Wishing upon a star shell

Ping Panther · 09-25-09, 04:21 PM

O.k., this is just a situation that I have encountered while on a war patrol recently. It got me thinking again, about the ammo. loads on u-boats.

I'm playing GWX 3 Gold with the magic eyeball disabled from Realism.

On patrol July 1941, my deck watch announces a single ship sighted, bearing NW, heading slow and due North. It's a very dark night with light clouds, moderate visibility. I order flank speed, surface battlestations, figuring to run North and outflank this loney, yet anonymous ship. It's still early war, so I must respect the many neutral merchants on my patrol route, and certainly I don't need to blow a hole in Der Furher's fleet. I make a good & quick approach to it's broadside... now closing in with an UZO scope view... I can make out the flag... shape?... as far as colors, it could have Mickey Mouse or even Sponge Bob on it for all I can see.

A black profile of a flag, flapping away, and still a good 5 hours or so until the dawn brings me some daylight over my east-facing stern... A star shell, just 1, could light it up just enough from far enough away to decide to either shoot

... or salute

.

GWX is historically restricting my deck gun to a strict diet of HE rounds.

I look forward to some discussion about this... what would you do?, what have you done?, the shot is so ready to go... so shoot first?, just give up and run away?, gun the deck cargo up enough so that the flames illuminate the flag, then decide?, it's a juicy ore carrier...give 'em all you got?, ghost the ship until morning light?

09-25-09, 04:21 PM	#1
Ping Panther Lieutenant Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: the armpit of the Mid-Atlantic / Quadrant CA42 Posts: 262 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Wishing upon a star shell O.k., this is just a situation that I have encountered while on a war patrol recently. It got me thinking again, about the ammo. loads on u-boats. I'm playing GWX 3 Gold with the magic eyeball disabled from Realism. On patrol July 1941, my deck watch announces a single ship sighted, bearing NW, heading slow and due North. It's a very dark night with light clouds, moderate visibility. I order flank speed, surface battlestations, figuring to run North and outflank this loney, yet anonymous ship. It's still early war, so I must respect the many neutral merchants on my patrol route, and certainly I don't need to blow a hole in Der Furher's fleet. I make a good & quick approach to it's broadside... now closing in with an UZO scope view... I can make out the flag... shape?... as far as colors, it could have Mickey Mouse or even Sponge Bob on it for all I can see. A black profile of a flag, flapping away, and still a good 5 hours or so until the dawn brings me some daylight over my east-facing stern... A star shell, just 1, could light it up just enough from far enough away to decide to either shoot ... or salute . GWX is historically restricting my deck gun to a strict diet of HE rounds. I look forward to some discussion about this... what would you do?, what have you done?, the shot is so ready to go... so shoot first?, just give up and run away?, gun the deck cargo up enough so that the flames illuminate the flag, then decide?, it's a juicy ore carrier...give 'em all you got?, ghost the ship until morning light? Last edited by Ping Panther; 09-25-09 at 08:22 PM.