Anyone else had a "bad luck" patrol?

[ddiplock]

I've just finished my first patrol of a new career....again :oops: lol

Anyway, during the entire 24 days i was at sea, the weather was stormy with heavy rain and thick fog.....for the entire patrol literally!!!!

I'd recived reports of ships, and got several reports of large convoys and tried to intercept them, but to no avail.

I never saw a single enemy ship during the entire patrol, not one. It was only heading back into Kiel, right outside Kiel I encountered a Swedish Tramp Steamer slowly heading out.....that was the first ship i'd seen since starting my patrol!!! :damn: I'm putting it down to bad luck, and hoping patrol 2 reaps better rewards.

Any other guys had patrols like this?? I feel so dissapointed to have such an emtpy patrol on my record :down:

[P_Funk]

I've had ones like that. In horrid Northern Atlantic weather you can't even bother with trying to go anywhere. You're burning fuel just staying in position. But historically if the weather was so bad that you couldn't do anything it was worse for the convoys. Confusion, limited visibility, waves that toss ships off course.

Its no party for anyone.:smug:

But it'll get better next time. If you have to just get an assignment to the South Atlantic. It gets hot out there.;)

[ddiplock]

I've had ones like that. In horrid Northern Atlantic weather you can't even bother with trying to go anywhere. You're burning fuel just staying in position. But historically if the weather was so bad that you couldn't do anything it was worse for the convoys. Confusion, limited visibility, waves that toss ships off course.

Its no party for anyone.:smug:

But it'll get better next time. If you have to just get an assignment to the South Atlantic. It gets hot out there.;)


I'd be tempted to start the career again, but i'm wondering if in real life any uboats had patrols where they didn't sink anything due to adverse weather the whole way? :huh:

[nfitzsimmons]

Coincidentally, just now. I was stalking a Polish freighter. Just as I was about to fire, we had a power hit and both my computers rebooted. Dammit Bernard, did you plug in that 2000 watt hotplate again?

Well, at least all my hardware came back up. And I have a fairly recent save.

[P_Funk]

d be tempted to start the career again, but i'm wondering if in real life any uboats had patrols where they didn't sink anything due to adverse weather the whole way? :huh:
Yes they did often have no success in patrols. If the entire Atlantic is engulfed in a giant storm not only can U-boats not move at any speed but they also can't locate any traffic therefore limiting Bdu's situational awareness further increasing the likelihood of running into nothing.

Now the weather in SH3 is a bit iffy alot of the time but it isn't unheard of for boats to see nothing in long storms and then run out of fuel and be forced to head home.

[Brag]

I went once for 27 days without a contact, zip Nil, nada, hakuna kitu. Then managed a couple of sinkers.

Better luck nex time.

[Corsair]

Same for me came back from last patrol with 1 ship 7000 tons sunk after 25 days not firing anything and mostly diving away from planes (bloody daylight in July almost 24 hours a day around Scotland...) Boy was I happy when I picked up this contact on hydrophones on the way back between Orkneys and Shetlands...

[Lzs von swe]

Yes, weeks and weeks of bad weather. I tend to dive deep and order all stop. Rotate the crew to give them all the rest they need, play the gramophone, drink some coffee or beer:up:
But, as in rl it happens that I abort the patrol and head back to base:arrgh!:

[mr chris]

For a bad luck patrol this one is top of my list. It only happen last week so its still a little raw.
Started a new career out of Lorient 2nd flottila in Sept 1940 thought i would give a type IX ago for a change. Was given orders to partol gid CF98 east of the azores.
Had just a point 300km N/W of El Ferrol when i came across and lone large Cargo which i put down with 2 torpedos a few days later came across another which went the same way.
Was slowing making my way down the coast of Portugal when about 250km behind me a large circle pops on the nav map. I alter course to recee the area what i find almost makes me faint. My lookouts spot a ships smoke in the distance. I drop down to 25m for a bit to listen to see what is up there in front of me. After say 10 -15mins i have 14 merchant contacts on the map and only one warship.
I surface and close the gap a little bit more when i spot the warship in my binos i nealy fall over in laughter it is only a Type VII going up and down the lines of the merchants fring away with his deck gun. Not a DD in sight, it seems my good friend the type VII and his friends have taken care of the escort and the Convoy is free to pliage.
After about one and half hours of action i have used up all my deck gun ammo and have only 6 torpedos left but i have sunk all 14 ships and my bag so far for the patrol is a amazing 16 ships for 82 thousand tonnes.
I set course for my patrol area and ring up flank speed to clear the area in case anyone has put out the alarm.
Two days latter while i was about 300km east of Lisbon i came across another lone merchant and despatched her to the deep with one torpedo. the bag now stood at around 86 thousand tonnes. so closing my patrol grid and triedness setting in i saved my game and made for bed.
The next day i could not wait to load up the game and continue this epic patrol. Everything was going well till i got to the not so long ago screen when i just went black and CTD'd. I was heart broken and once in a life times patrol gone just like that. Well at lest now i can say i have been biten in the ass by the save game bug. I just hope its the last time.

