Is it really worth upgrading U-boats?

[rhubarbos1]

Hey,
I started off in 1939 with the standard U-boat given to me, yet I have enough credit to buy the next one up (500credits) but it looks no improvement.

The only one that looks a bit better is the one that is 2500credits which i am saving for. How do they really compare as i think i'm not soin to bad with my free-be boat.

Cheers

[c0sm1c]

Yes

[Zero Niner]

It's up to you really. I started in a IIA, & when the IID was available I took it. Can't remember why, maybe it's because iirc the IID had a mount for a flak gun, and I wanted to be able to protect myself against enemy air.
Then when I had enough renown I traded in the IID for a VIIC. This was in late '39 or early '40.
I'm now on patrol somewhere NW of Spain (BE6) & as soon as I RTB I'll' go for a VIIC.
My $0.02

[Woof1701]

In my opinion most of the upgrades make sense, like better batteries, better sonar, radar, snorkel and the turbocharger, but there are also some I think are unneccessary,

The Typ II D has a longer range as the Typ II A as far as I remember, but with 5 eels and slow surface speed, I was glad to get rid of my Typ II and get me a Typ VII.

Upgrading from a Typ VII B to a VII C for example gives you little, unless you want to keep it till the end of the war, since it was said that more upgrades become available for the Typ VII C. However I would stick to my Typ VII B and upgrade to a Typ VII C/41 instead.

Upgrading from a Typ VII to a Typ IX is worth it, since you get longer range, more torpedoes and higher surface speed but you trade it in for maneuverability, diving time and submerged speed.

Upgrading from a Typ IX B to Typ IX C in essences only improves your range, though that may keep you at sea longer I doubt it improves your ability to sink more ships. So far I always managed to spend my torpedoes without too much worry about the fuel.

Upgrading to a Typ XXI is always a good move ;-)

[SmokinTep]

I went from a II then a VII. Transfered to get a XI. Am in June 41.

[SeaSlug_U999]

It is cool to change them, even for the fun of it. I stuck with my VIIB for a long time, then bought an IXB. Now (43) I'm in my XXI. This is a REAL sub, with all the bugs & stuff. :rock:

[ENtek-IO]

Are you jesting???
I am sure the makers of this sim made all those upgrades just for fun, all the work considered that has to go into additional towers etc...."<Ironie",... tsss :damn:

ITs usually a goood idea to approach such things with LOGic..,if you do, you will realize that the effort for each of those features is so enormeous, that no one would put them in just for fun without any function.
Bugs and unfinished products excluded.

[Mike 'Red Ocktober' Hense]

the most valuable upgrade for me, equipment wise, was the addition of Alibrecht... that anti sonar coating...

saved our arses on many occasion...

you're practically invisible to the dds prior to 1943...

the rest of the stuff was mostly fluff, and unreliable... although i'm sure that improved radar warning gear and a snorkel will help me during the later stages of the war...

... but all any good WWII sub skipper needs is a good ship, some reliable torpedos, and a few good men... good men all of them... :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

--Mike

[SmokinTep]

The snorkel is by far the best one. Get the anti radar coating for it also.

[Mike 'Red Ocktober' Hense]

will do...

thx

--Mike

[rhubarbos1]

Are you jesting???
I am sure the makers of this sim made all those upgrades just for fun, all the work considered that has to go into additional towers etc...."<Ironie",... tsss :damn:

ITs usually a goood idea to approach such things with LOGic..,if you do, you will realize that the effort for each of those features is so enormeous, that no one would put them in just for fun without any function.
Bugs and unfinished products excluded.

What i was tryin to get at was how would spendin 2500 on the best Uboat in 1939 actually let me sink more ships or evade more enemies? I'm sinkin lots as it is in the free boat

[MonkeyHero]

Wait till a VII becomes available to you. The VIIB comes up later in '39 iirc. It's a huge improvement over the type II series as you get much longer range and about 3 times as many torps. It's easily a worthwhile upgrade at the time.

Going to a VIIC probably isn't worth the wait at first, but it comes in handy later in the war with the better upgrades. The 3 seconds it shaves off your dive time are extremely welcome also.

