The British Channel

gord96 · 10-02-06, 08:37 AM

i am new to the game and am on my 5th patrol in my first try at a career. Alot of my patrols take me south west of Britains shores so I head through the channel alot. It has been some good fun so far. Lots of traffic and nice targets, but it is so shallow that if a destroyer gets a sniff of you it can be hard to avoid him. In the later game is the Channel something you should avoid? Seems as time goes on there are more and more destoyers there and as soon as you attack something the repsonse times of the PB's, aircraft or destoryers is very quick. Is it safer to go around Scotland? Or should I just suck it up and enjoy the fun and challenge that attacking ships in the Channel brings?

Thanks

HunterICX · 10-02-06, 08:44 AM

The English chanal is not a place to be when the British Escorts and Destroyers are advancing in Detecting devices. the English channels is shallow so when you get spotted you cant dive deep to shake of the DDs.

Early war its oke to take the risk

but try to avoid it, soon it will be a place thats hell itself . I lost many subs in that channel.

Go around England to get to your asigned grid. its deeper and near Scapa there is good traffic and in early war there are juicy Convoys heading towards Ireland.

TarJak · 10-02-06, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gord96

i am new to the game and am on my 5th patrol in my first try at a career. Alot of my patrols take me south west of Britains shores so I head through the channel alot. It has been some good fun so far. Lots of traffic and nice targets, but it is so shallow that if a destroyer gets a sniff of you it can be hard to avoid him. In the later game is the Channel something you should avoid? Seems as time goes on there are more and more destoyers there and as soon as you attack something the repsonse times of the PB's, aircraft or destoryers is very quick. Is it safer to go around Scotland? Or should I just suck it up and enjoy the fun and challenge that attacking ships in the Channel brings?

Thanks

After 1939 I'd be very nervous about going through the channel too often. Historically the channel was very rarely used by u-boats other than some early war minelaying operations which were of dubious effect.

To answer your question, if you like the buzz and challenge then go for it. If you play dead is dead then be very very careful about where and what you attack if you want to have a long war career.

Warmonger · 10-02-06, 09:21 AM

I'd avoid the channel at all costs like the guys before already said. Just too dangerous. By going ahead 1/3 or even slow you can get everywhere even taking the long route around.

Biggles · 10-02-06, 09:24 AM

I've never tried to take that route after summer 1940, because then I'm transferring to Brest, where my missions is mostly outside Ireland, so what's the point.....

But it's okay to travel there in 39, some merchants, and the destroyers seems to be driven by a bunch of drunk teddybears from time to time, so they're a good target too.

Respenus · 10-02-06, 09:28 AM

I tried once in a campain in '44!

Chaos! And I was luckly only two destroyers discovered me! But my sonar man had a lot of contacts all the time, so we went surface the boat, dive the boat, surface the boat, and again and again, so when I finally arrived a few grids from the Spanish coast, I let my guys rest for 24 h, as they were completely down!

I msu say that I was lucky, some people aren't! So try too keep away from the British channel, unless it's the only was and REALLY THE ONLY WAY to do sth.

The_Blockade_Runner · 10-02-06, 10:01 AM

Biggles, can you please explain your sig to me

gord96 · 10-02-06, 10:04 AM

Thanks for the input guys. It is Febuary 1940 right now and I think this will be my last trip through the Channel. My fourth patrol almost killed me. I did manage to take 2 destroyers out and alot of cargo ships but I can see every time I go though it there is more and more warships. When I was plotting my course for this patrol I was planning on going around Scapa Flow but at the last minute changed to the channel. Took out a coastal merchant and within 5 minutes had two destoyers closing in. Got away fine but it makes u mighty nervous when the navigator tells u it is only 23m deep where u are. Thanks again guys.

HunterICX · 10-02-06, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gord96

Thanks for the input guys. It is Febuary 1940 right now and I think this will be my last trip through the Channel. My fourth patrol almost killed me. I did manage to take 2 destroyers out and alot of cargo ships but I can see every time I go though it there is more and more warships. When I was plotting my course for this patrol I was planning on going around Scapa Flow but at the last minute changed to the channel. Took out a coastal merchant and within 5 minutes had two destoyers closing in. Got away fine but it makes u mighty nervous when the navigator tells u it is only 23m deep where u are. Thanks again guys.

I,m an The Grew Wolve user and in that supermod , the chanal is heavily mined so...dont matter what time of the war, I avoid it.

Sailor Steve · 10-02-06, 10:53 AM

As Hunter just said, in the stock game the Channel is way too easy. If you use one of the supermods you will find it much more as it was during the war, i.e. if you go there you die.

Torvald Von Mansee · 10-02-06, 11:16 AM

I never bothered w/the Channel. If I have the fuel, I'll avoid it. And getting through it would take forever, I'm guessing, because you could never stay in TC for too long before something happens.

tycho102 · 10-02-06, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torvald Von Mansee

I never bothered w/the Channel. If I have the fuel, I'll avoid it. And getting through it would take forever, I'm guessing, because you could never stay in TC for too long before something happens.

Exactly. Plan around it, always.

If you do have to venture (because of damage or fuel), it's going to be one hell of a rough trip. Use very low time compression, use your batteries during the day as deep as you can get, provide as minimal profile as you possibly can to closing contacts, and don't fight it out with planes --- just hit the gas, dive, and change course.

