts (sur) 80 nm @ 4 kts (sub)

Type IXB: 12000 nm @ 10 kts (sur) 64 nm @ 4 kts (sub)
Type IXC: 13450 nm @ 10 kts (sur) 63 nm @ 4 kts (sub)
Type IXD2: 23700 nm @ 12 kts (sur) 57 nm @ 4 kts (sub)

Type XXI: 15500 nm @ 10 kts (sur) 340 nm @ 5 kts (sub)