U-Boat sinks further after reaching critical depth

[Karl Hungus]

I believe that you're approaching test depth when you get the critical depth warning- the boat is actually capable of diving deeper than this. I've had a severely-damaged IXD down at 260m before.


Correct me if this is wrong:

Test Depth < Calculated Crush Depth < Actual Crush Depth (if you're lucky)

[banryu79]

Originally Posted by Karl Hungus

I believe that you're approaching test depth when you get the critical depth warning- the boat is actually capable of diving deeper than this. I've had a severely-damaged IXD down at 260m before.


Correct me if this is wrong:

Test Depth < Calculated Crush Depth < Actual Crush Depth (if you're lucky)

1) Yes, and if one use SH3Commander to launch the game a "random crush depth" feature comes for free. That's great, I mean, you take out for your next patrol and you do not know precisley how much deep you can push her...

So one of your habit when you start a patrol will become to find a suitable area to go and test how deep you can put your boat before taking damage. (in a Type VIIB I usually go to 200 meters and level, then, slowly going down in steps of 5-10 meters until stating taking damage and making my men mad on me or until I feel it's enough )
Of course, before taking your "deep diving stress test" ALWAYS designate a Damage Control team and make it ready!
Also, order a speed of 3 knots, your hydroplanes will be able to keep your boat at level.
Observe how the planesmen regulate the hydroplanes angle to keep the boat at level with different ordered speed (3 kn, 2 kn and 1 kn).


2) To correct once and for all the "crush diving bug" in the vanilla game just install the famous (and awsome) H.sie Patch. In any case, I like to fine tune my divings, so, in an emergency you could do as I do: do not press the 'C' key. No, no, don't do it. Istead issues the following commands:
- ahead flank
- Dive! (press the 'D' key)
- reaching 10 meters, when electric motors kick in: ahead full!
- now command your desidered depth (let's say 150 m.)

Then you keep mantaining 'ahead full' (or 'ahead standard') and when you are approching your chosen depth (40 meters or less, in our case 110 meters depth) command: 'ahead standard' (or 'ahead 1/3').
You can choose for a quicker but noisier descent VS a slower but less noisy one.

[Rambler241]

Diving Regulations for U-boats might be of interest. The translation from the German is a bit clunky, but both instructions and warnings are crystal clear.

Para. 113: "Attention must be paid to sufficient water depth"

Indeed.

The index page links to several other docs also, including a report on the capture and inspection of U570. which begins

"Graph," ex "U 570," is a 500-ton U-Boat, Type VIIC, and was built at the Blohm & Voss Yards, Hamburg. Commissioned on 15th May, 1941, with a crew consisting of 4 officers, 3 chief petty officers, 11 petty officers and 25 men, she carried out trials, mainly from Kiel and Horton, on Oslo Fjord, until about 23rd July, when, during a crash dive from a suspected British aircraft, she struck a reef and damaged her bows.