English channel

[4saken]

I have read numerous posts saying stay away from the english channel.
But why?I mean when France falls, why not sale as close as possible to the french coast (like 3-4 kms)?Royal navy wont be a threat and even RAF will have trouble by the Luftwaffe...

[Jimbuna]

STAY OUT OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL!!

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

STAY OUT OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL!!

BE MORE AGGRESSIVE!!! Early in the war you frequently run across lightly escorted convoys in the channel which can be quite lucrative. Mines are a major consideration, usually manage to hit 1 out of every 5 or so trips through it, aircraft traffic can be really heavy once they spot you. Water is (relatively) shallow, most of it at most 50m or so deep which makes the whole thing like a several hundred km harbor raid. Just a few eels or only the deck gun can come out of the channel with 20k-30k tons of shipping sunk before you even start your main patrol! You got the whole risk/reward cunnundrum going on there.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Tessa

...usually manage to hit 1 out of every 5 or so trips through it...

You got the whole risk/reward cunnundrum going on there.

Risks? How about you tell yourself that if you die in the game you put it away and don't play for a year?

For me hitting one mine - EVER - is unacceptable. Sure it happens, but I can't look at a game like this as just a game. Risking death for a purpose is okay to me, but for a higher score? Not me, thanks.

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Risks? How about you tell yourself that if you die in the game you put it away and don't play for a year?

For me hitting one mine - EVER - is unacceptable. Sure it happens, but I can't look at a game like this as just a game. Risking death for a purpose is okay to me, but for a higher score? Not me, thanks.

At the end of the day SH3 is a game, and meant to be enjoyed. Taking risks is part of what got made all the aces, aces. They weren't afraid to be take the bull by the horns and think outside the box to get the job done. 1) Being the wrong gender kept me away from ever serving on a Submarine and 2)by the time I would have graduated from OCS I would have shortly after been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that would have got me a medical discharge whether I liked it or not. I wish I could speak from experience but life just robbed me of it.

Part of the fun in the game is using your own creativity to accomplish the ultimate goal of sinking more ships. Finding new ways or methods that wouldn't have been considered except by the boldest of captain at the time is what makes the game fun (for me at least).

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Risks? How about you tell yourself that if you die in the game you put it away and don't play for a year?

For me hitting one mine - EVER - is unacceptable. Sure it happens, but I can't look at a game like this as just a game. Risking death for a purpose is okay to me, but for a higher score? Not me, thanks.

[Missing Name]

Far too risky, even for my liking. The farthest in I've ever gone is Dunkirk.

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Carlos Hathcock, one hellava great Marine

Originally Posted by Obltn Strand

For first flotilla boats the game sometimes gives orders to patrol channel grids. Quite nerve wrecking patrols.

Type II D is good tool for the narrow and shalllow waters of the channel. Fast diver and hard to spot both surfaced and submerged. Still warships and especially destroyers are to be avoided.

To quote old finnish by word: who fears doesn't play.

Ducks (what type II's were referred to as by other Kaleuns) generally didn't venture much out of the North Sea with their greatly diminished range. Many great Kaleuns got their first command on board a type II. A duck is just as capable of sinking a BB as any type VII/IX; aiming and accuracy are what really counts on the small boats. They're fun to play as they present a real challenge in conducting a successful patrol (which for them, 5000 tons would have been a great patrol) given their range and small torpedo load. Since they fire the same torpedoes as all other subs they're just as capable of sinking a BB, need accurate aiming and solutions to hit em in their most vulnerable spots where they can sometimes sink with just 1 eel.

Fortune favors the bold - Alexander the Great

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

STAY OUT OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL!!

That was my thought when i saw the thread title.

[Falkirion]

The only time the channel should be used is before the outbreak of hostilities in 39, and after the German surrender in 45. For all intents and purposes (for me at least) its too much risk, and not enough reward to try and run the channel.

[Tripitaka]

The English Channel . . . Hmmm

SH3+GWX3+SC3.2

May 1940

Last patrol was assigned patrol area NULL due to a previous visit to a "cow" so decided to patrol BF19? Liner Alley but didnt make it that far.

Passing Calais decided to look in on the Harbour, then Le Havre, Cherbourg and finally Portland.

Portland only guarded by 2x ASW + 2x VW class at this time, get rid of them and you can deck-gun everything in sight - oooh yeah!

Made it home with 94700 Tons under my belt.

Love raiding harbours but watch out for those Sub Nets, they a REAL Farcup for the inexperienced.

And no problems with mines either . . . at 20 odd metres depth raise your 'scope just out of the houseing and plot your way through - no worries!

[Sailor Steve]

@ Tessa: Sorry, I didn't mean to sound harsh. I was mostly referring to the way I think when I play, which I admit is a little strange compared to most people.

As for the gender thing, why don't you hit Neal up for a custom avatar? They're free to people of your "persuasion".

[Obltn Strand]

For first flotilla boats the game sometimes gives orders to patrol channel grids. Quite nerve wrecking patrols.

Type II D is good tool for the narrow and shalllow waters of the channel. Fast diver and hard to spot both surfaced and submerged. Still warships and especially destroyers are to be avoided.

To quote old finnish by word: who fears doesn't play.

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

As for the gender thing, why don't you hit Neal up for a custom avatar? They're free to people of your "persuasion".

Neal must be quite the Gentleman, thanks for the info

[Synthfg]

Originally Posted by Falkirion

The only time the channel should be used is before the outbreak of hostilities in 39, and after the German surrender in 45. For all intents and purposes (for me at least) its too much risk, and not enough reward to try and run the channel.

Dunkirk and D-Day ?
for those with balls of steel and not much to return to