6/13/11 Video summary of patrol 6. New IXB U-124 is leaving the dock
Skip to the second post if you're looking for the latest updates; skip to Joining the Boat below if you already know or don't care what Silent Hunter 3 is and you just want to add a body to the [strike]death trap[/strike] boat.
What is Silent Hunter 3?
Silent Hunter 3 is a submarine combat simulation putting the player in command of a variety of WW2-era German submarines. Published by Ubisoft in 2005, SH3 has aged gracefully with an active community of modders (helped along by the fact that SH5 didn’t turn out very well or all that replayable).
It’s now in patch version 1.4b; most players use either GWX (The Grey Wolves Expansion) or NYGM (…I have no idea what this one stands for) along with an external utility called SH3-Commander, which update the simulation and graphics quality.
SH3 can be a very thorough simulation. You can go 100% realistic, forcing you to plot torpedo trajectories and ship courses with observational tools available to actual German submarine commandoers. Or it can (almost) be an action game where you try to torpedo or shoot anything that moves. Plus you get to watch things blow up (...occasionally yourself). Sound tends to play a much larger part in SH3 than graphics (although with mods the graphics can be quite good). GWX also adds in an assortment of Das Boot sounds...which make me want to crash dive more than is necessary.
This is how it looks outside, but you'll probably be staring at a map.
This LP will be mostly text and pictures in a 'war correspondant' or documentary style. Occasionally videos will be thrown in to help flush out how the game works and how spectactular it can be.
With this LP there’s a good chance you’ll get to learn random German words (probably relating to submarines), you’ll get to see a u-boat destroyed at some point, and you’ll probably want to watch Das Boot or Hunt for the Red October at least once.
TL;DR - Silent Hunter 3 is a Jürgen Prochnow simulator.
How does LPing a submarine combat simulator work?
Well, with SH3-Commander it’s possible to customize the crew, which makes it suitable to include other people in your rusty death trap. The LP audience seems to favor LPs that feature lots of imminent death (IWBTG and XCom spring to mind) – with over 70% of German submariners dying in the war, there’s a good chance we’ll be found at the bottom of the Atlantic well before 1945.
We can get bombed! We can get torpedoed! We can get depth charged! We can get rammed! We can get crushed, drowned, asphyxiated, shot – the possibilities are nigh endless.
Furthermore, there’s quite a bit of interactivity to be had. The U-bootwaffe arm of the German Kriegsmarine typically had the most operational freedom of the German military – even with Dönitz’ tight control over the fleet. SH3 dynamically creates its shipping and GWX adds harbor traffic and a decent amount of military plausibility – allowing you to explore at your leisure (well, as much leisure as impeding air attacks provides, anyway). SH3 allows you to upgrade your submarine; change, upgrade and promote crew; engage and run as you see fit; and it lets you alter the simulation to a good extent with mods and internal options.
As a simulation (and occasionally fairly slow) the game has a hefty difficulty curve and it’s got niche gameplay, so few people have probably played it …and experiencing a game vicariously is what LPs are all about. You’ll get to see the highlights and avoid the tedium of plotting torpedo trajectories and speeding up time compression for 20 days travelling through the Atlantic).
Don’t worry, you’ll be sailing under the esteemed Captain Rex.
…I mean, the esteemed Captain Rex.
Joining the Boat
We'll need three major things:
1. Conscripts…err… volunteers.
2. Your desired qualifications.
[strike]3. A flotilla and/or U-boat type.[/strike]
Too late for 3 - but you'll help get to select a new boat or flotilla transfer later.
If you have any other playing recommendations or limitations, I'm all ears. If you want me to play without
any help from the weapons officer...well, be prepared to sink maybe 2 ships per patrol. If nothing comes up, it'll probably be around 80% realistic (birds eye map updating, and free roam camera on. Maybe the event camera...we'll see how often I get depth charged.
If you’ve played SH3 feel free to drop that info off in your post highlighted in green, if you have no idea what I’m talking about, read on!
“Volunteers”
Like HUAC, we're going to need you to name some names.
