The Type IIA is a good little boat for beginners in 1939, fine for taking on single merchants. It's short range teaches you how to conserve fuel, like traveling at 1/3 speed. But soon if you're interesting in piling up your tonnage, then you'll need a bigger boat with more torpedoes and long range, to reach the convoys in the Atlantic.
Whether you go for the Type VII or Type IX is up to you. Type IX is much better than the VII in the early war against low-quality opposition, as its massive load of torpedoes and long range really lets you rack up the kills. The IX is fairly slow to dive and is a big target if you're depth charged, but in the early 1939-41 period this isn't usually a problem. (I'm a big fan of the Type IX.)
Once the fighting gets tough in 1942-43, the VIIC variants are better than the IX as the VIIC is smaller and more agile, and can dive a bit deeper too. Your chances of surviving a heavy depth charge attack are better in a VIIC.
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