Anyone else had a "bad luck" patrol?

[ddiplock]

I've just finished my first patrol of a new career....again lol

Anyway, during the entire 24 days i was at sea, the weather was stormy with heavy rain and thick fog.....for the entire patrol literally!!!!

I'd recived reports of ships, and got several reports of large convoys and tried to intercept them, but to no avail.

I never saw a single enemy ship during the entire patrol, not one. It was only heading back into Kiel, right outside Kiel I encountered a Swedish Tramp Steamer slowly heading out.....that was the first ship i'd seen since starting my patrol!!! I'm putting it down to bad luck, and hoping patrol 2 reaps better rewards.

Any other guys had patrols like this?? I feel so dissapointed to have such an emtpy patrol on my record

[P_Funk]

I've had ones like that. In horrid Northern Atlantic weather you can't even bother with trying to go anywhere. You're burning fuel just staying in position. But historically if the weather was so bad that you couldn't do anything it was worse for the convoys. Confusion, limited visibility, waves that toss ships off course.

Its no party for anyone.

But it'll get better next time. If you have to just get an assignment to the South Atlantic. It gets hot out there.

[ddiplock]

Originally Posted by P_Funk

I've had ones like that. In horrid Northern Atlantic weather you can't even bother with trying to go anywhere. You're burning fuel just staying in position. But historically if the weather was so bad that you couldn't do anything it was worse for the convoys. Confusion, limited visibility, waves that toss ships off course.

Its no party for anyone.

But it'll get better next time. If you have to just get an assignment to the South Atlantic. It gets hot out there.

I'd be tempted to start the career again, but i'm wondering if in real life any uboats had patrols where they didn't sink anything due to adverse weather the whole way?

[nfitzsimmons]

Coincidentally, just now. I was stalking a Polish freighter. Just as I was about to fire, we had a power hit and both my computers rebooted. Dammit Bernard, did you plug in that 2000 watt hotplate again?

Well, at least all my hardware came back up. And I have a fairly recent save.

[P_Funk]

Originally Posted by ddiplock

d be tempted to start the career again, but i'm wondering if in real life any uboats had patrols where they didn't sink anything due to adverse weather the whole way?

Yes they did often have no success in patrols. If the entire Atlantic is engulfed in a giant storm not only can U-boats not move at any speed but they also can't locate any traffic therefore limiting Bdu's situational awareness further increasing the likelihood of running into nothing.

Now the weather in SH3 is a bit iffy alot of the time but it isn't unheard of for boats to see nothing in long storms and then run out of fuel and be forced to head home.

[Brag]

I went once for 27 days without a contact, zip Nil, nada, hakuna kitu. Then managed a couple of sinkers.

Better luck nex time.

[Corsair]

Same for me came back from last patrol with 1 ship 7000 tons sunk after 25 days not firing anything and mostly diving away from planes (bloody daylight in July almost 24 hours a day around Scotland...) Boy was I happy when I picked up this contact on hydrophones on the way back between Orkneys and Shetlands...

[Lzs von swe]

Yes, weeks and weeks of bad weather. I tend to dive deep and order all stop. Rotate the crew to give them all the rest they need, play the gramophone, drink some coffee or beer
But, as in rl it happens that I abort the patrol and head back to base

[mr chris]

