Pesky bombers in '42

[Nangleator]

I'm using stock SHIII in mid-'42 and I first got bounced by bombers well out in the Atlantic. I've played up to late '43 before without things getting too crazy, but on this patrol, each and every time I surface, the bombers are on me within an hour, sometimes in minutes. I made it to my patrol station and just sat motionless until oxygen was almost gone. After a short surface run only to recharge air, I stayed under for as long a stretch as I could.

Bombers every time I surface. I can't get enough battery charge. I keep changing headings, but they're always there. The weather, for once, won't get worse than 15m and light fog.

I don't bother surfacing at night, because they find me just as quickly, but my spotters don't see them until too late.

Is this normal? What do you do?

[Torplexed]

Look on the bright side. It hasn't been a dull patrol so far.

[RoaldLarsen]

Originally Posted by Nangleator

I'm using stock SHIII in mid-'42 and I first got bounced by bombers well out in the Atlantic. I've played up to late '43 before without things getting too crazy, but on this patrol, each and every time I surface, the bombers are on me within an hour, sometimes in minutes. I made it to my patrol station and just sat motionless until oxygen was almost gone. After a short surface run only to recharge air, I stayed under for as long a stretch as I could.

Bombers every time I surface. I can't get enough battery charge. I keep changing headings, but they're always there. The weather, for once, won't get worse than 15m and light fog.

I don't bother surfacing at night, because they find me just as quickly, but my spotters don't see them until too late.

Is this normal?

Sounds like Tom Jones syndrome.

Originally Posted by Nangleator

What do you do?

1) I remember what I leaned about distribution of random numbers.

2) I try to get away from areas of high aircraft probability: close to land.

3) I reduce submerged speed to 0.1 knots less than an integer value derived from 1/6ths of battery charge remaining over 50%. I.e.:

battery 83%+ -> 2.9 knots
battery 67% to 83% -> 1.9 knots
battery 50% to 67% -> 0.9 knots
battery < 50% -> immobile except to surface or dive

4) When surfaced I run with decks awash, if weather permits, to reduce dive times. You can't do this with straight stock , but it is a very easy mod.

5) I try to surface only when there is enough light to detect aircraft visually, or when fog is medium or heavy.

6) Changing heading does nothing to protect you from the game's aircraft search algorithm, except if you head away from the nearest airbase and not towards a greater concentration of air coverage.

[Nangleator]

> 3)

Whoah. How did you come up with that algorithm? Trial and error over years?

I actually gave up on that career and started a new one, mid '41. Cowardly, I know.

But I'm still in the Bay of Biscay and have 33k tons without a single eel fired so far. Will be a good patrol if the same planes don't find me.

[Paul Riley]

While crossing the bay of Biscay I normally run surfaced for 1 hour while manning the guns (to protect against fighter attacks as there is no time to dive against them ,and submerge for 1 hour at ahead 1/3.I make a full surface on clear days,and run decks awash at night while recharging.When out to sea I risk a full surface run as only bombers can reach you then and are much slower as a result,and if you have a half decent watch crew and clear conditions,and good reactions,and not travelling with TC over 64,you should be able to get under just in time.Just remember to hammer those engines and level off at 50m,while making a full 90 deg turn port or starboard.Reduce speed after the first set of bombs land.Return to course,then get the men to work reparing your now f####d UBoat! ...unless of course you made it

This of course can only work in ideal conditions,and I have already lost 2 UBoats to air attacks (that was also with the stock game,or the Jurassic era).I reckon i'm going to have real fun this time

[Nangleator]

In my experience, in stock SHIII, the bombers can get their bombs on me quite well on the first pass, but later, only bomb the spot where I disappeared. I've never needed to change course.

'39 -- An airplane sighting is a rare thing, and gives you minutes to submerge.
'40 -- The same, with probably more occurrences.
'41 -- Now, they're serious, and can come in groups. Enough time to dive, though.
'42 -- I'll take damage from every incidence of a spotted aircraft. Sometimes they see me at night.
'43 -- Consistent appearances day and night. I have to be on the ball to only take minor damage.
'44 -- Never made it beyond '43. Only been sunk by A/C when I try to fight them, though.

[RoaldLarsen]

Originally Posted by Nangleator

> 3)

Whoah. How did you come up with that algorithm? Trial and error over years?

I came up with that running a couple dozen careers in '42, '43 and 44. Lost half of those boats doing it Almost all to aircaft. Almost all the lost boats were type IXs. Five are still going, The rest retired. Almost all retired boats were type VIIs.

The idea is that your battery discharges slower if you go slower. I never want my battery below 50%, in case I get bounced by a surface ship and need to manoeuver. The discharge rate appears to be a function of the value of your current speed, truncated to an integer, so a speed of 1.9 discharges at the same rate as a speed of 1. (At least that's how my LI seems to have rigged things.)

[Jaman]

Originally Posted by Nangleator

'44 -- Never made it beyond '43. Only been sunk by A/C when I try to fight them, though.

In 44 is just hell, they can (and will) come anytime anywhere. In my last career i got hit 300km away from Brest, direct hit and lot of damage to the batteries, unable to manouver while submerged. They came in 4 waves while on my way to port to finish me off.

[Murr44]

I'm playing a GWX Med career at the moment. It's March '42 & I'm on my 4th patrol. I'm really beginning to hate Hudsons. Seems like everywhere I go, even in the middle of the night, one of the things will turn up! I've yet to see the Luftwaffe during this career. It would be nice if our honoured Reichsmarschall could postpone one of his Paris shopping trips long enough to give his boys down here a swift kick in the *ss.

[Nangleator]

Never seen a friendly A/C in stock.

I'm nervous whenever they launch me on a new patrol in daylight. How close to base can you be bombed? Some of that water is a bit too shallow...

[Pepe le Moko]

One thing I have been wondering, if you don't have external views on, what do you do when you spot an aircraft? Just dive, better be safe than sorry and all that?

[Murr44]

I'm pretty sure that the number of enemy aircraft that you may encounter depends on the level of time compression used and I think that this applies to ships too. If I'm not mistaken the game compensates for high tc levels by lowering the amount of planes and ships to reduce the load on the pc.
If you're playing from 1941 onwards & crossing the Bay of Biscay while surfaced in daylight, I'd run the game at no more than 128x. I was playing stock once & got hit really hard by a Hurricane. I'd been running the game as fast as I could go and my boat suffered a lot of damage. We were only a few hours from base & just barely made it back.

[Jaman]

Originally Posted by Pepe le Moko

One thing I have been wondering, if you don't have external views on, what do you do when you spot an aircraft? Just dive, better be safe than sorry and all that?

As soon as you hear your watchman say "Aircraft spotted!" go crash dive and change course, and after you are submerged change course again. Its not worthy the risk of fighting them, even if you have the flak turret with 4 vierlings, those big bombers can take a lot of damage and still fly, but you may sink with just one hit.

[Murr44]

Originally Posted by Pepe le Moko

One thing I have been wondering, if you don't have external views on, what do you do when you spot an aircraft? Just dive, better be safe than sorry and all that?

That's the best course of action in my opinion. I was running at periscope level after being attacked when I spotted what looked like an Italian plane through the observation scope. Wasn't sure so I played it safe & stayed down until dark.

[Pepe le Moko]

Oh yes that's what I do, I meant do you try to identify it to make sure it is an allied aircraft before crash diving?