Let's Play: Das Thanasboot!

[noncredible]

On second thought, and due to fajner's previous history, I respectfully request he stay out of this LP.

Fair enough. Reading it will be fun too.

[Chardok]

Frick.

[Scottish Ninja]

Oh god I actually can't make heads or tails of those maps. I may have to get SH3 to figure that all out... at least it's only $10 on Steam.

On another note I've found out that the Museum of Science and Industry has a two and a half hour in-depth "behind the scenes" tour of U-505 that they do about once a month (? could be longer interval). I really want to do that now. (and it's been a while since I've seen U-505 anyway)

[PeZook]

Oh god I actually can't make heads or tails of those maps. I may have to get SH3 to figure that all out... at least it's only $10 on Steam.

What's the problem? Maybe I could frame them differently, or write another "...fur dummkopfen" primer

Then again, not being able to make heads or tails of the charts is what von Doofenberg does best...

[PeZook]

Elsewhere, but quite nearby
Smell level: neglible
Sept 11, 1943
14:10 local time

It was said that wherever you could find Ratzis, there would be armed Pollackistanis nearby, trying to kill them. It was a joke born in four years of world-wrecking total war.

And it was absolutely true.

Pollackistanis fought in one capacity or another on all fronts and every continent. They fought in organized units and guerilla bands, as scattered individuals mixed with other foreigners or in monolithic army-sized formations. They fought in Zenobia, in Yurp, in the air above Thanasia. They worked feverishly breaking ciphers and making weapons - and they fought on the seas and the oceans, too.

The Pollackistani Navy in Exile had thirty ships crewed exclusively by their countrymen, but more than one Anglian crew had Pollackistanis in them. The HMS Pekod had only one.

Its commander, Józef Achabowski.

He was a fearsome man, a fierce figure bringing forth images of a man forged in fire, like someone cut off from the pyre when the flames engulfed and consumed his body without destroying it. A man of singular vision and purpose, who carried in his soul a fire so intense that it burned all those around him. Fearsome, inspiring and stark-raving, mouth-frothingly insane.

That morning, the captain's eyes were particularly jittery, and his pace especially nervous.

"Are you anticipating trouble, commander?", his first officer asked with concern.

"Indeed, my dear Ishmael. There is a presence nearby that I haven't felt for a very long time."

"A...presence?", Ishmael Stone said incredulously. The commander's thoughts often raced around strange and twisted paths.

"Yes.", Achabowski scratched his wooden leg absentmindedly, staring at the horizon, "Reminding me of times past and deeds done, like the coming of Death. The struggles of men against destiny. An old, foe, yes."

A chill ran down Stone's spine. Just to be sure, he made a sweep of the horizon with his binoculars, finding nothing.

"Yes! They are coming! Avast! The dogs of war are near, and we shall not be found unawares!", Achabowski shouted suddenly. He wiped some spittle off his beard before continuing, "As the Devil comes close, we will prepare! Ishamel! SOUND GENERAL QUARTERS!"

A tiny voice in the back of lieutenant Stone's back said that he should bring his commander to his senses, to calm him down, but something about Achabowski's eyes hypnotized him, dragged him into the commander's world and vision.

And so bells and klaxons sounded, crewmen ran to their stations. Achabowski stood tall, alone on the port balcony of the flying bridge, silhouetted by the sun.

[Simon_Jester]

...Oh, balls. We're the Great White U-boat!

[Thanas]

Seeing as how no other comments were forthcoming, the Kommandant decided to agree with the weapons officer. U 1313 would intercept.

"Navigator. Plot course east, 16 knots. ENGINEER. GET READY."

(Goal here is to:
- take the lineal tool and draw a straight line from the radar sense downwards the map
- draw second straigh line from u-boot to that first line, should be 90° angle.
- at the meeting point between those two lines, take circle tool and draw a 6 km circle
- Plotcourse for outer ring of that circle, 16 knots
- when said outer ring reached, submerge boot to 13 meters (manually klick on 14 meters), with bow facing towards radar plot
- alert when hydrophone makes contact

[Force Lord]

"Jawohl, Kommandant! Submerge us to 13 meters once contact is seen at a distance! Speed 16 knots! Keep der hydrophone ready!"

[Thanas]

"ZUVIEL SCHNAPS GESOFFEN ODER WAS?"

Der Kommandant was only soothed by the black and white picture of a seal put on the logbook.

"Our boot cannot make more than 8 knots submerged. Boot stays on the surface. Everybody ready for speed run and quick dive."

[Force Lord]

"ZUVIEL SCHNAPS GESOFFEN ODER WAS?"

Der Kommandant was only soothed by the black and white picture of a seal put on the logbook.

"Our boot cannot make more than 8 knots submerged. Boot stays on the surface. Everybody ready for speed run and quick dive."

"Ah, I must have something in mein ear, Kommandant. I apologize for such a blatant misinterpretation of your order! I will make up for this by working double shifts!"

[Thanas]

"Zhat vill leave you exhausted and unable to work. Just continue doing your work and you'll do fine. "

[Force Lord]

"Zhat vill leave you exhausted and unable to work. Just continue doing your work and you'll do fine. "

"Ja, Herr Kommandant." And with that, Leutnant Zwingen went to check the engine room.

[Chardok]

Von Dokken snickered to himself. He thought he'd heard someone talking about making 16 knots submerged and wondered if it was going to be some of the junior enslited that would have to get out and push the boot along from behind. Nevertheless, he readied his equipment as he'd done countless times before, and tuned out all other goings-on around him. Shenannigans be damned; when it was time for the listenings, it was time for the listenings - and he would be ready.

