SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - SH4 U-Boat Missions Screenshots

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I began to play Silent Hunter for the first time in a year. I hope you don't mind if I begin with my first career, which turned out to be rather short :(

The setup is Silent Hunter IV U-Boat Missions with Operation Monsun and several other mods.

This time I wanted some challenge, so I started a career in Mid 1942, all realism options enabled, except external view and view stabilization.

I want to operate on the US coast but I prefer the Type VII to the Type IX. But if we choose the 7th flotilla it will be possible for our Type VII boat to take part in Operation Paukenschlag too! Of course it's clear beforehand that fuel will just be enough to reach the US East coast and return, there will not be enough left to operate in the area. But in OM we can resupply at sea I am going to bet on another U-Boat or another friendly port.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/01.jpg

South of Newfoundland we run into a Hunter Killer Group but could evade submerged. As you can see, it was pretty .. dark.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/02.jpg

We also spot aircraft several times but manage to crash dive every time. I realize it was not very prudent to steer so close to the British bases in Canada, next time I should set a more southerly route.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/10.jpg http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/11.jpg

We arrive at CA8755 and soon spot our first 5000t merchant, an American.

I usually suck at calculating the target solutions but I have a simple method. I use dead reckoning on speed (most merchants travel at 5-8 knots anyway), try to get as close as possible (ca 500m), make an ideal angle-on-bow of 90 degrees and fire a fan of two or three torpedoes.

I also usually attack on the surface because at this heavy sea a periscope attack just sucks. That works almost any time, as long as the merchant is not armed or faster than 10 knots.

As you can see one torpedo was a dud, but the other one sunk the ship.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/20.jpg http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/21.jpg

No need to look for survivors .. unfortunately, although SHIV has this feature, life boats are not enabled in OM. I only saw them once when I sank a Cruiser but never from a merchant.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/22.jpg

We complete our task of operating in our assigned area for 48 hours.

Although we used only two of our torpedoes, fuel is already under 50%, which may not even be enough for a return to St.Nazaire :(

It could still be enough for a resupply at El Ferrol. In any case we must get on the way back.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/23.jpg

Fortunately we get orders to resupply from U-459 on the way and can return to our operations on the East Coast.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/25.jpg http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/24.jpg

We return to the East Coast around Cape Hatteras where we spot a Dutch merchant. Hm, I thought they capitulated in 1940?

anyway the sea is bad again so it's time for another surface attack.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/30.jpg

He spots us and runs away but I overtake him with full speed

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/31.jpg

and swing around at the right moment for an almost perfect 90 degree angle.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/32.jpg http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/33.jpg

Torpedoes away, first hits.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/34.jpg http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/35.jpg

The second hits the same ouch-spot and he sinks.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/36.jpg

After this we operate a bit more to the South, around Charleston. So close to the coast, we get several visits by aircraft, at times it's too close for comfort! I should have taken notice, as we will see ..

Looks like a Catalina .. usually you should not see the planes so close ..

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/40.jpg

The storm gets even worse, no way we can attack anothing in a U-boat .

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/50.jpg http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/51.jpg

Finally the weather improved an we spot another ship. It's from .. Panama. Well, I have no idea if I should sink ships from Panama or not. Should I? I really did not want to sink neutrals just for easy tonnage.

I decide to investigate on the surface. First I am about to let him go because he doesnt take evasive action, so it means he could be neutral.

But suddenly he starts to shoot at me! That way he makes it easy to decide on his neutrality.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/60.jpg

Luckily they can't aim. All the same it may be too dangerous to use the deck gun, and thanks to our previous resupply we have lots of torpedoes. I go to persicope depth in the last minute and fire two torpedoes again, both are hits.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/61.jpg http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/62.jpg http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/63.jpg

That was the third sinking and we have 15.000 tons. I would like to go home, but I still have a lot of torpedoes, so the order is to stay.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/64.jpg

But I am sure you notice the weather is perfect and I am in range of the coast, and aircraft. I should have paid attention to that! I turns out the first, and last mistake I made in this career.

So, soon after, just when it appears to turn into a promising career our luck runs out. Out of a clear sky another airplane spots us and throws several depth charges right upon us. It must have been very bad luck or we were hit by an expert. So much for the US planes not being able to harm you yet ..

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/70.jpg http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/71.jpg

I realize too late, the damage is extensive. At 200m even blowing ballast doesn't hold us. No one can do any repairs, we go deeper and deeper. At 400m the light goes out and we are sunk. Good to know the crush depth of our boat was so good .. over 300m :)

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/72.jpg

Sunk by an airplane. It does not feel right. Lesson learned is that it's damn hard time to begin a career and my tactics from the happy times won't do it any more. Aircraft are no joke, and I needed a more experienced crew that might have spotted them much earlier. I also should have blown ballast earlier, that way I could have made it to the surface and fight it out with the flak. Perhaps.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111027/s/73.jpg

At least I am somewhat consoled by the fact that my aiming was good, with simple tactics, and without fancy calculations. Out of six torpedoes fired, five were hits, one was a dud. Under better circumstances, and with more caution I could have made a really successful patrol and return with an experienced crew.

