Best place to find warships?

[Bronzewing]

I've gotten into scapa several times, and Gibralta once or twice, only warship I ever found was an Old revenge class ww1 drednaught one time in Scapa. Are there specific dates when the ships are in port or is it random?

[Tomcat84]

Stumbled across these two bad boys by chance in AM 32, late february 1940. I chose to focus my 4 torps on the HMS Hood and as you can see it worked!

They were escorted by 5 or 6 destroyers but I found a gap haha

It was sort of coincidental too. I was travelling around Britain to go to the bay of biscay / atlantic area when intel came up about a convoy ENE of me travelling west. So i plotted a position to ambush it, waited, and the time i had calculated with the given speed, nothing had showed. I decided to wait a little bit longer and then my sonarman had these guys as a contact, coming from the west!

Funny thing





Amazingly,

the next day when i was about to get underway south again, I found a completely unescorted convoy coming my way with about 20 merchants, but, in the center, a Nelson class battleship!! And not a destroyer in sight.

But i thought it'd be unrealistic to sink two huge capital ships in one cruise so i only went for the merchants and sank 5 of em (although the game only credited me with 4)

88000 tons, my best patrol yet !!! I'm loving this game all over again

[Erich dem Roten]

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't sure if vanilla SH3 would consider historical happenings and add the appropriate ships/shipping. Also, I'm a bit bummed now because I managed to sneak into Gibraltar before, in horrid weather, and only saw a T2 Tanker and a bunch of smashed-up destroyers in berths. I never tried to check around for a capital ship to the NW

[StarLion45]

It's a terrible weather sometimes!
But remember , in fog and rain it is almost impossible to spot you
In Gibraltar harbour you will see , 2 "Southampton" class ,1 "Warspite",
in the northeast corner close to the harbour .And besides you have "HMS Nelson" too in the northwest corner:p And you can run silent out of that harbour , reload , and go back in again Be sure to run silent , and in periscope depth about 13-14 meters Then you became a very , very , dangerous "Silent Hunter"

[StarLion45]

It is very shallow in area where those Battleships are (Gibraltar),
I forgot to tell you guys that
Therefore stay on 13-14 meters debth

GOOD LUCK

[BasilY]

The KG5, Nelson, and acompanying Didos, Fijis will show up south-south-west of Crete 2-3 days into a mediteranean patrol (Most likely from Malta to Alexandria). I am based in Suda Bay (no magic carpet), I meet them every patrol from 1942 all the way until April 45, my last patrol. It's too easy already to the point it's no longer fun.

In my previous career, You can alway lay outside Hebrides to attack Task Forces going from Scapa to Firth.

[meduza]

Originally Posted by StarLion45

It is very shallow in area where those Battleships are (Gibraltar),
I forgot to tell you guys that
Therefore stay on 13-14 meters debth

GOOD LUCK

That's way I chose to approach on the surface at night (which probably wouldn't be a good idea later in the war because of the radar - I did it in June 1941), and dived to periscope depth just before the first torpedo impact, going for the deeper water in the center and east side of the bay, and passed bellow the net (~50m depth).

[Cezbor]

(...) going for the deeper water in the center and east side of the bay (...)

Be aware of a minefield right in the center of the bay (may 1942). Yesterday I've hit one of these baybies. I was lucky it cosed only minor damage (6% HI). I suggest east approach. Theres deeper water. Be aware of the subnet too. Good luck

[meduza]

I guess I was very lucky not hitting the mine, as I passed almost through the center of the bay, little bit to the east. Twice.

I did hit the net once, assuming that there is a gap in the middle, because one patrol craft constantly monitors the area. There's no gap.

And I agree with you, it's safer on the eastern side.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by BasilY

The KG5, Nelson, and acompanying Didos, Fijis will show up south-south-west of Crete 2-3 days into a mediteranean patrol (Most likely from Malta to Alexandria). I am based in Suda Bay (no magic carpet), I meet them every patrol from 1942 all the way until April 45, my last patrol. It's too easy already to the point it's no longer fun.

In my previous career, You can alway lay outside Hebrides to attack Task Forces going from Scapa to Firth.

That can easily become a bit of a game killer after a while.

[StarLion45]

I was on my patrol to DH area , and I don't see a ship for a while.
When I was finished to do my duty , I decided to take a trip to Gibraltar harbour
to bag 36000ton Battleship HMS Nelson
I am in late 1942 and I have a VII sub.
I was almost in ,when a destroyer pinging me and finished me
So I never , never patrol in Gibraltar harbour in 1942-45 again .NEVER

[BasilY]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

That can easily become a bit of a game killer after a while.

I agree, it spoils the fun of the hunt and ruins any pleasant surprises, now I will only visit there in transit and will no longer sit there and wait for the BB. And I may not start another career in the Mediterranean again after this career.

But on the subject of BB killing, it is a great place to go. Deep water (my new VII/42 can go really deep), predictable route , lots of high value targets to choose from. I will either use a 4-torps spread on a big Nelson or one each against the Fijis/didos. Almost a guaranteed a 30kt trip. If you are ambitious and accurate, you may try a 2-torp spread at each of the battleships. If you are lucky, you may get them both. (I try, but manage to sink only one of the two at best, sometimes both ship will survived 2 hits each...)

On the subject of easy battleship kills, don't forget the Italia and Roma, they are guarded by the toothless Soldati class when making a run to join the allies August 43.

[astak9]

Originally Posted by Tomcat84

Stumbled across these two bad boys by chance in AM 32, late february 1940. I chose to focus my 4 torps on the HMS Hood and as you can see it worked!

They were escorted by 5 or 6 destroyers but I found a gap haha

It was sort of coincidental too. I was travelling around Britain to go to the bay of biscay / atlantic area when intel came up about a convoy ENE of me travelling west. So i plotted a position to ambush it, waited, and the time i had calculated with the given speed, nothing had showed. I decided to wait a little bit longer and then my sonarman had these guys as a contact, coming from the west!

Funny thing





Amazingly,

the next day when i was about to get underway south again, I found a completely unescorted convoy coming my way with about 20 merchants, but, in the center, a Nelson class battleship!! And not a destroyer in sight.

But i thought it'd be unrealistic to sink two huge capital ships in one cruise so i only went for the merchants and sank 5 of em (although the game only credited me with 4)

88000 tons, my best patrol yet !!! I'm loving this game all over again

Amazing, I've just sunk the HMS Hood in Scapa. (sept 5th 1939)

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by astak9

Amazing, I've just sunk the HMS Hood in Scapa. (sept 5th 1939)

You do realise you've just stole the glory from the Bismarck....dont you!!

[Cezbor]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

You do realise you've just stole the glory from the Bismarck....dont you!!

Sons of Albion managed to raise it up and refit, that explains why Bismarck was so successful in sinking it on may 1941. Bismarck's shell must have stroke the hole made earlier by Tomcat84:rotfl: ................. :rotfl: