Tanker with super-sight?

GoDeep · 09-28-07, 05:21 AM

Hey everyone,

I just started a new career in 1939 (using GWX for the first time, GREAT WORK!

), got myself a "nice" Type IIA and just departed on my first war patrol. So of course my crew is still pretty green and everything. I had something strange happen to me.

I was assigned a patrol grid in the middle of The English Channel, grid square AN81, I believe (not at my own PC right now...). So I am happily cruising along on the surface, doing 7 knots. Dive every so often to listen for ships. Sure enough, there are contacts but most of them turn out to be neutrals.

Then, on September 6, I get a contact report from BdU about a lone ship sailing directly towards me, very close as well. So I turn to intercept the contact to see what it is. I put fresh crew up on the conning tower, including someone with the watchman skill. However, it is slightly foggy, so visibility is limited.
I dive to acquire the target, and sure enough, the hydrophone picks it up. I change course slightly so I would sail past the target at some distance. I need to identify it first, of course.

Sailing slowly forward at 4 knots, my crew is scanning the horizon for the contact. Nothing....still nothing...still nothing...odd, he should have been here by now. Then, I notice the stealth indicator is quickly changing from green to red! Huh? Aircraft? Nope, nothing to see...
Still someone must be seeing me. So I grab the binocs myself and start scanning the horizon. Nothing. Weird...

I scan the horizon again, slowly. Then, very, very faintly I make out the outline of my target in the fog. She's seen me and turning away from me at high speed, dissappearing into the fog. Hm.... :hmm: Not a peep from my watchcrew? But the tanker has seen me??

I turn my boat around, speed ahead of the contact's reported course, hoping to catch them again. And sure enough, I do catch them again...but the same thing happens. She spots me before my watchcrew spots her. I finally decided to let her slip by, because I am starting to burn too much fuel.

What's so weird about this, is that I am pointing my bow almost directly towards her, I am in a Type IIA (very small) and still her bridgecrew spots me before I spot them. I should be very difficult to spot, running slowly, being so small and having such a low profile. Is my watchcrew having problems with their eye-sight or did that tanker have crew with super-vision or something? Or is something else going on?

Any thoughts, anyone?

09-28-07, 05:21 AM	#1
GoDeep Planesman Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Netherlands Posts: 188 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Tanker with super-sight? Hey everyone, I just started a new career in 1939 (using GWX for the first time, GREAT WORK! ), got myself a "nice" Type IIA and just departed on my first war patrol. So of course my crew is still pretty green and everything. I had something strange happen to me. I was assigned a patrol grid in the middle of The English Channel, grid square AN81, I believe (not at my own PC right now...). So I am happily cruising along on the surface, doing 7 knots. Dive every so often to listen for ships. Sure enough, there are contacts but most of them turn out to be neutrals. Then, on September 6, I get a contact report from BdU about a lone ship sailing directly towards me, very close as well. So I turn to intercept the contact to see what it is. I put fresh crew up on the conning tower, including someone with the watchman skill. However, it is slightly foggy, so visibility is limited. I dive to acquire the target, and sure enough, the hydrophone picks it up. I change course slightly so I would sail past the target at some distance. I need to identify it first, of course. Sailing slowly forward at 4 knots, my crew is scanning the horizon for the contact. Nothing....still nothing...still nothing...odd, he should have been here by now. Then, I notice the stealth indicator is quickly changing from green to red! Huh? Aircraft? Nope, nothing to see... Still someone must be seeing me. So I grab the binocs myself and start scanning the horizon. Nothing. Weird... I scan the horizon again, slowly. Then, very, very faintly I make out the outline of my target in the fog. She's seen me and turning away from me at high speed, dissappearing into the fog. Hm.... :hmm: Not a peep from my watchcrew? But the tanker has seen me?? I turn my boat around, speed ahead of the contact's reported course, hoping to catch them again. And sure enough, I do catch them again...but the same thing happens. She spots me before my watchcrew spots her. I finally decided to let her slip by, because I am starting to burn too much fuel. What's so weird about this, is that I am pointing my bow almost directly towards her, I am in a Type IIA (very small) and still her bridgecrew spots me before I spot them. I should be very difficult to spot, running slowly, being so small and having such a low profile. Is my watchcrew having problems with their eye-sight or did that tanker have crew with super-vision or something? Or is something else going on? Any thoughts, anyone?