Full realism Campaign Series using the GWX OneAlex Edition

[Hooston]

My understanding from others on this forum is that the problem with running "decks awash" is one of safety. In running decks awash you have a similar problem to maintaining periscope depth, but with a lot less margin to play with and a dead watch crew if you get it wrong. Worse, the sudden change in flow patterns from no water on deck to water on the deck would make for very unstable hydrodynamics. I guess it was possible for a good crew in calm weather but much too dangerous otherwise.
The only historical accounts I am aware of are Gunther Prien in Scapa Flow and Herbert Werner in the Bay of Biscay (in the book Iron Coffins). See https://uboat.net/forums/read.php?3,...4391#msg-34391 It sounds like the technique was to run with slight negative bouyancy and the planes at an up angle; but hard to see how this could be controlled, especially at high speed.

Gamewise I have no idea if decks awash actually makes a difference in game and whether it was considered when the modders were setting detection parameters. It's a bit like sneaking some unrealistic extra knots out of the boat with realistic hydroplane angles...

[Tonci87]

Episode 62

A lone Target meets a very explosive end

[iambecomelife]

Loving it! Especially when I don't have time for a career myself, the videos and play style are very good - thanks for sharing

[Tonci87]

Episode 63
We take a look at something unique

[Hooston]

I strongly disagree with your comments on SH3 aircraft.
Coastal Command did indeed operate the PBY/Catalina (and also the Liberator and B17) . In fact a few months later than shown in your video it was a Catalina (being flown by a "neutral" US aviator on exchange) that regained contact with the Bismarck as it made for Brest. The PBY was famously slow, so plenty of time to dive.
The problem with a bomb is that if it is reasonably powerful it has to have a delay fuse to protect the dropping aircraft, which would mean it would explode too deep unless it was a direct hit. Depth charges replaced bombs but it was found fairly soon that using any settings other than 25 feet was a waste of time as the chances of a hit on a uboat that was below periscope depth were too small to worry about. SH3 does not capture this very well and airborne depth charges are a threat at moderate depths.

A uboat was a terrible gun platform and indeed it was found that manually aimed AA guns were incredibly bad at hitting anything. The Bismarck mounted a large array of AA weaponry (including 12 20mm flak and 16 dodgy 37mm flak) but failed to down a single biplane aircraft in two separate attacks in which the attacking aircraft got close enough to use their machine guns against the battleship. Several Swordfish were damaged, and yes some did break off their attacks. However it is unlikely that a single 20mm would have that effect, In photos I have seen of uboats under attack it is the uboat crew that are hiding from the aircraft guns.
Late war boats with many more flak guns managed to bring down slightly more aircraft than boats destroyed, but the British were prepared to accept this ratio. Most attacks would be a no-score draw. Towards the end of the war a boat that chose to fight it out on the surface was a big threat to a Swordfish from an escort carrier, but the aircraft could wait until the boat started to dive, or whistle up some Wildcats to strafe, or call up the nearest escort. Late war Swordfish were armed with rockets, which helped considerably.

Sadly there's not much that can be done for the SH3 AI. For example the Catalinas did not attack on their first pass because of a known bug with one of the highest levels of crew experience.


Having said all that, great video. Even if you were trolling for footage by not diving during the air attack....

[Tonci87]

Episode 64
Scary things happen at night

[Tonci87]

Episode 65
U 55 finally encounters a convoy, but things don´t go according to the captains plan

[Hooston]

"Goddam torpedo malfunctions"
No, not that one

"I have the feeling that I am getting rusty"
Getting closer...

Normally you are super cool in a crisis, but this time you seemed to spend a lot of time dithering instead of firing torpedoes. You then got red/green colour blindness on the AOB gauge. I love the way you get it wrong twice, once for the bow tubes then again in reverse for the stern tube shot. Then you accidentally sank the biggest ship in the convoy instead of the "meh" C3 cargo you aimed at!
I noticed the weather report changed to "excellent visibility" for a short time just after you first dived. Was there a temporary change in visibility? I didn't think that was a thing in SH3, but I've not played OneAlex.
Exciting stuff nonetheless. I actually prefer ranting at your videos to playing the game myself. More practice needed, which means posting more often

[Tonci87]

Yeah, I realized the AOB mistake after all the comments came flooding in
I think the weather report always changes to excellent visibility when I´m deep...
Anyway, here is the next part of the attack, and maybe an explanation for why I have been detected when approaching the convoy.

Episode 66

[Hooston]

You have to stop making excuses for your useless weapons officer on the TDC. i suggest you reassign him when you get back to port. You might also want to discipline the watch crew for admiring each other through their binoculars instead of looking out for aircraft.

As some have pointed out the oiler you sank first was a new US fleet oiler, seemingly operating under a Royal Navy flag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimarr...s_oiler_(1939). So much for US neutrality. History does not remember this ship and the brave men who died on her, or the experimental rotating VHF radar she carried.

The Irish Government allowed RAF aircraft operating from Northern Ireland to overfly their territory using the "Donegal corridor" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donegal_Corridor starting in early 1941. The Germans were not told about this.

[Tonci87]

Episode 67
This is a close one


Episode 68
We end the patrol, but the way to Lorient is dangerous