[toryu]

I started out J.Steiner's career in 1st Flotilla 1939. My mounts:

U3 - Type IIa. 5 torpedoes, 1 20mm AA gun. I'd average 7kts surfaced, and 2kts submerged during the day.

First chance I got, I upgraded U3 to a type IID. Still with 5 torpedoes & 1 20mm AA gun, but with nearly twice the range, and I could run at the skin-stretching speed of 3kts submerged during the day and still have some battery power left.

I then upgraded to a new sub - U49, a type VIIB. 14 torpedoes, still with a 20mm AA gun, but I could get her up to 15kts and more, depending on the sea. The range is vastly increased also. And I could run at about 4kts submerged during the day, and still have some battery power left. Depending on the length of the day, of course. Up North, you don't get much darkness in summer. A few hours only, just enough to charge the batteries.

Now, I'm sailing in U49, but it's a type VIIC. Cost me 3500 renown. Still with 14 torpedoes, but I upgraded the flak gun to a Zwilling (twin barrels), for a cost of zero renown. How can you not love that? I'm currently on my 9th patrol, and it's summer 1940. I have a feeling I'm going to need the heavier AA guns before long, which is part of the reason I bought the VIIC.

So YES - Upgrade as you go along. Apart from the survivability, it's a blast comparing the different types of Uboats. It gives you a great feeling of progress as you go through your career. Take screenshots of your boats. Print them out. Frame them. They will give you happy memories when you're in 1945 with a Type XXI and no future.

[Oesten]

The Type IIA is a good little boat for beginners in 1939, fine for taking on single merchants. It's short range teaches you how to conserve fuel, like traveling at 1/3 speed. But soon if you're interesting in piling up your tonnage, then you'll need a bigger boat with more torpedoes and long range, to reach the convoys in the Atlantic.

Whether you go for the Type VII or Type IX is up to you. Type IX is much better than the VII in the early war against low-quality opposition, as its massive load of torpedoes and long range really lets you rack up the kills. The IX is fairly slow to dive and is a big target if you're depth charged, but in the early 1939-41 period this isn't usually a problem. (I'm a big fan of the Type IX.)

Once the fighting gets tough in 1942-43, the VIIC variants are better than the IX as the VIIC is smaller and more agile, and can dive a bit deeper too. Your chances of surviving a heavy depth charge attack are better in a VIIC.

[Carcassonne]

The common theme here is that game allows a number of variations in game play as pertained to your boat.

It's always a good move starting off your career with a VIIB with nearly 3 times the eels as the class II you can't really go wrong especially since you start in '39.

After your initial boat it's really a rock paper scissors choice....more eels or quicker dive time....that is VIIB/C or IXB/C.

Personally I held onto my VIIB for a while until I could afford the IXB. I abused the loadouts of the IXB until '42 when I discovered I needed a agile boat under water as well as diver. I simply didn't want to take the DC's in the chin.

I rode out the VIIC and picked each and every upgrade possible and still was able to cash in and get the XXI, which to my disappointment was a little too buggy for me, the lack of recharge drove me nuts :x

[rhubarbos1]

thanks guys

[Zie Chuckinator]

and on the IX, get two twin 20mm. The 3.7 for me does no good. i cant hit the side of a brick wall from 100 meters with that thing.

[SKurj]

Have to ask how any of you found a flak gun on a IIA (1st Flotilla 39). I'm using patch 1.4b, and even though it is shown on the damage control/crew assignment screen, there is no gun to use. It shows up in the listing between missions in the Uboat section yet no gun on my boat...

Anyone...

SKurj

[zoso791]

I started off with U3 type IIA but later traded it in for a type IID. I stuck with that one until early 1945 when I upgraded to the beautiful type XXI. Personally speaking its all about what you want to do. I do alot of port raids and attacks on coastal ships so the type II's are great for sneaking up on people. I use to have a tpye IX in my last career but I got depthcharged off of ireland and died.

If your looking to have tons on fun later in the war try the type II's and pil up the upgrades as they come. Its hard enought for the DD's trying to find the dam thing with sonar and when you add the anti sonar coating its almost imposible. But as I said its all about what your career is about, tonnage or risky missions.

Jasiu Lentowicz