Ever pulled a Capt. Dodge?

[fastfed]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

In real life you can't see very far underwater, and it's dark, and the periscope seals are not overly strong, so it's a bad idea to raise one at much deeper than periscope depth. Matching speed and course with a moving ship is difficult even on a good day.

In real life, when Persicope was down.. I assume it has a door ontop of it, that closes?

Obviously in the game it just goes into a tube, but wide open to all the elements.

This technique was actually used by submarines of the Red Banner Soviet Fleet to evade Western ASW units during the Cold War but with very mixed results. In October 1962 the Project 641 (NATO codename Foxtrot) B-36 (Capt A. Dubivko) ran the Caicos Passage undetected in the wake of a 10,000 GRT tanker during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

It wasn't a popular manuever, some time before another Northern Fleet boat practicing coat-tailing a merchant had been sliced up by the freighter's prop and was almost lost.

See Peter Huchthausen's book, October Fury.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by fastfed

In real life, when Persicope was down.. I assume it has a door ontop of it, that closes?

Obviously in the game it just goes into a tube, but wide open to all the elements.

No door. The seals which keep water from getting into the periscope well can only stand so much pressure. And pressure builds up fast. Maybe they could use them a little deeper - I'm not sure. But periscopes that don't work well at night aren't going to work well as the depth makes the water darker.

I think the biggest question is, are there any accounts of subs using the periscopes at greater depths to track ships from underwater?

[fastfed]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

No door. The seals which keep water from getting into the periscope well can only stand so much pressure. And pressure builds up fast. Maybe they could use them a little deeper - I'm not sure. But periscopes that don't work well at night aren't going to work well as the depth makes the water darker.

I think the biggest question is, are there any accounts of subs using the periscopes at greater depths to track ships from underwater?

I once read where a sailor put on a mask and had a flashlight.. They put him into a torpedo tube and they opened the door. He used to look around for a bout 10 seconds then they would open the door again and let him in..

This tactic was very popular with this particular u-boat. They would do it all the time.. Then one time during a fight, they forgot to let him back in.. Thinking the torpedo tube was loaded because it triggered the load que, they fired him at a merchant.. The craziest thing... He ran straight hot and normal all the way to the merchant and banged on the hull with his flashlight for hours, till a hole began to form.. The merchant finally sunk 8 hours later with the entire crew (both sides) in total confusion..

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by fastfed

I once read where a sailor put on a mask and had a flashlight.. They put him into a torpedo tube and they opened the door. He used to look around for a bout 10 seconds then they would open the door again and let him in..

This tactic was very popular with this particular u-boat. They would do it all the time.. Then one time during a fight, they forgot to let him back in.. Thinking the torpedo tube was loaded because it triggered the load que, they fired him at a merchant.. The craziest thing... He ran straight hot and normal all the way to the merchant and banged on the hull with his flashlight for hours, till a hole began to form.. The merchant finally sunk 8 hours later with the entire crew (both sides) in total confusion..

Pull the other one, it has bells on.

[vienna]

Amen to that, frau kaleun!

I never tried the "Dodge" tactic in SH3, But once, in SH2, I needed a few more seconds to complete a reload while attacking from inside a convoy. I was about to be intercepted by an escort when I decided to come alongside, submerged, a large tanker I had hit. It was ablaze and still floating. The escort stood off and started to circle the tanker, waiting for me to come out of cover. That's when the tanker blew up in a massive explosion. Suddenly, I had all kinds damage and was dead in the water. To top it off, the tanker capsized and took me down with it. It was a spectacular and embarassing way to go.

[JokerOfFate]

Don't worry, time heals all (I should know I've done that way too many times)

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by vienna

Amen to that, frau kaleun!

I never tried the "Dodge" tactic in SH3, But once, in SH2, I needed a few more seconds to complete a reload while attacking from inside a convoy. I was about to be intercepted by an escort when I decided to come alongside, submerged, a large tanker I had hit. It was ablaze and still floating. The escort stood off and started to circle the tanker, waiting for me to come out of cover. That's when the tanker blew up in a massive explosion. Suddenly, I had all kinds damage and was dead in the water. To top it off, the tanker capsized and took me down with it. It was a spectacular and embarassing way to go.

Tankers do tend to be full of things that go boom in a very big way.

[desirableroasted]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I think the biggest question is, are there any accounts of subs using the periscopes at greater depths to track ships from underwater?

This website is where scuba divers report visibility around the UK (often around WWII wrecks).

http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/viz/latest.php3

As you can see, you pretty much wouldn't be able to see anything more than 20 meters away, and certainly not far enough away to do a valid firing solution.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by fastfed

I once read ...

This tactic was very popular with this particular u-boat.

When posting a story as wild as that you need to show something a little more specific than "I once read".

[JokerOfFate]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

This website is where scuba divers report visibility around the UK (often around WWII wrecks).

http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/viz/latest.php3

As you can see, you pretty much wouldn't be able to see anything more than 20 meters away, and certainly not far enough away to do a valid firing solution.

Some say that the Viz was pretty good, other than that it depends on temp., depth, amount of life, time and weather.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by JokerOfFate

Some say that the Viz was pretty good, other than that it depends on temp., depth, amount of life, time and weather.

True. Just outside of Subic Bay looking down from our destroyer's signal bridge I could see the bottom, and the dolphins swimming under our ship.

But I'm always less concerned with arguing about "could they do it" than finding confirmation of "did they do it".

[JokerOfFate]

I think they would if they could mostly because imagine what they could do.

[fastfed]

Originally Posted by desirableroasted

This website is where scuba divers report visibility around the UK (often around WWII wrecks).

http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/viz/latest.php3

As you can see, you pretty much wouldn't be able to see anything more than 20 meters away, and certainly not far enough away to do a valid firing solution.

Actually.. That website shows me that they "COULD" of used the scope to see.. I would like to see the depth on some of those subs.. I am willing to bet on a good day (DURING THE DAY OF COURSE) a captain could see 30+ feet.. Still wouldn't do any good, other then making sure they don't surface on a vessel

[JokerOfFate]

Originally Posted by fastfed

Actually.. That website shows me that they "COULD" of used the scope to see.. I would like to see the depth on some of those subs.. I am willing to bet on a good day (DURING THE DAY OF COURSE) a captain could see 30+ feet.. Still wouldn't do any good, other then making sure they don't surface on a vessel

Dodge depth charges maybe or even iding ships under water