First Qualification

[The Munster]

Inspired by BBW in another thread ..

After your first Patrol, what is the first qualification you dish out and why ?!

[TomcatMVD]

I'm currently on my first campaign and the first qualification I gave was a "watchman", I felt my bridge was a little bit under-manned.

[HW3]

Depending on what qualifications the game gives, either a watchman or radio one. I like to get my hydrophone operators skill up as fast as possible.

[Hanomag]

Im am in agreeance with both... its usually a coin toss between the radio room or watch tower.

In real life..Werent these guys trained to do a certain job b4 they left the academy? Or were they all just generic sailors until they received their assignments. Was it just tying knots and learning how not to get sea sick in the academy?

[3Jane]

Watchman first. And spend some renown on an officer with repair qualifications.

[Brag]

Repair--it might make a difference between a 2 patrol or long career.

[Ula Jolly]

Of course, it depends what I get. Also, it depends on my ship. For the II, watchman comes first. Second priority is the sonar dude, then a repair officer side-by-side with engine qualifs. No torpedomen are needed, nor any gunners, because of the few fish and lack of survivability. In '39-'40, you can take the aircraft on yourself, better than most AI.
With larger boats, say the IX, the difference makes sense; Sonar, weapons, engines, repair officer, watchman. It's also a bit of a matter of playstyle, if you prefer surfaced or the bottom of the ocean - patrolling large areas or keeping relatively still in one place.

[von Kinderei]

I generally like a mechanic ... I like to have a couple of those guys on a first combat patrol ... they can be VERY helpful

Then I'll opt for a machinist the next go round to upgrade the engine rooms and I will promote the regular swabbie at the sonar station to improve his performance when I can ...

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Hmm... I don't remember picking any qualification before I get 3 guys skilled in electronics (sonar, hydrophone, radio). 2 of them as a basis (one always rests while the second occupies the station) and the third just in case one of the guys got transfered.

If I was to name the most important part of the U-Boot, I'd surely point the hydrophone room. Most of my contacts come from it, and it's crucial for saving my ass when in trouble.

Another reason for picking sonar qualification is that I can't get an officer skilled in electronics (all the other qualifications can be easily obtained by picking up to 5 officers while in base).

[Jimbuna]

Torpedo....faster reloading time

[looney]

I only get repair after several patrols (5 or 6 or so) This cause enemy ASW ships are very few and very bad early war ( I always start 1939 (month 1 or 2 of war depends on ship I want, type II or VII month 1 of war. or month 2 for a IXB).

If I do get damaged I can manage with my normal group.

1st Watchie
2nd hydro
3rd mech
4th torp
5 what I might be lacking.

But usealy after patrol 4 I have:
2 hydro
2 Mech
2 Watch
3 or 4 torp (depends if I gave 1 officer a torp qual)

after 5 I'm tempted to get a mechaniker or a flakgunner.

If I start in 1939 the first qual I'd hand out would be gunner, cause I can prowl on top and knock out anything on the surface with little to no resistance, especially if it 's a lone merchant.

[U49]

... because I had once a boat sunk with to tired and unqualified crew in my engine compartment.. never again... keep moving

[Bridger]

Its unrealistic though because crew joined a u-boat already qualified, Seamen/machinists/sound and radio men etc, so i use sh3com 2.7 where you can give everyone(including junior ranks) qualifacations.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Originally Posted by Bridger

Its unrealistic though because crew joined a u-boat already qualified, Seamen/machinists/sound and radio men etc, so i use sh3com 2.7 where you can give everyone(including junior ranks) qualifacations.

I don't know how it was done IRL, but quite often I'm tired of the way how it's done in SH3 and a few times I considered givin every crew member a qualification. It would ease crew management (manual and automatic) and make the game to behave in a more intuitive way.

For example: I used to have 3 bootsmanns (I use German ranks and I don't know the English name) and 5 regular sailors in my engine room (VIIB). When the crew moves from diesel to electric engine (or opposite), only the sailors do it - the bootmanns stay asleep, unless they have the mechanic qualification. One has to move them to the new location manually, one by one. A bit annoying, especially when the crew efficiency goes down and you need everyone of them immediately at the station.

Eventually I decided to leave it as it is by default, thinking to myself "someone designed it that way and he was for sure better informed than I am, so that setting is probably the most realistic and just the best of possibilities". Changing things to suite one's taste is usually beyond one's range, even if you are a U-Boot commander.