Star Shells

longam · 09-02-09, 07:04 PM

Brining my boat into port and trying to find my dock was the first experience I had with star shells. I realize it wasn't what they were intened to be used for, but there was no dock area image on the map at that time in SH3, so I would launch a few shells to light up the area.

I can only hope they have this in SH5.

Letum · 09-02-09, 07:08 PM

It would not add to realism at all.
No u-boat carried Star-shells, or AP shells for that matter.

longam · 09-02-09, 07:41 PM

I edited my original post so the word 'realism' no longer exist.

Now back o how cool they were.

09-02-09, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letum

It would not add to realism at all.
No u-boat carried Star-shells, or AP shells for that matter.

are you sure? i thought AP shells were SOP for finishing off merchants?

iambecomelife · 09-02-09, 08:50 PM

I'd appreciate having at least some signal flares b/c the star shells are quite useful - even if they aren't historically accurate.

Sailor Steve · 09-03-09, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WEBSTER

are you sure? i thought AP shells were SOP for finishing off merchants?

AP is Armor Piercing. No merchant carried armor, and no destroyer for that matter. Light cruisers were the smallest armored warships, and if you want to duke it out with six 6" guns guided by a dedicated fire-control system, by my guest.

That said, I was one of the chief proponents for no AP or SS aboard, and in turned out that I was wrong. Some did, apparently at the captain's discretion. But also it seems not many.

SteamWake · 09-03-09, 11:50 AM

Star Shells are fun ! Admit it !

Like fireworks.

I remember popping them off to watch ships sink

Wether or not 'historically correct' I would like to see them.

Make it a toggelable option to have them or not, along with AP rounds for the blow em up crowd. Maybe a couple of 'bonus reality points' for not carrying them. Part of a realisim setting.

I would have no problems with that.

JU_88 · 09-03-09, 12:26 PM

I never uderstood the star shells thing, but i never researched it either,

To me - it makes sense that star shells would be bad juju for Uboats that primarily need to remain undetected...
Then again, In WW2 the British equipped there own Submarines with ASDIC

, (unsuprisingly, their crews never really used it)

So anything's possible I guess.

Sailor Steve · 09-03-09, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteamWake

...along with AP rounds for the blow em up crowd.

AP should cause less damage than HE, as they carried less powder in favor of the very heavy armor piercing cap. Also, AP should have a fair chance of going right through a merchant without going off at all.

On the other hand what we're calling AP was actually a semi-armor piercing shell with an in-between amount of powder and a lighter steel cap. Real AP wasn't even made for guns smaller than 6".

Syxx_Killer · 09-02-09, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letum

It would not add to realism at all.
No u-boat carried Star-shells, or AP shells for that matter.

I'm currently reading The U-Boat Wars by Edwin P. Hoyt and according to his book they did. If anyone else has the book they can see, too. It is near the beginning of chapter 12 (titled The Convoy Trade). I just read this today. This is a paragraph from the book (referring to an attack on convoy HX72):

Quote:

At about 10:30 P.M. one of the submarines from Doenitz's wolf pack fired off a star shell over the starboard side of the convoy. At the same time Knapp saw a ship hoist the red light ["have been torpedoed"]. Again no explosions were seen and nothing was heard. The Lowestoft was on the port side of the convoy, and Commander Knapp tried to find out what was going on. He signaled the commodore but got no reply. He swung out and around and finally saw the torpedoed ship near the center of the convoy.

Letum · 09-02-09, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syxx_Killer

I'm currently reading The U-Boat Wars...

Yes, starrshells where made, a few where deployed and a few where even used.
I should not have said "No u-boat carried Star-shells".
The GWX 3 crew looked into the matter in detail and chose to disable star shells based on their extreme rarity.

Jimbuna · 09-04-09, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letum

Yes, starrshells where made, a few where deployed and a few where even used.
I should not have said "No u-boat carried Star-shells".
The GWX 3 crew looked into the matter in detail and chose to disable star shells based on their extreme rarity.

Yeah....they were extremely rare. It was never in a U-boats best interest to risk giving away its approximate location whilst surfaced.

Takeda Shingen · 09-04-09, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Yeah....they were extremely rare. It was never in a U-boats best interest to risk giving away its approximate location whilst surfaced.

Agreed. Stealth is a thing specific to submarine operations. Using star shells in the SH series is akin to using the RADAR mast in 688(i)/SC/DW. It advertises 'here I am' to the local vicinity.

09-02-09, 07:04 PM	#1
longam Admiral Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,014 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	Star Shells Brining my boat into port and trying to find my dock was the first experience I had with star shells. I realize it wasn't what they were intened to be used for, but there was no dock area image on the map at that time in SH3, so I would launch a few shells to light up the area. I can only hope they have this in SH5. Last edited by longam; 09-02-09 at 07:40 PM.

09-02-09, 07:08 PM	#2
Letum Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: York - UK Posts: 6,079 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	It would not add to realism at all. No u-boat carried Star-shells, or AP shells for that matter. __________________

09-02-09, 08:50 PM	#5
iambecomelife Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 4,706 Downloads: 300 Uploads: 0	I'd appreciate having at least some signal flares b/c the star shells are quite useful - even if they aren't historically accurate. __________________ https://www.facebook.com/WolvesoftheKaiser/

09-03-09, 11:50 AM	#7
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Star Shells are fun ! Admit it ! Like fireworks. I remember popping them off to watch ships sink Wether or not 'historically correct' I would like to see them. Make it a toggelable option to have them or not, along with AP rounds for the blow em up crowd. Maybe a couple of 'bonus reality points' for not carrying them. Part of a realisim setting. I would have no problems with that. __________________ Follow the progress of Mr. Mulligan : http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147648

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

09-02-09, 07:41 PM	#3
longam Admiral Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,014 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	I edited my original post so the word 'realism' no longer exist. Now back o how cool they were.

09-03-09, 12:26 PM	#8
JU_88 Silent Hunter Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: UK Posts: 3,803 Downloads: 11 Uploads: 0	I never uderstood the star shells thing, but i never researched it either, To me - it makes sense that star shells would be bad juju for Uboats that primarily need to remain undetected... Then again, In WW2 the British equipped there own Submarines with ASDIC , (unsuprisingly, their crews never really used it) So anything's possible I guess.