[Scottish Ninja]

Oh god I actually can't make heads or tails of those maps. I may have to get SH3 to figure that all out... at least it's only $10 on Steam.

What's the problem? Maybe I could frame them differently, or write another "...fur dummkopfen" primer

Then again, not being able to make heads or tails of the charts is what von Doofenberg does best...

Okay - I think I'm starting to get it - the circle is us, the line our current (projected) course? And the little (barely visible) arrow on the last chart is the indicator for the radar director? Water depth is indicated by color, so there's a little bit of shallow water to the northeast.

I have no clue as to what Thanas's orders mean, though.

Let me go through this -

- take the lineal tool and draw a straight line from the radar sense downwards the map

So I'm taking this to mean - "draw a straight line north-south through the radar contact" - but I thought all we had is a indication of direction?

- draw second straigh line from u-boot to that first line, should be 90° angle.

then - "draw a line due east from boot to first line"

- at the meeting point between those two lines, take circle tool and draw a 6 km circle

"draw a 6km radius circle around the intersection of first two lines" - north of radar contact

- Plotcourse for outer ring of that circle, 16 knots
- when said outer ring reached, submerge boot to 13 meters (manually klick on 14 meters), with bow facing towards radar plot

"Travel due east until 6km from intersection point, then submerge"
"Submerged, set course towards radar contact, from position 6km due west of point due north of radar contact and due east of boot."

That's what sounds internally consistent to me but it's a bit confusing to me. Well, I follow orders, not question them... unless the Kommandant would like to clarify.

That primer might still be helpful though.

[Thanas]

No, that is all correct except that we will shut down all engines and not move towards radar contact after we reach the 6km radius.

Reason is the following:
- if it is a HK, it will zero in on us anyway, so we will intercept them.
- if it is a TF or Convoy, it will just follow its usual course. Which will carry it either to:
a) Gibraltar (don't believe it, too far west, but if it does it will outrun us anyway)
b) England (in which case it will move away from us, but doubtful because we sensed their radar)
c) South America/Africa in which case, based on my past playthrough, it will either set course straight south or slightly angled southeast/west
d) USA (in which case it will move east, but I doubt that is the destination here)

If we are submerged we will hear ships from 32km radius away - we can then overtake them with superior surface speed and then get them once we made initial hydrophone contact.

So that is why I ordered a move based on the assumption it will move south/southeast/southwest. In either of these three directions we will at least hear them this way. If they move east or north they are lost to us anyway. If they move west to the USA, we will intercept them again due to our patrol grid.

So our best move is to move to intercept them to the south.


Trust me, I have played a full career in SH3 Grey Wolves all the way to the end. I sunk nearly the entire US production in tonnage.

[Scottish Ninja]

Okay, that makes sense. I did get that you knew what you were doing, I just had no idea if I knew what you were doing.

[The Yosemite Bear]

how are my beloved engines doing?

[fnord]

Oh my sides....

Any just plain Bootsmann needed?

[fnord]

missed edit window

Perhaps Bootsmann Nikoff (his family were White Zenobian and legged it during the Zenobian Revolutions, Thanasising their names - the future-cosmonaut's family was the Red branch. His actual age can be tweaked to fit the LP's needs) is nominally the skipper's steward, but in actuality, is the interface/insulation between the crew and Der Arishkoch - not the least because he can understand the Koch directly.

[DarkArk]

As a person who's put more time into SH3 than I care to remember, I'm somewhat sad about missing this LP, but for now I'm fine reading from the sidelines. It looks like you have a full crew at the moment.

He thought he'd heard someone talking about making 16 knots submerged

The scary thing is, the Type XXI can make 16 knots submerged. After playing around with it in SH3, it makes it rather difficult to go back to anything else. Late war is so much more fun in my view than early patrols. Nothing quite like sinking an Iowa battleship, escort carrier, and 8 cargo ships of varying size, to pad out the old tonnage numbers. Also acoustic torpedoes just make everything nicer.

Also I'm unfamiliar with the Grey Wolves mod. I've been using Living Silent Hunter. I've checked out the website but what makes it the best mod?

[The Yosemite Bear]

I'm just glad no one chose the "Das Boot" computer game

[Thanas]

Also I'm unfamiliar with the Grey Wolves mod. I've been using Living Silent Hunter. I've checked out the website but what makes it the best mod?

More ships, better enemy AI...and a lot of the ships used in LSH are usable in GWX as well. But the best has to be the convoy routes - GWX simulates a lot of convoy stuff that existed IRL.

[PeZook]

The convoys in GWX are way harder to crack than they were in vanilla ; The destroyers will use dirty tricks, such as one doing an attack run with depth charges while another hangs around pinging you with ASDIC ; Real convoy battles are simulated and you can join up ; Real surface actions are simulated and you can join up. Extremely useful map tools are introduced. Theatres such as the Black Sea, the Indian Ocean are simulated. The Panama Canal and Kiel Canal exist. Uboats have proper characteristics now like they hadin wartime (U-1313 dived to 180 metres and stayed there for 45 minutes ; in vanilla SH3 that's suicide)

There's more ships ; Hedgehogs ; Leigh-light equipped naval bombers ; Hunter-killer groups that try to kill you...

There's probably a lot more but I forget

[Thanas]

And compared to Vanilla, you really need to dive deep to survive because the escorts are just that damned persistent and good later on. I routinely go to 280+m in 1944 and once the XXI hits I rarely surface at all.

[Skywalker_T-65]

Wow...never ceases to amaze me what the modding community can pump out. Now I want this game! (too bad my home computer sucks)