[Diceman]

Hello all,
A beginner captain here playing my first career.
I'm running SH3+GWX3.
All I've played thus far are the training mission/exams.
Realism is 90%. I have external view, so I can watch my targets sink up close. I also have map contact update.
I chose 1st Flotilla, based at Kiel in Aug. 1939. I'm given U-5 a Type IIA with a load of 5 type I torpedos.
First patrol begins 1 Aug '39. I reach patrol area off the Shetlands and patrol several days until fuel becomes an issue and I have to head home. A big goose egg for a score. The war starts a few days after my return...
Second patrol begins 6 Sep '39. I reach my patrol area and patrol 24 hours. Just at the end of the 24 hours a beautiful Ore Carrier shows up...
First time manual targeting. I fumble through and shoot 2. Both miss aft (I botched the speed I think) and I hurriedly reset and shoot 1... miss. I turn south thoroughly bummed... Reloading my last 2 torpedos.
Further south along the east coast of England I encounter a small cargo ship. I setup, shoot 2 and both hit. On the board with 2245 tons. I head to port as all 5 of my torpedos are gone. I get the U- boat front clasp., as well as some of my crew,
Third patrol begins 11 Oct '39. I reach my patrol area off the middle east coast of England. I quickly (within my 24 hour patrol time) get 2 ships totaling 9788 tons one after the other, very near to each other. Shot 2 at each with all hits. Shortly after another target showed up and I missed with my final torpedo. Still learning the manual targeting thing...
Medals were earned by my crew.
I got promoted.
Fourth patrol begins 12 Nov '39. I reach my patrol area off the Shetlands (1 block south of my first patrol area) and at the end of the 24 hours I get a contact. It's inky black and I can't see my hand in front of my face let alone some ship off in the distance. I set a intercept with hydrophone only. Track and shoot 1 torpedo without ever seeing the guy other that a darker mark in the blackness. 1 shot hits. I surface and parallel his course for over 5 hours. He's listing and catches fire over 12 times but the waves are so big they keep putting the fire out... I'm getting concerned about warships coming, so I shoot 1 more using the uzo and his fire to line up on. Hit and immediately sinks. 2396 tons in the books. I submerge and set a course to patrol gap between Orkneys and Shetland... Immediately detect 5 warships medium and high speeds. I avoid them. Patrol the gap... nothing. Head south along east coast of England. Finally get another contact. I setup and shoot blind again cause it's still inky black and high seas. Shoot 1 and I guess it misses??? Looked like a perfect run on targeting chart...
I set another quick shot and los... about halfway through that run well before it should hit the target blows up and sinks (red mark on map) but I don't get credit??? WTF??? Game glitch??? Second shot misses...
Another contact right away. I setup and shoot another blind shot. It's still total blackness out there... My first magnetic attempt ever as everything prior was impact. Ran true but no explosion... I've no idea for sure if it hit but it looked true on the targeting chart... I head for Kiel thoroughly frustrated.
My crew earned some medals.
I received the German Cross.
Currently, about to start patrol 5 around 1 Dec '39. Still in the Type IIA.
Current tonnage total 14,429.

Edit: Just looked the German Cross up... It wasn't issued until 1941. How am I getting one now in 1939??? Early access???