My 2nd Patrol and Advice for promotions and upgrades..

[CA406079]

Did pretty well for my 2nd patrol, sunk two merchies off the east coast of scotalnd, and destroyer on outer picket near scapa, and then gunned down a flower corvette.

My last torp went into a large cargo ship, but i ran out of shells,even using starshells below the waterline at one point. So far have sunk about 16,000 tons and and REALLY after an IXB that is being offered for 8000 reknown....

My question is this, what do you guy upgrade on you VIIb's to make them more efficient. I have taken an machinist officer and upgraded my petty's with torpedoman, watchmen, and gunner to spot targets and so that I dont have to sit in the F7 screen all patrol swapping crews....

But i'm wondering about what upgrades to sonar and radioman do....

Also what flotilla can I transfer to and get an IXb ASAP without "buying" it.

Also, do you keep your crew when transferring, or changing boat types?

Thanks for the info

[enaceo]

I use NYGM mod ,so managing the crew is a bit harder and efficency is more realistic.So,while using NYGM i usually take a torpedoman officer ,and then i give the gunner and flack speciality to my watchman since i usually start my career in the early years when deck-gunning is used more.
When i was playing stock SH3 i also took a machinist or torpedoman officer ,depending mostly on what type of ship i was on.
I'm not so sure what the sonar/radio skill actually does,but it probably increases the efficency of your radar/sonar/gramophone or whatever you use as a sensor.
Yes,you do keep your crew if you get a new sub/or get transfered,and i'm not sure you can actually transfer somewhere and get the IX right away.You could do that using SH3 cmdr but that would be kinda cheating:).

[NeonSamurai]

Hmm well the VII is a very effective ship as it is, ive managed over 100k ton patrols (with out excessive deck gun use) with RUb and other mods. Main thing is to pick your targets and dont waste your torpedoes on low tonage ships. Most cargo and tanker ships can be sunk with a single torpedo if you know where to shoot. Also do your patrol to the patrol location, sit there (Sink any good targets of oppertunity) then go hang out in one of the major shipping lanes. With patience you will get many juicy targets and probably a convoy or 2.

As for crew promotions, qualifications, etc well for sinking ships crew efficency only realy counts for hydrophones (if you dont want to do it yourself), engines, watch, and torpedo reloads, also damage control is very helpfull. I would start with giving your main officers all the qualifications and promotions they can take first (they typicaly have the largest effect on efficency). I would plan out your officer's 3 qualifications carefully so they can handle everything (dont give them radio/hydrophone though) and there is some overlap (particularly helm, watch, torpedo, engines). After them i would give at least 2 of your lower officers radio/hydrophone certs. Then start passing out ones for the other compartments (i would worry about deck/flak gun last) starting with engines and damage control, then torpedo, and a watch officer or 2.

As for upgrades, go with what you think will help most. Oh and stick with t1 steam torps, they are far superior to the electric t2's

[HunterICX]

For upgrades on you Sub there is a nice button

Main menu -> Load your career *IN BASE*
go to the U-Boat section (the place where you can Buy parts or new Boats)
and press Right under in the screen the *?* button to see all the upgrades and when they come out very handy :up:

[stabiz]

Wow, never seen that "?". Must check out.

[U-Bones]

1st upgrade is hydrophones to remove the 40 degree blindspot at your bow.

1st crew training is the eyes and ears ( watch and sonar ).

IMO

[CA406079]

:know: Thanks for all the helpful advice so far...

I really like the U-Cruisers, I'm unrealistically hoping you can arm them with a 2nd deck gun aft of the conn, but i'm still having a frustrating time hitting ship accurately, still sometimes missing at only 400 meters.

I've taken to MANUALLY calculating my lead using algebriac formula. The only caveat is I need to know the PRECISE speed setting of the t1 steam torpedos.

The Uboat upgrade screen lists these speeds as 30-40-44 (slow-med-fast)
Are these in fact correct?

I plot speed and course using the nav map and the 3:15 rule, and then form an algebra equation with my known factors; range to target (typically 350-450 meters), speed of torpedo, speed of ship, and this gives me the distance I have to fire from my mark (I maneuver to 90* with my sights right down the bow)

Vx = target speed 9 kts
Vy = torp speed aprox.44 kts?
Y = distance to target (eg 400 meters)
X = distance from bow centreline I need to fire from (my lead)

Vx X
__ = __
Vy Y

Vx(Y)
____ =X
Vy

9kts (400m)
________ =X , X= 81.2 meters lead from my 0* crosshair...
44kts

I think i was missing before because I was using 37.5 knots for my fast speed setting calculation.

