Well, if your not into Long range patrols, definatly stay out of the 2nd and 10th flotilla's, and IX boats.
Usually when i get impatient, i think, "whats my damn fired hurry to return to port? Im just gonna run right back out here again anyway".
As per convoy's, being in an IX boat has nothing to do with if you engage convoys or not. Your position on the grid does. Generally speaking your not goign to run into convoys south of gibralter, or on the US east coast. You'll usually find them somewhere in the mid atlantic making the crossing between the america's and britian. Or coming out of, or gonig enroute to, Gibralter.
While their submerged turning isnt anything to write home about, IX boats acutally make ideal convoy attackers if your good at plotting your position, and are daring enough to:,
- go to flank speed and turn on your heel to bring your stern to bear after letting your bow tubes loose. Or
- position yourself between two colums of ships to use both bow and stern tubes Or..
- Night surface attack. (not recommended after mid41
) Early war you can wreek havoc with an IX boat. Ive engaged convoys, 3 times in a single night.
The real drawback to an IX boat, is being depthcharged. Its a bit harder to surivive if you've got 3 or more elite escorts on you. But these situations are extremly rare in campign mode. (ive only been sunk once by DC, and that was because of a mod that introduced an Elite HK group in biscay bay, but the fact is to acutally run into them is not very likely since their not always there) More likely then not, you'll get bombed by an aircraft before you'll be sunk to depth charging.