Merchant Ambush Ships

[scrapser]

I remember an old John Wayne movie where he was the commander of a US sub and surfaced to approach what appeared to be a harmless merchant. As they approached the ship, suddenly guns were uncovered and they opened fire on the sub. Of course, John Wayne being John Wayne...orders the sub to ram the merchant and sinks it.

Any chance something like this could be modeled in SH4?

scrapser

[CCIP]

You mean ramming? :rotfl:



***

Q-ships are technically even possible in SHIII with a small bit of modding. I think they were even planned by Ubi initially.

It'd be cool to have them as an official finished feature, though

[scrapser]

Thanks for pointing out the ambiguity. I meant modelling merchants to sometimes appear harmless when in fact they might have deck guns and could attack a surfaced submarine if it's in range. This would add some risk to those times when you think you can pick off merchant shipping on the surface without fear of attack.

scrapser

[Harry Buttle]

Originally Posted by scrapser

Thanks for pointing out the ambiguity. I meant modelling merchants to sometimes appear harmless when in fact they might have deck guns and could attack a surfaced submarine if it's in range. This would add some risk to those times when you think you can pick off merchant shipping on the surface without fear of attack.

scrapser

The Japanese did use them, the problem is that they were not very effective, one instance that I am aware of the sub just torpedoed it, thinking it was a normal merchant and it blew up and sank.

[snowsub]

http://www.hmassydney.com.au/hmassydney.html

Q ships were very effective if underestimated or ignorant.

[Harry Buttle]

Originally Posted by snowsub

http://www.hmassydney.com.au/hmassydney.html

Q ships were very effective if underestimated or ignorant.

Kormoran was an auxillary cruiser, not a Q Ship.

However, if we ignore the distinction, I still can't see how this example applies to a sub - its not as if HMAS Sydney could approach submerged and torpedo the Kormoran as per submarine doctrine and practice.

[Safe-Keeper]

You mean ramming?

No, John Wayne .

I don't know, I'm having enough problems with normal armed merchants if they aren't going to get clever, too :P (except from havin their AI improved, that is).

[snowsub]

Originally Posted by Harry Buttle

Kormoran was an auxillary cruiser, not a Q Ship.

But she had her guns hidden and was masqurading as a dutch merchant, I think that qualifies her as a Q ship in the context of a SHIV game (or SHIII for that matter)

However, if we ignore the distinction, I still can't see how this example applies to a sub - its not as if HMAS Sydney could approach submerged and torpedo the Kormoran as per submarine doctrine and practice.

Your saying you'd sink all unarmed merchant with torps and never surface and deck-gun her??

[Harry Buttle]

Originally Posted by snowsub

But she had her guns hidden and was masqurading as a dutch merchant, I think that qualifies her as a Q ship in the context of a SHIV game (or SHIII for that matter)

Yet she was rather over armed for a Q-Ship and designed as an Aux Cruiser rather than converted from a Merhant (had she been built as a Merchant Sydney would have sunk her quickly).

Very different beasts.

Originally Posted by snowsub

Your saying you'd sink all unarmed merchant with torps and never surface and deck-gun her??

Yeo, I assume all Merchants are armed.

[BettingUrlife]

Sorry, but I'm tired, as well as a little drunk, and lost completely now after the third or fourth post. Whos doing the ramming, some ship or John Wayne?