It finally happened...
 

Right now, I'm heading home to Wilhelmshaven after my third war patrol, with no pennants being readied. Thank God I'm running an alpha of my War Patrols mod, or I would have given up completely! :woot:

A great many u-boats never saw an enemy ship for their entire careers. I consider an empty patrol to be part of the realism. A frustrating part, to be sure...

I agree with Steve. That's a pretty big ocean out there.

Now if they'd had the internet back then, things would have been completely different. ;) :haha:

Definitely true :up:

:agree:

I agree with this one too, but being a coward I regard uneventful patrols as lucky ones. My rule is: better a bored captain than a dead hero :D

Totally agree :up:

That's exactly what I thought! In fact, I was exuberant that I'd finally gotten the right realism settings (81%) and mods to make SH5 a simulator on my laptop. Although I actually encountered three ships and a convoy, but my torpedoes missed all times.

Same here. I sometimes come home outwardly cursing my luck but inwardly praising it.

Me too
 

The Pacific is even worse. I played SH4 from release to the day I bought SH5 and never did see an enemy ship out there.

Look at it this way...you might survive the war.

Question
 

What factors do you consider when determining it is time to end a patrol? How long is your average patrol?

Ic

Be more aggressive!

With SH3 it was fuel if I hadn't seen an enemy ship. Sometimes I'd refit just to get fuel/supplies and continue on, if I was in the southern Atlantic. In the nothern Atlantic I'd just return to my home port and hopefully get another grid area to patrol for better results.

I'd stay out a minimum of 14 days, or as long as 30 of game time. And I try to do the same with SH5.