at what point does one end a patrol in career

[Capt. Shark Bait]

and if ended after going out once, does that end the career as well? and if that's so, then why bother to refit?:-?

[9th_cow]

well thanks to refits you need not ever end a patrol.
however you can end a patrol whenever you like. by sailing to the home port.

ussually when damaged, low on ammo, or you have completed your mission
then you go back to the captains office at base and prepare for the next patrol.

ending a patrol wont end your carreer. ( well eventually i guess it will but thats because you cant play from day one till the last day of the war. you get so many patrols then your retired)

[SteamWake]

They just keep givin me more patrols.

It seems to be tied to the amount of munitions you have on board.

If your out of torpedoes and radio in you hear nothings. If you stop and refit and radio again poof another "mission" is given.

My current crew is about to wear out there S boat on there way to their 8th mission.

[DirtyHarry3033]

I think Steamwake is right, I always get more missions, and I always have munitions left.

I try to be conservative with the torps and make every one count - takes a lot of War Bonds to buy a torp and the folks back home are counting on me to get the job done. Why waste a single fish on a "just maybe, just possibly" shot??? Much better to hold off until you know you can send some Japs to visit Davey Jones...

At any rate, I've always got a few torps left when I RTB, plus I've got an assigned mission left uncompleted.

When my diesel drops to the point where I've got just enough to RTB @ 10kts plus a couple hundred miles reserve for emergencies, I call it quits. And ComSubPac has yet to haul my *ss on the carpet for failing to finish a mission...

DH

[Capt. Shark Bait]

i've had assignments added on to the original patrol whereever and just continued on without ending that patrol which lasted a coupla months atleast, before i had probs loading the save for it:damn:

[GnarPow]

I personally dont refit because loading is a bitch and I'd rather start my next patrol out of port....

I end patrol when either

1) Im running low on fuel
2) Im out of munitions
3) I've taken enough damage that im still floating but the next hit might be my last
4) I've finished 3 or 4 missions and I still have maybe 2-4 torps left and a couple shells of deck gun ammo so I just mosey my way home and usually find a target to empty them on a long the way.

[-Pv-]

Agree with GnarPow.

It's best not to drag a patrol out too long and get frustrated with the long load times. Besides, your score and satisfaction will only improve once you get the new tech, boats, and trained crew from a Base docking. Well worth the effort to go home once in a while.
When the patrol starts getting long in the tooth, I empty the weapons on available targets while heading home. I'm also studying the possibility that the crew fatigue level gets accellerated when far from home too long.
-Pv-

[Capt. Shark Bait]

yeah, this time around, i'm gonna just do a coupla refits and then end it

[EAF274 Johan]

I was actually ordered to RTB in my last patrol. I had run out of torpedoes, but sent a contact report on an enemy task force. I then received a pop up message saying something like "Excellent work, we will direct other assets to the target. RTB at your discretion."

Other than that, I usually RTB after about 2 months at sea. I can't imagine a sub crew would hold out much longer than that in reality.

[SteamWake]

I was actually ordered to RTB in my last patrol. I had run out of torpedoes, but sent a contact report on an enemy task force. I then received a pop up message saying something like "Excellent work, we will direct other assets to the target. RTB at your discretion."

Other than that, I usually RTB after about 2 months at sea. I can't imagine a sub crew would hold out much longer than that in reality.

Thats the default message it seems when your low on ordinance. If you had a full load out you would get the message to attack them.

Ive gotten that message when I had two or three torps left. "at my discretion" indeed. Just say that I dident have any torpedoes left afterwards.