What kills you?

[jazzabilly]

The most?

I've only lost one skipper so far, in about 20 or so patrols played, and four careers (most get deleted).

I lost a Balao Class boat in a minefield. Ever since then, I steer well clear of shallow water.

A/C have come close, and I haven't tangled with a Bungo Pete as of yet.

[JonB]

Well, I havent died yet. Only done a couple of restarts when wanting to try another sub or a new mod.

Speaking of wich, I´m running on "normal" with a realizm of about 65 %. Every escort/destroyer who has been after me with he´s depthcharges has just been too easy to get away from, even quite easy to kill (while they are looking for me). Why is this? I thought "normal difficulty" should be normal... Is it that every one I´ve come across are novices? Because I havent played further than middle of -43 so far...

[tater]

Jon, if you are playing the stock game... well, the campaign is simply awful. Wrong types of escorts, and the skill levels are universally badly done. In stock, ALL convoy escorts are set to low quality AI such that they are literally targets not much more capable than the odd small merchant.

What kills me?

Shallow water, and not just mines. A mean kaibokan in RSRDC can ruin your day.

[Soundman]

Knowing I'm not really gonna die ! I mean, sometimes I get more bold than I would in real life. For example...once in a while, I like taking on those DDs, whereas in real life, I'd be running like hell. Most of the time I win those battles, when I don't, well...that's what saves are for.

[SteamWake]

Greed usually

[Red Lord of Chaos]

Betty usually, by the time the things go over the deck is awash but the tower is still above the waves. Even if I'm not killed outright the damage takes me later when I'm forced deep.
Most entertaining near death was in an IX, nearly sunk by an exploding merchant! 49% hull damage, took both 'scopes and popped 4 bulkheads along with other systems. Only the aft torp room and tower were dry and about half of the crew were wounded... Somehow I limped into Surubaya...

[ssn724]

Planes, I can't stop trying to shoot them down. Last one crashed into my stern and sank me.

[rifleman13]

Originally Posted by jazzabilly

What kills you?

Sheer incompetence...

[magic452]

1 sub net
1 betty
2 DD s

All because of, as Rifleman13 said, incompetence.

macgi452

[groomsie]

This really burnt me, making an approach on a convoy (~ March 1944), 2 big merchants escorted by 2 armed merchants in rough seas. Running the TMO 1.6.2 and RSRDC...Scope down and waiting for sound bearings to approach my firing point. Poke up the scope and here is the lead armed merchant steering direct for me--I've been scope down, silent running, and heard no pings (did armed merchants have sonar?). And in the background his partner is also pulling out of line and headed for me. Dropped scope to hope it is coincidnence.

It isn't. They both non chalantly cruised over top and killed me. Unbelievable. Made me wish I'd simply tried to take them out (they draw more than a destroyer and surely don't maeuver all that great?)...lesson learned. Ducimus is evil.

[Dread Knot]

Originally Posted by groomsie

Poke up the scope and here is the lead armed merchant steering direct for me--I've been scope down, silent running, and heard no pings (did armed merchants have sonar?).

Some Japanese merchants were equipped with hydrophones. How well trained they were on them I can't say.

[Raptor1]

Small almost-uncharted islands in the East Indies, those are the main cause of death

[groomsie]

Originally Posted by Dread Knot

Some Japanese merchants were equipped with hydrophones. How well trained they were on them I can't say.

I'd heard that, but still not sure about accurate sonar (vs hydrophones)...in rough seas, with a convoy moving at 12 knots, and a submarine running silent at 1 knot, not sure it is realistic to have an armed merchant pick you up so precisely...which brings me back to Ducimus is evil.

[magic452]

Groomsie we all agree that Ducimus is evil, very smart but evil.
I'm still playing 1.4 so in 1.5 with TMO there are killer merchants??
If so do they have DC s. Is this for U boats or Fleet boats?

Magic452

[tater]

The japanese used XPCs (converted merchants) as escorts quite a bit. Some are indeed armed with depth charges, sonar, etc. They are in RSRDC.