Captain_Stabbing · 10-02-06, 12:50 PM

Its kinda funny.... I hear all these nightmare stories about the channel from folks on here. So I decided to run it at the start of every campaign that I befin in 39 and see nothing but tugs and trawlers, which I send to the bottom like little rocks (tonnage is tonnage.....)
I have also run it in 42 with no problems at all too..... surface at night, submerge an hour before dark and till an hour after, go slow ahead, and no problems at all.
(Grey Wolfs mod)

AVGWarhawk · 10-02-06, 12:59 PM

Sounds to me like you do not have the GW mod installed correctly. The channel was controlled by the British...period. If you are not spending a great deal of time getting through the channel with the GW something is wrong. I avoid it now because it just takes too long to get through with submerging all the time.

Jimbuna · 10-02-06, 01:10 PM

As said so often in the past..."IF YOUR USING GW...STAY AWAY!"

10-02-06, 08:37 AM	#1
gord96 Commodore Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 627 Downloads: 57 Uploads: 0	The British Channel i am new to the game and am on my 5th patrol in my first try at a career. Alot of my patrols take me south west of Britains shores so I head through the channel alot. It has been some good fun so far. Lots of traffic and nice targets, but it is so shallow that if a destroyer gets a sniff of you it can be hard to avoid him. In the later game is the Channel something you should avoid? Seems as time goes on there are more and more destoyers there and as soon as you attack something the repsonse times of the PB's, aircraft or destoryers is very quick. Is it safer to go around Scotland? Or should I just suck it up and enjoy the fun and challenge that attacking ships in the Channel brings? Thanks

10-02-06, 08:44 AM	#2
HunterICX Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2006 Location: Malaga, España Posts: 10,750 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	The English chanal is not a place to be when the British Escorts and Destroyers are advancing in Detecting devices. the English channels is shallow so when you get spotted you cant dive deep to shake of the DDs. Early war its oke to take the risk but try to avoid it, soon it will be a place thats hell itself . I lost many subs in that channel. Go around England to get to your asigned grid. its deeper and near Scapa there is good traffic and in early war there are juicy Convoys heading towards Ireland. __________________

10-02-06, 09:24 AM	#5
Biggles Silent Hunter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sweden (I'm not a Viking...) Posts: 3,529 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	I've never tried to take that route after summer 1940, because then I'm transferring to Brest, where my missions is mostly outside Ireland, so what's the point..... But it's okay to travel there in 39, some merchants, and the destroyers seems to be driven by a bunch of drunk teddybears from time to time, so they're a good target too. __________________

10-02-06, 10:01 AM	#7
The_Blockade_Runner Sparky Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 156 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Biggles, can you please explain your sig to me __________________ U boat warfare, Product of German Engineering. German Engineering in da house

10-02-06, 10:53 AM	#10
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	As Hunter just said, in the stock game the Channel is way too easy. If you use one of the supermods you will find it much more as it was during the war, i.e. if you go there you die. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

10-02-06, 09:21 AM	#4
Warmonger Lieutenant Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Germany Posts: 266 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	I'd avoid the channel at all costs like the guys before already said. Just too dangerous. By going ahead 1/3 or even slow you can get everywhere even taking the long route around.

10-02-06, 09:28 AM	#6
Respenus Ace of the Deep Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,169 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I tried once in a campain in '44! Chaos! And I was luckly only two destroyers discovered me! But my sonar man had a lot of contacts all the time, so we went surface the boat, dive the boat, surface the boat, and again and again, so when I finally arrived a few grids from the Spanish coast, I let my guys rest for 24 h, as they were completely down! I msu say that I was lucky, some people aren't! So try too keep away from the British channel, unless it's the only was and REALLY THE ONLY WAY to do sth.

10-02-06, 10:04 AM	#8
gord96 Commodore Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 627 Downloads: 57 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the input guys. It is Febuary 1940 right now and I think this will be my last trip through the Channel. My fourth patrol almost killed me. I did manage to take 2 destroyers out and alot of cargo ships but I can see every time I go though it there is more and more warships. When I was plotting my course for this patrol I was planning on going around Scapa Flow but at the last minute changed to the channel. Took out a coastal merchant and within 5 minutes had two destoyers closing in. Got away fine but it makes u mighty nervous when the navigator tells u it is only 23m deep where u are. Thanks again guys.

10-02-06, 11:16 AM	#11
Torvald Von Mansee Sea Lord Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: CA4528 Posts: 1,693 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	I never bothered w/the Channel. If I have the fuel, I'll avoid it. And getting through it would take forever, I'm guessing, because you could never stay in TC for too long before something happens. __________________ "You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you" - Leon Trotsky

10-02-06, 12:50 PM	#13
Captain_Stabbing Sailor man Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: BC Canada Posts: 49 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Its kinda funny.... I hear all these nightmare stories about the channel from folks on here. So I decided to run it at the start of every campaign that I befin in 39 and see nothing but tugs and trawlers, which I send to the bottom like little rocks (tonnage is tonnage.....) I have also run it in 42 with no problems at all too..... surface at night, submerge an hour before dark and till an hour after, go slow ahead, and no problems at all. (Grey Wolfs mod)

10-02-06, 12:59 PM	#14
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,253 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	Sounds to me like you do not have the GW mod installed correctly. The channel was controlled by the British...period. If you are not spending a great deal of time getting through the channel with the GW something is wrong. I avoid it now because it just takes too long to get through with submerging all the time.

10-02-06, 01:10 PM	#15
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,473 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	As said so often in the past..."IF YOUR USING GW...STAY AWAY!" __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!