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derstosstrupp · 11-27-20, 11:16 PM

IMPORTANT: This is NOT a mod - it is a way for players to mirror historical crew composition and watch schedules!

RECOMMENDED: GWX or NYGM crew fatigue options (8-hour GWX or NYGM’s similar system). SH3Commander (SH3C) is also a must!

I use NYGM in my examples throughout. I have not tested on GWX’s 8-hour system although it should work fine.

BACKGROUND - WHY?
Crew management in SH3 has long been a matter of debate - because it is not “automated” and we need to drag people around, is this a worthwhile task? Wouldn’t the commander not worry about such things? Yes, on both counts. While it wouldn’t have been the commander’s job to oversee watch changes, it was his job to connect with his men, get to know each and every one by name and know his experience. The other option - simply switching off fatigue altogether - seems off to me. I don’t care how much Pervitin your men swallow - in the final analysis they are still human!

This is the spirit of the system I will outline in the posts to come and the associated file - it reflects true (Type VII only for the moment) crew composition, watch schedules, and forces you to know each and every one of your men. With SH3Commander, when one of your digital Dietrichs transfers and you get someone new and train him up, you will know you fulfilled your responsibility to him and your men.

U-BOAT CREWS
Crewmembers fell into one of two “branches” - the seamen’s branch or the technicians’ branch - as determined by their chosen career path. The seamen’s branch consisted of the commander and his watch officers, the navigator, bosun and his mates, the torpedomen, and the sailors who stood as lookouts, helmsmen, and the cook. The technicians’ branch consisted of the chief engineer, his chief machinists, diesel and e-motor personnel, control room personnel, and the radiomen. Crewmen generally stayed with their boat until promoted, at which time they underwent training ashore for a number of weeks, and then were assigned to a new boat.

The seamen’s branch generally followed a 3-watch system - each with 2 watches of 4 hours apiece, with miscellaneous duties in between such as mess duty, peeling potatoes, cleaning the boat etc. In total this amounted to about 12 hours of work a day. The technicians’ branch on the other hand followed a 2-watch system (“port” and “starboard”), standing 2 6-hour watches but generally free from doing the more menial miscellaneous work that the seamen performed.

This division of labor created two “worlds” and no shortage of lighthearted “memes” for the men - the technicians were to the seamen the “men of the underworld with no appreciation for the sea”, whereas the technicians regarded themselves as skilled technical professionals with no time for the simple-minded wonders of the nautical world. “Komische Heinis, diese Maschinenleute....”, navigator Kriechbaum says in Das Boot - there you have it!

Now you too can feel like you share in this dynamic with the system I’ll present!

11-27-20, 11:16 PM	#1
derstosstrupp Grey Wolf Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 887 Downloads: 489 Uploads: 0	SH3 Historical Crew (Type VII) *IMPORTANT: This is NOT a mod - it is a way for players to mirror historical crew composition and watch schedules! RECOMMENDED: GWX or NYGM crew fatigue options (8-hour GWX or NYGM’s similar system). SH3Commander (SH3C) is also a must! I use NYGM in my examples throughout. I have not tested on GWX’s 8-hour system although it should work fine. BACKGROUND - WHY?* Crew management in SH3 has long been a matter of debate - because it is not “automated” and we need to drag people around, is this a worthwhile task? Wouldn’t the commander not worry about such things? Yes, on both counts. While it wouldn’t have been the commander’s job to oversee watch changes, it was his job to connect with his men, get to know each and every one by name and know his experience. The other option - simply switching off fatigue altogether - seems off to me. I don’t care how much Pervitin your men swallow - in the final analysis they are still human! This is the spirit of the system I will outline in the posts to come and the associated file - it reflects true (Type VII only for the moment) crew composition, watch schedules, and forces you to know each and every one of your men. With SH3Commander, when one of your digital Dietrichs transfers and you get someone new and train him up, you will know you fulfilled your responsibility to him and your men. U-BOAT CREWS Crewmembers fell into one of two “branches” - the seamen’s branch or the technicians’ branch - as determined by their chosen career path. The seamen’s branch consisted of the commander and his watch officers, the navigator, bosun and his mates, the torpedomen, and the sailors who stood as lookouts, helmsmen, and the cook. The technicians’ branch consisted of the chief engineer, his chief machinists, diesel and e-motor personnel, control room personnel, and the radiomen. Crewmen generally stayed with their boat until promoted, at which time they underwent training ashore for a number of weeks, and then were assigned to a new boat. The seamen’s branch generally followed a 3-watch system - each with 2 watches of 4 hours apiece, with miscellaneous duties in between such as mess duty, peeling potatoes, cleaning the boat etc. In total this amounted to about 12 hours of work a day. The technicians’ branch on the other hand followed a 2-watch system (“port” and “starboard”), standing 2 6-hour watches but generally free from doing the more menial miscellaneous work that the seamen performed. This division of labor created two “worlds” and no shortage of lighthearted “memes” for the men - the technicians were to the seamen the “men of the underworld with no appreciation for the sea”, whereas the technicians regarded themselves as skilled technical professionals with no time for the simple-minded wonders of the nautical world. “Komische Heinis, diese Maschinenleute....”, navigator Kriechbaum says in Das Boot - there you have it! Now you too can feel like you share in this dynamic with the system I’ll present! __________________ Ask me anything about the Type VII or IX! One-Stop Targeting Shop: https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...WwBt-1vjW28JbO My YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIJ...9FXbD3S2kgwdPQ Last edited by derstosstrupp; 11-27-20 at 11:24 PM.