an opinion
 

need an opinion : Its March 1940 ... got orders to Patrol Area BF44 ... Leaving WILHELMSHAVEN ... Is the English Channel still kinda safe ?

Enter the channel at your own risk my friend.

i would consider the english channel safe for the first 10 days of conflict - beyond that - its a no mans land

It is never to be considered safe. If you MUST try it...perhaps a submerged battery run and only come up at night to recharge. Oh and hope for foul weather to aid you.

The Channel never seems safe to me. Many a time I've been on the verge of exiting it after many narrow close-calls and evasions and boom! I hit a mine.

In RL the Channel was very rarely used by u-Boats after 1939. There are good reasons for that:

1. Shallow water
2. Close to English ports full of small anti-submarine boats
3. Heavily mined by both sides
4. Was just as fast to go to the North of the British Isles to get to the Western Approaches and more lucrative from a shipping target perspective.
5. After August 1940 the Atlantic ports were available negating the need to come all the way from German ports to get to patrol areas.

Thanx for the advice ... I'll go around the top :up:

While we're on the subject, the Kriegsmarine advises all it's commanders to avoid that other English Channel as well. :D

http://www.freewebs.com/josephkingtributes/bbc_logo.gif

Ive crossed the chanel just as german troops took over northern france :) so there were some really strange encounters.

My advices are if you decide to cross it be close to german(french) coast, stay underwater during the day, during the night cruise at high speed.

Advice well taken. Live to fight another day.

Once France falls it seems to be a bit easier to scoot through there. Wouldn't make a habit of it though. Never mind smoking, that's a habit with real health risks. :dead:

Ive got sponcership from the BBC, there is an advert for them on my bridge! :haha::haha::haha:

(Ive already asked on a previous thread what it stood for)

BdU orders than from now on this is the only English Channel to use:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/C4logo440.jpg

Just don't let your mother catch you doing it after 2130.:D

Many weeks spent in the same container with the same people, unable to get out, and someone watching from a computer screen giving orders.

What does that sound like?

Big brother or SH3?

You've no idea just how lucky you are! I moved here to the U.S. a few years back, the worst of Ch4 is 10x better than the best on offer here! If it weren't for PBS I'd be insane by now (no comments - I already know my mental condition, lol). They have to provide hundreds of cable channels just so you can try to find something watchable - if you have the patience to bother scrolling through the endless lists.