what am I doing wrong?

[She-Wolf]

I have just been reading the thread asking how advanced folk are in their career, and wonder why it is that some of the folk who have posted have obtained such achievements in the same time frame travelling far afield in whizzy subs with awesome tonnage to their credit, all by early 1940, whereas I am still stuck with my IID Rotbile ( Rusty Old Tub But I Luv 'Er) by April 1940, and can only accrue modest amounts because all I get each patrol is five fish, one of which is certainly going to be a dud. As two torps are required for a decent sized merchant, that doesn't return me much renown, if both targets go down - which they don't always - before I have to trudge back to base for another patrol and my next miserable five fish.

I did have one patrol where I sunk five ships, but they were all small warships or coastal, so, although I got a medal for it, not much tonnage.

At present my renown is about 1300, and the next sub up requires 2500, so I am still looking at several more patrols before I can upgrade, yet other folks have achieved far greater results in less patrols and are off the coast of USA, have killed battleships and all sorts....... I know I am a rubbish kaleun, but WHAT is it that I am not doing that clearly others are?? :hmm:

[subdude]

she wolf, bitte kommen!

i was wondering myself how amazing some captains are doing compared to my meager results so far. but it's an incentive to do better since it is obviously possible.

ende

subdude

[Tachyon]

I have just been reading the thread asking how advanced folk are in their career, and wonder why it is that some of the folk who have posted have obtained such achievements in the same time frame travelling far afield in whizzy subs with awesome tonnage to their credit, all by early 1940, whereas I am still stuck with my IID Rotbile ( Rusty Old Tub But I Luv 'Er) by April 1940, and can only accrue modest amounts because all I get each patrol is five fish, one of which is certainly going to be a dud. As two torps are required for a decent sized merchant, that doesn't return me much renown, if both targets go down - which they don't always - before I have to trudge back to base for another patrol and my next miserable five fish.

I did have one patrol where I sunk five ships, but they were all small warships or coastal, so, although I got a medal for it, not much tonnage.

At present my renown is about 1300, and the next sub up requires 2500, so I am still looking at several more patrols before I can upgrade, yet other folks have achieved far greater results in less patrols and are off the coast of USA, have killed battleships and all sorts....... I know I am a rubbish kaleun, but WHAT is it that I am not doing that clearly others are?? :hmm:

I use this way to get renown early in the war... it's a bit risky but it pays off well. RAID PORTS! The Type II-C is even more better than the VII-C for raiding ports due to it's small size. Target some nice juicy merchants at the ports for easy renown so you can get a better sub quickly.

[Vacillator]

I know some folk love their ducks, but it seems to me that progression is far easier if you can start in a decent sized boat with more range and more munitions. Which reminds me I must get back to my Type IX off America some day...

[badwolf]

I know some folk love their ducks, but it seems to me that progression is far easier if you can start in a decent sized boat with more range and more munitions. Which reminds me I must get back to my Type IX off America some day...
Correct.

She-Wolf you'll find it a lot harder starting at the bottom and working yourself up. But I think its more satisfying having gone the whole hog.

[She-Wolf]

subdude - so I am not the only one then:D

Tachy - hmm, sounds exciting.... I have sorta nosed around the odd port, but Halifax was patrolled, somewhere else had subnets, bloomin Elcos buzzing around in pairs don't help, and the water gets so shallow it makes I nervous - but I will give it a go next patrol. Ta :)

Vacillator, you are rubbing it in a bit here old chap, not to say smug, but a decided little smirk methinks. Pshaw!:rotfl:

[She-Wolf]

badwolf - That's IT - that's the fun, that's the challenge - to work yourself up.

I thought everyone started from the same place and wondered how it could be I am lagging so far behind. However, from cabin boy to cap'n the hard way is fine by me if that is what the game requires.:up:

[von Zelda]

She-Wolf,
If you pick the correct flotilla in September 1939, you can start out with a Type VII. IIRC, it is 2nd Flotilla out of Wilhelmshaven.

[Tachyon]

She-Wolf,
If you pick the correct flotilla in September 1939, you can start out with a Type VII. IIRC, it is 2nd Flotilla out of Wilhelmshaven.

That's true..but personally I find it more realistic to start out in a Type II. It also gives you the feeling of accomplishment when you finally get that VII C after piling up renown.

[She-Wolf]

von Zelda, thanks for that. I am in April 1940 now so my course is determined, and really, I hold the same view as Tachyon and badwolf, that to start right at the bottom and work up gives the greatest sense of achievement - no shortcuts or hop-ups.

