Allied behavior accuracy

[Tomp]

I have read numberous books on Pacific fleet sub battles, Mush Morton, Dick O'Kane, etc. but have never read any Uboat stories. I did see Das Boat a few times and I do love the movie. But could anyone answer some questions related to accuracy? Just curious about the following:


1. In WWII, did fighter and bomber aircraft fly at night and have success finding and attacking subs? It seems that SHIII has aircraft attacking subs at any time, day or night.

2. In 15 meter/sec. wind, would aircraft be flying? What would be the maximum winds they would fly in on a sub hunt?

3. How close and how fast did subs approach in darkness without detection? It seems that subs can be detected too easily. I've been detected at 1000 meters at 7 knots! Maybe that's me but it seems a bit unrealistic considering the stories I've read. Of course, every boat can't be as lucky as Mush Morton when he ran through that convoy surfaced. "Destroyers Gunning, Wahoo Running."

I'd be interested to hear comments.

Thanks,

Tom P.

[difool2]

1.l Once the allies had airborne centimetric radar (in 1943) they could and did hunt for
surfaced subs at night. Later they could detect your snorkel.

2. 15 m/s is the same as 54 kph, or 35 knots or so. Recall that's wind speed on the ground:
if you are in the air the ground doesn't matter much.

3. If you are talking about GWX, I'd have to agree as the escorts seem almost psychic.
I had one detect me at 150 meters silent running (without having any reason to suspect
I was there).

[Sailor Steve]

I don't think I can add anything; difool2's answers are all good ones. I just chimed in to say welcome aboard.

Oh, on answer 1: the excellent Allied radar was aided even more by the addition of the 'Leigh Light', an aircraft-mounted searchlight that shocked the u-boat crews into inaction at the crucial attack moment. Often the first clue they had that they'd been detected was the blinding light right on top of them. This is also modelled in GWX.

[Brag]

Welcome Tomp,
I can't add anything either. The only innacuracy I can find with SHIII and GWX is that escorts will always see you when at night on the surface early in the war. So a surface attack is suicidal in the game.

[Heibges]

I conduct surface attacks all the time. I can usually get within 600 to 900 m without being detected.

But you have to keep close watch on the escorts, and you have to not try it in perfect visibility.

I use Tonnage War not GW.