How did they find me?

[Alpha Von Burg]

I would agree with HW3, it is unlikly that you hit bottom because your damage was top side.

However, the waters around Scapa Flow are indeed very shallow and it is not possible to dive at a depth of 40m, let a lone beyond 25m.

From your statement, I would say it was a mine because if it were a surface vessel, you would be hearing a lot of pings, because after the fist vessel pings you, more would follow, especially in an area like Scapa Flow.

I would also say that that was a close call, because that mine could have been closer.

Good Hunting...

[Akela]

Thank you all for the advice. It wasn't the bottom though, I forgot to mention that I was rapidly spamming the depth report button the whole time and the lowest that it ever reported was an additional 25 meters. I wasn't trying to enter the Scapa Flow harbor, just pass through the strait that is south of it, hugging the Scottish coast.

Also, I mis-reported my speed, which was ahead slow, not 1/3rd.

But based on everything you guys came up I think it's most likely that they just heard me. I hadn't rigged for silent running (since I wasn't repairing I thought that wouldn't make any difference). Also, I was in a Type II.

Second best guess is I hit a mine. Didn't know there were mines there. Heck, didn't know there were mines anywhere. I learn something new every day here. Thanks!

I'm going to make another run at it right now and see what happens!

Cheers,

Akela

[Akela]

Okay, they win, I go around them to the North now.

This Type IIA is extremely hard to maneuver. It seems that it can't dive unless it's moving at more than 2kts.

Ah well, 3rd Career, coming up.

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by Akela

Thank you all for the advice. It wasn't the bottom though, I forgot to mention that I was rapidly spamming the depth report button the whole time and the lowest that it ever reported was an additional 25 meters. I wasn't trying to enter the Scapa Flow harbor, just pass through the strait that is south of it, hugging the Scottish coast.

Also, I mis-reported my speed, which was ahead slow, not 1/3rd.

But based on everything you guys came up I think it's most likely that they just heard me. I hadn't rigged for silent running (since I wasn't repairing I thought that wouldn't make any difference). Also, I was in a Type II.

Second best guess is I hit a mine. Didn't know there were mines there. Heck, didn't know there were mines anywhere. I learn something new every day here. Thanks!

I'm going to make another run at it right now and see what happens!

Cheers,

Akela

Unless you manually set your speed to 1 knot your really not on silent running. If you just hit the 'z' key and expect to be silent, DD's won't take long to find you and you'll start getting DC's falling nearby or right on top/below you. Long as they are using passive listening you have to run at 1 knot otherwise you might as well run at flank, they can hear and track you just the same (least at flank you have the momentum to make good knuckle turns to avoid DC's).

Scapa has a lot of minefields wherever there aren't blockships. Easiest way to get inside is at night on the surface from the West (southern strait), or anytime (day or night) during a bad storm. When the visibility is almost 0 and the waves go over the ship it's easy to get in and out of the harbor. Once (heavy rain, heavy wind, pretty much max bad weather conditions) I was able to exit through the front door (south enterance/exit) on the surface without running into any escorts or land batteries. Was quite a nerve racking operation, felt like I was streaking through a Marine barracks and just waiting for one of them to snag me and beat me to a pulp) but made it out in one piece and didn't submerge till I left the harbor.

Even after Prien infiltrated Scapa (which they were seriously lucky he didn't do it several days sooner when the majority of the home fleet was moored there) and they added more sunken bloakboats its still relatively easy to get into. Afterwards the home fleet was sent to Loch Ewe which is very tough to get into. Its possible with patientce and waiting at the subnets until the escorts are out of the way so you can partially surface to move over the subnet. Can be some juicy warships in there depending on the time but is a very high risk target to infiltrate.

With the holes in the subnets Gibraltor is probably 2nd easiest to get into (that has warships usually moored there); though if you're not careful 4 or 5 escorts can converge on your spot real fast making your life hell. Later in the war (at the least when you can transfer to La Spezia) there's usually a BB, CV and several cruisers there, sometimes more. Just be prepared that they can send an endless number of DD's after you so even if you escape the harbor you still have to get out of the straight and safety which can be just as hard even with having deep water to work with.

[Mittelwaechter]

I guess you have been at periscope depth - not at 40 meters as you assumed - and you rammed a trawler or DD or something, this destroyed your periscopes and other upper stuff. You won't get a message in that scenario. In these early days your hydrooperators are quite unexperienced and may have missed a slow moving trawler. And there are deaf spots at your bow and stern.
In the case of beeing depth charged or hitting a mine you would have been dropped out of TC.

I once hit a little freighter from Portugal right outside of Wilhelmshaven. It was sailing with 2 kts or so and couldn't move out of my way in time. Result: port diesel destroyed and heavy hull damage.
My crew even reported that freighter, but I ignored it so close to my homeport.

