Flares and Starshells

[McHibbins]

Hi,

is there a mod outside that shows merchants launching starshells or flares when they´re hit by an torpedo ?

I Think I saw it once in SH3.

[Xantrokoles]

I was never able to shopot starshells with my deck gun...
Don't think so

[DrBeast]

Hm...can't remember merchies shooting starshells, but I've seen Destroyers launch 'em. Don't know if it was from a mod I was using or stock behavior, though.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Originally Posted by DrBeast

but I've seen Destroyers launch 'em.

Yeah, I have not seen Merchants either do this, but have seen Destroyers do it, the other night playing Trigger they were going off all over the place, really cool


RDP

[McHibbins]

Jepp, Destroyers launch´em while searching for you. That is in stock SH4 and historically correct I think.

But what I´m missing is, that merchants do it also after they were hit. I´ve read so many historical books about WWII seawarfare which describe that as a normal procedure after a torpedo hit, no matter if they were in convoys or alone. Maybe not starshells but flares.







Pics were taken from SH3 forum. I think it is GWX, where emergency flares are included.

[Xantrokoles]

GWX with stock interface
looks rare

[haegemon]

Would be a good addition to the save boats.

[Will-Rommel]

Yep i second that. Anyone up for it? :p

Originally Posted by McHibbins

Hi,

is there a mod outside that shows merchants launching starshells or flares when they´re hit by an torpedo ?

it doesnt sound logical for slow moving merchants to fire flares or starshells to further give away their position and virtually guarranty they be sunk as a result.

i could understand if merchants fired a starshell over the attacking sub to aid the escorts in finding you and firing on your position, is this what you are talking about?

i think it could be done by linking a starshell to the merchants guns so as they detect you they would fire a starshell, after all, unarmed merchants would never mark their position with flares while a sub was still active in the area and if they had no guns they couldnt fire a starshell anyway. maybe switching a merchants actions with a destroyers actions after detecting you would give you the desired result. hmmm, but then maybe the merchant would move in to attack you.

[McHibbins]

Originally Posted by WEBSTER

it doesnt sound logical for slow moving merchants to fire flares or starshells to further give away their position and virtually guarranty they be sunk as a result.

i could understand if merchants fired a starshell over the attacking sub to aid the escorts in finding you and firing on your position, is this what you are talking about?

i think it could be done by linking a starshell to the merchants guns so as they detect you they would fire a starshell, after all, unarmed merchants would never mark their position with flares while a sub was still active in the area and if they had no guns they couldnt fire a starshell anyway. maybe switching a merchants actions with a destroyers actions after detecting you would give you the desired result. hmmm, but then maybe the merchant would move in to attack you.

Wrong !

If a merchant was hit by an Sub, there´s no need for keeping his position secret because the boat knows where he is still using his sonar instead visual possibilities.
That´s one reason why atlantic convoys starting to shot their "snowflakes" after a merchant was hit by an Sub. The whole Convoy was illuminated what doesn´t matter ´cause his position was clear for the boat anyway and was certainly reported. Important was now, that the Convoy has more visual possibilities.

If a merchant launch a emergency flare he shows everybody : We´re sinking ! We´re no combatants anymore, just Sailors who want, that someone Saves Our Soules.
These were accepted by Navys from every Nation.




Edit : sry for my bad english

[haegemon]

Yes, any civillian ship severly damaged, would send not only a distress call using its radio but also light signals to alert neighboring ships before was to late. In many cases was the hunter who reported in open frequencies the position of the sinking ship.


It's a different thing to say that while traveling, neutral ships had it's lights turned on while the combatant ships travelled in the dark

[AVGWarhawk]

As many encounters between fleets and merchants I have read , I do not recall reading flares being employed by the merchant vessels.

[W4lt3r]

Today, when running on my Fubuki DD (Mod) I engaged an small convoy, consisting of 1 T3 Tanker, a Liberty and 2 smaller ships that i cannot recall atm. Propably split Freighters, no escorts.. I told my gunmen to open fire on the T3 tanker and when the first hit was done on the T3 tanker, the Liberty shot up an Starshell. I was quite suprised myself. (It was before dawn)

So i guess ships with 3-5" single, one man operated freighters use starshells at midnight..

[M. Sarsfield]

I've seen destroyers and sub chasers use them, but I figured it was so they could spot a periscope better.