[Jimbuna]

A little tip matey ;)
If your having a real stinker of a patrol then as a last resort head for the nearest 'hot spot' to yourself (depending on where you are) ie: Halifax, Hartlepool, western approach to Gibraltar etc. etc. and lie in wait approx 100km offshore and you should be able to pick off traffic entering and leaving :arrgh!:

[The Munster]

Just had a bad one, previous Patrol, knocked out 11 ships totalling 83,000 tons outside Gibralter and thought great so decided to go to the same spot hoping for the best and ended up sinking one stinking small Merchant .. GRR
Spotted 2 ships in a storm when returning to Base and turned out to be a French Armed Trawler accompanying a Merchant. The Patrol was a total let-down :damn:
Suppose you have to take the bad with the good.

PS Also a lot of Hurricanes and a sprinkle of Kingfishers (?!) but problem is somehow I've set submerge when an Aircraft is spotted and can't knock it off [don't get the option screen], would like to have a bash at one of the Kingfishers with the Flak Gun [any ideas ?]

[Jimbuna]

Just had a bad one, previous Patrol, knocked out 11 ships totalling 83,000 tons outside Gibralter and thought great so decided to go to the same spot hoping for the best and ended up sinking one stinking small Merchant .. GRR
Spotted 2 ships in a storm when returning to Base and turned out to be a French Armed Trawler accompanying a Merchant. The Patrol was a total let-down :damn:
Suppose you have to take the bad with the good.

PS Also a lot of Hurricanes and a sprinkle of Kingfishers (?!) but problem is somehow I've set submerge when an Aircraft is spotted and can't knock it off [don't get the option screen], would like to have a bash at one of the Kingfishers with the Flak Gun [any ideas ?]

Isn't the default option only good for one patrol ? :hmm:

[ddiplock]

Just returned from my 2nd patrol, with average results. 4 ships sunk, totalling a measly 8400 tons.

My radio antenna was destroyed in a depth charge attack in the first few days of the patrol, ripped clean from its mounting, severing contact with BDU...and with it any reports of juicy convoys or task forces in my area of ops.

All those ships were sunk on pure chance of running into them. And i think i'm slowly getting the hang of now how to use electric torpedos. Set one for magnetic detonation, and sent it under the hull of a small merchant.

The explosion ripped into the bottom of the ship tearing the hull in half like paper!!! :D such an enjoyment seeing that happen!!!!!

Was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class, and U-Boat Front Clasp for my efforts. :)

[The Munster]

Just had a bad one, previous Patrol, knocked out 11 ships totalling 83,000 tons outside Gibralter and thought great so decided to go to the same spot hoping for the best and ended up sinking one stinking small Merchant .. GRR
Spotted 2 ships in a storm when returning to Base and turned out to be a French Armed Trawler accompanying a Merchant. The Patrol was a total let-down :damn:
Suppose you have to take the bad with the good.

PS Also a lot of Hurricanes and a sprinkle of Kingfishers (?!) but problem is somehow I've set submerge when an Aircraft is spotted and can't knock it off [don't get the option screen], would like to have a bash at one of the Kingfishers with the Flak Gun [any ideas ?]

Isn't the default option only good for one patrol ? :hmm:

Oh Oh that means I've got problems then as it does it with every Patrol :shifty:
Don't mind it so much when the Hurricanes are about but would have liked to have a 'looksee' at these 'Kingfishers'

[Brag]

A little tip matey ;)
If your having a real stinker of a patrol then as a last resort head for the nearest 'hot spot' to yourself (depending on where you are) ie: Halifax, Hartlepool, western approach to Gibraltar etc. etc. and lie in wait approx 100km offshore and you should be able to pick off traffic entering and leaving :arrgh!:

Yup, going to a hot spot has saved most of my bummer patrols.:yep:

[Morts]

i just had a "bad luck" patrol:shifty:
10 swordfish attacks (well there where 2 planes in each attack..so 20 attacks)
7 direct bomb hits and alot of near misses that damaged me
5 dead crew

but then i look on the bright side
1 plane downed
20 ships sunk with torps and shells to spare
and 84632 tons sunk

[NeonSamurai]

Ive had some bad patrols too where ive almost come up empty.

My last one (brand new career, start of the war in a dugout (IIA) based at Kiel) didnt start well.

First off the weather was abysmal almost the entire voyage (high seas with 13-15m/s winds, fog and rain, i also play with 1.5x wave height) which also ment constant rotating of the watch and engine room crews (my game is set up so fatigue works reguardless of time compression). Most of the crew was looking very green about the gills from the dugout getting thrown about by the waves and wind.

Secondly BDU had assigned me to grid AF87 which is just north of Bergen. Which i just knew would give me almost no chance of any valid targets, and because of the distance to get there, would make it very difficult to go somewhere else where i might have a chance of finding something to sink.