It was a very short trip.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Mittelwaechter

I guess you have been at periscope depth - not at 40 meters as you assumed - and you rammed a trawler or DD or something, this destroyed your periscopes and other upper stuff. You won't get a message in that scenario. In these early days your hydrooperators are quite unexperienced and may have missed a slow moving trawler. And there are deaf spots at your bow and stern.
In the case of beeing depth charged or hitting a mine you would have been dropped out of TC.

Most likely scenario

[Missing Name]

What I find amusing is if a DD runs into you on accident... and continues as if nothing happened. They might even sink later due to the damage.

Or you could be unlucky and she immediately DC spams the surface and fires all guns randomly. Then you have very little chance of repairing anything. Once saw all my boat sections go red (critical damage) because of that.

[Mittelwaechter]

Well, I want to correct my posting above: you'll get a message reporting damage after a collision, but you won't drop out of TC.



Edit: aah - first time I have an adequate avatar icon.

[Hinrich Schwab]

Originally Posted by Akela

Thank you all for the advice. It wasn't the bottom though, I forgot to mention that I was rapidly spamming the depth report button...

Having your navigator ping for depth marks you for destroyers. They can hear the ping, too. Along with what everyone else said, it sounds like everything simply went wrong for you. Also, Type II subs are poor boats for such a heavily patrolled area. Along with their sorry performance, you simply do not have enough torpedoes to be effective.

Originally Posted by Schwartzritter

Having your navigator ping for depth marks you for destroyers. They can hear the ping, too. Along with what everyone else said, it sounds like everything simply went wrong for you. Also, Type II subs are poor boats for such a heavily patrolled area. Along with their sorry performance, you simply do not have enough torpedoes to be effective.

Normally yes, but from what everybody says here on the forums, the enemy actually doesn't get alerted to your pinging them or pinging for depth. Just another unfinished component to the game. You can thank UBISoft, I guess.

Originally Posted by Hans Uberman

Normally yes, but from what everybody says here on the forums, the enemy actually doesn't get alerted to your pinging them or pinging for depth. Just another unfinished component to the game. You can thank UBISoft, I guess.

Id think they do, Ive done a test with it. I was sitting in free cam a just inside a DDs passive range and did a depth ping and he came right for me ( Iwas in his range before hand for quite some time too so it wasnt that he just discovered me)

I wish we knew for sure. Others keep saying that they can't detect it, and they have never shown in an obvious manner that they have detected it when I've used it myself.

Edit: I remember making a thread asking when to use Sonar, as I was concerned about this sort of thing. Here it is.

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by opeks1

Ye. That's very risky indeed. Maybe not as risky as Giblartar but you know?... Be carefull about Scapa mate, as this is very shallow water. If destroyers catch you there, you have got jast little chance to escape, enen early in the war, 'cause this region was very heavily defended by very qualified british forces. Remember to look out for mines and nets as well.
Good luck

Scapa is pretty safe, can go down to ~18 meters almost anywhere in the harbor. Deep enough that DD's won't run over your conning tower and depending on your speed the depth charges will explode well below you and not cause any damage as they don't explode till they hit bottom. Since bottoming your boat is tactically useless because of the game engine unless you're doing repairs you should never be sitting on the bottom anyways.

Gibraltor is all about where you get caught if a DD gets on your trail. With so many ships you can easily hid next to one/under one and wait - though only way to get out of that situation is to sink it and for that the escort needs to be careless enough to go at least 300m away from you before you can fire a shot that will sink her.

Sometimes my safest getaways have been to slam down the throttle and screw being silent, just get away to a position where you have room (depth or obstacle wise) to manuever and let them drop all the charges they want. Escorts don't seem to be so accurate when you're moving at flank and making any kind of turn (whether its just a few degrees or a knuckle); the explosions may still push you around but don't cause any damage when you're out of position. Gibraltor has holes in various places in the subnet so if you're patient you can trap escorts on the other side of them or get them to sink themselves ramming into a pier.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Schwartzritter

Having your navigator ping for depth marks you for destroyers. They can hear the ping, too. Along with what everyone else said, it sounds like everything simply went wrong for you. Also, Type II subs are poor boats for such a heavily patrolled area. Along with their sorry performance, you simply do not have enough torpedoes to be effective.

The destroyers CANNOT hear your pinging....a little crazy I agree but tis true.

[Hinrich Schwab]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

The destroyers CANNOT hear your pinging....a little crazy I agree but tis true.

You are right that it is a bit crazy as it defies logic. I'll take your word for it. I just prefer avoiding anything that could alert destroyers.