Quote:
Originally Posted by Akela
Thank you all for the advice. It wasn't the bottom though, I forgot to mention that I was rapidly spamming the depth report button the whole time and the lowest that it ever reported was an additional 25 meters. I wasn't trying to enter the Scapa Flow harbor, just pass through the strait that is south of it, hugging the Scottish coast.
Also, I mis-reported my speed, which was ahead slow, not 1/3rd.
But based on everything you guys came up I think it's most likely that they just heard me. I hadn't rigged for silent running (since I wasn't repairing I thought that wouldn't make any difference). Also, I was in a Type II.
Second best guess is I hit a mine. Didn't know there were mines there. Heck, didn't know there were mines anywhere. I learn something new every day here. Thanks!
I'm going to make another run at it right now and see what happens!
Cheers,
Akela
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Unless you manually set your speed to 1 knot your really not on silent running. If you just hit the 'z' key and expect to be silent, DD's won't take long to find you and you'll start getting DC's falling nearby or right on top/below you. Long as they are using passive listening you have to run at 1 knot otherwise you might as well run at flank, they can hear and track you just the same (least at flank you have the momentum to make good knuckle turns to avoid DC's).
Scapa has a lot of minefields wherever there aren't blockships. Easiest way to get inside is at night on the surface from the West (southern strait), or anytime (day or night) during a bad storm. When the visibility is almost 0 and the waves go over the ship it's easy to get in and out of the harbor. Once (heavy rain, heavy wind, pretty much max bad weather conditions) I was able to exit through the front door (south enterance/exit) on the surface without running into any escorts or land batteries. Was quite a nerve racking operation, felt like I was streaking through a Marine barracks and just waiting for one of them to snag me and beat me to a pulp) but made it out in one piece and didn't submerge till I left the harbor.
Even after Prien infiltrated Scapa (which they were seriously lucky he didn't do it several days sooner when the majority of the home fleet was moored there) and they added more sunken bloakboats its still relatively easy to get into. Afterwards the home fleet was sent to Loch Ewe which is very tough to get into. Its possible with patientce and waiting at the subnets until the escorts are out of the way so you can partially surface to move over the subnet. Can be some juicy warships in there depending on the time but is a very high risk target to infiltrate.
With the holes in the subnets Gibraltor is probably 2nd easiest to get into (that has warships usually moored there); though if you're not careful 4 or 5 escorts can converge on your spot real fast making your life hell. Later in the war (at the least when you can transfer to La Spezia) there's usually a BB, CV and several cruisers there, sometimes more. Just be prepared that they can send an endless number of DD's after you so even if you escape the harbor you still have to get out of the straight and safety which can be just as hard even with having deep water to work with.