If you don’t provide a name, one will be provided for you (…I’m going to have to steal your forum name). Default SH3 uses an abundance of random German names, which is why we’re using SH3-Commander to change them.
Generally we'll need between 15 and 50 names (depending on our boat type), but if we run out without sinking there'll always be some Germans or some zombie crewmembers to refill the ranks.
Ranks and Qualifications
Everyone’s going to start at their crew type’s lowest assigned rank. Crew come in three flavors: Officers, Petty Officers and Seamen. Through the magic of SH3-Commander, it's possible to promote crew between levels.
The amount of crew we can have depends on our boat. If people die…well, it’ll be good to have some more back in the barracks to shore up the numbers. From you I’ll just need your 3 most desired qualifications.
…Unlike the military, we’ll be assigning ranks by arrival order (so…first 5 people: you’ll probably get to be officers!). Unless you really want to be a lower rank, then just include that in your post.
Possible Qualifications:
Watchman – Effectively a watch officer – you get to look for ships and airplanes...deadly, deadly airplanes.
Gunner – Targetting and shooting the deck gun – usually at smaller ships (note that if you’re an officer you can’t actually be the one who fires the gun).
Flak Gunner – Targetting and shooting the FLAK (AAA) gun – occasionally at ships, usually at planes (note that if you’re an officer you can’t actually be the one who fires the gun).
Radioman – A radioman or hydrophone operator (Officers cannot have this qualification). Be prepared to sit in place for 8 hours at a time.
Helmsman – For navigating and controlling the u-boat. This qualification ensures the boat can dive and turn quickly. These are important enough that the game starts you with 3 officers with this qualification
Machinist – Engineering staff – they keep the diesels and electric motors running so the boat actually moves forward (…or backward, as the case may be). Generally the second most important position on a ship would be the LI or
Leitender Ingenieur (aka Chief Engineer). In the Kriegsmarine engineering staff followed a different career path than naval officers (so you if you’re a machinist you won’t need the watch or gunner qualifications at all).
Torpedoman – For quickly loading, adjusting and firing torpedoes. If we miss I’m blaming it on you, but if we hit I’m stealing all the credit.
Medic – Responsible for taking care of crew in their off time – particularly if they’re injured.
Repair – When we're floundering 300m below the surface we turn to these people, and blame them when the hull implodes on us from the water pressure.
As noted, officers don't make direct use of Gunner and FLAK Gunner, but they do substantially improve the abilities of the other crew on those weapons. Officers can't be Radiomen, but radiomen are important (they man the radio, hydrophone and - later - sonar).
Possible Ranks in SH3:
Oberleutnant zur See
Leutnant zur See
Oberfähnrich zur See
Stabsoberbootsman
Stabsbootsman
Bootsman
Matrosenhauptgefreiter
Matrosenobergefreiter
Matrosengefreiter
This list is so you can see how you compare to your crewmates (it also doesn’t quite correspond to the actual Kriegsmarine ranks).
Example Vote:
Name: Rex
Qualifications: Helmsman, Watchman, Gunner
U-Boat: VIIB in the 7th
You don't even need the headings...Unless your name is Helmsman, then we might have problems. I'm sure I'll be able to figure out your votes,
I'm not Florida, after all.
Thread Subtitles
The thread subtitle changes when patrol logs go up or the next mission's planning is under way. If you're feeling nostalgic about this thread (for some reason) previous thread subtitles are listed here.
We all live in a grey submarine, a gray submarine...
Blow ballast and prepare to surface!
20,000 centimeters under the sea!
Blue Kaleun needs crew badly!
I'm on a (U-)Boat!
Under your waters, sinkin' your ships
Salty as ever.
Sub attacks; French surrender (6th patrol log up)
You sunk my pocket Battleship! (5th patrol log up)
I Ran So Far Away (4th Patrol Log up)
Sinkin' Threads on Page 3 (4th Patrol Log up)
Like a screen door on a battleship (3rd patrol log up)
Depth Charging 56k since 1939 (2nd patrol log up)
You can't sink V-Scroll! (1st patrol log up)
Non Sequitur: [Let's Discuss] Submarine Movies
Otherwise, check the second post below for patrol logs, boat information, history, crew lists and other assorted information.
