Pearl Harbor

[dean_acheson]

The other day, I was thinking while leaving Kiel will all the activity in GWX, how cool would it be to start a career in SHIV at the beginning of the war, and be stationed in Pearl Harbor.

To actually start the game with the air raid and all. I don't suppose that it would be to hard to model the ships in the harbor and the airplanes.

Anyone else think that this would be really neat? Just an idea.....

[Schatten]

I'd like to see the campaign kick off on December 1st, 1941 myself. That way you could be at sea during the attack, or in the harbor itself. Nothing like doing trim dives off Diamondhead and getting a pile of War Warnings either.

Although the danger in that is that the US could actually start the war, I mean if I had 6 days to go find the Japanese carrier force I'd definately give it a shot at least once. Given that I have a map with their course and times...I think I could actually pull it off.

Being based at the Navy Yard at Cavite in the P.I. could be interesting too, the USS Sealion and USS Seadragon were hit in the air attack there on Dec. 10, the Sealion being hit badly enough that they had to scuttle her on Christmas Day, 1941.

Also there were 12 US subs present for the signing of the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945. That would be something impressive to see as well. Although the framerates would probably be pretty sketchy since there were over 200 Allied ships parked in the bay, let alone the carrier aircraft flyover.

[Torplexed]

There was a thread a few weeks back that touched on this...or on how we could perhaps prevent the Day of Infamy.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=98958

[Schatten]

Yeah I remember reading that one, but forgot about it until you mentioned it.

And now I have the theme from "The Final Countdown" stuck in my head. :rotfl:

[dean_acheson]

I'm not so sure about December 1. I don't really have a desire to take a pot shot at the Japanese fleet itself, but watching the air raid would be great, and the putting out to sea for your first patrol with the Arizona still on fire. THAT would be motivational!

[d@rk51d3]

All that smoke would make for some terrible lag.

[Schatten]

Originally Posted by dean_acheson

I'm not so sure about December 1. I don't really have a desire to take a pot shot at the Japanese fleet itself, but watching the air raid would be great, and the putting out to sea for your first patrol with the Arizona still on fire. THAT would be motivational!

Seconded on the motivational part.

I'd just attempt the pot shot once, to say I did it. After that silliness I'd try to get somewhere useful as fast as possible if I were at sea around the time of the attack.

[Sailor Steve]

Finding the Japanese fleet. Preventing the attack. That would be fun, but it might make for a very short game.

[Enigma]

you could go looking for those phantom mini subs that were in pearl that day.

http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/HURL/midget.html

[Schatten]

Originally Posted by Enigma

you could go looking for those supposed phantom subs that were in pearl that day.

The Japanese mini-subs?

They were definately definately in the area on Dec. 7, and trying to penetrate the harbor. Whether or not one actually did manage to enter the harbor and do a torpedo attack is still up for debate, I've seen evidence that could go either way there. But they definately weren't all phantoms.

The USS Ward depth charged and fired on one of the midget subs at 0645 on Dec. 7, so technically we did get in the first shots of the war. But the actions of the Ward were defensive in nature so that's fine with me.

When they recently found the remains of the sub they confirmed that it was sunk by 4" gunfire, and had no appearent DC damage. Probably since it was so close to the surface and the charges were set for 100', but the charges did lift the sub far enough out of the water for the Ward to hit it in the conning tower with the 4" round.

[Sea Wolf]

You could get in a couple of planes on your first patrol, or just wait outside the harbour mouth whilst hundreds of planes fly above you.

[geetrue]

Originally Posted by dean_acheson

The other day, I was thinking while leaving Kiel will all the activity in GWX, how cool would it be to start a career in SHIV at the beginning of the war, and be stationed in Pearl Harbor.

To actually start the game with the air raid and all. I don't suppose that it would be to hard to model the ships in the harbor and the airplanes.

Anyone else think that this would be really neat? Just an idea.....

I like this opening scene ... this was one of japan's biggest error's, leaving the subs undamaged. Most put out to sea right away, probably.

I would look forward to starting a new campaign everytime with an exciting start like this. We could even try to down a few planes ourselves, before we left on patrol.

But what about how far those patrols extended? It takes weeks to get on patrol in modern day warfare in the Pacific ... Do we just crank it up and ruin the sim experience.

Traning and routines to get use to would help pass some of the time ... Friendly ships, siapans, fishing boats all will come into play before a big juicy target does.

I just talked myself into buying this game again ... I can't wait to sink some Japs.

[dean_acheson]

GEE,
that is exactly what my mindset is/was.

Have your career begin in either Pearl or Manilla at Cavite on 8am, on 12/7/41.

In Pearl, just sit and wait for thirty minutes, while some smaller craft scoot around ala GWX and have all those battle wagons sitting there across the harbor from you.

Then the air raid starts, and you can make a break for it, or just sit there with your sub-par ack ack guns and hammer away for a few hours. If the raid could be half modeled like the actual one, it would be better than any documentary. I don't know if this is possible, but have BB-39 go up at the correct time, also the Shaw, how very engrossing that would be. For those with older video cards, just turn down the effects.

Leave port, and have your first patrol coords sent via radio.

I'm sorry, I just think that this would be the coolest.....