I think that plane just stole my kill.

[Luckless]

I finally got back around to giving SHIII another try, (Default, no mods.)

You would think dive bombers in the early years would have been a little more careful. I had some really poor luck on my first run out in a new Career in a dinky little type II, with three duds and a miss against 3 different ships.

Final torpedo connects with a lone English tanker out in the middle of the north sea. I watch as waves roll over the stern of the ship as it sits dead in the water, but still I didn't get the message that I had sunk it, and it wasn't showing up in my log, so I stayed awhile longer and still no change. Sea was oddly calm and it was sunset, so I came up to the surface planning to put a few rounds in with the deck gun,... But sadly I forgot just how bad this sub was.

So I figure since I'm heading back home after this anyway, and I'm technically empty handed at that point, that I may as well do some work for Science! and see if that little 20mm was modeled to do anything in the game. (And really, raking a defenseless tanker who is already sitting low in the water with waves washing over its stern with just about any fire arms is going to end badly.)

I'm low on ammo, have seen zero change in how the tanker is sitting in the water but it is burning, and I'm thinking "One more magazine" when I finish that current one and hear a buzzing sound a few seconds before a bomb hits the water to either side of my little boat. Of course I sit on the surface waiting for my reload because I'm annoyed at the little fly boy trying to drop bombs on me. Only then I notice fly boy has some friends (Really only sounded like a single plane!) and more bombs are falling my way. Well, kind of my way.

The tanker, which is now sitting about 300m off to the side, finally blows up. I'm thinking it was the fires I had set and it is time to go. Crash dive and move away. Check my log book,... and nothing. The RAF stole my kill!

[KL-alfman]

the creatin of new tactics?
sinking allied merchants by friendly fire??

sry for joking.
you should have been rewarded!

[Obltn Strand]

I tracked once a medium cargo close to Norwegian coast with type II.
After literally few hours of maneuvering I managed to put my little boat in good firing position. Suddenly I don't receive any sound contacts. I raised periscope and my medium cargo is burning and sinking.

Some cocky Luftwaffe flyboy is heading home to celebrate his (mine) sinking.

[Sailor Steve]

Is this your first patrol of a new career? Did you purchase any upgrades before leaving port? If the answer to both of those is "Yes", then you are the victim of a game bug. Don't buy any upgrades before setting out on your first patrol - it can cause you to not be rewarded for ships you sank.

If the answer to either of those was "No", then what was the weather like? If you cripple a ship but then it is sunk by bad weather, you might not be rewarded for the sinking.

[bigboywooly]

Once sat under a crippled tanker to avoid escorts - failed 44 convoy attack off Bergen - i watched them circle on ex cam till they had had enough and began to rain DCs as they circled.
Well they sank the tanker
Soon followed by me

[Jimbuna]

Get used to it because it will happen again as you progress through the war....believe me

[Luckless]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Is this your first patrol of a new career? Did you purchase any upgrades before leaving port? If the answer to both of those is "Yes", then you are the victim of a game bug. Don't buy any upgrades before setting out on your first patrol - it can cause you to not be rewarded for ships you sank.

If the answer to either of those was "No", then what was the weather like? If you cripple a ship but then it is sunk by bad weather, you might not be rewarded for the sinking.

No, it was clearly sunk by the bombs aimed in my general direction. I'm just annoyed that my AA mount appeared to have zero effect besides lighting a few fires on deck. It is suppose to be a 20mm, which is still going to rip a nice little hole at the water line of an unarmoured ship.

What is the longest a ship can stay dead in the water with one end dipping below the waves before it sinks? I've never stuck around to see if a boat can recover and take off again, and will usually just shove another fish under it to get the tonnage.

[ryanglavin]

Originally Posted by Luckless

No, it was clearly sunk by the bombs aimed in my general direction. I'm just annoyed that my AA mount appeared to have zero effect besides lighting a few fires on deck. It is suppose to be a 20mm, which is still going to rip a nice little hole at the water line of an unarmoured ship.

