First Post

[CanuckBoat]

Gutentag Fellow U-Boat captains.

This is my first post so I'll make a brief introduction. I originally played SHIII when it first came up. I shelved it for a while (I had a career patrol where I ended with 21 ships sunk with a VIIB with 94% realism).

I just started again with GWX 1.03 and decided to make the plunge to 100% realism. I started a new career and I played part of my first patrol yesterday (1st September 1939, 2nd Flotilla, VIIB and managed to so far kill 2 tramp steamers). 1st kill was with a deck gun after I mistimed my approach and got discovered at night time. He turned his flood lights at me and I ordered the watach crew to start shooting. 2 shots from deck gun and she went down (didn't know deck guns were THAT deadly .... Must be a fluky shot). 2nd kill was a tramp steamer that was zigzagging. The sea was really choppy. I made a few marks and got on a course parallel and directly behind. Since I could not get a nice 90degree shot, I decide to fire one in the general direction in the hope. So... manual targetting with TDC settings of 0 degree bearing, 0degree AOB, Speed of 0 (basically POINT AND SHOOT). LOS! and waited patiently.... About lost all hope when a sudden "boom" and white wash of water covers the target. The crew starts cheering in German. The target doesn't stop right away. I tail it for a while until it comes to dead stop. Still too choppy to finish off with Deck Gun, so I use a point and shoot torpedo at 400 meters right into the bottom of the smoke stack. Ship goes down and I plot a course to get the bejesus out of there. Now I am off the west coast of Ireland (BE51).

Some obsevations/questions:
A) This is such a great game. It has everything. Trigonometry (what kind of real game does NOT have trig), big exploding objects, foreign immersion, historical accuracy.
B) AI in GWX is deadly now. The first time I tried it, I try to sneak along the English Channel. Dead to airplanes in a few minutes. Does anyone even try to go along the Channel now?
C) Air coverage really worrys me. Now most of the time, when I am in air coverage zone, I will not be on the surface during the day. I will stay submerged until at night then I came up to the surface to recharge my batteries. Do you guys do the same or do you risk surface running in the day time but keep the CRASH DIVE button handy? . I laughed about the SH3 Commander Air Markings Mod. Like I'm going to stay long enough to see those markings
D) How successful is having the VIIC/3 coning tower with full flak against planes? Can you get away with shooting down all enemy planes
E) 100% Realism makes this a totally different game. With 94% it was quite easy to sink ships. Just go to a spot and instantatneous firing solution. As long as enemy doesn't zig zag, you've got him. 100% means planning the attack and the withdrawal.
F) Any suggested RL reading on UBoat tactics? I want to see if I can utilize them.
G) How do you normally setup an attack? It would be cool to have different sitautions described as an extension of the "AN ATTACK ILLUSTRATED" post. In calm seas when I can, I try to be ahead and lie in waiting at around 700 meters to the target. Most of the time, my approach is detected. How far should I stay away in perfect day conditions? How about at night? Perhaps I need to learn more patience and shadow targets until at night and the surface and go closer and faster to setup for the shot.
H) Any advice on Crew Management and Specialization? Seems that Helmsman is not that useful so I transitioned to having 5 officers: 1 Watch, 1 Watch/Medic, 1 Machinst, 1Repair, 1 Helsmman.

Thanks a lot guys. This is a great forum and gives me ideas on how to enhance my game expereince further. Cheers (especially to GWX team for taking it to a WHOLE diffferent level).