For a bad luck patrol this one is top of my list. It only happen last week so its still a little raw.
Started a new career out of Lorient 2nd flottila in Sept 1940 thought i would give a type IX ago for a change. Was given orders to partol gid CF98 east of the azores.
Had just a point 300km N/W of El Ferrol when i came across and lone large Cargo which i put down with 2 torpedos a few days later came across another which went the same way.
Was slowing making my way down the coast of Portugal when about 250km behind me a large circle pops on the nav map. I alter course to recee the area what i find almost makes me faint. My lookouts spot a ships smoke in the distance. I drop down to 25m for a bit to listen to see what is up there in front of me. After say 10 -15mins i have 14 merchant contacts on the map and only one warship.
I surface and close the gap a little bit more when i spot the warship in my binos i nealy fall over in laughter it is only a Type VII going up and down the lines of the merchants fring away with his deck gun. Not a DD in sight, it seems my good friend the type VII and his friends have taken care of the escort and the Convoy is free to pliage.
After about one and half hours of action i have used up all my deck gun ammo and have only 6 torpedos left but i have sunk all 14 ships and my bag so far for the patrol is a amazing 16 ships for 82 thousand tonnes.
I set course for my patrol area and ring up flank speed to clear the area in case anyone has put out the alarm.
Two days latter while i was about 300km east of Lisbon i came across another lone merchant and despatched her to the deep with one torpedo. the bag now stood at around 86 thousand tonnes. so closing my patrol grid and triedness setting in i saved my game and made for bed.
The next day i could not wait to load up the game and continue this epic patrol. Everything was going well till i got to the not so long ago screen when i just went black and CTD'd. I was heart broken and once in a life times patrol gone just like that. Well at lest now i can say i have been biten in the ass by the save game bug. I just hope its the last time.

[Jimbuna]

A little tip matey
If your having a real stinker of a patrol then as a last resort head for the nearest 'hot spot' to yourself (depending on where you are) ie: Halifax, Hartlepool, western approach to Gibraltar etc. etc. and lie in wait approx 100km offshore and you should be able to pick off traffic entering and leaving

[The Munster]

Just had a bad one, previous Patrol, knocked out 11 ships totalling 83,000 tons outside Gibralter and thought great so decided to go to the same spot hoping for the best and ended up sinking one stinking small Merchant .. GRR
Spotted 2 ships in a storm when returning to Base and turned out to be a French Armed Trawler accompanying a Merchant. The Patrol was a total let-down
Suppose you have to take the bad with the good.

PS Also a lot of Hurricanes and a sprinkle of Kingfishers (?!) but problem is somehow I've set submerge when an Aircraft is spotted and can't knock it off [don't get the option screen], would like to have a bash at one of the Kingfishers with the Flak Gun [any ideas ?]

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Kpt. Munson

Just had a bad one, previous Patrol, knocked out 11 ships totalling 83,000 tons outside Gibralter and thought great so decided to go to the same spot hoping for the best and ended up sinking one stinking small Merchant .. GRR
Spotted 2 ships in a storm when returning to Base and turned out to be a French Armed Trawler accompanying a Merchant. The Patrol was a total let-down
Suppose you have to take the bad with the good.

PS Also a lot of Hurricanes and a sprinkle of Kingfishers (?!) but problem is somehow I've set submerge when an Aircraft is spotted and can't knock it off [don't get the option screen], would like to have a bash at one of the Kingfishers with the Flak Gun [any ideas ?]

Isn't the default option only good for one patrol ? :hmm:

[ddiplock]

Just returned from my 2nd patrol, with average results. 4 ships sunk, totalling a measly 8400 tons.

My radio antenna was destroyed in a depth charge attack in the first few days of the patrol, ripped clean from its mounting, severing contact with BDU...and with it any reports of juicy convoys or task forces in my area of ops.

All those ships were sunk on pure chance of running into them. And i think i'm slowly getting the hang of now how to use electric torpedos. Set one for magnetic detonation, and sent it under the hull of a small merchant.

The explosion ripped into the bottom of the ship tearing the hull in half like paper!!! such an enjoyment seeing that happen!!!!!

Was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class, and U-Boat Front Clasp for my efforts.

[The Munster]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Isn't the default option only good for one patrol ? :hmm:

Oh Oh that means I've got problems then as it does it with every Patrol
Don't mind it so much when the Hurricanes are about but would have liked to have a 'looksee' at these 'Kingfishers'

[Brag]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

A little tip matey
If your having a real stinker of a patrol then as a last resort head for the nearest 'hot spot' to yourself (depending on where you are) ie: Halifax, Hartlepool, western approach to Gibraltar etc. etc. and lie in wait approx 100km offshore and you should be able to pick off traffic entering and leaving

Yup, going to a hot spot has saved most of my bummer patrols.