Posts
Links to posts that contain LP pictures and prose.
First Patrol - "Leichtwerk" - August 29th, 1939 (04/07/2010)
U-34 explores the Western waters of the English Channel and the Celtic Sea as Captain Rex tries to acquaint himself with the abilities of his new crew.
Second Patrol - "Feuer Frei" November 12th, 1939 (04/13/2010)
U-34 pushes its way through the English Channel to its patrol grid in the North Atlantic - trying to sink anybody worth sinking on the way.
Third Patrol - "Geleitzug" - December 18th, 1939 (04/20/2010)
Anti-submarine patrols ramp up in the English Channel as U-34 is tasked to patrol the North Atlantic and encounters its first convoy - with devastating results.
Fourth Patrol - "Fette Beute" - January 26th, 1940 (04/29/2010)
Tasked with patrolling the English coast, U-34 encounters numerous ships of varying sizes and shoots or get shot at by quite a few of them.
Fifth Patrol -"Hartmut" - April 3rd, 1940 (05/14/2010)
BdU hasn't endangedred U-34 enough, so now they're sent to patrol near Scapa Flow. Can the crew survive a flying armada of Swordfish and the German invasion of Norway?
Sixth Patrol - "Felsen - May 24th, 1940 (05/23/2011)
Like the film Casablanca, with more water and more explosions. U-34 patrols west of the Rock of Gibraltar. As to be expected, France surrenders.
The sixth patrol has a supplemental video summary.
Probefahrt - August 14th, 1939
Captain Rex is forced to go on a patrol with a bunch of flotilla-trainees to get his new crew and get out of port before war were declared (essentially two small pictures and the emblem of the time - unless you speak German and really want to try reading my (probably) poorly written pseudo-letter).
Thomsen's Photo - October 27th, 1939
Captain Rex mentions the extensive repairs to his submarine. Features good friend, fellow Kaleun Thomsen's great snapshot of U-34 coming into Wilhelmshaven (Cap'n on the deck!).
Anna's Letter I]undated[/I
Anna mentions increased rationing in Germany and Rex's lack of new crewmembers thanks to information from Thomsen. Features pictures of Anna and of U-34's valiant return to Wilhelmshaven on January 10th in pouring rain.
Zephos Postcard I]undated[/I
The propaganda ministry saw fit to publish a postcard with one of Rex' crew.
"Loose T-Rex Sinks Ships" - February 25th, 1940
Random Boston newspaper has a blurb about U-34. Roosevelt insults potential Republican nominee Dewey.
KUH's Operational Report - April 4th, 1940
Heinous British plots to sabotage U-34!?
Equipment request to the shipyard in Kiel - May 19th, 1940
Sometimes being the best doesn't get you the best equipment. Sometimes you need to threaten to bite people in half (and fill out your forms in triplicate).
U-34 departs Wilhelmshaven - May 24th, 1940
U-34's fame rises throughout Germany and abroad as the Propagandaministerium films its departure from the port of Wilhelmshaven.
U-124 Delivered to Wilhelmshaven - July 12th, 1940
Newly promoted Kapitänleutnant Rex receives a new Type IX submarine. The crew are transferred over to the glorious U-124 (...historically a IXB that was actually quite successful during the war).
Silent Hunter: Where's U-34 Edition
Experience the thrill of trying to locate U-34 in this GIF of multiple brightnesses.
(...let's see you try to pluralize brightness)
Cabbage Cakes Come True
Alright, so it's really a sheet cake and it's only shaped like a cabbage so it doesn't have that [strike]disgusting[/strike] delicious boiled taste.
Latest News
Historical Timeline of World War II with a focus on naval events; ahistorical events related to the LP are in orange.
April 10th, 1940: Denmark surrendered to Germany. "Hey, it was on the way to Norway."
April 9th, 1940: Operation Weserübung began as German ground forces landed in Oslo, Bergen, Narvik, Trondheim and Stavanger in Norway (and walked into Denmark), which joined the allies. Both sides make outlandish propagandistic claims of unrealistic success.
