Well that was a waste of time!

[robj250]

I was assigned patrol grid CE24 on Mar 12, 1943. Thought it might produce results so I took it. 3,536 km of nothing. Haven't even fired a torpedo. Reached the patrol grid and nothing there either. I don't know whether to return to St. Nazaire and begin a new patrol or start running around looking for ships. I'll probably return to base and start a new patrol back in the North Atlantic. Still using a VIIB fully upgraded.

[STEED]

Are yes the joy of the big fat zero.

[andy_311]

I just returned from GR 85 26,000km round trip and all I bagged were 3 small cargo's.

Now you know why the captain and crew were so frustrated in Das Boot when they had been out for days and days and had not seen anything or received orders from BdU. Das Boot is so much better to watch after you've played several games of SH3 later in the war.

[HunterICX]

Harrrrr...the enemy is hiding for you

Don't forget that a large number of U-boats never saw an enemy ship-ever!

Not fun in a game, but if you like realism...

[CptGrayWolf]

Originally Posted by HunterICX

Harrrrr...the enemy is hiding for you

"Something is not right here :hmm:" *Das Boot scene*

[robj250]

Well, I think that is about to change Steve, as I'm heading back into Iceland waters for patrol 40. Hopefully there will be at least one convoy to attack, hopefully at night. I like night attacks.

[Zero Niner]

Talking about Das Boot, I just bought the mini series version!

[Wulfmann]

I just watched Das Boot again yesterday (Director's cut).

I just do my grid if it is not stupid (Like patrol off Bergen from St Nazaire) and then head for the convoy lanes. I have only had a very few patrols without at least one convoy in well over a year almost every day. I particularly like to cruise the junctions where many convoys converge on their routes.

Wulfmann

[robj250]

I was just west of Brest on Apr 19 on my 40th patrol, heading for Iceland, when I was attacked by aircraft, received some damage. Waited for a while and then surfaced and repaired the damage. Then on Apr 20, I hadn't gone very far from the first attack and was depth charged again from by a Catalina (I think) but no damage this time as I crashed dived to 50 metres quickly and the depth charges were not dropped that close. Hull integrity still 100%.

[Der Eisen-Wal]

i dont' even bother with the grids, i sit at the target and charge batteries and usually head to the nearest convoy route or port right after the 24h is up. you're not expected to bag everything in that box and come home, you are given a full top of fuel to explore and sink random ships, or else they'd just give you enough fuel to go there, patrol, and back.there's guys here that go to the carribean and just chill for weeks to months.

[Manock]

Rob you old hernia! You stole my thunder, and next post!

I was going to say how I just spent three months at sea crossing along the Northern convoy lane then down to Brazil, and didnt find jack!

Actually Im having fun just sailing along. Kind of soothing. Its near the end of the war, and the crew isnt try to kid themselves theyre going to have an impact. Its taken me days real time to get here, and the only thing Ive sunk is a dead in the water (0 knots) early war 4 stack destroyer around Cuba.

'Say Skipper, how about if we tie up along side that island, and pick some coconuts.' 'We can throw them at the Catalinas.'

Manock

You ever notice its teenage girls that usually play with OuiJa boards? Maybe its because Oui Ja which means Yes Yes is ISIS spelled backwards.


Or Maybe

Im in a Ghost Ship, since I got sunk on my last voyage, and I forgot that Im dead. And that one dead in the water ship I sunk was also a ghost ship. This is getting creepy, though I think Ill go back, and see if that ghost ship resurrected itself. No maybe not, what if its there. Now what? And whats that sound Im always hearing, like women singing . . . . . . . .

[tbarak]

I'm not sure if it's enough to justify it, but you do receive renown for successfully reaching and staying in the assigned grid area. I always complete this phase of the mission since I like to keep the flavour of realism - I'm sure the penalty for disobeying orders was pretty harsh. Sometimes you do get those useless grids where all you get is waves, but immediately after the requisite 24 hours are up, I'm off to the shipping lanes near England.

If you want guaranteed action, head for the western approaches. The northern section is where convoys travel and the southern are single/double ship lanes. The convoy lanes are good and if you don't stumble into anything you can always park your boat in the middle of a choke point and rest assured something juicy will come along. It's not hard to rack up huge tonnage totals if you linger in the shipping lanes. After a few sorties in there you may want to try other areas for the sake of variety.

[robj250]

I've never been down to the Caribbeans with my VIIB, don't know if I'd have enough fuel to get there and back. Always wondered what I would find down there. Neither have I sailed across to the eastern coastline outside New York. I would most certainly hate to run out of fuel. My fuel gauge seems sorta 'screwed' up as it never seems to move. :hmm: