December 1943

[Slick Rick]

Well I managed to survive this long but it is getting really rough....on the last patrol, was assigned AK47.....I made it just northwest of Brest and out of no where two Mosquitoes put the big hurt on me....had to limp back to Brest for repairs.....It seems my radar warning reciever is almost useless now as I got absolutely no warning.....this was about the third time it happened, the other two surprises were by Sunderlands and Hudsons......fortunately I was able to get under in time....I am running only by nite on the surface and with decks awash at that....and I am just barely getting under in time.....the happy times are definitely over....

[nikbear]

And sadly it gets worse some patrol's turn into utter periods of tedium dodging planes 24/7

[jazman]

I haplessly started a 1944 campaign, out of Brest (my main campaign--my first--is still in 1941). I was diving to avoid planes. I got tired and decided to slug it out on occasion. By the time I was out of the Bay of Biscay I had six airplane kills to my credit. Playing GWX I didn't know the damage to my hull integrity (cue ominous music).

Later on I had to dive to avoid some convoy escorts, before I even got into good position. At 120 meters, POOF. I was dead.

[Lafferty]

dang that sucks. I always start early in the war.

[joegrundman]

I only got through 43 once, and still died in my first patrol of 44, but for what it's worth, i found the only way into the atlantic was to hug the coast all the way to Vigo

[Slick Rick]

Well....I still havent reached AK47 yet....after repairs in Brest, headed out again....only got about two days out when we were surprised on the surface again....only this time when I ordered the alarm, we failed to ring up flank speed....obviously a malfunction....or sabotage......and sustained major damage to the watch tower....both periscopes destroyed....along with the flak guns...battery damage and the like....had to return to Brest once again for repairs...I have one question though......in the past when we have gotten some warning....the screen pops up asking whether you want to engage enemy....dive to periscope depth or maintain current orders...and you have to select one of these before ordering the alarm.....shouldnt the keyboard override this when hitting C for crash dive..??

[Brag]

Originally Posted by joegrundman

I only got through 43 once, and still died in my first patrol of 44, but for what it's worth, i found the only way into the atlantic was to hug the coast all the way to Vigo

Good advice

[Biggles]

Another advice I have to come with from own experiences: stay AWAY from convoys. I'm serious, I'll go for single merchants after 1942. If you can find a good spot, you'll get good kills too.

[papa_smurf]

I too have faced the nightmare that is 1943 aircover. My advice is to forget the Atlantic and head on down to Penang - bit quieter on the shipping front, but not as much aircover.

[Slick Rick]

I have one question though......in the past when we have gotten some warning....the screen pops up asking whether you want to engage enemy....dive to periscope depth or maintain current orders...and you have to select one of these before ordering the alarm.....shouldnt the keyboard override this when hitting C for crash dive..??:hmm: :hmm:

[papa_smurf]

I think you have to select one of the options...not sure tho.

[TarJak]

From '43 onwards the challenge is any kind of tonnage whilst staying alive. Remember at this time of the war you are no longer the hunter but the hunted. The Allies are now focussing their numerical and technical superiority on that hunt and until the end of the war you must survive. SHIII becomes a very different game and this is where there are very distinct differences between it and SHIV. Instead of getting easier to make bigger and bigger kills it gets hard to make any at all.

I tend to avoid heavily defended convoys and go looking for lone ships. Remember that most merchants are now sporting deck guns and they usually have more than onegun so their rate of fire is greater than yours, making use of the DG risky at best. Even sinking a small merchant is a bonus from '43 onwards.

[Hitman]

It seems my radar warning reciever is almost useless now as I got absolutely no warning

You are already in a phase where the allied electronics -again- has outpaced the axis one. If your radar warning is useless, run on the surface by daylight. Your lookouts should be able to spot planes you would otherwise not see at night, and that might give you time for crash diving

I do it with pretty good results (Note that I'm using the 16k visibility mod) and it was also done in real life by the experienced Kaleuns.

To sum it up: Rely always in the sensor that allows you detecting the enemy from a longest range

As soon as you get a new radar detector installed between patrols and have checked its efficiency, you can resume the night surface runs.

Hope that helps

[Slick Rick]

Well thanx for the input...but U 234 was sunk with all hands. We were running during the day on the surface in very rough seas charging batteries and were jumped by two Mosquitoes once again....after sustaining serious damage, hull integrity down to 24%, we had the misfortune of being chased by no less than four black swans....while trying to find a thermal layer the sub could take no more and gave up the ghost at around fifty meters.....It was quite a run whilst it lasted.