I think i finally figured out the IX boat appeal

[CybrSlydr]

You could always get SH3 Commander and choose your own patrol grid.

In regards to the shipping... Can't say. Never bothered to go that far. lmfao

[JSalinger]

Not ready for SH3 Commander quite yet...still a bit of a newb. ::grins:: But in case anyone is wondering, I checked out the Bay of Bothnia (or Gulf of Bothnia) last night in July '40...if you're hoping to find some Russian and Swedish fishing boats, maybe pick up some lutefisk and caviar, great place to go. Otherwise...wait till June '41 to go sink the Russian ones. :p

[CybrSlydr]

Actually, there's not a whole lot in the way of "readiness" needed for SH3 Commander.

It's a program that runs outside of SH3 - you launch it prior to playing (it even has a Launch SH3 button). It generates alot of really neat stuff, giving your Kaleun a background, allowing you to give out more than the alotted medals, promote all who are of experience instead of only 2 or 3, etc.

It's really very handy and pretty cool!

[Ducimus]

almost forgot to mentions mods im running., im running this version of unified campaign.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=93647


I retouched the traffic in the US east coast, caribean, and indian oceans a little bit. Details are in the readme if your intrested.

[JSalinger]

Hmm...I like that sound of that, Cybr...

[Keelbuster]

How did I miss another hack at the VII/IX debate? Maybe I'm still learning to read this new forum style. Anyway - Ducimus - if you want to sail over open seas, for weeks at a time, then you need an IX (except when Milkcows are about). I do envy the ability to hunt regularly off of Halifax because I find the fattest convoys there. You're right - there is a different feel in the IX - running on the surface for long periods, unchallenged, into strange distant areas with sporadic single merchant contacts is a different vibe altogether. The problem is that I find no thrill or challenge in hunting single merchants. You can't get killed doing it, even if you surface and fight it out with the DG. Single merchants (or even small convoys) can't kill you. And there's no real need for stealth - I'll often sail up to single merchants, discover they are unarmed, and line up a shot abeam while surfaced in full view. No problem. They sink, I continue. In an IX you have to be resigned to death by air attack; the one time that the sunderland or liberator gets lucky and bombs you dead on. I need convoy attacks. I don't care to wait for hours under time compression for them. Why travel across the altantic when everything you could ask for is floating in the western approaches? I leap out of biscay and grab the first convoy I find and beat it down. If patrol requires then I'll head down to the Gibraltar approach. Or even out to the mid atlantic if required. Wherever there are convoys. With convoys, there are escorts, and they can destroy you. That's the challenge that makes it worth while. Death by air attack seems too chancy; I need the strategic convoy hunt, the surprise attack, the relentlessly cruelty of DCing and the honourable death that follows, which is best met in the VII.



Kb

[Ducimus]

It's not a debate, and why do you always assume that you dont attack convoys in an IX boat? Quite the contrary.


For instance, heres a typical submerged attack, one of my favorites, ill get inside the bloody convoy. Ill do this as late as 44.

Assuming i use two torpedos per target (mediem cargo), thats 3 ships sunk. or more if i shoot at smaller merchants.


Heres a typical night surface attack, OR any attack where you coudlnt get inside the convoy.



One of these days your going to wake up and realize anybody can attack a convoy. The size of the boat doesnt mean jack squat in SH3. Ive done everything i can to get the AI to put up more of a fight and most of the time the convoy escorts are fools. Up until mid 43, Id say only 3 or 4 out of 10 convoy attacks would acutally result in a depth charging. Late war, like it or not, i can still get away. On top of all this , you have more fuel and more torpedos. You can execute convoy attacks along longer.

And, you know convoys leave halifax right? just a stones throw from New york. Theres also a couply convoys in the caribean, and some also leave the freetown area.


edit: and truth be told, convoy attacks are almost as boring as single merchants. Its the same story every time.

1. Radio report, plot course, speed, distance.
2. Set intercept course, arrive at appointed time.
3. Get on their track submerged or surface
4. Get solution, fire torpedos.
5. Run away to reload.
6. go to 3

rinse and repeat until your out of fish, or the escorts get somethign resembeling a clue.

[Khayman]

I spotted a merchant in the Caribbean. Since it was unarmed I closed to attack it with my deck gun. Before I got close enough I was pounced on by aircraft, ones I presume the merchant had alerted. So cruising up to lone ships is definitely not a good idea.

As for aircraft and the Type IX. You've just got to take care basically. In areas with patrol planes then stay submerged during the day. Getting Metox and using the sensorpak mod also means that even a Type IX can pick up radar signals and get well under before they arrive. If they surprise you then man the flak guns, hit flank speed and make a turn. Once it's flown over then dive, and again there's enough time to get under.

I survived an attack by 6 aircraft in my IXC, and had no time to dive. They worked in pairs, one pair attacked while the others turned and began their own attack runs. I took only minor damage but it was getting so damned hot that I just had to crash dive - even though two planes were on an attack run. I made it down and evaded them. This is using the airpower mod that came with HT!

