The Hunt: An illustrated example of how to sink a ship

[Otto Heinzmeir]

Darksun, thanks for that diagram, makes things real simple. The entire post is amazing. I have been playing for less than a week. Before this post I had done 4 missions in a campaign and was averaging 1 and 1/2 ships sunk per mission. After reading this thread, in my last 2 missions I sank 14 ships. Thanks everyone for the info! I use 96% realism with no mod. The only thing I left checked was no dud torpedoes.

Setting up the fast 90 attacks is a great deal of fun without nav updates as there is no cheating in getting 500 to 700 feet of the targets track. Someone had mentioned about the watchman calling out bearing and distance. I get 3 readings from him about a minute apart. Then I draw the angle off my bow that corresponds to the bearing and measure the distance and mark the ship location this way. Connect the 3 marks and I have his track. Its usually off a degree or 2. So I have to eyeball him as he nears and either back up or go forward. One time I was sitting right on his track and didn't get far enough away to fire as the torps don't arm until 300 feet. Is it 300? I don't know for sure but from trial and error I believe it is.

The last mission I just finished was a blast. By the time I reached my patrol area I had sunk 6 ships and was down to 4 torps. I got a radio message about a huge convoy in the sector just south of the one I was assigned. I arrived to meet it about 1 hour before sunrise. Upon locating the convoy I veared away about 1 km so to remain unseen and planned my attack about 7 km further along their path. I had my eyes on a cargo ship. The sea was rough and bad visibility. I was getting reports on multiple bearings. Being that I only had 4 torps left, I figured I better just hit what comes across and run. A warship had moved ahead of the merchant ships and he was write in the spot where I was set to ambush from. Seeing as in the campaign I hadn't sunk a warship yet. I let him have the first torp. Turns out it was just a cutter. But I had a ship coming directly at my 90. I mean dead center, so I had to pull the trigger and flank ahead.

Then I turned into another ship and fired from 00 and hit his bow, I think it was a liberty cargo, the torp hit and he caught fire but didn't sink. I had the torp running at 4 meters deep as earlier, I had set one to run 1 meter under the keel of a merchant ship and in the high seas when the ship got pitched up on a wave the torp was too deep to detonate.
At this point some ships are zigging around and in the dark its total chaous. I dove to 20 meters, went under the cargo ship thinking I could finish it off with my stern torp. When I came back up to periscope depth it was like Christmas for any U-boat commander. A big juicy T3 Tanker broadside to me and moving at a snails pace. I just turned about 10 degrees and sent a torpedo just in front of his bow. He was maybe 800 meters away. I had set the torp to run 1 meter below his keel. It hit him dead center,he split in 2 and sank in about 20 seconds.Then I missed with my last stern torp and headed all the way back to Kiel from sector AL37 with no torps. Plus ran out of diesel and made the last leg on batteries. But I got 2 medals after sinking 28 tons.

Still I was cursing that I had only 4 torps when I arrived at the convoy. The other 5 missions when I was on patrol, not a single ship was in my sector

So thanks again for all the tips guys. This is the most fun I've ever had playing a video game!

[Pisces]

Well done Otto Pat your navigator on his back. He deserves it too.

As you get really close to the convoy keep a check on how the ships in the collumns and row line up. Very telling information. If a collumn (in direction of movement) is lined up you are right on their path and need to watch getting ran over as was your case. (or you could be behind them and that is an excellent opportunity to get their course to a degree accurate) If you are next to the convoy and see rows (sideways to direction of movement) lined up you can also get their course (row direction +/- 90 degrees). But it also allows you to match their speed accurately. (it is allready given as you get the longdistance map report, but they can allways make an unsuspected course speed change) Keep them lined up by adjusting your speed, and then measure the distance you have moved on the map over some time (3 minutes is a bit on the short side, it get's a rough estimate imho), convert that to a speed. Just make sure it's not a lined-up convoy diagonal you are looking at.

[Stev1]

Great read, I will try and use this Method when i continue my Tour later this evening.

[Jard]

Thanks for that Dantenoc. It's made me realise I've only scratched the surface of this game so far. I shall experiment with my compasses on my next patrol.

[latemail]

First of all : THX for that great work !!





and than the PDF from a Newbie --> The Hunt

[Dantenoc]

The PDF version looks nice . Should prove useful.

Thanks

[Gizzmoe]

Stickied.

[TangoShadow]

Hi,

WOW!! Fantastic post!!!!!!!!!!

This sim just gets better everytime I load it up!

--TangoShadow

[Zyco]

Wow this is one heck of a post, and it shows basically all that I do wrong.

[The_Blockade_Runner]

I wonder if I can perfect this in the Naval Academy :hmm:

[Dekessey]

Thank you sir, very helpful.

[Bluejacket]

Great Post!!!

[robj250]

Originally Posted by Dantenoc

<Edit: PDF version here - Gizzmoe>

First of all, let me start by saying that I didn't reinvent the wheel or claim that I did. All of what you will find here can be found on other posts (and only one of them was done by me)

To learn more, go here:

http://www.paulwasserman.net/SHIII/
http://www.communitymanuals.com/shii...itle=Main_Page

Hi: I'm sorry that I have to do it this way, but I find trying to use the tools very confusing to me. I copied your steps and pictures and have read it over and over this morning, and it is still confusing to me as my mind doesn't work that well. Because of that, I have to try and plan my intercepts using pencil and paper. Here is my situation and I really want to try your steps, using the tools.



Darm, I come across two merchants on the way, sunk them, so now my time is off and so is my intercept time and spot.

[Dantenoc]

Originally Posted by robj250

Hi: I'm sorry that I have to do it this way, but I find trying to use the tools very confusing to me.

I agree that the game's manual barely covers the use of navmap tools... but what exactly are you having trouble with? The math involved? or the actual click click involved in the tool's use?

[Rooks]

Thanks for an awesome guide Dantenoc!!
Really helps n00bs out like me.

I was wondering if you would your approach change if the ship/convoy was escorted?
Are you able to also give an example of what to do after you fired on an escorted convoy, ie how to evade detection after firing.

Thanks again