Oh! wot I do?
 

Quickie this as have to go out.
I have just started a new career and because I hate the Kiel canal, opted for Wilhelmshaven as home port . I thought I did this once before, and still started with a VIIA (?) which is the lowest of the low - and which in my view is how it should be. However, when the game began this time, I found myself in charge of a huge complement of men, with a sleek U-boat twice the size of dear old Rotbile ( Rusty Old Tub But I Love Er).

Now while I do hanker for oodles of torps and lots of revs and all that stuff, I know full well that I would not be put in charge of a dinghy in real life, so I do not feel comfy skippering this superior vessel before I have 'earned' it. What did I do wrong, how did I get this higher rated boat, is there an option to have VIIA and Wilhelmshaven - or am I to stay in Kiel until I have a few patrols and a lot more renown under me jumper? Gotta go :salute:

Looks like you got placed with a VIIB (the VIIA is not modeled in game)
My guess is you were looking for a Type II.
If you haven't already, look into SHIII Commander, it allows you to pick your starting date, home port, and U-boat type and number.
Since I suppose you are using GWX the U-boats and start dates listed in the manual serve no good purpose
Hope I helped!:up:

P.S. usually you can grab a type II in 1939 in the first or 7th flotillas, even though you hate the Kiel kanal, SHIII Commander has a menu where you can mess with the time compression for your event. like "near land" can be moved up from like 4x to 1024x.

He, he. Enjoy your new boat and go sink 'em all :D

Hello

If win a new command and U-boot, enjoy because the VII B type its a outstanding U-boat, with very usefull performances, a true WOLF! :yeah:

Brag, Red Heat, despite your encouragement, I am going to poke around in SH3 Commander as Sledgehammer says and see if I can have a type II AND Wilhelmshaven. If not I will time compress my way through the canal and plod on with Rotbile until I have earned me 'wings'.... which could take some time....:D, but not tonight:yawn: night-night all:salute:

In GWX 2.1 I started in the 7th Fl. (at Konigsberg, on the Russian/Polish border) and transfered to the 2nd Fl. (in Willemshaven )after the 1st patrol as done. I didn't even have to go through the Kanal once.

Here's a thought: Start out of Kiel in a Type II. Use SH3 Commander to set your starting Patrol Grid at AO95. Go sink some Polish ships.

Don't forget, you need to complete 3 patrols or serve 6 months (or the other way round.....I forget) before you can transfer.

Perhaps during the war, but those rules didn't seem to hold in august 1939.

Yeah, didn't realise it was pre-war :doh:

Unless you have to go south, why bother with the canal?
Timewise, it's faster to go through and around Danmark.
And, as a bonus, once you get past Læsø, you've a fair chance of finding targets.

No, gamewise it's faster to go around Denmark. The Kanal saves time in real life and within the game; it just takes longer as a player.

I always use the Kanal, and have my Near Land TC set for 128x. It takes me about 15 minutes to transit from Kiel to Brunsbuttel.

Good to know about that TC tweak in SH3 Commander...takes me forever to get through the Canal at 4X. I should have taken the time to RTFM, eh?

By the way, I gotta take the opportunity to state my love of the Type VIIB. The Type II is fun, though. Good on you for wanting to go to battle with 5 torpedoes. I did my 3 patrols in it at first. It'll make a wise tactician of you, that's for sure.

Belay my last. If you say it's faster to use the kanal, I accept that as Truth.
I only joined the forum a short time ago but, I've been reading the posts for about 2 years now, and you Sailor Steve, are one of the people I greatly respect. I always enjoy your posts, Mate.