I did not realise that there were other options and so wondered how so many folk were doing so well so quickly. I thought maybe I was missing some element that everybody but me knew about - like restocking at another port duirng the patrol perhaps, but it seems that is not so, all down to bravery and daring I guess.

[FIREWALL]

Hi She-Wolf :sunny: Glad to see ya postin. :yep:

Get out of that Canoe and get a VIIB and get some tonnage.

The Big Boys of tonnage in WWII used nothing less'

You've done your training in Lil" Toot , Now it's time to let go and get a real U-boot.

BE MORE AGGRESSIVE !!! :D Firewall ;) :up:

[BasilY]

I always start with a VIIB. Try Type II once, but hates the fact that it doesn't have a deck gun. With a VIIB, the range can get you into shipping lanes with juicier targets. Otherwise, you can try patrolling west of Scapa, you may get lucky and catch an old battleships or/and AMCs early in the war travelling from Hebrides back to base.

Let me also add, for a type II captain, sinking five ships per patrols is a result to be justifiably proud of.

[Vacillator]

No smugness intended She-Wolf, I admire your perseverance ;).

Of course I didn't make the point quite as eloquently as Firewall :up:

[FIREWALL]

No smugness intended She-Wolf, I admire your perseverance ;).

Of course I didn't make the point quite as eloquently as Firewall :up:

You did fine. :up: I start in 39 training in a II boot till the war starts.

Then change base to Wilhelm and get VIIB boot.

[She-Wolf]

Vacillator - only teasing :D

BasilY - really? I dun good potting five? ( bosom swells with pride!):sunny:

Firewall - my, I'm going to be so proud when I am up there with you big boys - but for now I think I will stick with Rotbile and try and bump up my renown with sneaky harbor attacks like Tachy suggests, and hope for that bit of luck Mikhayl mentioned - too much excitement in one patrol and I will be all of a dither....:rotfl::rotfl:

[Kipparikalle]

Hi She-Wolf :sunny: Glad t' see ya postin. :yep:

Get out o' that Canoe an' get a VIIB an' get some tonnage.

The Big Boys o' tonnage 'n WWII used nothin' less'

You've done yer' trainin' 'n Lil" Toot , Now 'tis time t' let go an' get a real U-boot.

BE MORE AGGRESSIVE !!! :D Firewall ;) :up:


Real badasses like She-Wolf use IID

Real hardcore Kaleuns use the cheapest, rustiest, and smallest sub. And use it to sink a frigging fleets of ships, which just adds more badassery, and sneaks away from like zillion DD's

Screw the VIIC, IID for the epic badassery!

[Sailor Steve]

I ...my IID Rotbile ( Rusty Old Tub But I Luv 'Er)...
:rotfl: :rock:

I thought everyone started from the same place and wondered how it could be I am lagging so far behind. However, from cabin boy to cap'n the hard way is fine by me if that is what the game requires.:up:
I'm the weird one. I run several concurrent careers, one from each available base. My guy in the Type II never has a lot of luck, but I make it a point not to do unrealistic things like harbor raids. That said, I also stay in my assigned grid, and don't expect to get more tonnage than the real kaleuns did.

Of course I also never have music on the gramophone that they couldn't listen to, and enjoy the sights while leaving and entering my home port, and complain about the fact that the ports aren't laid out the way they really were, so...

Have you considered that some people play it to win the game, and some play it to imagine what it was like to be there. Which do you want to be?

[FIREWALL]

Since I play at 100% in more ways than one, iirc when the war started II boots were relegated to training and close-in patrol.

@ She-Wolf :) While I commend your perseverance, the natural and realism course is to transfer if the war has started, to get a VII boot to get more tonnage\renoun.

Other than that... Play it the way you see fit and have fun. :) :up:

Regards, Firewall :sunny:

[She-Wolf]

WOW. Kipparikalle.... my Hero...:smug:

SS, I do believe I have seen a piccy of you, and yes, you look the sort of chap that would cheerfully have a dozen pots boiling at once. How ever do you keep track of 'em all I wonder;)
To answer your question, I have to confess, I use time compression rather a lot, whereas the realists probably don't, and it takes 'em a week to get where ever they want to go, so I guess I am not a die-hard player. I play for the same reason I first played one of SH3's forebears on the Amiga - cos I just luv the bit where it is You against Them, whoever they may be, and you can hear the ship passing overhead, and you hear the depth charges, and you wonder if this is IT. Being able to outwit the hunters and sneak away after you have sunk a ship - that's why I play. It IS just a game, but it can be exciting ( or does that make me sound a bit 'sad'?)

