What is wrong with my chief engineer?

DirtyHarry3033 · 09-18-05, 05:06 PM

He's having trouble maintaining periscope depth. My preferred attack method is to get in position, go to periscope depth, then stop engines and wait for the target to cross my path. I figure if I'm not moving, there's no periscope wake to be seen...

...but - seems in anything other than calm seas, my engineer is letting the boat settle deeper over time, until by the time I've got a good firing angle the scope is under water 90% of the time

No problem right after submerging, but later on it's a BIG problem...

I've tried over and over, to order say a 3 meter rise in depth so I can see the target, and nothing happens, the CE just sits there with his thumb corked firmly where the sun don't shine, depth stays the same, and I can't see nothing...

Is this because I've got no forward momentum? Any help appreciated, I'm right in the middle of a juicy convoy right now and it's next to impossible to get a solution on anything!

Kalach · 09-18-05, 05:12 PM

The boat will rise very slowly if you tell him to surface while not moving.
I normally keep moving at 2knots and haven't really had this happen. Are your dive-planes/ballast tank in working condition?

DirtyHarry3033 · 09-18-05, 05:20 PM

Everything's in good working order, no damage. I'll try your suggestion of giving order to surface tonight - I'm supposing I can give the "maintain depth" order when the scope is clear of the water, so I don't put myself on display

Before I was just clicking on the shallow depth gauge at say 10 - 11 meters and nothing happened...

Thanks!

FAdmiral · 09-19-05, 12:22 AM

If stopped or moving very slow (1-2 kts), it will move depth up
or down 1 or 2 meters but very slowly. Takes time at very slow
speeds to change depth. Its best to keep the sub moving, only
if it's 1 kt. If the water is rough, you will be bounced around
quite a bit further hindering your efforts to maintain some sort
of stability....

JIM

SmokinTep · 09-19-05, 06:14 AM

You have to be making turns on the screw to maintain depth.

Twelvefield · 09-19-05, 01:37 PM

I believe that having someone qualified as helmsman at the controls also helps to stabilize your sub. I make sure that the actual operators on the bridge (not the officers) have the helm qualification, and that seems to cure the boat drifting up & down, and the rudder drifting a degree or two. Mind you, I don't have any testing to back up this claim, but this is what I do in my game.

Floater · 09-19-05, 06:25 PM

In real life, there was no way that a WWII sub could "hover" at periscope depth. They had to have some momentum in order to use the dive-planes, otherwise they'd quickly sink deeper or breach the surface.

Kapitan · 09-19-05, 06:48 PM

ive had this on dangerous waters i know its not the same but i found that if i kept moving at slow speed 2 knots i could stay up at PD i did find i was sinking at a stop but mind you the akulas as with any attack boat arnt designed to stay still

Curval · 09-19-05, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floater

In real life, there was no way that a WWII sub could "hover" at periscope depth. They had to have some momentum in order to use the dive-planes, otherwise they'd quickly sink deeper or breach the surface.

Agreed.

But, sometimes I find that I can indeed hover at periscope depth, normally in very light seas in game. I have the same problem as DirtyHarry does...but usually when it is rough.

DirtyHarry3033 · 09-19-05, 08:25 PM

Thanks for the replies, I've been playing with it and it's working better if I make turns for a knot or 2. Curval, yes it is worst when seas are heavy. In calm seas I can hover just fine...

09-18-05, 05:06 PM	#1
DirtyHarry3033 Weps Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 351 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	What is wrong with my chief engineer? He's having trouble maintaining periscope depth. My preferred attack method is to get in position, go to periscope depth, then stop engines and wait for the target to cross my path. I figure if I'm not moving, there's no periscope wake to be seen... ...but - seems in anything other than calm seas, my engineer is letting the boat settle deeper over time, until by the time I've got a good firing angle the scope is under water 90% of the time No problem right after submerging, but later on it's a BIG problem... I've tried over and over, to order say a 3 meter rise in depth so I can see the target, and nothing happens, the CE just sits there with his thumb corked firmly where the sun don't shine, depth stays the same, and I can't see nothing... Is this because I've got no forward momentum? Any help appreciated, I'm right in the middle of a juicy convoy right now and it's next to impossible to get a solution on anything!

09-18-05, 05:12 PM	#2
Kalach Weps Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 366 Downloads: 17 Uploads: 0	The boat will rise very slowly if you tell him to surface while not moving. I normally keep moving at 2knots and haven't really had this happen. Are your dive-planes/ballast tank in working condition? __________________

09-19-05, 12:22 AM	#4
FAdmiral Pacific Aces Dev Team Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Atlanta, GA, USA Posts: 1,079 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	If stopped or moving very slow (1-2 kts), it will move depth up or down 1 or 2 meters but very slowly. Takes time at very slow speeds to change depth. Its best to keep the sub moving, only if it's 1 kt. If the water is rough, you will be bounced around quite a bit further hindering your efforts to maintain some sort of stability.... JIM __________________ If you\'re not taking losses, you\'re not doing enough. RAdm. Kelly Turner, USN ********************************** www.fairtax.org

09-19-05, 06:25 PM	#7
Floater Pacific Aces Dev Team Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: England Posts: 158 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	In real life, there was no way that a WWII sub could "hover" at periscope depth. They had to have some momentum in order to use the dive-planes, otherwise they'd quickly sink deeper or breach the surface. __________________ Kriegstanz website Kriegstanz forum

09-19-05, 06:48 PM	#8
Kapitan Sub Test Pilot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK + Canada Posts: 7,130 Downloads: 77 Uploads: 7	ive had this on dangerous waters i know its not the same but i found that if i kept moving at slow speed 2 knots i could stay up at PD i did find i was sinking at a stop but mind you the akulas as with any attack boat arnt designed to stay still __________________ DONT FORGET if you like a post to nominate it by using the blue diamond Find out about Museum Ships here: https://www.museumships.us/ Flickr for all my pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/ Navy general board articles: https://www.navygeneralboard.com/author/aegis/

09-18-05, 05:20 PM	#3
DirtyHarry3033 Weps Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 351 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Everything's in good working order, no damage. I'll try your suggestion of giving order to surface tonight - I'm supposing I can give the "maintain depth" order when the scope is clear of the water, so I don't put myself on display Before I was just clicking on the shallow depth gauge at say 10 - 11 meters and nothing happened... Thanks!

09-19-05, 06:14 AM	#5
SmokinTep Ace of the Deep Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Suffolk, Virginia Posts: 1,027 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	You have to be making turns on the screw to maintain depth.

09-19-05, 01:37 PM	#6
Twelvefield Planesman Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 186 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I believe that having someone qualified as helmsman at the controls also helps to stabilize your sub. I make sure that the actual operators on the bridge (not the officers) have the helm qualification, and that seems to cure the boat drifting up & down, and the rudder drifting a degree or two. Mind you, I don't have any testing to back up this claim, but this is what I do in my game.

09-19-05, 08:25 PM	#10
DirtyHarry3033 Weps Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 351 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the replies, I've been playing with it and it's working better if I make turns for a knot or 2. Curval, yes it is worst when seas are heavy. In calm seas I can hover just fine...