One of my 'tricks' is when your assigned one of those 'patrol this area for x days' I will spend alot of time bobbing around on the surface, batteries fully charged, full stop. Even then a small amount of fuel is used.

To run the ice cream maker I guess, but its alot less fuel than if I spent all that time running too and fro.

Extending range by running submerged is not possible, as mentioned the fuel consumption increases while charging batterys.

As mentioned before look out for when your batteries are 'stuck' at 95% or something. You will continulally try to charge the defective batteries killing your milage.

True, but as your batteries are charging, you are still moving along your planned route. Maybe it's only marginal, but that is why I only use that for long missions.

It sitll uses up more fuel, since you're using the generators both to turn the props and charge the batteries. Thermodynamics and all that : If you use more energy, you use more fuel.

In the end, running submerged costs you fuel. Probably more than running surfaced...

So if I am to understand correctly... best OPS strategy is:

1) Ahead standard offers best fuel mileage and fuel conservation always a consideration.
2) When recharging batteries I might as well run flank speed because the max amount of fuel is used anyway.
3) Ensure you are using standard propulsion when batteries do not need to be recharged.
4) Once you are down to 50% fuel - head for the nearest friendly port.

Do we have a consensus, gentlemen?

I do agree with that consensus... my points were just mine, but I do also stick to those points also. :)

Improvise.:D

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/v...SAILSUBR14.jpg


"During a search for the sea-going tug Conestoga (AT-54) in May 1921. R-14 (SS-91) ran out of fuel southeast of Hawaii. Sails were made from blankets and mattresses, and the submarine arrived at Hilo on 15 May after 5 days under sail."

Those are generally ok, with certain considerations:
1) The best mileage on fleet boats is around 9.5 knots. Afaik this isn't "Ahead standard" in stock game. In RFB ahead standard is 10 knots.
2)No no and no. The less power you use for other things the faster they charge(in SH4). So ahead slow or similar when charging batteries.
3) :up:
4) That's a good rule of thumb for starters. With experience you'll develop your own rules anyway.

one more:
5) Use the "max range at current speed"-option when in doubt. It's not activated in stock game, but comes with most major mods.

Nice pic and story there NEON :D

Interesting pic indeed Neon Deon.

In 1944 the USS Grenadier also tried to jury rig a sail after severe bomb damage from a Japanese plane, but to no avail. She was scuttled when Japanese surface craft approached.

I don't use the 4th rule. When I get to my patrol area, I take a quick note of how much fuel it took to get me there, so I start heading back to base when I've got a bit more than that much fuel left (I usually use around 10% as the 'fudge factor'). So if I get to my patrol area with 80% of the fuel I started with, I turn for home when I'm down to 30%.

Obviously this changes if your final patrol area is a long ways from your initial patrol area, but I think it's a decent rule of thumb.

Another thing to consider is planned refuelling stops. For example, if you're based at Pearl and you're going to patrol in the East Indies, it might make sense to stop in Darwin (or Tulagi, once it's open) and top up your tanks before you go to the patrol area. You can also stop there on your way home. That can extend your time on station by quite a bit.

Of course, if you're patrolling around the Japanese home islands, there's really nowhere for you to go.

I just want to say thank you for all of your inputs. Y'all have been a great amount of help. Some of y'all asked if I had any damage and the answer is yes but very minor and it was fixed very quickly. I still find it very hard to believe that during the time we spent in WW2 that not one of are boys didn't make it back due to fuel shortage wheather they were damage or not. I read one thread saying something about a US submarine cost somewhere around $7,000,000 back in those days that was a great amount of money and sorry I don't think they would have left them to the sharks if they would have ran out of fuel accidentally. I was only like 65NM from Midway. So what I am getting at I think if you are a certain distance from a friendly base and you run out of fuel due to damage or not due damage you should be able to get a tow no matter if it is realistic or not just like in Silent Hunter 1. That game I play for years until they came out with silent hunter 2. But once again thanx for the help. And next time I will keep a very close eye on my fuel situation.

Ermmm
 

Maybe someone should make a tug mod...this is the best game I have ever seen for mods wonder why none have thought of it..maybe a refueler or option for borrowing gas from someone.
MOD it

Guess you could call AAA. Those tow guys always price gouge though.

http://neptoon.homestead.com/TOWED.jpg

Very good advice,and I muse most of what you said myself. I top off whenever possible,going out and back,and keep a very close eye on fuel consumption.

That's really all you can do.

When I was in school we made a nice experiment. We got a little hand powered generator which could be operated by moving a crank. With nothing connected to it the crank could be moved easily. But when we connected it to a little lamp the crank was more difficult to move.

Or simple: If electricity is used than your generators have to use more power to keep turning.
So if you are recharging your batteries and are moving on the surface you are consuming more fuel than just cruising on the surface without recharging.

If you have an older car you might want to do the following test (might work on new ones too, but I don't know how the electronic engine management reacts there):
Start your engine and look at your RPM gauge (if you have one that is) in idle throttle and neutral gearbox . Now switch on all your lights and other consumers of electricity. The RPMs should drop now slightly. The generator has to do more work and will therefore slow the engine down if you don't give more throttle.

It is a common mistake of people to think that the electricity in a car is for free.

Same goes for the submarines. If using the battery could safe fuel it would have been done in RL, wouldn't it?

If you're that close to Midway, submerge and finish the last few miles on battery power.