Silent Hunter 6: Wolves of the Pacific

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by elanaiba

Whats so pointless about a campaign that:

- actually achieved its purpose by cutting the enemy's supplies,
- did cost 52 submarines lost
- was deeply interwoven with a very dynamic and spectacular theater of operations

Originally Posted by elanaiba

What preview?!

I'm talking about the REAL LIFE US submarine campaign against the empire of Japan... and its potential of being fun vs being pointless.

Thanks Dan!

Originally Posted by elanaiba

While the Pacific may become "empty" in the end, the same is not really true for the Sea of Japan.

Where do people think the inspiration of that classic image of submarines slowly creeping throughly minefields comes from? (They probably think it's inspired by Gunther prien. )

[AVGWarhawk]

Don't take the bait!

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by Mikhayl

With a dynamic campaign the Pacific could even be more interesting. If you're a German and you suck big time, the worst case scenario is that the war will happen like it did, comes May 45, boom, over.

But if you're a US captain and you don't perform well and Japanese supplies slip between your fingers, the war may be over in 1945 with a message like that:
"Us troops held firm but were unable to regain lost ground, after 1 year of bloody stalemate the US and Japan have agreed to an armistice. Japan keeps its conquered territory. Game over sucker."

Campaign writing for the pacific is TOUGH. There's ALOT going on, and that's the beauty of it. Actions by submarines in the pacific, had a direct impact on the course of the war. As Dan said, they were "deeply interwoven with a very dynamic and spectacular theater of operations", and i'll give you an example.

USS Harder's 5th war patrol. You know.. "Destroyer killer" Sam Dealy? All quote an article on it, cause im short on time:

The important results of Harder's fifth war patrol have caused some to call it the most brilliant of the war. Not only did Harder further deplete the critical supply of destroyers by sinking four of them and heavily damaging or destroying another one in four days, but her frequent attacks and a rash of enemy contact reports on this fleeting marauder so frightened Admiral Soemu Toyoda that he believed Tawi-Tawi surrounded by submarines. As a result, Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa's Mobile Fleet departed Tawi-Tawi a day ahead of schedule. The premature departure upset the Japanese battle plans, and forced Ozawa to delay his carrier force in the Philippine Sea, thus contributing to the stunning defeat suffered by the Japanese in the ensuing battle.

Aside from that, there are many cases where supplies and troops critical to japans effort were indirdicted at sea, by submarines. Not arriving at their destination changed the course of a few battles, and ultimatly led to vicctory by the ground forces. Had those resources arrived, how might it have turned out? Probably alot worse.

The Pacific theater where submarines are concerned, isn't always about tonnage. It's actually one of the most intense theaters in the war, the trouble is writing the campaign in such a way where it captures that.

[Ducimus]

You know whats funny. USS finback on lifeguard duty (rescue of downed aviators), near Chichi-jima, fished George H.W. Bush out of the water. Talk about one boat having a huge effect on history. I wonder how things would have worked out if the Finback hadn't been there. Not meant as a political statement, just musing over "what If's".

[Jimbuna]

They probably would have enjoyed the undying gratitude of a fair proportion of the American populace

[Méo]

Originally Posted by Subnuts

Just ask anyone over at Stormfront, or your friendly neighborhood Christian Identity advocate.

I totally lost you on that one.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by Méo

I totally lost you on that one.

Google it.

edit:
BTW, i already raged. Only i was rational and informed as opposed to the yahoo's further up this thread.

[LukeFF]

Originally Posted by thruster

IJN ASW just doesnt cut it.

Strategically? Yes

Operationally? No