But the decision to go to the US Coast in order to get quick success turned out to be unlucky. Next time I should go into the Mid Atlantic, where I want to see some really exciting convoy battles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlobalExplorer (Post 1775506)

Sunk by an airplane. It does not feel right.

"Sighted sub, sank same."
http://www.homeofheroes.com/footnote...ry4-mason.html

Brest, March '42. We return into the Atlantic.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/03.jpg

The scoreboard. Soon I will be on top.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/02.jpg

We head into our patrol zone near Newfoundland (again). Hopefully we will do better this time.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/05.jpg

Our new boat in rough seas.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/04.jpg

Again, we must dive before aircraft ..

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/06.jpg

IT ATTACKS!

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/07.jpg

Somehow we were not hit.

We take up position in our patrol zone, and just as we want to play cards, we get a report of a fat convoy in the south.

Fuel situation is much better this time. We can reach it! We head to the convoy at full speed.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/09.jpg

We dive for the hydrophone check.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/10.jpg

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/11.jpg

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/12.jpg

There is a huge contact in front of us, it covers 50 degrees, that must be the convoy!!

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/13.jpg

The first hydrophone bearings show up on our map. We don't surface, but manoeuvre only by our signals.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/14.jpg

We must be right in the convoy YES!!!

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/15.jpg

We are between the two right columns. Now it's time to got to periscope depth. From the periscope, we see the first targets.

A run of the mill merchant, very close.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/16a.jpg

A modern 6000t freighter from America, somewhat distant.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/16b.jpg

Target solution will be a bit trickier. But it's still not too far away.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/16c.jpg

And finally to the left is one ugly 5000t merchant heading in our aim.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/16d.jpg

I settle for 9 knots on all targets. Fire all five T's. We should hit something.

The shot on the first merchant misses, because I was too close already .. damn.

But the American is hit and begins to burn!

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/17a.jpg

The ugly thing on the left is hit too!

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/17b.jpg

For the last time we take a look at the flame effects.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/18.jpg

Our last victim looks severely damaged.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/19.jpg

Pinging?! Destroyers have headed our way. Jetzt kommt die Abrechnung Männer :(

We must dive.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/20.jpg

I order a dive, to no avail. Waterbombs. We are hit again.

Who thought that could be so quick.

:damn:

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/21.jpg

Everything goes kaputt again.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/22.jpg

Ouch I got boiled by water .. I can't take it any more!!

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/23.jpg

While my crew begins frantic repairs, I am at my wits end.

I take position in the only safe station on the boat, the captains bed. Nothing bad can happen to me here.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/24.jpg

I take a nap and dream of a beautiful meadow and Marika Röck's legs. When the Chief yells something to me I yell back at him 'let me sleep, can't you see how tired I am!'.

Then I wake up, hopeful to hear the damage has been repaired.

Has it? NO! We are at 190 meters, and the flooding can not be stopped.

All that's below us is a thousand meters of water.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/25.jpg

This is like Hitchcock's Marnie.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/26.jpg

The light goes out.

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/27.jpg

Are we still alive?

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/28.jpg

"You have added another shadow into the Hall of Honor. Your Family remembers you full of pride but you fade in the annals of sea war history."

http://www.global-explorer.de/20111028/s/29.jpg

Damnit. No more boom boom for this captain-san :(

Conclusion. The escorts in this mod are quite uber. They were right upon us after our first attack run.
That's the second time in a row that I could not survive my first patrol. But we torpedoed two merchants, so our effort was not completely in vain.

****.

:salute:

Brand new campaign, Uboat Missions - Patrol 1 (So far)

Ordered to deliver supplies to Bangkok we head out to sea

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg576...png&res=medium

And after an uneventful journey, we arrive. The weather was rather horrible, however.

We launched the boat, and headed upon our merry way

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/729...ngsupplies.png

After we left Bangkok, instead of the typical "Do whatever you want....just please god stop calling us." Message I usually get from Command, they instead sent me a patrol sector and a demand of 5000 tons

Once again the journey was mostly uneventful (minus a scout plane, he ignored us though.) After arriving to our new patrol sector, we dive and begin to engage hunting operations.

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/5...derwatercm.png

After three stress-filled days of searching with no results. We finally get something on the sonar, it was pitch black and hard to see, but eventually a lone merchant emerged from the darkness

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/8...iscopeview.png

Not wanting to waste my precious torpedoes on a single undefended vessel, I opted instead for a more direct method of attack.

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/1...kgunattack.png

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/1339/deckgunattack.png

And of course it was not long before.....

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9721/explosiont.png

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/8249/sink.png

First kill of the patrol, add 6000 tons to the log book. :arrgh!:
On a final note, there was a single lifeboat in the water, but nobody aboard her, all crew members assumed lost.

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/5509/lifeboat.png

Despite having filled our quota, we will patrol here for a couple more days to see if we have any more luck, if not we will request new orders from command and move on.