April 6th, 1940: Dönitz gave the order to begin Operation Hartmut - submarine operations during the invasion of Norway. Training boats in the Baltic get to experience slightly less cold weather in the North Sea.
March 18th, 1940: Hitler and Mussolini met at Brenner Pass. Mussolini gets lectured for hours, claims he'll 'join the war when it's opportune' (...by this he means invade Greece and tie up the German forces relegated to reinforcing the Italians).
March 12th, 1940: Finland surrendered to the USSR to end the Winter War, ceding portions of the Karelian peninsula and other strategic and industrialized land.
February 27th, 1940: Churchill claimed that the UK had likely sunk half of the German u-boat fleet in order to boost morale. "An ASDIC on every trawler, a depth charge on every dolphin!"
February 21st, 1940: U-34 completed her 4th patrol. An assortment of promotions throughout the crew. Rex is awarded the Knight's Cross.
February 16th, 1940: At Jøssingfjord in Norway, a British boarding party from the destroyer HMS Cossack boarded the German supply vessel Altmark transporting 299 British POWs. British violate Norwegian neutrality; Germany will violate it much more in April.
February 11th, 1940: Germany and the USSR signed a trade agreement exchanging Soviet raw materials for German manufactured goods. Germans give guns to Soviets; Germans get shot by Soviets 2 years later.
February 3rd, 1940: The Southampton-class light cruiser HMS Gloucester flounders west of Ireland after being hit by a torpedo from U-34 (the real HMS Gloucester would be sunk in May 1941 off of Crete by bombers).
January 21st, 1940: U-22 sunk the British E-class destroyer HMS Exmouth; all crew on board were lost.
January 10th, 1940: Helmut Reinberger loses the secret plans for the invasion of Benelux and France when the plane he was in crashed over neutral Belgium in the Mechelen incident. "Ach, meine Papiere!"
U-34 completed her 3rd patrol. Promotions! And Captain Rex is awarded an Iron Cross First Class.
January 1st, 1940: U-34 sunk the eponymous Southampton-class light cruiser HMS Southampton as part of convoy HX-12 (the real HMS Southampton will sink a year later off of Malta).
December 17th, 1939: After retiring to Montevideo, Langsdorff has the Admiral Graf Spee scuttled due to concerns of overwhelming force. Hitler mad, Hitler very mad (the Hague Convention allowed the British to control when the ship would have to leave port and British misinformation led Langsdorff to believe he was facing overwhelming opposition).
December 13th, 1939: The Deutschland-class pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee engaged a British force of 3 cruisers in the first major naval battle of the war.
November 30th, 1939: The Soviet Union invaded Finland to start the Winter War over defensive and industrialized territory in Finland. Soviets end up being target practice for Simo Häyhä.
U-34 also completed her second patrol. Wolf 'President' Rex is given the Iron Cross 2nd Class. Adus and Ice Nein receive their awards earned on patrol.
November 23rd, 1939: German partner battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisnau sunk the armed merchant cruiser HMS Rawalpindi north of the Faroe Islands; the British fleet (including the light cruiser HMS Southampton) attempted to interdict the German ships without success.
November 9th, 1939: Members of the Sicherheitsdienst captured British spy elements at Venlo in the Netherlands, providing the German intelligence ministry information about British spy networks. Alfred Naujocks just can't stay in one place.
November 8th, 1939: Hitler avoided an assassination attempt by Georg Elser at the Bürgerbräukeller in Munich. Fog saves Hitler; British declare fog Nazi-sympathizer.
October 14th, 1939: Günther Prien and U-47 sunk the HMS Royal Oak battleship at the British naval base at Scapa Flow. Being a gentleman, he allows any crew who do not wish to take part in the potentially suicidal mission to depart...in the middle of the North Sea (none do).
October 6th, 1939: Germany and the Soviet Union divided Poland into spheres of influence according to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. For 5 long years the world must go without Polish as the butt of jokes.
October 5th, 1939: Last active Polish military elements surrendered; Poland never officially surrendered.
September 17th, 1939: The Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland. The converted aircraft carrier HMS Courageous became the first British warship sunk during the war. Otto Schuhart captaining U-29 steals all the credit from his crew.