Firewall, Sir, when I think I can actually handle a bigger tub, the way the real guys might have done it ( and Naval Academy tells me I got a loooong way to go) then I will feel ready and deserving. Until then, its me, Bernard and Rotbile dabbling about in the Kanal :)

[Vacillator]

iirc when the war started II boots were relegated to training and close-in patrol
They were used for quite a while in the North Sea and later in the Black Sea so I suppose it's fine to be in one for a while in the early war years. Looking for a reference on service of IIs I found this (in a hurry so I expect there's a better one elsewhere):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_Type_II_submarines

One which caught my eye was U-138, sunk off Spain on 18 June 1941!

Of course a lot of Kaleuns went straight out in the bigger boats without fighting in a II...

Edit: Read later that U-138 was on a mission to raid Gibraltar harbour looking for Renown and others. Never made it but at least all the crew were rescued.

[gmuno]

Handling a bigger tub is easy, just as long it's at the pier.
The type II is only for the early years. Later in the war you have to run deep to evade the DDs. The IIs are fun though. Small, sneaky and if the occassion arises a pita for escorts (at least '39 - mid'41). Shame that they have nothing bigger than a 20mm. 'Tis fun sinking all the escorts and surfacing in the middle of a convoy. At least 'til '40...
She-Wolf, to you have any mods installed? Btw, harbour of choice: Hartlepool and if you stay about 40 to 50 km to the east of this harbour, you'll get plenty of traffic. Aim for the funnel ;)

[She-Wolf]

gmuno, I have 16k atmosphere, Das Boot, Full Circle splash screen, and today, but not tried yet, Lifeboats.

Thanks for the tip, next time I have a North Sea patrol I will do that :)

[Kipparikalle]

Also, the VII is damn hard to detect with sonar, thanks for it's small size.
As mentioned before, extremely ideal for harbor raids.

I also heavily recommend the area around that island between the Britanny and Ireland, place is filled with Large merchants, small tankers, coastal merchant's etc, etc...

I have actually switched my oh-so-über IXC to VII couple of times, just to enjoy the fooling of those silly DD's, it's quite good at sinking them, too


Too bad the tincan dies in most cases if being rammed even the slightest bit (atleast, if hit on the superstructure)

[She-Wolf]

Kipps, yes - I recently made this joyous discovery ( lots of traffic) myself . Now I have a larger fuel tank I am not limited to the puddle of the North Sea... as you say, a rich hunting ground

[Graf Paper]

I really like those Type IIs. The "einbaum" may be lacking in quantity of torpedoes but it makes up for it by being one of the stealthiest boats in the game. Their small "shadow" makes them hard to find with ASDIC and you can run at speeds as high as 2 knots without being heard, even while the ASW boys are hunting for you.

Operating just outside enemy harbors is where the Type II really shines. No other boat, aside from the XXIII, can operate so well in shallow waters.

The IID has larger fuel tanks and a more powerful diesel than the IIA, so she can range further afield and is the best choice for kaleuns that want to engage in a coastal campaign throughout the war.

For new or less experienced players, I highly recommend the Type II. It's a great boat for learning the ropes. If you can learn to survive in shallow waters and make every single torpedo count, those techniques will double your chances of scoring big and avoiding destroyers in the Big Pond with a larger u-boat.

On the other hand, if you'd rather start with a larger boat like the VIIB or IXA, simply pick the flotilla that has them (but starting in 1939 does limit your choices so you can choose to start at a later date as well.)

Good luck out there, She-Wolf! BE MORE AGRESSIVE. :up:

[She-Wolf]

Um, well, I shall look at Rotbile with more respect after this glowing tribute to the IID Graf, I had only noticed her shortcomings before. Shame on me.:up:

Be more aggressive you say, like saying GGGRRRRR as I peer at the warships through the scope you mean?

My tactic so far is to be silent and creep past the hunters. When I have a bigger sub and more muscle - THEN I might get braver. However, for now, I am going to go port-snooping - as you have explained, I have just the right boot to do it!:yep::yep:

[Kipparikalle]

Be more aggressive you say, like saying GGGRRRRR as I peer at the warships through the scope you mean?



