What would you have done?

[GJO]

My wife thinks I should be doing something 'more appropriate' than playing games at my age but I do find SH3 with GWX totally addictive.

The game never fails to surprise - for example, in an early patrol crossing the North Sea en route to the North Atlantic (for reference just after the invasion of Norway), the Watch Officer reported spotting an aircraft on the horizon - I looked through the binoculars and could see that it was either performing aerobatics or attacking something on the surface. I decided to investigate by altering course towards it and shortly afterwards the Watch Officer reported 'ship spotted' - as I got closer, I could see what appeared to be a Ju 88 (or it could have been an Me 210) attacking a large Norwegian merchant - the latter was already on fire and stopped in the water. As I approached the aircraft flew off back towards the Norwegian coast leaving me to sink the ship by gunfire - an easy and unexpected prize!

I think the game also has educational advantages, since starting to play, I have re-read Otto Kretschmer's biography, 'The Golden Horseshoe' and am now reading that of Captain Johnny Walker, 'The Fighting Captain' which was bought for Christmas thanks to some comments made in these forums.

[Leandros]

Originally Posted by GJO

My wife thinks I should be doing something 'more appropriate' than playing games at my age but I do find SH3 with GWX totally addictive..

He-he, good to hear it's not just me. I find it quite addictive, too but it would have been nice to have a wolf pack capacity.

Originally Posted by GJO

The game never fails to surprise - for example, in an early patrol crossing the North Sea en route to the North Atlantic (for reference just after the invasion of Norway), the Watch Officer reported spotting an aircraft on the horizon - I looked through the binoculars and could see that it was either performing aerobatics or attacking something on the surface. I decided to investigate by altering course towards it and shortly afterwards the Watch Officer reported 'ship spotted' - as I got closer, I could see what appeared to be a Ju 88 (or it could have been an Me 210) attacking a large Norwegian merchant - the latter was already on fire and stopped in the water. As I approached the aircraft flew off back towards the Norwegian coast leaving me to sink the ship by gunfire - an easy and unexpected prize!..

Good for you that you had the gun as there were extreme problems with the German torpedoes in that campaign......

Originally Posted by GJO

I think the game also has educational advantages, since starting to play, I have re-read Otto Kretschmer's biography, 'The Golden Horseshoe' and am now reading that of Captain Johnny Walker, 'The Fighting Captain' which was bought for Christmas thanks to some comments made in these forums.

I find it very interesting to compare the game with the actual history. As I have written a book on Operation Sea Lion I have made a few scenarios where I have put in some elements of the German planning for that operation. Many historians think the German U-boat fleet would have meant little in that operation but Dønitz actually planned to use all the 44 boats available at the time - not counting those temporarily out of service. I have looked through all the boats and captains available in the period Aug/Sep 1940 - it is quite impressive, they had already racked up a decent score and experience.

Another common misunderstanding is that U-boats couldn't/shouldn't operate in the English Channel. This stems from the impression that it is too shallow and the problem with British minefields, taken from the fact that 3 German boats were sunk there early in the war. In 1940, however, the routes into the Channel were fairly safe along the mineswept French coast in the East and covered by the Luftwaffe in the West. In the Summer of 1940 all Royal Navy daytime operations in the Channel without fighter cover were restricted due to their bad experiences with German bombers in the previous months. As we know RAF was notoriusly bad in providing such. This restriction was valid till 1944.

After all, the Channel has an average depth of 120 meters and in the deepest places 200 m. Even the Eastern approach is almost 50 m. deep in the middle. So, also in the game it is no problem to go through it during this period. Any RN traffic near by you, if you cling to the coast, is unrealistic as the German coastal batteries had full radar coverage in Sept. 1940. RN had great respect for those.

Personally, I am doing it quite easy for myself as I play on 74 % reality. I don't think there was ever as good a torpedo officer in the German navy as the one on my boat. WTH, it's a game and it shall be a little fun, not too serious.

Fred

Below:

Some pictures from a Sea Lion scenario - in the ten days before the operation Luftwaffe should go after the RN in its bases. This was never done in RL. Portsmouth bombed.

Last picture: Small part of an SHIII invasion scenario.

[GJO]

It is perhaps fortunate that, in real life, the Nazi war campaigns were being directed overall by someone who was no longer capable of rational deliberation. History shows us how the human brain so often provides unpredictable outcomes.

[Kielhauler1961]

The agony of choice...I know that feeling.

A similar thing has just happened to one of my skippers, in a Type II NE of Aberdeen in September 1939.

We had one torpedo left (T1) and were perfectly lined up on a fat merchant plodding south towards my cross-hairs when my soundman picks up multiple warship echoes off to the south at about 18k, closing fast.

We surfaced and spun the boat towards the estimated track and were rewarded (teased?) a short while later by the majestic sight of the Home Fleet racing directly across my bows at a little over 5-6,000m.

They were led by HMS Hood - the first time I have ever seen her in the flesh in eight years of playing this game - and she was followed by a Renown class, an Illustrious class, both the Nelsons, three Southamptons and about 8 destroyers, all doing 25kts and not keeping a very good lookout.

I was in a perfect shooting position and still had the large merchant in sight at 7,000m astern of me!

So, a high probability of success against a large merchant or a slim chance of glory...?

"Target leading warship - LOS!"

The torpedo hissed away at 40kts and I turned the boat and made off on the surface at high speed into the night.

Dunno what happened to the torpedo but it didn't go bang (mag, 11.6m, shade over 5,300m when fired) and the warships continued merrily on their way, as did one lucky merchant.

All I had to show for the juiciest encounter I have ever had with SH/GWX was an 'enemy contact report' which BdU kindly acknowledged about five hours later.

Oh well, maybe next time. If anyone would like the position, course and time of this contact, pm me, if GWX would replicate it.

KH