September 16th, 1939: U-34 Promotions! Sceptre underwent officer training and became a OFzS because we really need a dedicated watch officer; the Kaleun, LzS Rex was promoted to OLzS by BdU; Sonar - for his love of sonar, which had yet to be invented - was promoted to Oberfunkgefreiter to help replace Sceptre.
September 14th, 1939: U-34 completed her first patrol; the KTB has been sent to Rex' superiors.
September 10th, 1939: Canada declared war on Germany - mounties race on mooseback to battlestations!
September 3rd, 1939: The UK and the Commonwealth along with France declared war on Germany! Sorry, no surrender jokes yet, that'll be the defining French characteristic in 1940.
September 1st, 1939: Germany declared war on Poland!
August 31st, 1939: Polish elements supposedly attacked the radio station at Gleiwitz.
August 14th, 1939: Captain Rex heard he's getting a new crew to go with his u-boat.
August 4th, 1939: The 7th Flotilla in Königsberg transferred to Kiel - now there's no reason to ever visit Königsberg.
Current U-Boat and Flotilla
The current U-Boat, Flotilla, and the status of the next patrol or LP write-up.
U-124
Typ IXB
2. Unterseebootsflotille based in Wilhelmshaven
(formerly Unterseebootsflotille Saltzwedel)
Departing for patrol.
Crew Medals
Medal ballots and a list of medal recipients including their citation.
All medals allotted.
Medal Recipients:
Masch Ob Mt uean (July 1st, 1940)
OFzS Synthesis (July 1st, 1940)
OFzS TrippyJing (July 1st, 1940)
Ob Mech Mt Walther von Klykahausen III (April 9th, 1940)
OFzS Adus (February 21st, 1940)
OFzS TrippyJing (February 21st, 1940)
LzS Zephos (February 3rd, 1940)
OLzS Wolf 'President' Rex (January 10th, 1940)
Fk Mt Akilae (December 31st, 1939/January 1st, 1940)
OLzS Wolf 'President' Rex (November 30th, 1939)
Mech Gef Ice Nein (November 19th, 1939)
OFzS Adus (November 16th, 1939)
Bts mere_immortal (September 8th, 1939)
Crew Information
The crew list and information regarding WW2-era German submariner ranks - occasionally some nicknames/special duties for individual crew.
Current Crew Listing
Remember: we can always use more crew.
Disappointed with your rank? Hope someone above you gets killed (it's bound to happen to someone - it could even be you!) or distinguish yourself in the line of duty.
Confused by your rank? Check the listings below for abbreviations, translations and the like.
Crew Ranks
Officers (by rank)
KzS - Kapitän zur See - Captain (Dönitz liked to call himself this, despite being an admiral)
FK - Fregattenkapitän - Captain (Junior)
KK - Korvettenkapitän - Commander
Kl - Kapitänleutnant - Lieutenant-Commander
OlzS - Oberleutnant zur See - Lieutenant (Senior)
LzS - Leutnant zur See - Lieutenant (Junior)
OFzS - Oberfähnrich zur See - Sub-Lieutenant
FzS - Fähnrich zur See - Midshipman
Junior Officers (alphabetical)
Bts - Bootsmann - Boatswain/Warrant Officer
Fk Mt - Funkmaat - Radio Officer
Masch Mt - Maschinenmaat - Engine Mate
Masch Ob Mt - Maschinenobermaat - Electric Engineer
Mech - Mechaniker - Mechanic
Mech Mt - Mechanikermaat - Mechanic/Torpedo Mate
Ob Masch Mt - Obermaschinenmaat - Diesel Engineer
Ob Mech Mt - Obermechanikermaat - Senior Mechanic/Senior Torpedo Mate
Ob Strm - Obersteuerman - Senior Navigator (usually third WO)
San Mt - Sanitätsmaat - Medic
Strm - Steuerman - Navigator (usually third WO)
Seamen (alphabetical)
Fk Gef - Funkgefreiter - Radioman
Hpt Fk Gef - Hauptfunkgefreiter - Chief Radioman
Masch Gef - Maschinengefreiter - Engine "Stoker"
Masch Ob Gef - Maschinenobergefreiter - Port/Starboard Diesel or Electric Engine "Stoker"
Masch Hpt Gef - Maschinenhauptgefreiter - Experienced Engine Stoker
Mech Gef - Mechanikergefreiter - Torpedo Mechanic/Artilleryman
Mech Ob Gef - Mechanikerobergefreiter - Senior Torpedo Mechanic/Artilleryman
Mech Hpt Gef - Mechanikerhauptgefreiter - Experienced Senior Torpedo Mechanic
Mtr Gef - Matrosengefreiter - Seaman/Artilleryman
Mtr Hpt Gef - Matrosenhauptgefreiter - Experienced Leading Seaman
Mtr Ob Gef - Matrosenobergefreiter - Leading Seaman/Senior Artilleryman
Mtr Stbs Gef - Matrosenstabsgefreiter - Senior Leading Seaman
Ob Fk Gef - Oberfunkgefreiter - Senior Radioman
Other
Alec Baldwin - Disguised as Alec Baldwin, or Alec Baldwin in disguise?