Just turn around, and punch your weapon's officer in the face

[She-Wolf]

guess I just didn't realise what a nice little boot I got Mikhayl

Kippar - no, this will not achieve anything of merit. Tut.:nope:

[Kipparikalle]

guess I just didn't realise what a nice little boot I got Mikhayl

Kippar - no, this will not achieve anything of merit. Tut.:nope:

They'll learn to respect and fear you, increases their efficienty

Besides, if you have Bernard on board, punch him

[crazypantoufle]

I confirm, these IIs type boot are just a joy to maneuver, they need only a few meters to make a complete turn, they dive faster than anything, they're so discret they represent a real headache for the patrolling DDs in the ports or near the coasts (that's why Dönitz ordered mini subs like these to counter the allied attack against the Atlantic wall,but they weren't achieve before Dday so the project was aborted).:up:

Plus it's an excellent school teaching you how to manage your fuel and torpedos to the very best. So when you later get a VII or IX type, you just feel you can become the king of the seas!:arrgh!:

Believe me, even with my UVIIc, there are some stress time with the DDs when i would rather change my VIIc for a good ol' II type!

[Sandman_28054]

She-Wolf,
If you pick the correct flotilla in September 1939, you can start out with a Type VII. IIRC, it is 2nd Flotilla out of Wilhelmshaven.

That is the key.

I have played 8 or 9 careers and have started with the 2nd Flotilla. After about 10 missions, you should have enough renoun to earn the IXB. Four fish in the fore section, 6 internal reserves, 6 external. 2 in the aft tubes, 2 reserve internal, and 2 external. That many fish you should start to rack up some impressive tonnage. Given the right circumstances, I have came back with as much as 80,000 on one curise.

I have snicked into Loch Ewe and sank a Nelson and a Revenge BB, as well as several Tribial DD's, several V&W DD's, and a tanker or two, and escaped.

No shotage of fish there. Cruising range of what, 19000 nm? Dive times are slower, I think it takes them 37 seconds to dive. An eternity when you really, really need to dive fast.

The problem with that is it is such a long time till the IXC is ready.

[gmuno]

My IXB got sunk yesterday. I been in the middle of a convoy west of Ireland, all escorts sunk (2x Black Swan, 1x Southhampton, 1x S-Class), when i decided to do some mopp-up. Well, it worked up to the moment i fired at a freighter at 500 meters with my tube VI. To shorten the time 'till impact (TII), i used the deck gun at an Ore-Freighter. When the impact was due, i changed to the conning tower to watch it. Impact, some fireworks and the screaming started. Everything aft from the aft bunks red and everyone dead, conning tower and gun orange and all dead and massive leaks openning up aft.
A nice career gone to hell.
I think i'll start again with a smaller sub.

[Alex Schtolz]

Even playing 100% realism you can get real achievements taking IXD40 in January1942, 10th Flotilla, heading to quadrant GR52, or GR89. In Southern Hemisphere following the route Cape town – Freetown (see GWX rout map) you will meet big passenger ships such as old passenger ship about 20 000 BRT, and even the biggest GWX 2.0. passenger ship of 45 000 BRT.
Another good way to promote your career is to go to Caribbean Sea. Around Curacao you’ll meet lonely and sometimes armless tankers, no task forces, planes, and even single destroyers.
You can also try to evade Curacao harbor. Last time I countered there 8 US. tankers. No danger to approach to 1 000 meters or even less the Curacao docs ‘couse the island is volcanic origin attacked by trawler 700 meters in front of the docks I deepened my Boot to 120 meters.

[Sandman_28054]

I guess I'm just the exception to the rule.

I like my Type IX boats.

If I get tired of cruising around the atlantic, I transfer to the 29th Flotilla, get me a Type VII and attack there.

Then back to the atlantic and my trusty Type IX.

[nikbear]

Would some kind soul explain how to put the 6th eel back into a TypeIID please,would love to get a IID career going again but with only 5 eel's and my shooting it really wouldn't be worth leaving the harbour:oops: That extra eel sure would make it easier to have a little bit more sucess and enjoyment:yep: What with early war torp failure's and only 5/6 on board I'm supprised they managed to sink anything:obet many a time early on in the war a kaleun got back to base in his kanoe tied it up at the dock,a gave the thing a good kick,how frustrating it must have been to be so limited:damn: Also could someone post a few piccys of a IID in GWX,I'm sure there isn't an exhaust port on them?would look rather odd if your using any of the exhaust/waterstream combi mods:hmm: