Actually, even in a Type VIIB, you can make the US coast from a French base and return. You need to go slow and watch your fuel consumption very carefully, and you will not have any to waste on chasing down contact reports. Actually, you won't have much reserve to patrol once you make US waters either, not if you want to return, but the round-trip is possible. But you'll need to make the crossing at 6-8 knots, and plot the shortest, direct route. Of course, a type IX would be better for such a long range patrol, in terms of having a fair amount of fuel to use once in US coastal waters (even then, you want to make the crossing at a slow pace and not burn excessive fuel just getting to the coast).
In real life, type VIIB's like the U-85 were some of the first boats dispatched to the US during the start of drumbeat (she was sunk off Cape Hatteras).
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