Propaganda Kompanie Maat - War Correspondent (at least their labelling is transparent)
Schiffskoch - Ship's Cook (flavorless cabbage takes a while to boil, so he can just throw it in a pot before his watch)
Schiffslyriker - Our onboard lyricist and shanty lead (able to break into song with Hamborger Veermaster on a moment's notice)
Sean Connery Imitator - Able to say "Ich hätte es besser an die Marx Brothers schicken!" as necessary over the radio (never mind that German Imitator and imitator are spelled the same). Once we get a radio, anyway.
Shantyman - able to break into song on a moment's notice.
General Rank Progression (need more spoiler boxes?)
Stabsober-
Ober-
(e.g. - Funkmaat -> Oberfunkmaat -> Stabsoberfunkmaat)
In general, the progression for seamen is:
Stabs-
Haupt-
Ober-
(e.g. Matrosengefreiter -> Matrosenobergefreiter -> Matrosenhauptgefreiter ->Matrosenstabsgefreiter)
(Germans apparently love long, long words)
More ranks will be added as people get promoted...and replaced.
Flotilla and U-Boat Information
Flotillas (and their locations) and U-Boats currently available in the campaign.
The following Flotillas are available:
1st Flotilla out of Kiel
2nd Flotilla out of Wilhelmshaven
7th Flotilla out of Kiel
The following U-Boats are Available:
Typ IIA
The type IIA is by far the smallest of the u-boats available. While not quite a midget submarine, the boat is so small that it consists of one large internal compartment and the torpedoes reach from the tubes to the command portion of the ship. Unfortunately this makes it quite the death trap since if any portion of the submarine floods the whole submarine would flood. It’s small – which makes it difficult to spot – and it’s pretty quick. On the other hand, it has few defensive options and it's fairly weak with short range. There'll probably be lots of fishing in the North Sea if we start with this boat.
Typ IID
The Type IID consists of an updated version of the IIA (some claim the in-game IIA should be considered a IIB since only 6 were made; a IIC class also exists). The biggest improvement was the addition of saddle tanks of fuel to either side of the hull - increasing range nearly 4-fold. Historically, the IIA couldn't fit a deck gun, while the IID could. It seems profile views of a IID are incredibly rare, so this image is based on a model instead (16 were built, compared to the IIA's 6). The IID becomes available in October of 1939.
Typ VIIB
The early version of the German workhorse submarine, the type VII is the father of the most prolific submarine of WW2, the VIIC (the boat in Das Boot, as it were). The sub actually has bulkheads and watertight compartments and carries a substantial load of torpedoes - making it more defensively secure and offensively capable than its tinier IIA counterpart. There’s also a deck gun and a FLAK cannon for surface engagements. Range is moderate, but not as far as the IX designed to operate in the South Atlantic or further.
