Although the critical issues that I've encountered have been resolved and I'm continuing ahead with a career, another very strange issue has occurred that seems to be a game-ending problem and I'm hoping someone else has encountered this and knows of a "fix" to apply.
After completing Werftabnahme and transferring to the 2nd Flotilla in Wilhelmshaven, I got underway in mid-August '39 for the pre-war patrol in AM18. Leaving the pier at slow speed, I could not get the boat to respond to any kind of rudder order; she just merrily sailed straight ahead and would have collided with one of the moored freighters if I hadn't stopped and ended the scenario. I restarted the patrol several times without exiting the game and tried every means available to make the minor course corrections needed to get to the schluese and out of the harbor...nothing worked. But, when I exited the game and restarted it "In Base before Mission", the problem didn't re-occur.
Now, after reaching the assigned grid area, sinking a couple of ships and spending several more days "trolling" for additional targets, I've run into the same problem. I picked up the saved game "In Mission" and no matter how I try to change course, the boat does not respond. I can manually click on the compass card to order a new course, or click on the rudder-angle indicator to move the rudder, or I can put a way-point on the chart, move one that's already there or order the Navigator to resume ordered course; the rudder moves correctly, but the boat continues straight ahead.
Any ideas...?
Never mind...on a hunch, I figured the way it fixed itself the first time would probably work again...did a "Save and exit" and loaded the previous "Save"; it worked on the third try.