Goodbye U-49, hello U-65

[Panser]

The sad time to part ways with my beloved Type VIIB, U-49 has arrived. Having transferred to 1st flotilla at Wilhelmshaven anticipating a move to a French Atlantic port made it no easier when that fateful message finally arrived:

BdU to U49: Base changed to Lorient.

She has seen me through a year of war, almost to the day. Eight patrols with three different flotillas for a grand total of 390,744 GRT sunk, 116,000 of those being some of Britain's finest warships. There have been highs and there have been lows; The time when a troop transport off Norway tried to ram us and narrowly avoided ripping the conning tower straight off or the time we got badly tangled in a sub net and grounded near Lerwick, having to limp home badly damaged. Similarly the patrol in which we sunk both HMS Hood and HMS Nelson, and of course, the patrol we just finished.

Eleven days from start to finish, departing Wilhelmshaven and returning to Lorient. A 10,000 tonner torpedoed in the strait of Dover. A small merchant gunned on the deep water line of the English Channel, then finally the large convoy intercepted in BE39. Four separate attacks against the same convoy over 36 hours, sinking two tankers, two large merchants, an empire freighter and a medium cargo for a grand total of 65,569 GRT.

On returning to Lorient, a promotion to Kapitäleutnan and Oak Leaves to go with my ritterkreuz await me, but also the offer that cannot be refused:

We're offering you a type IXB. U-65

Farewell U-49. I'm sure Oberleutnant zur See Philipp Baumann, a Knight's Cross winner in his own right, will take good care of you.

[Thomen]

Originally Posted by Panser

We're offering you a type IXB. U-65

Ya not stealin' ma boat, do you?

Originally Posted by Panser

She has seen me through a year of war, almost to the day. Eight patrols with three different flotillas for a grand total of 390,744 GRT sunk, 116,000 of those being some of Britain's finest warships.

We're offering you a type IXB. U-65

8 patrols for 390.744 GRT?:

Maybe it's time to make things a-little harder on yourself?
You've definately gone well beyond "getting the hang of it".
In any event . . . WELL DONE, U49!

I think you're going to fall in love with U65. That's the boat that got me all the way to december 1944, before I tryed to dive too deep, while trying to loose a Hunter Killer Group.
(182 Meters was my "magic number". "U-boat destroyed by pressure".)

Good luck, and enjoy your new IXB. (My favorite boat).

[Panser]

Originally Posted by Snestorm

8 patrols for 390.744 GRT?:

Maybe it's time to make things a-little harder on yourself?
You've definately gone well beyond "getting the hang of it".

Yeah, i'm thinking of upping the realism when the Tommies finally get the better of my current commander. That said, a large chunk of that tonnage is down to being in the right place at the right time rather than skill and realism setting - it's not every patrol you happen across the hood and the nelson on consecutive days AND succeed in getting the better of them!

In general though my patrol tonnages are dropping significantly as convoys become more effective and better defended

I'm yet to fully embrace the type IX, but am anticipating my first combat encounters using her. She's a fine-looking boat and I sure hope she fights as good as she looks!

[SubHunter88]

Originally Posted by Panser

Yeah, i'm thinking of upping the realism when the Tommies finally get the better of my current commander. That said, a large chunk of that tonnage is down to being in the right place at the right time rather than skill and realism setting - it's not every patrol you happen across the hood and the nelson on consecutive days AND succeed in getting the better of them!

In general though my patrol tonnages are dropping significantly as convoys become more effective and better defended

I'm yet to fully embrace the type IX, but am anticipating my first combat encounters using her. She's a fine-looking boat and I sure hope she fights as good as she looks!

In my first career I died on my first patrol with the IX this happend several times... But i've finally gotten the hang of her and have returned to a full realizm career (bar external view i just love that too much) and looking forward to getting another whack at the IX with full realism.

Good Hunting

Originally Posted by Panser

I'm yet to fully embrace the type IX, but am anticipating my first combat encounters using her. She's a fine-looking boat and I sure hope she fights as good as she looks!

She fights even better than she looks!

2 sern tubes is a super plus, although it's best to try utilizing them at any opertunity.
(Nobody likes facing a convoy with nothing but stern tubes available).

On the IXB:
Not as agile (Vericle or Horizontal) as a VII, but a tad faster on the surface.
The IXB does provide a more stable platform (easier to hold in trim at PD and less effected by rough seas).
Although she dives and rises slower than any VII, she surfaces as well as a VIIB, and better than a VIIC. She won't get hung up with the conning tower exposed, and the bridge watch still stuck inside. (That's a big plus for me).
All IX boats have one more advantage over all VII boats. A Double Hull.

I think you're going to love it. Good luck, and enjoy.

[Panser]

Although I'm still erring towards the VII as the better boat, i'm starting to feel the love for the IXB.

I got my first ever (in 5 years of the game!) type IX kills yesterday, a small tanker and a large merchant sailing line astern about 150km NE or the Azores.

The weather was filthy with some seriously big sea and next to no visibility, but I managed to cross their bows and get a double hit (one each) within 5 seconds of one another courtesy of the dual stern tubes. The sea did the rest, which was rather spectacular to watch. I noticed the extra stability too, even at periscope depth in rough water. I think the stern tubes just got a whole lot more useful to me

Like yourself, I always try to get rid of my stern eels ASAP to make life easier later. Nothing worse than being caught with your pants down and having to present your ass to the enemy...

[KL-alfman]

the greatest feeling of the IXB I've got when infiltrating a convoy in bad wheather and going for one-shot kills. there are six aale for you to choose and firing each one at a different target will cause some awesome fire-works if you hit all your designated vessels.
it even confuses the escorts so they never get a clue where they are to hunt you down.

@Panser
So . . . Do we get an update?
How's the IXB treating you?
Have you fallen in love with her yet?
Curiouse as hell.