VIIB vs VIIC

[XXi]

Yesterday, I`ve just finished a D2 patrol that took place between Januray 7th 1943 and July 12th, 1943.
I was to patrol near Capetown, then headed for the Indian Ocean, stuck near Mogadishu and Sansibar for some time.
I got a small convoy near Freetown, and several single merchants all over Africa - the play was just GREAT.
My lat three torpedos made all the true excitment of the patrol - I attacked a small convoy and all the torpedos annihilated a single Liberty.
However, there were three DDs, clear water.
I got pinged, so I started quick dive - if I`m beeing pinged already, what the reason to maintain periscope depth ?
At 85m I `ve slowed down and waited a bit. During the attack run, I dropped a decoy, got at flank speed, turn 80degrees, 120 m, than silent running.
And that was it - decoy has done its work.

So, even IXD2, when handled well, can be smooth - I go to flank speed, and when the plane is diving I made a sharp turn ( use Flak sometimes, depending on conditions ) - after the plane drops bomb, I start the crash dive so that usually I manage to get under water before it repeats the attack.

[Keelbuster]

Nice. Good dodge. But why dive? Their DCs are usually set deeper than PD...

Kb

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by Keelbuster

Consider yerself lucky - you IX boys hunt single merchants for a living. Convoy bandits (aka VII) are much more likely to get DCed to death.

Kb

HAH, you think i shy away from convoys? Oh contrare. I get right in them, bring both bow and stern tubes to bear on two columns at once. Even then, escorts are stupid. (only boat i woudlnt try this with is an IXD2)

8 or 9 times out of 10 i slip away without much rukus.

For the record i ahve a lost contact time of 45, and have increased the noise factor and wave factors so the AI can hear more on their passive sonar. Whats more, right now im so fed up, i have made all those single ships in 43 and 44 in the caribean and east coast into mini convoys, 2 or 3 merchants with two elite DE's. Im acutally testing this now, i hope they give me a good pummeling


Before i go on next patrol, im going to do a "find and replace" on the RND layer. and make EVERYTHING crew rating 4.

Its the only crew rating that behaves aggressivly and is worth a damn.

[XXi]

Ducimus --> actually there`s one case in which you can risk a convoy attack - it is a stormy weather. Gives you quite a chance.
THe trick is, sailing on D2 you can actually WAIT long enogh to intercept a convoy and fight on your terms.


Keelbuster --> well, the problem was they were not very far and D2 on PD is easy to hit by DDs. Remember, this boat is quite huge. WHen on 80-120 meters, you can have at least some time for evasive maneuver, even though it can be not enough.

[rls669]

I love my IXD2. Especially in mid 1943 when there's usually 3-4 homing torps available. I get in position in front of the convoy, about even with the outermost rank of ships. If either the lead escort or the near side escort isn't weaving he gets a TIII to start the festivities. Otherwise I'll creep in after the lead escort passes and then engage the convoy from within. I can usually get 3-4 merchants at close range, then exit the back of the convoy. Any escort except the trailer will be delayed since they always head straight through the convoy; the nearest trailing escort gets a homing torp and I dive deep and creep away.

Repeat a few times, getting an escort or 2 each time and then you've got an unescorted convoy to hammer. And in the D2 you've still got some ammo left.

Of course, that's with stock 1.4 + IC. Probably be suicidal with one of the realism mods.

[Ducimus]

Ill attack a convoy in an IXD2 in any weather..

I just wont penetrate the convoy and get in between ship columns with it like i would an IXB or C. Ill attack a convoy from the side with an IXD2, but its length i dont like in between two clolumns of ships.

[Keelbuster]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

HAH, you think i shy away from convoys? Oh contrare. I get right in them, bring both bow and stern tubes to bear on two columns at once. Even then, escorts are stupid. (only boat i woudlnt try this with is an IXD2)

8 or 9 times out of 10 i slip away without much rukus.

For the record i ahve a lost contact time of 45, and have increased the noise factor and wave factors so the AI can hear more on their passive sonar. Whats more, right now im so fed up, i have made all those single ships in 43 and 44 in the caribean and east coast into mini convoys, 2 or 3 merchants with two elite DE's. Im acutally testing this now, i hope they give me a good pummeling


Before i go on next patrol, im going to do a "find and replace" on the RND layer. and make EVERYTHING crew rating 4.

Its the only crew rating that behaves aggressivly and is worth a damn.

Cool cool. Sounds good. 9 in 10 sounds like my luck (i die about 15 patrols into a career). From the careers you were posting in yer sig., it seemed like you also got capped early.



Kb

[Ducimus]

Cool cool. Sounds good. 9 in 10 sounds like my luck (i die about 15 patrols into a career). From the careers you were posting in yer sig., it seemed like you also got capped early.

"De planes! De planes!"

[Keelbuster]

[Heibges]

I am interested in seeing the results of your test.

I'm going to mess around with AI Hydrophone Sensitivity in the SH3/data/cfg/sim folder.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by Heibges

I am interested in seeing the results of your test.

I'm going to mess around with AI Hydrophone Sensitivity in the SH3/data/cfg/sim folder.

If you mean how turning those 8% chance to spawn ever 20-30 hour single ships into mini convoys with elite DE's, *shrug* im just seeing if they're spawning correctly and how they play out. I could zip up the modified RND layer when im done. Although this RND layer is from Unified Campaign, i dunno if theres any compatiblity issues or not.

As per AI hydrophone sensitivy, see this thread: (i reposted info about half way down)
http://www.subsim.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=498105

Although there are those who claim i was smoking crack when i ran the experiments to draw the conclusion i did.

[Heibges]

I definitely know wave size plays a large role in visual detection by dd's also.

At night, in medium fog, with a 15ms wind, while I was on the surface, I had a lone dd cross my stern on a perpendicular course at a range of 500m. It just kept right on going.
[/list]