Can this be right? Please help!

[der--drache]

Its my 4th patrol, and I've managed to get my hands on a shiny new type VII-B.

But...

I had such an increased range that I was able to hang around Aberdeen (AN18) for what seemed like ages and pick off cargo ships at will. It was so easy that I'm concerned something was wrong!

I didn't even need to work out a firing solution for my targets as they were alone and i could easily get close enough to hit them by judging it all by eye and range from my WO. I didn't even need to attack at periscope depth - i just sailed up to them on the surface and took them down.

The only warship I saw was small and I was able to destroy it with my deck gun.

All in all i clocked up 30,291 tonnes of cargo and 530 tonnes of warship.

Surely I should have been threatened by more warships and / or planes when I was spotted by the cargo ships so close to UK shores?

Its very early on in the war still i know (Jan 1940) but i have to say this was disappointingly easy! (even on 82% realism)

Is this ok or do you think the AI is awry, so to speak?

[Threadfin]

It's the Happy Times. Worry not, they will come to an end.

Enjoy it while it lasts

[kiwi_2005]

Start up another career in 1943 and see how you go in a VIIB then :|\

[der--drache]

ah great stuff thats good to know!

I'll get back out on the seas and enjoy it while i can!!!

Thanks!

[tycho102]

Originally Posted by der--drache

All in all i clocked up 30,291 tonnes of cargo and 530 tonnes of warship.

Its very early on in the war still i know (Jan 1940) but i have to say this was disappointingly easy! (even on 82% realism)

Is this ok or do you think the AI is awry, so to speak?

Yup, the "Happy Times".

Train your crew. Make a solemn resolution not to come back with anything less than 20k tons (including a type II), and very quickly moving up to 30k and above. Get your crew trained up and promoted, because you're going to need them starting early-1942. You should be getting 4 promotions per patrol, and by your 8th or 9th patrol, a Gold Cross at least every other patrol.




Oh, yeah. It gets harder.

[tiger_tim_34]

Out of interest, does the AI include attacked merchants radioing for support?

[Saukko]

Originally Posted by tiger_tim_34

Out of interest, does the AI include attacked merchants radioing for support?

Yes, expecially near ports or enemy coast, warships and/or planes will come sooner or later if you are detected.

[der--drache]

excellent advice - thanks all!

Very glad to hear that I'm being eased in gently (a phrase used by many sailors, i hear) and that I've got tougher times on the horizon!

Let the Happy Times roll.

[VonHelsching]

The Happy Times are even more happy in late 1939. Went into a harbour, took out two Light Cruisers and a Liner, all with a IIA Type.

After 10 kms of Dover I surfaced. A trawller nearby didn't detect me. And if it did, it didn't have the surface speed required to hunt me.

After 50-60 kms a airplane appeared; strafed me and left after taking some hits. I was not bothered by anything else returning to Kiel.

Now, late 1944:

From Bergen to Scapa Flow, it is impossible to surface sometimes, or even to snorkel at day. Task Forces can be dealt only with XXIs and a lot of homing torpedos. In one occasion, I could not raise the scope much to lock on a target, beacuse airplanes were flying nearby. It's hell.

[79TransAm]

yeah im on patrol in march of 44 in a IXD sub and umm ya Not fun

[Heibges]

How do you locate targets? Visually, or with the hydrophones?

Forgoing the use of the hydrophones for general target location really makes find convoys much harder, and throws an element of luck into the equation.

In every subsim since Silent Service back in the 1980's hydrophones have been way too effective at finding targets. In SH3 they are more effective than surface search radar in SH1.

Just using the hydrophone rules from the Uboat Commanders Handbook literally cut my tonnage in half. On 1/3 of my patrols I have found no good targets.

I have a career of 13 Patrols with only 160K sunk. There is not one mod out there today, or in the history of subsim which would allow me to do this. Only one simple tactical SOP from the Uboat Commanders Handbook.

[Maui]

Just using the hydrophone rules from the Uboat Commanders Handbook literally cut my tonnage in half

I'll bite. What do the rules say? Where do you come by this handbook?[/quote]

[DeepSix]

Amazon has it. Do a search on Amazon for "The U Boat Commander's Handbook."

[Heibges]

For $8.95 no less. Easily the best money a subsimmer will ever spend.

It tells you exactly what a kaleun would do in every tactical situation.

In regards to the hydrophones, except during an underwater torpedo attack, use only:

1. At dawn and dusk, when you don't want to be surprised in the rapidly worsening visibility conditions.

2. In poor visbility. (I say always try to stay submerged in heavy fog, especially at night. 90% of my deaths in subsims since 1987 have been from getting rammed in heavy fog).

3. When you are at your convoy intercept point, but the convoy has not been sighted.

I would also suggest using the new NYGM ship damage mod, or again from the Uboat Commanders Handbook, fire 2,3, or 4 torps at worthwhile targets.

If you do just these two things, you can play Aces of the Deep, Silent Hunter 2, and Silent Hunter 3 and have careers that looked like those you might read about on Uboat.net.

But I will warn you, 33% of patrols you may not see anything, and probability being what it is, sometimes you will go 2 or 3 patrols without seeing anything. Well, except for the aircraft trying bomb you that is. If this doesn't sound fun to you, then just don't do it.

I found that patrolling on the surface, and fan shooting at all targets increased the realism level, for me, even more than manual targeting.