Lack of depth markings on Chart

[Cerberus]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but a search didn't uncover it.

Why on earth are there no depth soundings marked on the chart?

I know there is some shading which approximates to depth of water, but that's no bl^^dy use when you're trying to sneak into shallow water & you're kinda trying NOT to ground your boat on a sandbar.

Admiralty charts have detailed depth information on them & these would have been available to the Kreigsmarine.

[Loaf]

Agreed.

Of course, in real life you would need to take tides into account if you were sneaking into shallow water.

Perhaps this sort of thing might be included in SHIV?

At the very least, approximate depth soundings should be on the chart rather than different colours of water!

[NeonSamurai]

Question is other then for their own ports, did they have accurate depth soundings at that time for most of the globe? I know alot of the atlantic was detail surveyed for depth about 10-20 years after ww2. So im not quite sure if any real details other then a vauge idea was available at the time.

I usualy if im trying to do that is stay as close to the surface as i can with out exposing myself, and try to stay in the middle, that or cruise along the bottom at 1kt. Other options are using your periscope to see whats going on around you (this depends on the mods you use though)

When I played SHI I got used to having fewer sounding marks in out-of-the-way places, and I never worried about the SHIII charts.

But now that I think of it, Cerberus is right. Anybody anywhere in the world could buy a copy of Jane's, and even the WWI editions included major ports and bases, including accurate depth notes for every part of the harbor.

Even though I play with the latest Harbour Traffic mod and never go harbor raiding, I still agree this would be a good realism addition.

[Cerberus]

Originally Posted by Loaf

Of course, in real life you would need to take tides into account if you were sneaking into shallow water.

Good point.
If we had to take tidal changes into account, life would be really difficult in coastal waters - in some places the tidal currents can be faster than a U-boat can run underwater.
As I'm not a 100%er, I'll stick with the status quo.

I live near the Bristol channel, which has the world's second largest tidal range. The chances of becoming a stick-in-the-mud are just too much.
THINKS "Maybe I could get my VIIB to surf in on the tidal bore?"

Originally Posted by Loaf

Perhaps this sort of thing might be included in SHIV?

Careful with that Shiv, you might hurt someone.