Assigned patrol grid square, do you stay or do you go?

[Englebert Endrass]

So what strategy do others use.
BdU give you your assigned patrol square. You've reached there and you've been there the required 24 hours.
Do you move on based on intelligence or guessimetric?
Or do you stay in your allotted square only venturing outside if assigned by BdU, say to intercept a convoy, or if you pick up a contact and go outside the grid square during the chase?
Personally I tend to adopt the latter on the basis that by not being in the square you might upset the grand plan, should there be one of course. If the pickings in the patrol area ae particularly lean then after a few weeks then off we go a-hunting.
Also on your way to your square do you choose a route that will get you there as economically and stealthily as possible (my technique), or do you go into high traffic aeas to increase chance of contacts? Tend to do this on return journey to increase intelligence with contact reports, no idea if this earns you brownie points or extra renown but seems to me to be the obvious thing to do.
Just wondered what others do.

[bigboywooly]

I always go to the patrol grid and 99% of the time I find plenty of targets
If I dont then I make a note of the convoy reports on map and try to work out the routes so can set a trap
Other times I just head for the nearest port with some nice targets - based on intel from SH3Gen
Used to speed my way to grid but now I travel around 1\3 speed so have plenty of juice to hunt if I need to

[Redwine]

I attempt to reach the designed grid ....if posible, but if a juicy convoy appears, i go for it, normally i expend all my torps on a single convoy, even the external reloads, i make a first attack up to be out of torps, and go away, reload and flank the convoy another time and perform a second attack...

Out of internal and external torps, there is no reason to attempt to reach a far grid, i back home or look for a milk cow.

[Deimos01]

I'll go to my assigned grid following known shipping lanes if possible. Once my 24 is up and I havent come across anything I will head out for more bountyfull locals.

[NeonSamurai]

I usualy go for my patrol spot, wait it out. (with the spots i usualy get i either get little traffic, or a bunch of neutrals) once that is done i usualy go to one of my prefered hunting grounds where the tankers and the cargo ships play

[bert8for3]

Likewise, I generally head for assigned patrol area (it is an order after all), although if I can map a route that will take me through likely target areas on the way, I will. But lately, I've pretty much been heading straight for the patrol area, do my 24 hours, then if nothing go a-hunting (on the theory that BdU would rather I find targets than not).

What's SH3gen?

[bigboywooly]

Originally Posted by bert8for3

Likewise, I generally head for assigned patrol area (it is an order after all), although if I can map a route that will take me through likely target areas on the way, I will. But lately, I've pretty much been heading straight for the patrol area, do my 24 hours, then if nothing go a-hunting (on the theory that BdU would rather I find targets than not).

What's SH3gen?

Its a great addition like SH3Commander

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ghlight=SH3Gen

BdU assigned me that grid; that's where I go and that's where I stay, unless ordered otherwise.

[HunterICX]

I mostly take direct route to the Grid, If I get ship contacts I intercept them when they are close,

after the 24 Patrol, I take an ''Stab-england coast'' route back..for example if I have plenty of fuel I try to get close to an enemy harbour(thats nearby) to take on the ships that come in and out.

[GT182]

If you mark down where you're seeing convoys, you're better off changing the Patrol Grid to where you figure those juicy targets will be using SHIII Commander. If you don't see anything there, or on the way to it, head out to another grid where you might be luckier.

Usually if you don't find anything in the 24 hours you patrol a grid, in all probability you're better off going somewhere else. I've sat in my assigned grid for a week of game time, just to check out what would happen, and seen nothing at all. But, 2 grids away there'd be a convoy or 2 passing by. I've learned to move on to better hunting grounds if nothing is seen.

If you don't make it to your Assigned Grid because of intercepting a convoy, use all your torpedos and send a patrol report. BDU will tell you to RTB, which shouldn't really affect your renoun because you didn't do your 24 hours. Your renoun will be better because of all those juicy ships you've sunk, warships and merchants. I had one patrol that netted me 1467.40 points for renoun and I didn't do my 24 hours. I did sink 3 merchants and 5 warships tho. 1 Liberty Merchant, 2 T3 Tankers, 2 Flower Corvettes, 2 BS Frigates, and a Class C Destroyer.

[andy_311]

I always go to my assigned grid but try to plot a course close to a convoy route.

[SteamWake]

I know you recieve addittional renown for "completing" an assigned tour.

Has any one put a hard number on how much you loose by not completing it ?

[enaceo]

The cfg says you get 500 for getting there and 200 for patroling for 24 hours.
Personally,I take the fastes route twards my patrol sector and engage any ships that come really close.When I get back however,I go twards the main shipping routes to hopefully get something there.If I still can't find any "tonnage" I usually attack a port .

[bert8for3]

Originally Posted by bigboywooly

Its a great addition like SH3Commander

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ghlight=SH3Gen

Tks bbw, I didn't know about it. Going to try that out for sure ... this game just gets better and better.

[rcs929]

I always go right to the patrol grid, orders are orders and BdU wants me there for some reason. I will sink ships on the way if I encounter any. After the 24 hours have expired at the patrol grid I will plot a course to the nearest shipping lane using the map that came with the game showing shipping lanes (now in GW).

I have changed the assigned grid using SH Commander from time to time when I was departing from Kiel and assigned to patrol some grid in BF or BE, but it's rare.