1944 is hard!
 

Wow... I just tried out a new campaign starting in late '44 in a type XXI - I wanted to see what the late war was like...

1st attempt to get out of port met with an air raid and hull damage, forcing me to do a 180 and dock for repairs after only 10 minutes.

2nd patrol again hit by air raid as I left, but was far enough away this time to not be attacked.
Just had a look at my orders and they want me to patrol the entrance to the Thames! Bdu has gone nuts! :down:

Welcome to hell!

In late war, forget about being a hero.

Survival is your goal.:yep:

Good luck.:salute:

Wow it is a lot harder! So much allied air presence! :o

Certainly is, I'm spending daylight hours at schnorkel depth.
Question - is there a key to raise my radar warning reciever, or does it still work below the waves? I can't see anything listed in the commands page.

Sail down under less planes apart from that they are still swine out to kill you.

I'm hoping to reach the end of the war as I'm in Jan45 now, I spend more time in port than out at sea due to inflicted damage on my IXD2.

If you are referring to the GWX Late War Snorkel Antenna, it is attached to snorkel and is raised with it. :up:

Late war is beyond bad. Snorkel boats are the only ones that had any chance of survival. Also, BdU historically did make suicidal and nonsensical orders for the sub fleet. Subs were ordered to become kamikazes to stop the Normandy Invasion and were still ordered to use suicide attacks as a last resort.

I will show you were the Iron Crosses grow (excerpt from James Coburn in the movie Cross of Iron)

If you ever get out of port, I would think with a type XXI things should be relatively easier than with long obsolete VII's and IX's. I haven't taken a XXI for a test drive yet though but I'm looking forward to the opportunity when I work my way into 1944/1945.

I've read an account of one of the only real operational XXI's that was at sea after the surrender. I can't recall who commanded her, but he came across a British cruiser heavily escorted. He knew he couldn't attack but he wanted to see if he could make a mock attack to test the capabilities of the XXI.

He easily penetrated the screen and said he could have sunk the cruiser if he wanted to. All he could do was return to port with a glimpse of what might have been.

:)

You are referrering to U-2511 and Korvkpt. Adalbert Schnee
See : http://www.uboat.net/boats/u2511.htm

Well if survival is the goal then I suppose I'm please with the outcome of this ill-fated patrol.
I didn't even make it to my partol grid before I had a task force baring down on me. Only 40 metres to play with left me no option - destroy sensitive material and surrender the boat.
There really was no room at all for a bit of bad luck back then.

Type XXI and XXIII boats were still somewhat vulnerable to aircraft, especially when snorting:

U-3032

U-3523

U-2338

Mines were also a problem:

U-3519

U-3520

U-2342

The Allies would have had to re-adjust some of their tactics and thinking, but the Elektroboots didn't pose an insurmountable problem.

Every time I see this thread title, I think, no @****€.

idk sure survival is the goal but I also like to get some tonnage. Word of the wise don't mess around with the normandy landings. Those boats are low on tonnage, and your most likely going to died quick. I went in with an Elektroboot and only made it out because of my homing torpedos. I do know one of the "convoys" has a battleship, but can't remember which one. Its still not worth it just raid harbors its much safer. On a side note I was raiding Scapa Flow in april of 40, sank an illustrious class carrier and got out of the harbor undetected (took 5 torps). Right when I got out and surfaced got a CTD... Game hates me.