Whale factory Ship?

[GJO]

During my fifth patrol (new career) I encounter a ASW Trawler followed by a 'Whale Factory Ship' on a Westward course NW of the Hebridean Island of Tiree. I surfaced and put two torpedoes into the 'Whale Factory Ship' before the ASW Trawler turned about to engage me with gunfire. With the sea unusually calm, I was able to return fire but took some damage - the fight went on for some time until the ASW Trawler turned away having sustained several hits - I was unable to make enough speed to pursue (engine damage) so submerged while the damage team went about their repairs. The 'Whale Factory Ship' had disappeared completely and looking at the chart I could see a nice red 'wreck' mark where I had attacked it but there was nothing on my 'Captain's Log' except ships that had been sunk earlier in the patrol. I am just wondering why this very obvious sinking had not been recorded?

[Sailor Steve]

I'm not sure. Even sinking a neutral or friendly ship should show up in the patrol log.

I'm sorry to derail in the very first reply, but you do bring up another beef I have with the game:

Originally Posted by GJO

...so submerged while the damage team went about their repairs.

Any shell hit that could damage your engines would also leave a hole in the pressure hull. You should not have been able to dive at all, for the rest of the patrol.

[Mittelwaechter]

Maybe the Trawler scored the last hit on the ship and gets some negative renown when back in homeport, for sinking one of his own?

[GJO]

Originally Posted by Mittelwaechter

Maybe the Trawler scored the last hit on the ship and gets some negative renown when back in homeport, for sinking one of his own?

A very likely possibility - I had positioned myself so that the target was partially protecting me from the trawler. I hadn't realised that, in the game, if the last shot came from elsewhere, I might lose the credit for the kill and consequently the renown points.

[Sailor Steve]

^ ^ ^

Something I had not thought of. It is indeed a possibility that the target was sunk by one of his own.

[desertstriker]

I have had it happen in convoys where I surfaced in the center, early war, and the escorts attempt to fire on me but their charges are in between me and the escort it is quite fun having them sink their own ships.

As for the shell damaging your diesels IRL that is the ultamite screwed because the PH would have been torn open by a HE shell to the point where a storm would cause some havok.

[GJO]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I'm not sure. Even sinking a neutral or friendly ship should show up in the patrol log.

I'm sorry to derail in the very first reply, but you do bring up another beef I have with the game:

Any shell hit that could damage your engines would also leave a hole in the pressure hull. You should not have been able to dive at all, for the rest of the patrol.

I agree - the Diesel engines and their immediate shafts are contained in the pressure hull but a shell exploding close by could possibly cause a shock sufficient to render catastrophic damage without penetrating the hull - Examples could include an uncontrolled inrush of sea water through a damaged air intake. Nevertheless for an engine to be destroyed you would normally expect there to have been a breach of the pressure hull such that diving would not be possible.