Right now I love my IXC and the distant patrols. You do also run into convoys off the coast of Africa, or over on the US coast. So it's not all single ships. But I do want to do a Med campaign, using the beautiful light blue water contained in a mod (I forget which). So after the war ends, or I die, I'll be in a Type VII. I wonder how long I'll last before I hear the call of the Caribbean and its lovely fat tankers

[Ducimus]

HK groups are always fun too. :rotfl:

[finchOU]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Operating independatly is all you do in SH3, there are no wolfpacks. Theres no point in shadowing a convoy. No sense of being part of the whole.

So much was lost when they decided Wolfpacks would be too hard to put in.

[squigian]

IX is a larger number then VII and II, but not as large as XXI. Case closed. Logic.

[andy_311]

Why the big jump for a IXD2 you all know that monster of a boat takes around 45 secs to hit pd?
Beutiful boat thogh I love it all them lovely patrols to SA (1 nasty slog it takes forever) just got into the 2 flotilla drivin a IXB won't be very long before a IXD2 is available but this time am going to play it different and see what happens NY is a good place to visit once in a while but it does get boreing after a bit.Now Port of Spain different subject especially if your in the choke point and that nifty convoy spouts up it has no chance.(but neither have you if you get detected).
Ix boats yeah will go for them all the time more fish bigger range cons slow dive times.

[mike_espo]

I too, love the bigger boats. Currently running an IXB career Summer 1940. Hope to transfer to an IXC in 1941. Love the distant patrols and independent operations.

Being a Chicago boy, I have visited the U-505 many times, A real war craft. Also visited the U.S.S Pampanito in San Francisco. It is like a 747 in comparison to the U-505.

I too, will buy SH4, but I fear it will be too easy....a permanent happy time for the U.S.N

[Keelbuster]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

It's not a debate, and why do you always assume that you dont attack convoys in an IX boat? Quite the contrary.


For instance, heres a typical submerged attack, one of my favorites, ill get inside the bloody convoy. Ill do this as late as 44.

Assuming i use two torpedos per target (mediem cargo), thats 3 ships sunk. or more if i shoot at smaller merchants.


Heres a typical night surface attack, OR any attack where you coudlnt get inside the convoy.



One of these days your going to wake up and realize anybody can attack a convoy. The size of the boat doesnt mean jack squat in SH3. Ive done everything i can to get the AI to put up more of a fight and most of the time the convoy escorts are fools. Up until mid 43, Id say only 3 or 4 out of 10 convoy attacks would acutally result in a depth charging. Late war, like it or not, i can still get away. On top of all this , you have more fuel and more torpedos. You can execute convoy attacks along longer.

And, you know convoys leave halifax right? just a stones throw from New york. Theres also a couply convoys in the caribean, and some also leave the freetown area.


edit: and truth be told, convoy attacks are almost as boring as single merchants. Its the same story every time.

1. Radio report, plot course, speed, distance.
2. Set intercept course, arrive at appointed time.
3. Get on their track submerged or surface
4. Get solution, fire torpedos.
5. Run away to reload.
6. go to 3

rinse and repeat until your out of fish, or the escorts get somethign resembeling a clue.

Ducimus - just buggin ya - i like the diagrams. IX boats are cool too.

Kb

Edit: On the other hand, that strategy you've drawn will get you detected - by the time you swing around to pull the aft torpedo attack the escorts will have converged based on your first attack. You would be wise to fire all tubes simultaneously, perhaps 4 at the center column and two at the second or third column out, and then proceed forward quickly through the convoy to clear the datum. Just a thought.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by Keelbuster

Ducimus - just buggin ya - i like the diagrams. IX boats are cool too.

Kb

Edit: On the other hand, that strategy you've drawn will get you detected - by the time you swing around to pull the aft torpedo attack the escorts will have converged based on your first attack. You would be wise to fire all tubes simultaneously, perhaps 4 at the center column and two at the second or third column out, and then proceed forward quickly through the convoy to clear the datum. Just a thought.

My awesome skills in MS paint! lol. ya i know your just buggin me. We seem to have this friendly "My boat has a bigger *** then your boat!" competition thing going on. :rotfl:

In the first diagram, i acutally do shoot all 6 torpedos at once... or rather.. i *try* to shoot them all at once. You still have to readjust your solution for the other end of the boat. Notice the angle i put the boat in, thats deliberate. Ive found at that angle to their track, i can shoot all my fish at around the same moment in time. The only limitation being how fast i can switch setups from bow to stern or vice versa.

The second attack, say night surface, thats usually at about a 2000-3000 meter distance. You shoot your stern fish on the way out, your range is sometimes around say.... 1600 or so because your shooting at almost a straight 90, which shortens the torpedo track. If its a submerged attack, then its a gamble if late war. Once you shoot your first 4 fish, your gambling on the destroyers not finding you right away, and you have two choices. Ahead 1/3rd and take your time on that turn, but be quiet about it - you'll likley catch the last ship in the colum by the time your stern tubes come to bear, or you can do a quick flank and turn faster, but risk drawing the escorts to you. Which you do, depends on the situation at hand, and just how badly you want to get those stern fish in the water.