I'm really starting to get into this! I've been reading the patrols of the SS Silversides, since this is the sub I currently command in game. A couple of things stood out at me, and I only read the first two patrols. First, the use of the DG in choppy seas. The captain states the difficulties of accurately aiming the weapon, as well as haveing the DG crew being knocked away from the gun in one instance due to rough seas. I would imagine this would slow your reload rate down!
The next thing to hit home with me was the obvious malfunctions of the torpedoes in a couple of instances. The captain states that in a couple of missed shots, he fealt the torpedoes were running too deep. Furthermore, these particular misses continued to run up on the beach, since they were fired at inshore targets. The failure of the torpedoes to explode when hitting the beach caused the captain to suspect a faulty exploder mechanism. These patrols were in 1942, and today we know the captains assumptions were correct. The captain goes on to state the possibility of the Japanese recovering these.
The final item that deemed mention here is the problems experienced with both the air search, and surface radars. On several occasions targets were picked up too late, or not at all. Again, the year explains the difficulties. We know today, as the war progressed radar greatly improved and became a most important weapon!
Finally, the mention of the lack of spare parts, as well as the misidentification of targets on occasion rounded out a typical patrol.
I play the RFB mod, and IMO these guys have done a good job of trying to portray these shortcomings. Things we may consider "bugs", or over the top (in respects to the DG reload times) may have been RL challanges to the RL crews. Oh well, just my two cents. On too patrol report 3.
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