Fuel useage question

[Deathfrombelow23]

It's now early September, 1941 and I was thinking... wouldn't it be nice, after a couple more patrols, to make a trip to the U.S. East coast around December 12 and surprise the crap out of the American Merchant Marine? So I thought that I had better make all the necessary preparations and checks now. I used the ruler on the map and found that the distance from St. Nazaire to New England is about 8,250 KM, give or take. So I checked my fuel useage at various speeds to see if my VIIC could make the trip (I was just pulling out of port so my tanks were full). It turns out that my U-boat going at 1/3 speed has a max range of about 20,500 KM (approx) and at Standard speed about 14,000 KM (??), if my memory serves me. So, I thought, wouldn't my boat's range be EVEN FURTHER if I made the trip at SLOW speed??? (seems logical, right?)..... so when I asked my navigator to check our "max range at current speed" he tells me that at slow speed our range is only 12,500 KM!! How is this possible? (IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT I HAVE THE STANDARD DIESELS ON MY SUB -- I DO NOT HAVE EITHER ENGINE UPGRADE) Have any other Kaleun's checked their range at different speeds and had similar results? I know I could make the US East coast at 1/3 speed and get back safely, but I would only have a cruising range of approximately 3700-4000 KM once I was on station. Is this some sort of a bug in the game or is there some logical, real-life explanation? I hope U-452 can make the trip and surprise the Americans!! Thanks fellow Kaleuns! Good Hunting!! :rock: :up:

[Brag]

Not a bug--there is a max efficiency for a ship at a certain speed. You go slower and range drops same for higher speeds. You would also burn too much fuel just doing short chases for the trip to US shores in a Type VII to be practical. Soreeee.

Work your way up to a IXB or C for trans atlantic "frienship" work :D

[Deathfrombelow23]

Good point Brag. And based on the thread just below mine about Paukenschlag, I might want to wait for version 1.04 anyway. However, once there are U-tankers on station, if the game time to refuel from a U-tanker was reduced from 28 days to 1 day (as in real life) I could also just take my VIIC over there, and fuel up from a U-Tanker XIV when my fuel was running low. Would this be correct? (I'm asking because I've never been to the US east coast in SHIII. And as for type IX's... every single time I start a career in one, I get killed on my first or second patrol LOL :rotfl: It seems I have better luck w/ the VII's. Thanks for your input everyone and for any additional comments!!

[Brag]

Good point Brag. And based on the thread just below mine about Paukenschlag, I might want to wait for version 1.04 anyway. However, once there are U-tankers on station, if the game time to refuel from a U-tanker was reduced from 28 days to 1 day (as in real life) I could also just take my VIIC over there, and fuel up from a U-Tanker XIV when my fuel was running low. Would this be correct? (I'm asking because I've never been to the US east coast in SHIII. And as for type IX's... every single time I start a career in one, I get killed on my first or second patrol LOL :rotfl: It seems I have better luck w/ the VII's. Thanks for your input everyone and for any additional comments!!

LOL, I don't know how the milchcows work, I think they are one day jobs.
Yeah, the big boats are more sluggish and easier to detect. They require more cautious skippers than the VII.

[panzermeyer]

I noticed this too, if you go too slow your fuel efficiency is actually worse than if you go about 2/3 speed. Seems 2/3 is the best for fuel efficiency. This makes sense, when you take a car in RL, it works the same way.

[Hadrys]

Just have run an exact test as I was cruising my VIIB always at slow ahead. I'm 300km from Lorient heading 236. Cloudless night, dead calm sea. We were doing 200 revs for fair 8.7 kts. My helmsman predicts 14 000 - 14 300 km of range. Lets try something new. "Set diesels for 225 turns!". Speed jumped to 10kts and our range to 16 300 km. Hey this is 15% more! We could use it in long arctic voyages for sure.

"Full ahead flank!" Sudden earthquake shake the boat, revs jumped to 500 and our wolf jumped forward setting its nose high above the water. Yes, we rule the ocean now! ... ehh "Reduce both to 225 revs, we gonna need that fuel." (which would last for 3500 @ 21 kts) :arrgh!:

[Deathfrombelow23]

Hello Kaleun! In your sig picture, isn't U-27 a type VIIA, not a VIIB? I almost started a career in 1939 and edited the file to change my sub from U-48 to U-27. Ofcourse, there is no VIIA type in the game, so you have to pretend a VIIB is a VIIA... :rock:

[Hadrys]

Hello Kaleun! In your sig picture, isn't U-27 a type VIIA, not a VIIB? I almost started a career in 1939 and edited the file to change my sub from U-48 to U-27. Ofcourse, there is no VIIA type in the game, so you have to pretend a VIIB is a VIIA... :rock:

Yes u're right. I didn't checked that while creating a campaign. But now it doesn't matter anymore, I've got a new boat and it even fits a little: 15 Oct, 1942 - 31 May, 1943 11. Flottille (front boat). There are no numbers for 11 Flotille in SH3Commander.

[The Munster]

My Navigator has a constant hangover and tells me to F**K O** if I ask him questions like that; he suggests I pull into Dover to top up if I'm that concerned.
No respect these days :nope: :rotfl:

[SmokinTep]

8 knots is the optimun speed for efficient fuel consumption. You'll never make it back from the US in a type VII.