is it realistic?

[ddiplock]

I know Allied ASDIC got good near the later years of the war, but did it really get so good that it could pick up a boat at 255mtrs like mine is?? Surely with thermal layers and all that guff, he shouldn't be able to detect me when i'm that deep. Does SH3 simulate thermal layers? But this lone destroyer who i've run into, is proving impossible to shake off.

None of his DC's have damaged the boat yet and they have been pretty easy to avoid. However, no matter what course I make, no matter how deep I go, as soon as he starts banging away with his ASDIC after a DC run, he finds me straight away, decoys are absolutley useless, so much for installing them on my boat!!!

I'm feeling very frustrated I can't shake this lone destroyer and his constant ASDIC pinging is breaking down my mental stability, lol, and feel tempted to surface just to take my anger out on him with my deck gun and my multitide of flak guns....but i'm sure that would mean certain death

There are no thermals in SH3.
Is it hard?
If useing GWX, yes.
It was intended that way.
I expect a failure rate nearly inline with real life ratios.
We did the best we could, working with what we had to work with,
while not getting paid, and loveing every minute of it!

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by privateer

There are no thermals in SH3.
Is it hard?
If useing GWX, yes.
It was intended that way.
I expect a failure rate nearly inline with real life ratios.
We did the best we could, working with what we had to work with,
while not getting paid, and loveing every minute of it!

And cheers to all of you for your work. That reminds me I've been intending to make a donation.

Ddiplock, yes the asdic was that good later on in the war ( of course dependent on thermals refracting signals but that was why patterns were dropped all around and over the target at varying depths. Be thankful you don't have to deal with advanced destroyer tactics like "Operation Plaster" and "creeping"

Your best bet is to stay at periscope depth, use your initiative advantage and either evade or torpedo the escorts from there.
If you MUST go deep and have bold, the most effective way to use it seems to be evading a DC attack at periscope depth, then as the charges explode, go ahead flank and deep, dropping the decoy as you descend but during his DC run. Make sure you are back to ahead slow silent running shortly after the last charge explodes. Generally by the time he swings around and takes a new vector to intercept the decoy you are several hundred meters away and slowly escaping.

[Schwuppes]

I was under the impression that SH3 Commander implements a mod which models the effect of thermal layers.... is this true?

[Vader 1]

i believe it effects the sonar values randomly to "act" like cooler water reducing the sonar reading...

Vader

[Brag]

Lots of U-boats failed to get rid of their pursuers. YES! it is realistic. By serving in the U-Bootwaffe you may die.

[Schwuppes]

Originally Posted by Brag

Lots of U-boats failed to get rid of their pursuers. YES! it is realistic. By serving in the U-Bootwaffe you will probably die.

fixed

[Phaedrus]

As far as I have read:

Thermal layers were not much of a factor in the U-boat war, or at least - u-boat operations in the North Atlantic ocean.

Generally, the colder the water, the shallower the highest temperature level of thermocline.
The technique of "hiding under the layer" is usefull at the weakest end of the Asdic / Sonar beam, but in cold northern ocean water, there would be a significant temperature difference between the surface water down to about 10 meters (Say 5 - 10 degrees), but the water following 10 m (or much, much less depth in rough seas) would remain uniform due to the mixing of warmer shallow water with deeper ocean water by waves and current. The next significant temperature change at around 230-260 might be as much as 20 degrees - but generally deeper than the operating depth of the u-boat.

Tropical Atlantic water might see water at 24 degrees dropping down to 22 over 100 m, but with a temperature change from 22 to 12 degrees going to 200.

Hope this sheds a little light on the layer issue!

[Jimbuna]

Whilst it is true that there are no thermal layers in SH3, if your using SH3 Commander, that will introduce a random percentage factor of the effectiveness of the surface ships sonar to mimick thermal layers.