Here is an old thread with good hunting locations :DL

Happy Hunting Grounds

Generally I get 10-20k while being very cautious, (usually the patrol after I get beat up by escorts) but when i'm trying to get promoted I tend to do stupid thing resulting in at least 40k but heavy damages.

Harbor attacks are good if your feeling brave, just remember there are mines, nets, surface batteries and very shallow depths.

I agree that AM52 and it's surrounding grids are great spots also

Good luck

Pretty new to career mode within SH3, but one area i've found is peachy spot just SW of holyhead. I'm running a IXB out of Lorient in Oct 1940 and am on my 2nd Career. On my first I hit a huge convoy there and bagged four or five ships before running out of eel's and getting D/C'd to my grave! :dead:

In my current career I again hit a convoy SW of holyhead just the other night, so I wld suggest giving the irish sea a try. Also keep an eye on where you are on the map cause the darker colors highlight the deeper depths.

If fuel is the problem, just use "Slow" as your primary travel speed.

Tonnage comparisons around here aren't realy possible, as we all use different realism settings, and SIR (Self Imposed Restrictions).
Not to mention the differences in mods, and modding.

Your best, and most evenly matched competitor, is your own past carriers.

Ahead slow was probably the most efficient speed in the stock game. It set the RPMs at 40%. GWX sets ahead slow at 25%.

A quick test today at various speed settings on the GWX VIIb without updates:

Speed setting - Speed - Max range at current speed

Ahead slow - 4.5 kts - 18800 km
7.5 knots - 7.5 kts - 33000 km - speed set manually
Ahead 1/3 - 10 kts - 22000 km
Ahead standard - 14 kts - 11500 km
Ahead full - 16 kts - 8500 km

Hook

I don't use GWX.
Slow = Turns set for 7 knots.
(That's something I never altered.)

With all the different mods, and modding habits, one size sure doesn't fit all.

The most fuel economic speed is between 44 and 46% depending on u-boat type so stock was pretty close to the best value.
Believe me, I've done a lot of research: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=139019

Excellent! Thanks. That's going to save me a lot of research.

Hook

one should note that in GWX, fuel is added to compensate for the fact that the in game earth is flat, not round.

This just happened ... once in a lifetime luck i guess.

Excuse the German.


Feindfahrt 2|U-103, U-Flotilla Saltzwedel|Ausgelaufen: Dezember 30, 1939, 06:39|Von: Wilhelmshaven|Befehle: In Planquadrat BF44 patrouillieren
.
.
3rd Jan. 40
Schiff versenkt!|Planquadrat AF 78|HMS Hood, 48360 BRT
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12th Jan. 40
Schiff versenkt!|Planquadrat BF 41|HMS Nelson, 36000 BRT
.
.
25th Jan. 40 returned to Wilhelmshafen
Ergebnisse|Verluste: 0|Versenkte Schiffe: 8|Zerstörte Flugzeuge: 0|Versenkte Tonnage: 120271 Tonnen

Bad times for the RN...

Thanks, all, for the tips! I finished my 6th cruise last night and came home with fuel to spare and no eels and bagged over 40K of merchants. So it looks like I'm starting to get the hang of this!

Two questions:

1) I ran into a huge convoy made up of about 20 merchants and 3 warships. I tried to get their speed via hydrophone contacts, but there were too many to keep straight. I eventually just eyeballed their course, popped up ahead of them, and launched a 4-eel salvo, which got me two. I'm not sure what the best strategy is with a group that size where you also have to look out for the warships?

2) I've started another patrol where I ran into 3 unescorted French merchants traveling in a line (Two large merchants led by a Granville). After stewing over the best way to take them, I decided to take the sure shot from abeam. I put 1 into the trailing ship, two into the middle one to make sure of the kill, and threw a token one at the Granville in the front. None were sunk outright, but the middle one was crippled badly. I elected to ignore him for now, assuming I could come back and get him with my guns. So, I spin about for a stern tube shot on the other large merchant. I hit with it although not a good shot (in my excitement, I forgot to open the tube doors!). As I'm surfacing to finish him with the deck gun, I get the cheering and see the other merchant breaking up. However, I don't get the shipwreck image on the screen. Does that mean I didn't get credit for him? I wasn't very far away from him (no more than 5 km). Should I have finished him off right away and then chased the others down?

@ 1) for me it's important to track the nearest lane for a certain time (on the edge of visual contact!). this reveals speed, course and distance of the column I like to attack.

@ 2) shipwreck symbols show randomly ....
always check your patrol-log (hitting "k") where you can verify your successes.

Yep, I've had ships I hit go down right in front of me and the "sunk ship" icon never showed up on the map. But as long as it's recorded in the patrol log in-game, I always get credit for it when the patrol is over.

You can only be certain the 'kill' has been registered to your account when the game engine recognises said accomplishment and it acknowledges the fact via the message "she's going down".

Ah, thanks -- I didn't realize you could get to the patrol log before the end of the mission. That's good to know!

Sometimes I see that message and other times I don't. It seems to have to do with whether or not the Navigator position is occupied?