Ever encounter invulnerable ships?

[_alphaBeta_]

Assault on a convoy last night with two T2 Tankers. First one goes down just fine. Long story short the other took 5 torpedo hits. The second to last even caused the secondary detonation of the engines going up. Still she sits on the surface on fire and smoking, but will not go down.

I know I saw something about this a ways back, but couldn't find it with the search function. Anyone encounter this?

[Woof1701]

Those seemingly very tough ships exist in SH3. Had the "pleasure" of encountering a C3 that was almost impossible to sink. Took 6 eels at close range and several dozen shots from the deck gun.

Some sink very slowly, others really take four or five hits and stay stopped for a while. I even had one of those continue after sitting next to it for several hours.

In reality there are several reports of ships that managed to reach port after several torpedo hits. So it seems this kind of disappointment for a virtual uboat skipper is not too unrealistic

In August 1942, the Ohio, a 14,000 ton tanker belonging to the Texas Oil Company on loan to the British Ministry of War Transport and under the command of Captain Mason, was one of a fleet of 14 merchant vessels being sent to the aid of Malta. The convoy, with its naval and air escort, first met enemy action on 11th August and next day when the expected air attacks began, it became apparent that the Ohio was to be the main target of the enemy. For the next four days she suffered continuous attacks from enemy aircraft and submarines. She sustained grave damage from a torpedo, two sticks of bombs lifted her right out of the water and another exploded in her boiler room, a Stuka crashed and exploded on her deck, her back was broken and she was twice abandoned and twice reboarded. In spite of all this she finally reached Malta on 15th August and was literally carried into Valetta harbour, lashed between two destroyers and it was not until the last of her fuel had been pumped out that she finally sank. Captain Mason's award of the George Cross was not only for the master's personal indomitable courage and determination, but for every member of his crew.

Although this one only took one torpedo it certainly suffered more than other ships would've.

[The Avon Lady]

Originally Posted by _alphaBeta_

I know I saw something about this a ways back, but couldn't find it with the search function.

Here.

[Gizzmoe]

40-50% of all tankers in SH3 are loaded with "freight", not with fuel. The ones with fuel blow up more or less immediately, while the others need much more torps. The "freight" loadout (CargoInt=0) simulates crude oil or other liquids that are hard to ignite.

[_alphaBeta_]

That's certainly good information in this link & discussion, but I still think this was more of a game error. Five direct torpedo hits seems a little unbelievable. Plus, the fourth shot did cause that secondary detonation in the engine compartment. This was the first time a ship didn't sink after having this happen.

While I think it's very realistic to have a ship filled with dry cargo to take longer, why don't other ships with similar cargo take >5 shots to sink?

[FAdmiral]

Maybe it had a full load of ping-pong balls. The troops have
to have some type of recreation !!


JIM

[rik007]

I read that during the war one freighter needed 7 fishes to sink.

[Woof1701]

Originally Posted by _alphaBeta_

That's certainly good information in this link & discussion, but I still think this was more of a game error. Five direct torpedo hits seems a little unbelievable. Plus, the fourth shot did cause that secondary detonation in the engine compartment. This was the first time a ship didn't sink after having this happen.

While I think it's very realistic to have a ship filled with dry cargo to take longer, why don't other ships with similar cargo take >5 shots to sink?

Although it's quite possibly a game error, it doesn't really hurt in my opinion.
After all every ship is different and in reality there were hundreds of different ships around as supposed to the comparatively few types available in the game. So there were freighters that managed to limp home with several torpedo hits, and others - even large ones - that sank with the first hit in seconds. The same was true for warships. Take HMS Ark Royal for example. It took only one torpedo to sink her. Although she didn't sink instantly the flooding was out of control and she capsized. Whereas HMS Eagle took four torpedoes (though noone will ever know if she had sunk with less hits).

Even though it is frustrating to pump eel after eel into a merchant that won't sink, I think that's simply the kind of frustration a uboat commander has to indure. After all the world simply isn't perfect, and when the magnetic pistol on the torpedoes doesn't malfunction or the uboat isn't sabotaged in port, maybe there's simply a T3 around that's built to be unsinkable

[gonzman]

The majority of unsinkables i've seen where encountered in ports, where i'm thinking the torpedo impact was felt by the dock rather than the ship (the ship does not even move/bob in the water once it takes a torpedo under the hull).

I've encountered extremely tough Cargo's and a few tankers before in convoy, i know for a fact not to waste another torpedo on the ship if it doesen't move at all when it takes a hit, if you hit the ship and it wobbles or bobs a bit, she will sink!

[gdogghenrikson]

what version are you using and what mods?

[_alphaBeta_]

Originally Posted by Woof1701

Although it's quite possibly a game error, it doesn't really hurt in my opinion.
After all every ship is different and in reality there were hundreds of different ships around as supposed to the comparatively few types available in the game. So there were freighters that managed to limp home with several torpedo hits, and others - even large ones - that sank with the first hit in seconds. The same was true for warships. Take HMS Ark Royal for example. It took only one torpedo to sink her. Although she didn't sink instantly the flooding was out of control and she capsized. Whereas HMS Eagle took four torpedoes (though noone will ever know if she had sunk with less hits).

Even though it is frustrating to pump eel after eel into a merchant that won't sink, I think that's simply the kind of frustration a uboat commander has to indure. After all the world simply isn't perfect, and when the magnetic pistol on the torpedoes doesn't malfunction or the uboat isn't sabotaged in port, maybe there's simply a T3 around that's built to be unsinkable

Yeah, I see what you mean. I played this same scenario again and managed to get two T2's in the convoy again (even though the escorts changed this time around).

In any event the same scenario happened this time again. The first goes down in seconds and the second gets one prop blown off and stops (otherwise looks undamaged). The trailing escort missed me this time and didn't come after me while I was sitting in the middle of the convoy so I had more time to experiment. This time my third shot was not aimed for the vulnerable area in the back (where two previous fish had just hit). This time I put one in the bow and she did sink. Perhaps I was trying to do too much damage to the stern, and not enough to the bow which was keeping her buoyancy tipped slightly positive.

I think from now on my initial attack will aim for the vulnerable areas, and afterwards I'll spread the damage around if necessary.

[U-104]

Originally Posted by FAdmiral

Maybe it had a full load of ping-pong balls. The troops have
to have some type of recreation !!


JIM

:rotfl:

[TreverSlyFox]

Actually it is amazing how many ships made it into port after a U-boat got done with them. Many reports of a U-boat hitting them with 1 or 2 eels, then surfacing and deck gunning them. Leaving them listing badly and on fire and reporting them sunk. Only to find out later they had made it into port.