questions about a patrol

10-12-12, 04:16 PM

1: Do you attack every single hostile merchant en route to your assigned zone or rather save your eels for the ones engaged by your patrol grid? Do you let small and medium freighters pass and deal with only the bigger and fatter ones (e.g. 10,000+ GRT). What was the case in real life?
2: Do you attack every single hostile merchant even in the course of a storm when wind speed is 15 m/s and big waves make torpedo failure probability high? Is it worth firing (wasting?) 3-4 eels on a coastal freighter to guarantee the sinking which I'd attack with the deck gun in clear weather? Or is it wiser to wait for the storm to pass and attack only during optimal (or at least more advantageous) circumstances. What did real U-boat commanders do in this case?

boneman · 10-12-12, 04:29 PM

http://uboat.net/

Good luck Skipper!

Raptor · 10-12-12, 05:13 PM

I pick and choose because, unlike a real u-boat skipper, I know that SH3 - with or without GWX - is LOADED with juicy targets whose type and GRT do not correlate with reality for the timeline. Given a little advanced knowledge of historical shipping routes during each year of the war, all I need do is go to one of those areas and wait. SH3 is too target-rich for reality. It's like shooting fish in a barrel, until 1941 when the fish start shooting back. Turning off map updates helps level the field a bit.

On one patrol, I sank 3 whale factory ships, 3 ceramic ocean liners, and two troop transports - all sailing alone or in pairs - because I found a spot where GWX routes them in succession along parallel paths.

Realistically, a u-boat was expected to attack every legitimate target it encountered, weather and tactical situation permitting. For all they knew, that might be the only ship they would see on the entire patrol

and every ship sunk, irregardless of size or cargo, reduced the allies' available resources accordingly.

Pisces · 10-12-12, 05:37 PM

Seize the moment. Sinking ships gains renown. Torpedoes in stores only gain dust and corrosion.

But 3-4 on one ship, in bad weather???? These things are not like shooting hail. There are only so many of them available in your boat.

Soviet Creeper · 10-12-12, 09:44 PM

I tend to use up my rear torps on the way to the patrol area, and then use my frontal ones to rip apart convoys.

Man, I love it when you hit a fuel carrying tanker.... the explosion... so satisfying. Unless its stormy weather and you had to get so close that the explosion causes a bad case of "death" to your sub.

Edit : Wait wut. My title thing and picture, I fear no man... but that... thing.... it scares me

Sailor Steve · 10-12-12, 10:37 PM

Make another post. It only lasts for one.

Rhodes · 10-13-12, 04:29 AM

"Wild Night in Bangkok" ei...

TabbyHunter · 10-13-12, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soviet Creeper

I tend to use up my rear torps on the way to the patrol area, and then use my frontal ones to rip apart convoys.

Man, I love it when you hit a fuel carrying tanker.... the explosion... so satisfying. Unless its stormy weather and you had to get so close that the explosion causes a bad case of "death" to your sub.

Edit : Wait wut. My title thing and picture, I fear no man... but that... thing.... it scares me

Seems to scare everyone, that Avi.

10-12-12, 04:16 PM	#1
allievo Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	questions about a patrol 1: Do you attack every single hostile merchant en route to your assigned zone or rather save your eels for the ones engaged by your patrol grid? Do you let small and medium freighters pass and deal with only the bigger and fatter ones (e.g. 10,000+ GRT). What was the case in real life? 2: Do you attack every single hostile merchant even in the course of a storm when wind speed is 15 m/s and big waves make torpedo failure probability high? Is it worth firing (wasting?) 3-4 eels on a coastal freighter to guarantee the sinking which I'd attack with the deck gun in clear weather? Or is it wiser to wait for the storm to pass and attack only during optimal (or at least more advantageous) circumstances. What did real U-boat commanders do in this case?

10-12-12, 04:29 PM	#2
boneman Engineer Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Urk Posts: 214 Downloads: 44 Uploads: 0	usefull website http://uboat.net/ Good luck Skipper! __________________

10-12-12, 05:13 PM	#3
Raptor Weps Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Pacific NW, USA Posts: 350 Downloads: 54 Uploads: 0	I pick and choose because, unlike a real u-boat skipper, I know that SH3 - with or without GWX - is LOADED with juicy targets whose type and GRT do not correlate with reality for the timeline. Given a little advanced knowledge of historical shipping routes during each year of the war, all I need do is go to one of those areas and wait. SH3 is too target-rich for reality. It's like shooting fish in a barrel, until 1941 when the fish start shooting back. Turning off map updates helps level the field a bit. On one patrol, I sank 3 whale factory ships, 3 ceramic ocean liners, and two troop transports - all sailing alone or in pairs - because I found a spot where GWX routes them in succession along parallel paths. Realistically, a u-boat was expected to attack every legitimate target it encountered, weather and tactical situation permitting. For all they knew, that might be the only ship they would see on the entire patrol and every ship sunk, irregardless of size or cargo, reduced the allies' available resources accordingly. __________________ Raptor

10-12-12, 09:44 PM	#5
Soviet Creeper Planesman Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: In the corner of shame Posts: 187 Downloads: 143 Uploads: 0	I tend to use up my rear torps on the way to the patrol area, and then use my frontal ones to rip apart convoys. Man, I love it when you hit a fuel carrying tanker.... the explosion... so satisfying. Unless its stormy weather and you had to get so close that the explosion causes a bad case of "death" to your sub. Edit : Wait wut. My title thing and picture, I fear no man... but that... thing.... it scares me __________________ I used to be a huge submarine guy but now I'm a huge submarine girl ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

10-12-12, 10:37 PM	#6
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Make another post. It only lasts for one. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

10-12-12, 05:37 PM	#4
Pisces Silent Hunter Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: AN9771 Posts: 4,904 Downloads: 304 Uploads: 0	Seize the moment. Sinking ships gains renown. Torpedoes in stores only gain dust and corrosion. But 3-4 on one ship, in bad weather???? These things are not like shooting hail. There are only so many of them available in your boat.

10-13-12, 04:29 AM	#7
Rhodes Silent Hunter Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Figueira da Foz, Portugal Posts: 4,515 Downloads: 110 Uploads: 0	"Wild Night in Bangkok" ei... __________________ http://www.flickr.com/photos/16416646@N05/