Typ VIIC/40
The Typ VIIC is by far the most famous and widespread U-Boot of WW2. U-96 in Das Boot (and subsequently U-26 in Indiana Jones) is a VIIC. It had heavier steel plating - which sped dive times and increased structural integrity. In general early VIICs used the same diesel and electric engines as their predecessors, however due to the heavier weight this gave them slightly slower maximum speeds. The first VIIC was put into service in mid-to-late 1940; it becomes available in April of 1940.
Typ IXB
The long distance submarine for the Kriegsmarine, the IXB is the largest of the three early U-boats. It holds the largest number of torpedoes, has the best early FLAK armament, and it can carry the most fuel. It also tends to be the most damage resistant class up until 1944 when the XXI comes around. Unfortunately, it moves like a cow and it’s easy to spot, so the firepower isn’t as useful as it could be (although early in the war ASW was poor). The IXB is available in December of 1939.
Name: Zephos
Qualifications: Medic, Helmsman, torpedo man!
I have no prefrence on types of boats or the flotilla though. (If ve had a choice it wouldnt be the kriegsmarine!)
Adus
Torpedoman, Gunner, Repair
VIIB in the 2nd
Name: TrippyJing
Qualifications: Watchman, Helmsman, Medic
U-Boat: *shrugs*
Synthesis
Watchman, Gunner, Helmsmen
Type IXB, out of Wilhelmshaven
I assume this will be played unmodded? I've recently reinstalled SH3 in Windows 7 (SH5's lack of a Type IX left me deeply disturbed), and I'm using an older version of OLC mod with GWX.
Also, Rex, it may be worth mentioning that the larger U-boats are much more resilient than their smaller counterparts in the OP (at least in SH3 vanilla, if not in reality). Whereas one nearby depth charge can send a Type II to a watery grave, Type IX boats can actually survive being hit directly by a depth charge (or, even more ridiculously, a GP bomb dropped by an aircraft) and recover. Type VII are somewhere between this.
Radioman, Medic, Helmsmen
Type IXB, out of Wilhelmshaven
Oh boy guys...
This has got me excited.
Really excited.
Qualifications: Repair, Machinist, Radioman
Das Boot: VIIB Out of Wilhelmshaven
Geeked, I want to see how this plays out!
Jawohl herr kaleun!
Name: Akilae
Qualifications: Radioman, medic, flak gunner
U-boat: Type IXB out of Wilhemshaven
I would recommend at the very least applying a few of the fan patches... the game as-is is pretty buggy.
GWX seems to be the default many people run with. I enjoy the nomograph, always-available stopwatch, radio messages, and numerous graphical updates it provides. It also happens to be a nice problem fixer after the final patch.
It tends to make you more reliant on torpedoes, while making planes more deadly. The 500+ page manual says deck gun damage is halved and only HE rounds are available; it's still quite possible to sink enemy patrol and torpedo boats with it (although I tend to lose at least one person to incoming fire). Planes tend to be harder to shoot down (...to the extent that the Naval Academy training mission isn't so much a training mission as it is an exercise in death.
I'll also throw some more stuff about damage sustainability and IIA's tendency to be highly sinkable.
Name: pslong9
Qualifications: Machinist, Flak Gunner, Radioman
U-Boat: Type VIIB out of Wilhemshaven
3DS FC: 0817-3759-2788
Qualifications: Watchman, Torpedoman, Machinist, ... Cook (What. Every ship needs a cook.)
U-Boat: Type IIA in the 1st Flotilla (There will be plenty of time to sail about in awesome boats after we've done our time in the leetle one. We are strong men Herr Kaleun! Or will be if we survive our first few patrols.)
The Silent Hunter series is fantastic, and I'm looking quite forward to your further updates.
Name: Walther von Klykahausen der Dritte
Qualifications: Torpedoman, Flak Gunner, Helmsman
U-Boat: Type IIA out of Wilhemshaven (cause I live like 30min from there)
Name: uean
Qualifications: Machinist, Repair, Helmsman, Alec Baldwin
U-Boat: IIA in the 1st.
You have tickled me with your OP. Giggles were had. Anticipation is building. Looking forward to this!
PSN - sumowot
Qualifications: Watchman, Medic, Gunner
U-Boat: No preference
(insert seamen joke)
QUALIFICATIONS: Radioman (Sonarman, yay!), Medic, Repair
U-Boat: Where's my Gato Class?? I mean, VIIB, out from somewhere... preferably with water.
