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Old 01-03-22, 12:22 AM   #1
Zero Niner
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Default Does promotion to Captain mean a desk job?

So if a skipper gets a promotion to Captain, he gets either a command or staff appointment, but he no longer gets to command a boat?
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Old 01-03-22, 03:58 AM   #2
Schiffmorder
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In the context of the submarine services of any country I can think of, that is correct. Their only shot at a ship command again would be a transfer to the surface navy where you find Captains in charge of cruisers and up. I do 'think' I can recall an instance of a full blown Captain being sent out in charge of a US wolfpack but I do not believe he also commanded the sub he rode. Typically WP command fell to the senior sub captain.

Even full Commanders are really senior in the WW2 US sub service and would be subject to finding themselves beached as Flotilla XO or a staff appointment somewhere. Such appointments could be to an Admirals staff, a flotilla staff, or into the naval bureaucracy in the states (BuShips, BuWeps, etc) or various liaison postings with the Army or an allied country.

It's even worse (from ship command standpoint) in the German and British navies of WW2 where your typical sub captain was a Lieutenant when first appointed.

There were two reasons for this. First with more rank is supposed to come more responsibility and subs of the time only had 30ish to 70ish crew depending on the country.
Secondly command in the submarine service was hellishly stressful and very much a younger mans game for the captains.
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Old 01-03-22, 10:27 AM   #3
Zero Niner
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Thank you.
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Old 01-04-22, 01:13 AM   #4
Bubblehead1980
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In the US submarine service of WW II, Yes, Captains were mostly in positions that qualify as a desk job, even if in command of a submarine squadron etc, they typically were ashore. However, when coordinated attack groups aka wolfpacks first began in 1943, the groups were commanded by a Captain, who would go to sea aboard one of the subs in the group in order to coordinate the attacks, as he had tactical command. However, through trial and error, it was found that things worked better by placing the senior skipper of the pack in tactical command, so for most part the Captains stopped going to sea.

In 1944 and 1945, on a few occasions a senior officer holding rank of Captain would take command of a submarine for one patrol, rarely two, but was not the permanent CO, kind of in command on a interim basis. This provided chance to senior officers to gain war patrol and command experience, possibly also provided service as "place holders" until those of LCDR (typical rank of sub CO in the war) could be assigned . If I recall, Captain Voge, a key member of Lockwood's staff(commanded Sea Lion at start of war, which was severely damaged in Cavite Air Raid Dec 10 1941, and later scuttled at the pier to avoid capture. Voge made patrols in command of Sailfish ) in 1942 before promoted to Captain and assigned to Lockwoods staff in 1943. Voge assigned was given command of a sub later in the war for one patrol.

Captain Charles W. "Weary" Wilkins is another example, as he was given command of Seahorse (SS-304) from July-November 1944, in which he conducted one war patrol, which was successful, but was just a temporary CO after the departure of Slade D. Cutter, her her well known and successful captain's fifth patrol. There were others who did this as well.

In SH 4, the realism is fudged a bit as player can reach rank and just keep on making patrols. Far too easy to achieve the rank as well. In my TMO update, I made it difficult to reach this rank if player runs sim at full realism as intended as it requires twenty patrols of high rating. I may raise the requirement. While I have added wolfpacks, there is unfortunately no way to command AI subs which are part of wolfpacks and no way to tie the rank of Captain. The ranks of Rear Admiral etc are not available so player won't be assigned to desk duty due to promotion as they should be.

Last edited by Bubblehead1980; 01-05-22 at 10:55 PM.
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Old 01-05-22, 07:22 PM   #5
Zero Niner
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Thank you.
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