Hows that sound to you guys?

What are the best depth settings and locations you have found to work on large merchants?

thanks

john

[NeonSamurai]

Well i never calculate torpedo solutions by hand, i usualy plot things out using the bearing, AoB and distance tools built into the game (i dont use the speed tool as its typicaly woefully inacurate), and I calculate speed using the 3 minute rule (http://www.communitymanuals.com/shiii/index.php?title=Three_Minute_Rule) as you do. But i punch that data in to the TDC (i also make sure i lock the target up in the periscope/uzo so it will track the ship in the tdc) make sure everything looks right and the target is being correctly tracked. Im not sure why your trying to manualy calculate it using algebra, as thats what the TDC is designed to do for you (and did for real life captains as i understand it). All it needs is range, speed, angle of bow, and the sighting mechanism locked onto the target (or held steady by you on it)

As for shooting position i typicaly get in close to the target, usualy facing directly across its path (90 degree angle) about 300m away from it for impact torps, for magnetics ill usualy face more inwards towards the target to give the torpedo more time under the target's keel (i face towards rather then away because it gives me the chance of another accurate shot).

I set the fish if im using impact about 1-4m depth depending on the ship's draft (1m if the weather is very bad), if im using magnetic ill set the depth 0.5m to 2m below the the listed draft of the ship (listed in the id book in game), 0.5m if the wind speed and wave action is low to nil, 2m in heavy storms (though i usualy only use 1m depth impact in bad weather as the target ship and torpedo shift depth to much due to waves for magnetics to be reliable)

As for taking the shot i manualy open the torpedo doors (always do this or it will delay the shot by about 5+ seconds and make it arrive 5+ seconds late) and fire when the torpedo bearing reaches 000 for a fore tube shot, or 180 for aft tube shot (making the torpedo turn delays its arival and throws off the shot).

Lastly as for what to target, well ive found the engine room works best, followed second by the fuel bunker (for military ships engine room, fuel bunker, ammunition magazines). Some mods tell you where the spots are on each ship in the ID manual, if your running vanilla, generaly the engine room is right under the ship's funnel, and the fuel bunker right infront of it towards the bow. If the ship has multiple funnels i would aim in the middle of them. If your using Magnetics i would typicaly aim for the dead center of the ship (as thats usualy the best place to break its keel or spine and cause it to break in half).

If your using the TDC method, you can also adjust your aim just by moving the scope crosshairs to the point you want to hit and keeping it there when you fire, or do the opposite and line up your scope so the torpedo bearing reads 000, then wait for the ship to cross your scope and fire when the right part of it crosses the centerline of the scope. With practice you can hit the exact point you were aiming at almost every single time.

If ya like here (http://www.uboataces.com/uboat-photo.shtml?uniqky=2006528261692647) is a picture of a real WW2 Uboat's TDC with the cover taken off to show the inner workings, the dials look kind of familiar dont they ;)

Oh another suggesting if your learning to shoot is in the realism settings leave the external view on, and also the option that pops up a window showing the torpedo when its about to hit (action cam?). This way you know exactly what your torpedo did, and what went right/wrong and why.

[tycho102]

I upgrade my radio room guys, first thing.

The reason I do this is that I seem to get more information on my nav map concerning convoys and lone ships than when I'm running at 50% compartment efficiency. I get a rated masterchief (the game calls them warrant officers, whatever) in there working with a non-rate seniorchief. My first patrol I always buy the KDG hydrophones for 300 gold, and a masterchief for 200, so after the first patrol it's just a matter of rating that masterchief.

My radioroom guys also get first dibbs on medals and promotions. If there's a Gold Cross to be given out, it goes straight to the radioroom without a second thought.

After that, the priorities spread out. I always take another machinist chief, then a watch chief, and a torpedo guy. The engines get an extra knot of surface speed when you go from 50% to 100% manned compartment. The watch guys run ragged all the time, so I get someone to swap out with them. It's nice to have a fully manned rear torp room when you're inbetween convoy columns at the start of the war, too.