So i decided to save as much fuel on the trip as i possibly could and set sail down the kiel canal and out into the ocean at 4-5 knots (mostly 4 due to the bad weather).

After a week and a few days i arived at the very edge of the assigned patrol grid, i decided i would not chase any ships around there as it would burn my fuel up and i figured i would not see anything that wasnt neutral. So i ordered engines to stop and dived to 25m and waited for 2 days (surfacing every now and then to freshen the air).

Having heard nothing but the sounds of fishing boats anyways during those 2 days i decided ok time to go towards England. With some carefull calculations i determined i would have just enough fuel to reach the tip of england just north of Aberdeen (AN18) and be able to make it back home, but would not have enough fuel to do any high speed chasing when there. So i plotted a course which would leave us about 30km off shore at the tip.

Another week's worth of bad weather during the trip and i finaly arived, ordered the boat down to periscope depth and waited. Two days later i finaly got my first contact, it sounded like a decent sized merchant, and it just happened to be heading nearly right in my direction.

I set up my attack (surface night, windspeed 15m/s) position and waited for the ship to come closer, It was a 11751 ton Large Merchant. I positioned my boat for an attack run, 2 torpedo spread and commenced the attack, both torpedos hit and she went down rather rapidly.

A few days later i encountered a Tramp Steamer following almost the exact same path the Large merchant had followed, at that moment a british bomber came into view so i ordered a crash dive (the bomber hadnt spotted us), then set up to attack the tramp steamer. One torpedo and she went down to the bottom after flailing around in the surf a while.

Next day to my delight yet another Large Merchant showed up, again following the course of the other two. Ironicly yet another plane showed up at about the same moment and i was again forced to dive (it also failed to see me in the bad weather). This one also went to the bottom with my last 2 torpedos (i modded my GWX so that the II boats carry 5 torpedos not 6)

With all torpedos expeneded i sent my reports to BDU and ordered our return voyage. The trip was uneventfull other then the weather finaly clearing up about half way back. Though the weather turned to heavy rain when we entered the canal. The dugout ran out of fuel just as we entered our berth and docked. Final tonage was 25474 tons (pretty good for a IIA with 5 torps).


Anyhow that was a patrol that easily could have gone bad and got me no tonnage if i hadnt been so miserly with my fuel expenditure. i utterly refused to chase anything that patrol as i knew that if i did, i would not have enough to get back. Also the travel time took forever too with the bad weather, the most fuel efficent speed (4-5 knots) and me having to constantly rotate the crew around every few hours due to the bad weather over the 20 day patrol. I also got very lucky and stumbled on a shiping lane (i knew shiping traffic would have to pass somewhere around there).

[Puster Bill]

I've just finished my first patrol of a new career....again :oops: lol

Anyway, during the entire 24 days i was at sea, the weather was stormy with heavy rain and thick fog.....for the entire patrol literally!!!!

I'd recived reports of ships, and got several reports of large convoys and tried to intercept them, but to no avail.

I never saw a single enemy ship during the entire patrol, not one. It was only heading back into Kiel, right outside Kiel I encountered a Swedish Tramp Steamer slowly heading out.....that was the first ship i'd seen since starting my patrol!!! :damn: I'm putting it down to bad luck, and hoping patrol 2 reaps better rewards.

Any other guys had patrols like this?? I feel so dissapointed to have such an emtpy patrol on my record :down:

Depending on the year, any patrol you come home from is a 'good patrol' :D

[USS Sea Tiger]

:damn: Just cleared France,, running at top speed in the night to get as many miles between me and Great Britain as possible,

Out of the thick of night came the Plane,, never once saw her, bomb plopped right onto my bow,

My dedicated Damage control team jumped to it and saved the boat after reaching 220 meters and leveled off, stopped the floodig and then surfaced,,but the forward dive planes were destroyed.
Guess what,, you cannot go to periscope or any other controlled depth in that situation. Ran for home,, killed two birds enroute, .

patrol lasted 2 days, The boat was a wreck at 25 percent integrity left. and three men wounded, 2 KIA

all for a handful of tailfeathers. 2 lousy birds.

[Jimbuna]

That's a bummer :yep: :arrgh!:

[ddiplock]

:damn: Just cleared France,, running at top speed in the night to get as many miles between me and Great Britain as possible,

Out of the thick of night came the Plane,, never once saw her, bomb plopped right onto my bow,

My dedicated Damage control team jumped to it and saved the boat after reaching 220 meters and leveled off, stopped the floodig and then surfaced,,but the forward dive planes were destroyed.
Guess what,, you cannot go to periscope or any other controlled depth in that situation. Ran for home,, killed two birds enroute, .

patrol lasted 2 days, The boat was a wreck at 25 percent integrity left. and three men wounded, 2 KIA

all for a handful of tailfeathers. 2 lousy birds.

I guess even at night time, its best to run submerged then :)

I know provided I make it far enough into the war, i'm getting a snorkel on my boat, and ducking under the waves out of sight for good :)