A New Word is Being Associated with GWX on these Forums

[Iron Budokan]

FEAR.

Is it just me? But I seem to see this word associated a lot with GWX...and with darn good reason, I might add. But everywhere I look I see posts where Kaleuns say things like, "Whaddya crazy? No way I'm going through the English Channel with GWX!" or "I'm worried about the later years of the war....!"

It's pretty funny. But it's pretty scary too, for this Kaleun anyway.

Man, has this mod stepped up in a big way. Remember the days when we could slash and burn our way through a convoy? Ah, the good old days.

I suppose one might even call them the "happy times" of pre-GWX SH3. :rotfl:

[MobyGrape]

Yeah..But you Die Pretty

[ReallyDedPoet]

Just like in real life, after 43', " Happy Times " were over. Just finished the book " Iron Coffins ", you really get a sense of how difficult things became and the downhill spiral the U-Boats were on later in the war. But they fought on.

[gouldjg]

I am wondering what the next seasons WAW stats will look like

[AndyW]

Since ever, I’m playing „dead-when-dead“ and I’m currently on my third mission with GWX, playing on 84% realism.


First GWX career (my career # 9) was U-389 (Heilmann) running from Bergen on Sept. 1, 1943. I had METOX, but no Schnorchel. While marching to it’s patrol grid at AK 36, southwest of Iceland, the boat was sunk will all hands on 14.9.43 by an air attack. During that eleven days on it’s first sailing, I had to dive 31 times from air attacks - the 31st crash dive was my last, hull cracked at 130 meters. At least I sunk a Liberty Cargo (7333 tons).

Second GWX career was a continuation of my 8th career, U-577 (Schauenburg) sailing form La Spezia to fishing grounds near Tobruk in late May 1942. After sinking one single British Victory Cargo (7710 tons), U-577 was sunk after eight days west of Sicily by numerous air attacks from Malta-based Hurricanes, Wellingtons and Catalinas. That loss was pretty self-inflicted because I didn’t dive from the enemy planes but tried the fun of having a shoot-out with the bees. The bees won.

After that two losses I’m now playing extremely carefully to manage to finish at least one patrol. My current career (#10) is U-972 (Ltn. Koenig) running in early December 1943 from St. Nazaire to hunting grounds in the air gap south of Greenland. Again no Schnorchel, but METOX and NAXOS. Marching submerged at daytime and on surface at night, I faced 24 air attacks during 9 nights, which I luckily survived with a 85% hull condition. I even shot down one Wellington Bomber (“Ha!! Payback, payback, you darn bee!”), and met a small single Merchant which I sunk (2209 tons). I left Allied air coverage zone on Dec. 15, had a contact with an illuminated Hospital ship guarded by a Clemson, and reached my assigned patrol grid (AJ99) at Christmas 1943.

Right now (Dec. 28, 1943), U-972 is operating against a convoy at AK 76, first time I fight a convoy with GWX. If I survive that, I’ll somehow need to manage to come back in one piece to St. Nazaire, which is realistically only possible by marching 2500 km - submerged most of the time, and if surfaced, with flank or full speed. If I survive that and come home I need to get a Schnorchel at the docks, otherwise I’m doomed on my second sailing in then early 1944, that’s pretty sure.
A lot of "ifs". :hmm:


All in all a good mod, bringing to you the desperate feeling of fear in being outclassed by the enemy air force while on passage between your ports and the patrol area. Getting to your patrol grid and returning home save is becoming a more and more unfeasible mission of itself, just like it was in reality.

Cheers,
AndyW

currently U-972 König, on 1st patrol 12/1943 [SH3 + GWX 1.0 @ 84% realism]
Total: 10 careers, 40th sailing, 856 days at sea, 544,474 tons sunk

[AVGWarhawk]

Yeah Andy, it is getting darn ugly out there. Once again, I just submerged in the port and resurface a few weeks later like I have been somewhere. It is the only way I can survive this war!

[mookiemookie]

I agree with that sentiment. As someone else said: GWX is the ultimate ASW weapon.

I'm on my 4th patrol with my second career in January 1940 and have yet to see a convoy. Not really lamenting that fact either. I've been quite comfortable with my singletons.

I'm really fearful of convoys after having my ass promptly handed to me during a convoy attack in my first patrol in '41 in my first GWX career.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

I agree with that sentiment. As someone else said: GWX is the ultimate ASW weapon.

I'm on my 4th patrol with my second career in January 1940 and have yet to see a convoy. Not really lamenting that fact either. I've been quite comfortable with my singletons.

I'm really fearful of convoys after having my ass promptly handed to me during a convoy attack in my first patrol in '41 in my first GWX career.

I'm in 1940 now with an IXB. I have two convoys crossing paths. My first convoy I have been biting at only has two corvettes so this is a fun convoy. Anyway all the vessels were at 90 degrees to me(starboard) when my WO states ship spotted at 354 degrees. Another convoy with two destroyers are coming at me going in the opposite direction. My luck...all torps expended with exception of the outside stores and the rough weather just really sucking!!! Hours to move them in and load up. Anyway, the convoys are out there and the singletons are getting scarce!!

[Brag]

After doing 2 test runs with GWX, I've learned about the efficiency of the Hunter Killer teams and sneaky bastard destroyers who will come back from behind where you can't hear them. You pop the periscope up and are faced with the bow of a destroyer racing for the kill.

That convinced me to start a career in 1939 (could only get a Canoe), went out into Kieler Bucht and returned to port. That little maneuver allowed me to get an extra machinist and improved the overall crew performance by giving them a one patrol credit.

I took off with orders to patrol off the Shetlands. Despite the idiot, newby crew, managed to bag to American ammo ships violating the blockade and a large freighter. This gave me enough ansehen to get a type VII boat.

Hopefully, by the time things begin to get hot in 1942, I will have a good, experienced, efficient crew. This cuts down in crash dive time, torpedo reloading and of course stamina.

BTW, my crew likes to play the "All over the place song" after sinking a ship.

GWX adds an emotional involvement into the game--getting killed is more painful

[danlisa]

Originally Posted by Brag

.....getting killed is more painful

I find that funny. :rotfl:

Seriously...
If GWX has managed to instill a little fear into our gameplay then they have outdone themselves and they have managed to honour the realife sailors who endured this emotion constantly, by reminding us that this was not a game for them.