What is the longest a ship can stay dead in the water with one end dipping below the waves before it sinks? I've never stuck around to see if a boat can recover and take off again, and will usually just shove another fish under it to get the tonnage.

If you hit the ship in the bow, it seems to have a better chance of sinking

Quoting Otto Kretschmers Ship log (in volume 1 clar blair pg 198-199)

"At 700 meters, hit forward of amidships. Vessel of some 6500 tons sinks within 20 seconds. I nowproceed head on into the convoy. All ships zig zagging independently."
"Fire a bow torpedo at a large freighter. As teh ship turns towards us,, the torpedo passes ahead of her and hits an even larger ship after a run of 1740 meters. This ship is of some 7000 tons is hit abreast the foremast."
"Fire bow torpedo at the next large vessel of some 7000 tons. Range 975 meters. Hit abreast foremast."
"Third attempt (Third attempt because previous 2 had gyroscope failures)at the same target from a range of 720 meters. Hit forward of the bridge. Bow sinks rapidly level with the water."
"Hit aft of amidships. Ship drops astern, somewhat lower in the water. As torpedoes have been expended, I wait to see if she will sink further before I settle her with gunfire." (proves bow shots sink faster then stern shots. He got half credit with the last ship, as U-123, ((Moehle was the captain)), The ship was a 3106 tonner.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Luckless

No, it was clearly sunk by the bombs aimed in my general direction. I'm just annoyed that my AA mount appeared to have zero effect besides lighting a few fires on deck. It is suppose to be a 20mm, which is still going to rip a nice little hole at the water line of an unarmoured ship.

What is the longest a ship can stay dead in the water with one end dipping below the waves before it sinks? I've never stuck around to see if a boat can recover and take off again, and will usually just shove another fish under it to get the tonnage.

If you mean 'ingame' terms...it all depends on the damage sustained and the weather conditions.

I've seen them last over 48 hours on occasion.

If after 12 hours or so they are still afloat I usually give them a cuop de grace because it is possible they have 'called' for help.

If you leave them afloat and sail out of rendering range (aaprox 35/50km) they will respawn and carry on their merry way.

[Fader_Berg]

Originally Posted by luckless

But sadly I forgot just how bad this sub was.

Type II is a badass sub... Armed to the teeths with a killing spree of five torpedos and one mean flakgun. It blows my hair off as I'm going the brutal speed of six knots. Oh, you could go faster but the fuel level won't let you... It drifts off course in bad weather and bobs like a cork while aming. It pisses me off, but I use no other boat. Five DID carrers in a row... Roaming the North sea with a whopping record of nine patrols. It's one hell of a burial against two destroyers in the tremendous depths of britains eastern coastline though. I've been around...

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Fader_Berg

Type II is a badass sub... Armed to the teeths with a killing spree of five torpedos and one mean flakgun. It blows my hair off as I'm going the brutal speed of six knots. Oh, you could go faster but the fuel level won't let you... It drifts off course in bad weather and bobs like a cork while aming. It pisses me off, but I use no other boat. Five DID carrers in a row... Roaming the North sea with a whopping record of nine patrols. It's one hell of a burial against two destroyers in the tremendous depths of britains eastern coastline though. I've been around...

And the thrill of coming home with two kills totaling 7,000 tons! I love it too!

[Luckless]

In SHIII, does the little flakgun do anything to small boats? Or is it modeled to only damage aircraft?

[Fader_Berg]

I don't know since I've been playing GWX all along. But I think it does damage. Can't see why they should make an exception. I sure have made some wrecks with it in GWX. What can I say... It's one hell of a gun. I sunk a coastal tanker with 120 rounds... leaving me with 880 to go. Life is a generous opportunity, living on a Type II.

[Obltn Strand]

Everythig assingned as "coastal vessel" should go down with 20mm AA gun.
It has no effect on bigger ships except exploding cargoes, falling masts and those annoying search lights.

Don't know about 37mm. Now that I cruise with pregnant sea cow (IXD2) I might try it's effecteviness.

[Jimbuna]

You may be suprised just how much damage the twin 37mm can create. It is by far the most effective AA gun.