The Beginning of My Kriegsmarine Type VIIB U-49 Duty

Hello everybody there,

First of all,as a newcomer to this great forum,I would like to say,it's nice to meet all of you submarine captains here.

A couple of weeks ago,I suddenly came across both Silent Hunter III and it's Expansion Pack U-Boat:Battle in the Mediterranean.

Well,installed it on my laptop...and became,somewhat of "drug addicted" to this game.
No more TV's,no more magazines,books or news papers...all minds spin about how to calculate a perfect torpedo attack direction,where to find new convoys,how to approach them silently - it is just unbelievable.It is just something more than a game,it is another life in there - in the Deep.

So,I started my duty tour in 1939 with 7th Flotille,based in Kiel,where I was given a Type VIIB U-49 submarine.

I decided,that such serious game must be played seriously.So,try to use real authetic German submarine tactics during World War II.

These are some criterias I set for myself as a newbie:

1.Torpedo attacks should be done preferrably with just one torpedo,after careful giro-angle calculation (although I use it in "Automatic" mode,but nevertheless it usually pretty hard to do this,especially if engaged ship starts evansive maneures or I have to evade on-coming destroyers).So,I decided to save as much torpedoes,as I can,to engage as many ships as possible across the Operations Area.

2.Attacks with a 88mm - Deck Gun.My tactics include to shorten the distance to around 1 km on parrallel or overcrossing course,and only on this,short,distance I give orders to crew,and place them on the gun deck.Otherwise,they start firing at will at longer distances and waste ammo uselessly.I take a manual control of 88 mm deck gun and engage with the main goal - every round must be on target.

3.Not to attack destroyers.Yesterday,I was in the book store and specially bought a "Complete Destroyer Guide:Over 300 Destroyers from WW I to Present".They have awesome speeds,and,for example,yesterday I came across a large convoy west of Ireland.I launched two torpedoes underwater,which actually missed,but at least 2 destroyers started chasing me.Maneuvering at 200 m depth at full silent engine mode I managed to escape to the South.But it was damn difficult.....

4.Search for small convoys and lonely tranports.They are unguarded,so I can more carefully plan my attacks,pursuit them and finally destroy getting tonnage scores.

I looked through the forum and would like to express some my opinions about questions,that other gamers encountered during gameplay.

Zero or "Null" patrol grid.I have heard opinions that this actually is a bug,but my personal opinion is the following - You just are given a "free hunt" possibility,meaning not linked to reaching a certain grid.As far as I understand the "grid" objectives in Silent Hunter III are secondary in fact - the main stuff is a Tonnage,and only Tonnage.So game itself allows you to choose proper convoy intercept positions.Personally,I get that "Zero Grid" each second mission - and dynamic campaign successfully advances.

I have got a little question regarding short radio messages.I usually see a content of bigger reports like "Target Group Location - Convoy,Small Convoy",but I do not know what those frequent radio messages "Radio Message Received" mean.How should I read them?My actual game version is Silent Hunter III v1.4

Thanks for attention paid guys.I will be glad to read your comments and suggestions.

Good Hunting Everybody

[danlisa]

Originally Posted by Genghis Khan

I have got a little question regarding short radio messages.I usually see a content of bigger reports like "Target Group Location - Convoy,Small Convoy",but I do not know what those frequent radio messages "Radio Message Received" mean.How should I read them?My actual game version is Silent Hunter III v1.4

Thanks for attention paid guys.I will be glad to read your comments and suggestions.

Good Hunting Everybody

Welcome aboard

To read those messages, press M and double click on the message on the clipboard.

Enjoy your stay at Subsim.

[Vacillator]

Welcome Genghis!

Your addiction and approach to the game sounds familiar . Think about trying the Grey Wolves Expansion (GWX) at some point for a greatly enhanced, more realistic but most definitely harder experience. It's an excellent free download here:

http://www.users.on.net/~jscones/GWX/

As for the radio, press 'M' key and it will take you to the radio log, click on the messages there to read. Be aware that they are really only 'eye candy' to represent the feel of signals flying about. They don't really mean much in terms of your own game play.

Anyway, nice to read your post. Happy hunting!

Edit: danlisa is just *toooooooo* fast!

Thanks for quick replies,guys.Those radio messages really warn me,especially when I go on 1024X time compression - for instance from Central African coasts up to west of British Isles.Just afraid to miss something really important.I've seen,that some players missed radio messages saying of entire U-Boat Flotilla movements from original bases to other,for instance as in case of 7th Kiel Flotilla movement to Saint Nazaire.

I am in October 1939,operating South - West of British Isles,and I do not really plan to end current patrol for quite some time.Still 4 torpedoes left,full deck gun ammunition,plenty of possibilities.Will I be infromed of Flotilla movement to Saint-Nazaire?

By the way,those friendly bases.I have been to Vigo (in tribute to Das Boot but I could not figure out whether I could resupply there.Is it possible?

[Maraz]

I think that real U-Boot commanders usually launched more than one torpedo (at least in case of valuable targets), due to the possibility of duds and misses. My personal rule is: always two torpedoes except for 2000 t merchants.

Radio messages add a lot to immersion even though some of them are not directly useful to the patrol, so I always read them. At the beginning of war, for instance, you will be able to read about the always changing rules of engagements.

I too advice you to try GWX instead of the Med Add-on you have.

Cheers
Maraz

[Brag]

Genghis, Welcome!

I also recommend GWX. Good hunting! Read the GWX manual and visit my website.