Name:Firmus Piett
Qualifications:Helmsman, machinist, repair
U-Boat:IIA, 2nd Flotilla
This is so gonna end with us all being shredded when our u-boat implodes.
Damn you, you brilliant mind! I would have taken cook had I realized it was a choice!
Fine, someone will also have to claim war correspondent (i.e. Lt. Werner in the film).
It may be more dangerous than you think. Uean is also Alec Baldwin and I thought I saw him looking at me funny.
In case I'm not too late.
Name: Xtarath
Qualifications: Watchmen, Machinist, Medic
U-Boat: VIIB, out of Wilhelmshaven
BloodySloth
Machinist, Repair, Watchman
Type IIA in the 1st
Is it too much to suggest the sub be named the Red November?
flak gunner, machinist, torpedoman
surprise me
I WILL MAKE YOU PROUD
TRAITOR. Let's go fight it out in the missle room.
PSN - sumowot
Qualifications: Machinist, Repair, Torpedpman
U-Boat: uncaring
This looks like it could be fun to watch, assuming that our sardine can doesn't split apart
(Protip--Wilhelmshaven moves to Lorient pretty quickly).
Funny, when you consider that 80% of the European war is happening on the Eastern Front eventually. Very much a land/air war.
Voting tallies are up-to-date for this post (check the second post for numbers). I plan on shipping out around noon tomorrow, so if you want to be onboard for the first patrol you'll want to get your name and info in before then. If you want to replace people from the first patrol try after that.
I'll use the u-boat with the largest number of votes; barring that, whichever flotilla wins...There's a pretty big guarantee it's not going to be the 7th.
But I can understand the Königsberg hate. I mean, it's got umlauts, right there in the name. Plus it's hundreds of miles away from anything. And then the Ruskies took it and named it after Mikhail Kalinin - and he's like Lenin with glasses, and nobody wants that.
(That, and a Type II boat will pretty much exhaust all its fuel just getting around Denmark round-trip).
I actually think "Kaliningrad" sounds better, and I almost universally prefer Germanic geographic names.
I just want to make your FOOOOOOOD! We don't even have a missle room!
Also, I was never brave enough to play with limited diesel fuel. So I'm not that informed about how much that will curtail our operations.
Zahrkon
watchman,radioman,medic
VIIB
I was pretty much made for this actually.
Name: Sonar
Qualifications: Guess
U-Boat: VIIB in the 2nd
I love me some SHIII.
caffron said: "and cat pee is not a laughing matter"
VIIBs can easily make it from SW of Ireland (Grid BE) to their homeports with less than 25% fuel remaining - less than 1/8 if you can manage to get through the channel).
I can attempt to make a sub emblem with the name and number on it.
The number will likely be randomly generated relating to the boat's class. Unless there's some suitable number I'm forgetting; unfortunately U-Wang is not an option.
As a name, I'm not sure if the Red November makes much sense (aside from the relation to the Red October - Gray September (or Grey September (or Grauer September)) or some other color would probably be more fitting). You guys can always try to figure out the name(s) for our sub(s) (you know, if we survive to get a new one).
With my leadership we can't fail ...more than once.
Besides, the real traitor was that stupid Scottish Lithuanian who was trying to steal our goddamn submarine and risking the lives of everyone on board. Don't blame the poor chef!
Someone should have waited between the intervals of him racing and lowering his eyebrows and put an axe in between them. Or whatever sharp thing they keep aboard submarines.
And Rex, you are correct...Red November doesn't really make sense. Maybe White January, given the use of white typically as the color of "anti-communist" forces of the time, and the month Hitler took office? Neither does Red October, given that the Soviet Union didn't name submarines. It's actually the seventh hull, apparently, so it's actually ТК-210 (not completed). Of course, the book is full of stuff that doesn't make sense.
Germans didn't name thier Uboats either.
Given they were smaller, yeah, I don't think so.
U-2540 was later named Wilhelm Bauer though.
Shamanistic rituals with strange teas for everyone!