I edited Basic.cfg to allow me to have the entire enlisted crew as WOs. Scroll down to [SUBMARINEx] where x = 0 (type II), 1 (type VII), 2 (type IX), or 3 (type XXI). Change NrMinSeamen to zero and NrMaxPO to the total enlisted crew size for each boat type. Here's the change for the type VII boats:


[SUBMARINE1]
NrMinOff=3
NrMaxOff=6
NrMinPO=9
NrMaxPO=46
NrMinSeamen=0
NrMaxSeamen=30

This allows you to dismiss all the blue seamen and replace them with WOs...each of whom you can qualify. If desired, you can increase NrMaxOff to allow you to carry trainees or doctors for type IXs.


One advantage to stock SH3 is that the calendar does not increase at an accelerated rate between career patrols if you don't leave port. The date stays the same or at worst a day later. To get a more reasonably qualified crew, load the patrol but never leave port. As soon as the control room screen appears, hit Esc and quit the patrol, returning to whatever port you're using. At Personnel Files, there are no promotions or medals available because you never left port, but you can issue a qualification to the crewman of your choice. Repeat this process until you get most of the crew qualified.

If you want to be historically accurate, treat all Warrent Officers as though they were enlisted Seamen. Treat Senior WOs as Petty Officers. Treat Chief Sr. WOs as either CSWOs or Chief Petty Officers. Allocate the numbers of each according to historical crew lists. I consider my NAV officer to be a CSWO (Obersteurmann).

Use your renown to buy the desired number of CSWOs and SWOs. Select your officers from among those with only one qualification; this costs you nothing and you can build up the exact quals you want each of them to have. WOs also cost you nothing, so you can almost fully crew a boat with the 1500 renown you have to start with (assuming you completed the Academy first).

3 CSWO at 200@ = 600 renown
6 SWO at 150@ = 900 renown

I usually go out on my first patrol with the 9 above minimum POs, run to the designated grid and patrol it for the required 24 hours until F8 shows the objective Complete, then immediately quit the patrol. I'm not trying to score tons yet, only renown. That completion bumps up my renown so I can buy the extra SWOs for my crew and then qualify them as desired.

My strong suspicion is that the CO qualifications make no difference to compartment efficiency. For example, if you man your deck gun with three unqualified sailors and an officer who is not gun qualified, your mere presence on the tower does not improve their shooting. However, sending a gunnery-qualified officer up there does improve it.

Only when you sit "in the chair" can your abilities exceed that of your crew. You will always see further than your watch officer, and hear better than your hydrophone operator. I'm certainly a better gunner in most conditions. Like yours, my flak skills are woefully poor, but that's because I use flak perhaps once in 25-30 patrols.

I heard from somewhere (I forget where) that the helmsman qualification has no actual in-game effect. Can anyone confirm this?

One of your officers should have Helmsman qualification, so you can order the speed, diving etc.In CR

I've often considered resorting to this myself, (not as a cheat), but merely as an attempt to achieve the historical realism of everyone on the boat being trained in some aspect of U-boat operations. (Even if it's just peeling potatoes). ;)

Seems a shame we have to adopt this sort of approach to work around the limitations of the engine, but I suppose (in the final analysis) - we have to play the cards we're dealt.

Assigning seaman qualifications as a 'marker' doesn't do much for me, but then again neither does having a 30 man crew who really aren't trained for much of anything.

If I had a choice, I'd much rather see the WO icon modded to display a visual representation of the grad value - thereby allowing easy identification of the 'rank' modifier.

That thought's been sitting on the back burner of my wish list, and one day (if I find the time), I'd like to look into it.

Zero in-game effect.

You can test this yourself in a single mission or throwaway career. Your diving times, acceleration, turns, etc. are all executed the same way and at the same speed, no matter what helmsman qualifications are present.

Thanks for the clarification :salute: