Question about "sunk ship" icon on map

[the.terrabyte.pirate]

I was attacking a convoy earlier this evening when I discovered that one of the icons representing a ship that I'd sunk was grey rather than red. I have a sneaking suspicion that it means I've sunk a neutral merchant in the darkness. Can anyone confirm?

[sharkbit]

I would think it would be green.

Was it stormy when you attacked?
I've read where if a storm sinks the ship after you torpedo it, or if a storm sinks a ship by itself, the icon will be grey.

Did you get credit for it in your log?

[Slateford-5]

No, It's not a neutral: that would show up as a green icon. It means (from my understanding) that a ship was sunk, but you aren't being credited with it. I've had this a couple of times before: once a destroyer chasing me near Rockall Bank ran herself aground and recently I torpedoed a medium freighter and a ammunition ship in convoy: both were hits, but neither sank, until they managed to crash into each other. I felt a bit hard done by as i reckon it was my torpedoes that lead to their demise, but what can you do?

[Frank0001]

I had exactly the same thing. The ships were damaged, but were sank later (by flooding, bad weather). Perhaps they're sinkings that aren't visually confirmed?

[Captain Nemo]

I've had the grey icon when it's been a clean kill, but others are right when they say it's normally attributed to sinking caused by bad weather. As far as I'm aware I did get the credit for the sinking as it appeared in my log book.

Nemo

[the.terrabyte.pirate]

I got the credit, but it was a very stormy night, and the ship did take 3 hours or so to sink.

[ozzysoldier]

it was probable a hit on a ship you dit not aim for
so you dit not identify that target

[Tessa]

IIRC the grey icons can also come from ships sunk by your (own) allied forces. Have had a few instances where I was able to spot the ship but it was sunk by dive bombers before I could even get into range of even try and target it.

[SeaWolf U-57]

Nope this one is right................Perhaps they're sinkings that aren't visually confirmed? Oh yes

[the.terrabyte.pirate]

Originally Posted by Phoenix1957

Nope this one is right................Perhaps they're sinkings that aren't visually confirmed? Oh yes

That could be the case. After I'd toped the ship, I left it to sink while I hunted other ships in the convoy. I could see the ship from my bridge about 2k away, but my watch officer advised that visibility was poor and could only see ships when they came within 700 meters.

The ship could have sunk while outside the visible range of my watch crew...

[Wreford-Brown]

I'm going for the 'not visually confirmed' theory.
I've done a fair bit of harbour raiding and if the ship sinks with my periscope up the icon is red, if it is down then the icon is grey.
As far as I can make out there is no effect on renown - you get the proper credit.

[patonb]

I don't think it's Visual confirm... I torp'd a Large freighter, and was followed 2km behind, and watched it sink. Turned gray, checked my log and had no credit. Had to reload it 3 times to figure itr out, As the first timne I was submurged, 2d was >2km and 3rd was closer.

I think it's "other" sinking methods, as I've seen a ship, I was setting up an attack, sink/turn gray in bad weather.

[predavolk]

Another one for the not visual sinking. I've had one (two?) that I didn't get credit for, but plenty of others that I've tracked and gotten credit for. Fairly common when I attack a convoy and hit a ship that doesn't immediately sink, but I still get credit for it later.

[Jimbuna]

Allow me to hypothesise further.....If you got the credit you definitely caused it's sinking, that is a given, but because it was out of visual detection range the icon appeared grey.

Often you will see a vessel succumb to a mine, bad weather or air attack even (the game engine treats flooding in the same way as battle damage).

It is not too uncommon for you to torpedo a vessel but the final straw for it's sinking is the damage incurred by the mine or bad weather.

The usual exception being when you fatally damage a ship and travel out of rendering range before it sinks....you return later to the vicinity and it has been rendered in game again but the sunken icon represents the initial sinking.