Questions Re: SH3-1.4 & Early Port Attacks

[Bent Periscope]

I’m playing SH3 patched to 1.4 and I’ve noticed a few things.
- In the Main file, I increased my time compression from 1024x to 4096x, this is how I played SH3-1.0 version for years, but I can still only compress to 1024x. Any ideas why this might be happening?
- I’ve noticed that when I have a ship in my scopes and I press “Ship” the ship will pop up in the Rec. Book but it no longer shows the weak points. Is there an issue here or was this taken off for the version? Is it available in either GWX or SH3Cmdr. Or is there a special mod?

By the way, I’m heading to Scapa Flow for a 10/04/39 fireworks show as well as to Loch Ewe for their 11/05/39 fireworks show. The fireworks will be the 2 capital ships in each port. Has anyone taken out all four of these ships in the same patrol? If so, what was your tactics for:
- How many torps should I have in my VIIB?
- Entering the port?
- Avoiding detection?
- Avoiding mines or nets if there are any?
- Setting up the shots, where to you aim, etc?
- Escaping?
Where is the best place in Kiel and Berlin to trawl for frauleins while wearing all my medals?

Any help/hints would be greatly appreciated.

I’ll be playing SH3-1.4 version for a short while to see if I have any other problems. Then I’ll move up to GWX, play like that for a while and if I like it, I’ll add in SH3Cmdr to see if I like it. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of questions as I go along so I am glad everyone is so helpful.

Happy Hunting,

BP

[Jimbuna]

x1024 is the maximum allowed out of the box.....you need SH3 Commander to increase it or go into the CFG file to adjust manually.

Weak points in ships needs a specific mod IIRC.

BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!!

[sharkbit]

BP:
When you move onto GWX, load up SH3Commander at the same time and get it over with. It has nothing to do with gameplay except that you can set some options up with it, such as start patrols at sea, time compression settings, etc. There's really nothing to get used to.

[Bent Periscope]

Jim,
When I used SH3, Version1.0, I did increase time compression to 4098x and it worked. I wonder if this was disallowed in a later patch.
Thanks,
BP

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Bent Periscope

Jim,
When I used SH3, Version1.0, I did increase time compression to 4098x and it worked. I wonder if this was disallowed in a later patch.
Thanks,
BP

Can't honestly remember....it has been so long since I've played stock/vanilla

[Bent Periscope]

Herr Kaleun Jimbuna,
From one Kaleun to another, do you have anything to share regarding port attacks?
Thanks,
BP

[Jimbuna]

They are nothing short of death traps IMO. If I was hell bent on committing such madness I'd first check out the Campaigner_Scr in the mission editor and consider it a kind of reconnoitering exercise....you'd also have advance info on what was inside the harbour

Be advised....you'll not find very much in stock games.

[Jaman]

On Stock SH3 is very easy to sneak on most ports, make sure your turret is well under the water and move at 1knt, try to approach in the dark with your flank as close as possible to the coast. Early in the war they hardly catch you (i managed to sneak into Scapa Flow three times).

On GWX just dont try, its not worthy. On late 39 and early 40 you may want to take a look on neutral ports, maybe you´ll catch a British or French merchant on them.

[RoaldLarsen]

I use RUB, not GWX, so pretty much like stock, and Harbor Traffic 1.47 to give me some ships in ports.

I used SH3 Commander to set my max TC rate to 2048. This works OK, although my ancient computer can only effectively handle this rate some of the time.

I had one Kaleun who made a harbour raid on nearly every patrol. In Scapa Flow he got an aircraft carrier and an auxilliary cruiser. Elsewhere, no warship bigger than a DD. Over all he got nearly 300,000 tons. Then he died.

He used mag shots 2m below keel on capital ships, usually impact on DDs. Doesn't seem to matter much where you hit a DD. Hit it and it sinks. On large immobile ships, aim below turrets, or stacks, to hit magazines or engine rooms. Allow at least three torpedos per capital ship. You will probably need more.

All infiltration, attacks and exfiltration were done submerged at <= 2knots. For the Scapa raid, he found a far corner to surface and recharge at night. Didn't see any mines. When nets were encountered, ran parallel until a gap was found.

Don't wait to install SH3 Commander. Do it now!

In Berlin I prefer the Kurfürstendamm. In Kiel it depends on what sort of fraulein you are looking for .

[Pistitom]

Gentlemen, I have two questions....I just began my first campaign and already got into trouble...I was preparing for a convoy attack at pd, daylight, about 4500m. distance when the escorts initiated a coordinated attack on me...they had asdic...1940..and one of them kept following me ALL DAY and all night...couldn't recharge batteries...probably my evasive maneuvers weren't effective....How could this chain of events even occur????
My second question refers to ports...I never got a patrol mission to ports...This depends on my own decisions?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Pistitom

Gentlemen, I have two questions....I just began my first campaign and already got into trouble...I was preparing for a convoy attack at pd, daylight, about 4500m. distance when the escorts initiated a coordinated attack on me...they had asdic...1940..and one of them kept following me ALL DAY and all night...couldn't recharge batteries...probably my evasive maneuvers weren't effective....How could this chain of events even occur????
My second question refers to ports...I never got a patrol mission to ports...This depends on my own decisions?

Asdic was invented during the WWI period and already fitted aboard many escorts prior to the outbreak of hostilities in WWII

By 1918, both the U.S. and Britain had built active systems, though the British were well in advance of the US. They tested their ASDIC on HMS "Antrim" in 1920, and started production in 1922. The 6th Destroyer Flotilla had ASDIC-equipped vessels in 1923. An anti-submarine school, HMS "Osprey", and a training flotilla of four vessels were established on Portland in 1924. The U.S. Sonar QB set arrived in 1931. By the outbreak of World War II, the Royal Navy had five sets for different surface ship classes, and others for submarines, incorporated into a complete anti-submarine attack system.

Port raiding was not carried out very often in RL, hence it is not automatically included in the game.

[RoaldLarsen]

Originally Posted by Pistitom

Gentlemen, I have two questions....I just began my first campaign and already got into trouble...I was preparing for a convoy attack at pd, daylight, about 4500m. distance when the escorts initiated a coordinated attack on me...they had asdic...1940..and one of them kept following me ALL DAY and all night...couldn't recharge batteries...probably my evasive maneuvers weren't effective....How could this chain of events even occur????
My second question refers to ports...I never got a patrol mission to ports...This depends on my own decisions?

It is RADAR that didn't really get used until later, not ASDIC. Quite a few British ships had ASIDC in 1940, but certainly not all of them. That is one problem with the game, I think. It gives all ships the latest available equipment, rather than phasing it in.

You probably were too noisy. Were you surfaced or submerged when the escorts first moved toward you? How deep did you dive, how slow did you go, how sharp did you turn, and did you rig for silent running?

The game never assigns a harbour raid. You choose to do them on your own. When I did them I first patrolled my assigned area for 24 hours and then proceeded to raid the nearest harbour. I only did this with one of my many careers, as harbour raiding is unrealistic.

[Synthfg]

Harbour raiding can be fun, especially if you have had an unproductive patrol

Best targets are Scarpa, Gib and New York, In all cases watch for harbour defences (shore guns)

For Scarpa come in through the east channel, watch for the gap in the block ships
For Gib and NY hug the coast on your way in,

In GWX III Gib there is a nasty net to the north of the main harbour that screens the main military anchorage, there is a gap just large enough for a submerged type IX between the northern pier and the net

[Jimbuna]

Gibraltar Jan 40