Interesting Questions about sub tactics and operations in SH3 GWX 2.1

[Der_Boogeyman]

Grußkameraden,

Even though I have lurked on the SUBSIM forums off and on for a while now, this is my first post. I was about to purchase SH4 but after reading the awful reviews and after reviewing all the new mods for SH3, I just had to pull SH3 back off my shelf and I must say the new immersion level is phenomenal! I am playing SH3 GWX on a 42" LCD setup including a small cot and a pot of coffee in my office. I have Das Boot constantly playing in my portable DVD (8"screen) on the desk and between long patrols, I have a copy of "Iron Coffins" by Herbert A. Werner for a good read. My wife hasn't seen me for going on 3 weekends now. (I know, I need to work on that!

I have some questions that maybe some of you can answer, I would not post these if I could come up with an better info as these are generally directed toward SH3 GWX tactics specifically.

My questions are as follows:
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-Up to how many meters away can your pinging be heard? If I ping for depth, say in Scapa Flow, and a destroyer is in the vicinity, how far does he have to be to hear me pinging for depth calcs?

-Anyone know how currents and slack water work in SH3 GWX 2.1?

-Is night proper possible with any moonlight at all? What times are best time for night proper in N. Atlantic?

-Does anyone know of any good articles on how the different torpedoes in SH3 GWX 2.1 work and possibly different scenarios to use them? 90 AoB shots are easy, but how do I set up 0 or 180 AoB shots? Salvo or single shot? Magnetic pistol? Depth level? All my torps bounce off the hull? (One torp hit stern and bounced back hit the stern again, bounced back, hit the stern again an veered off!! Also trying to find info on Flachenabsuchender torped = area searching torpedos.

-Can unescorted convoys radio in your position after you have attacked and/or made your presence known? If so, will you see enemy aircraft of ASW vessels show up because of this?

-What is the critical depth for Type VIIC in GWX 2.1? I can't seem to get past 210m. Anyone else getting better depths in the VIIC

-Do water temperatures matter when it comes to critical depth levels? i.e. can you go deeper in warmer waters, etc.?

-Do merchants and/or armed merchants have Hydrophones or ASDIC? Can I flank submerged unworried around unescorted merchants without being detected?

-I've heard that if I manually move all seaman in the bow in SH3 crew management screen that I can get better crash dive times, is this true?
-Whats the "Crash Dive record"?

-Can escorts hear my torps? At what depth meter and what type of torps are commanders using for destroyers?
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Thank any of you guys for any and all answers to these questions as I put the puzzle together. I am sure it could help other novices. If I could leave anything in return it would be maybe a good read for those who haven't come across the first hand accounts of the fate of U-801:

"After alarm diving, during the following hours the waterbombing persecution [depth charge attack] began -- two days and nights of it. We couldn’t surface to charge our batteries. In these two days and nights we were attacked with about 200 waterbombs.

From the bomb explosions the flange of the diesel motor's incoming air vent broke, and water flooded into the diesel chamber. The men tried to pump out the water with the mobile lenz-pumps. But due to the waterbomb explosions the lenz-, ancillary- and trim-pumps were falling out. The men had to scoop the water by hand into another chamber – the bilge of the central area.

With that much water the boat was sinking deeper. I couldn't believe what I saw. The boat was already 400 meters deep [1,300 feet] under the water. I swear it was 400!"

http://www.uss-corry-dd463.com/d-day_u-boat_photos/u-boat_photos.htm

Farwell und gutes Glück, Kameraden!,

Wolfgang