Out of gas!!!!!!

[Schroeder]

In real life one could have met up with another submarine and "borrow" some fuel. I don't think this would be too unrealistic. Especially if one runs out of fuel after loosing some to damage.

[Sailor Steve]

"Could have", yes. But did it happen?

I honestly don't know. It would be interesting to find out.

[Frame57]

Damaged boats were escorted in. Such was the case with the Bergall.

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

"Could have", yes. But did it happen?

I don't know.
But let's do the math.

1. One 7,000,000$ Submarine + crew lost

or
2. One sub that is near the stranded one sent to it's location for refuelling, resulting in the safe return of the formerly stranded sub and a shortened patrol for the second one.

I think the Navy would be better of with the second option.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

I don't know.
But let's do the math.

1. One 7,000,000$ Submarine + crew lost

or
2. One sub that is near the stranded one sent to it's location for refuelling, resulting in the safe return of the formerly stranded sub and a shortened patrol for the second one.

I think the Navy would be better of with the second option.

Nice math. But the question is still "Did it ever happen?"

[Frame57]

I seriously doubt that Lockwood would have allowed one of his boats to just sit somewhere if they "ran out of Gas". Now if a skipper allowed such an event to take place which would be ridiculous, he would not be a skipper after such a blunder. The Bergall was escorted in after sustaining damage as was the Salmon. Even though the Salmon was deemed cost ineffective to repair . We did not want our technology to fall into the hands of the enemy. Scuttling would be ordered before such a thing would happen. Now I have too read and read (Thanks Steve....) to see if any of the fleet boats ran out of gas.....Where do i start?

[Max2147]

I know that U-boats would refuel at sea, and sometimes they'd get an emergency tanker or a tow if they ran out of gas near a friendly port at the end of a mission. I know that one U-boat captain finished his patrol on batteries because he didn't want the embarrassment of needing a tow into base.

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Nice math. But the question is still "Did it ever happen?"

Does it matter?
Maybe there has never been a case that a sub ran out of fuel. But that would not mean that no help would have been sent if it had happened. To me it is just logical to help a stranded (and maybe even undamaged) submarine. Besides you have to sent a vessel to get the crew anyway so why not refuelling it?

[Sniper31]

This used to happen to me alot in the early days when I first got SH4. What I do now is keep a better eye on my fuel level and watch my speed (as mentioned above, Standard is the best for fuel economy). Also, if on a long mission, during day light hours I will travel submerged to save fuel, then run on the surface in the dark and recharge. This of course also helps with staying undetected, but the fuel savings with this method are not huge by any means. All that surfacing and diving is a good way to work on your incoming air raid drills and emergency diving for sudden surface detections.

[Schroeder]

Actually you even loose fuel by doing this because the batteries have to be recharged by the diesel engines once you are on the surface again.