GWX - through the english channel

[irish1958]

I got through the English Channel one time. In 1939 just before the war started, I went through at flank speed. When I was through, I was out of fuel tho.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Pablo

Hi!

I guess that's why they call it the "English" Channel.

Pablo

Yep, in those days....Britannia definitely 'ruled the waves'

[DeadlyTigger]

I'm actually currently going through the English Channel right now... It's 1939 and the war has just started. First patrol with my VIIB.

I do have to say... it certainly keeps you on your toes, but I'm sort of liking the excitement and the sneaky creeping around. I'm not sure if I'll do it again though. Although the channel is definitely loaded with open targets this early in the war. Just pull out the deck gun, get as many critical shots as possible, and then high-tail it out of there fast. Preferably at dusk. So far I've sunk 3 merchants this way. And also 2 destroyers with torps. They were 'hunting' me.

The biggest bugger for me is the darned airplanes. I'm not so hip on airplane types, but they seem to be Spitfires. Small, fast, and they're on us before we even really spot them.

So we'll see how this goes. I'm almost out of the channel but currently being depth charged... Airplane caught me getting ready to submerge at the brink of morning.

[Sailor Steve]

Seahunter, welcome aboard and welcome to the (virtual) real world of the u-boat.

Originally Posted by Puster Bill

Really, in 1939 you should be able to get through the Channel. Historically it was done. After that, well, viel gluck with that.

Sure, August 1939! Reasonably, if you leave Wilhelmshaven and run the the Channel as fast as you can, you should be through before September 3rd and Britain is still neutral. I did that once in a heavily modded stock game and was even escorted by a British DD for awhile.

[Iron Budokan]

Stop trying to sneak through the channel underwater. The way the game is configured you can fool the AI if you go flank speed on the surface with your gramaphone blaring. Also, firing your deck gun at irregular intervals towards Dover will "fool" the AI into thinking you're just another destroyer looking for a submarine.

[Puster Bill]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Seahunter, welcome aboard and welcome to the (virtual) real world of the u-boat.

Sure, August 1939! Reasonably, if you leave Wilhelmshaven and run the the Channel as fast as you can, you should be through before September 3rd and Britain is still neutral. I did that once in a heavily modded stock game and was even escorted by a British DD for awhile.

Well, I seem to recall that the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen made it through the Channel in early 1942:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cerberus

True, they used some subterfuge, and the British were singularly and uncharacteristically unalert, but they did make it. It should be HARD to make it through the Channel, but not IMPOSSIBLE.

In my current game, it's early 1940, and I'm taking my VIIB up between Wales and Ireland, then I'm going to go through The Minch. You have to be on your toes, but it's worth it target wise.

[Mowinz]

The English Channel tour is awesome! Last career I had (October, 1939) I was driving an IXB....took the scenic route towards Dover before I went for some TC. Time Compression is not good when entering the Channel. The career ended because I was traveling at full flank with TC.

Couldn't recover from the DC's because I had no Officers with (Repair) qualifications. Anyhoo......tried my best to get the boat together and spent the next hour trying to get out of dodge.

My ship was in trouble resting on the channel floor. Tried everything...

Checked the surface action with that little cheat button and WOW! Six or seven ships both big and small with flares and spotlights everywhere looking for my boat.

There were no survivors....

Cheers

[Kaleu. Jochen Mohr]

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
seems no one dares to go trough...

ok here are some tips (crused trough in 1939-1940-1942 AND 1944 )

if you start from Willemshaven you can stay surfaced till you get between calais (or however its called) and dover

then go to PD and set speed to 1-2 knots with silent running on...
stay in the middle... its the deepest part and has NO mines...

no the bigges tip: DONT FIRE A TORPEDO THERE!!! , or you get like 3-4 DD's,8 Elco's and 5 Armed Trawlers on ur butt.
IF you are spotted then u dont have any option left. GO TO PD AND IGNORE THE ELCO'S!!! just destroy the DD's... the Armed trawlers will just swirl arround you.
(and this is fun) when germany has runn over France go to calais with the swirling Trawlers...
when passed the Dover/Calais line your quite safe... not much about 3 DD's 2 Elco's and 1-3 trawlers trough the rest of the channal.

i hope this will help some ppl.
(this can also be used when ur going towards Willemshaven)

edit: forgot somthing important... : YOU GOTTA BE HALF NUTZ TO DO IT THIS WAY !! but it works

edit 2: gonna do it on a other way... gonna say it with picts

[Brag]

Mohr, thank you for the good info. You're nutz but you do good work.

[Kaleu. Jochen Mohr]

Originally Posted by Brag

Mohr, thank you for the good info. You're nutz but you do good work.

thanks Brag
already making picts for the persons who got confused of the above post.
or just for a bit more help :hmm:

[Kaleu. Jochen Mohr]

ok everyone... made a picture tutorial of how to pass the channal

do DL the file click here
http://files.filefront.com/how+to+ge.../fileinfo.html

[Schöneboom]

That's my kind of crazy, Kaleu! When I get transferred to France, I'm taking a trip to sunny Italia -- a 2-way trip via Gibraltar! I'll send you a postcard!

Certifiably loony, and proud of it!

[Kpt. Lehmann]

LOL, that tutorial will be obsolete the moment GWX v1.04 is released.:rotfl:

[Kaleu. Jochen Mohr]

Originally Posted by Schöneboom

That's my kind of crazy, Kaleu! When I get transferred to France, I'm taking a trip to sunny Italia -- a 2-way trip via Gibraltar! I'll send you a postcard!

Certifiably loony, and proud of it!

wanna go trough the virgin ? dive and stay at 150m and set speed to max5 knots.
silent running and also STAY IN THE MIDDLE !
dive max 500m and minimum 1500m before you enter the virgin
that way you wont get bothered by the 12 DD's 8 Elco's and DOZZENS of airplanes

edit: if i remember correctly i have a postcard of napoli somwhere on SSF

[Nuoz]

Originally Posted by Iron Budokan

Stop trying to sneak through the channel underwater. The way the game is configured you can fool the AI if you go flank speed on the surface with your gramaphone blaring. Also, firing your deck gun at irregular intervals towards Dover will "fool" the AI into thinking you're just another destroyer looking for a submarine.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: wait... :hmm: are you serious?