BdU "ettiquette"?

nemchenk · 05-19-10, 07:12 AM

Ok, I've got a couple of GWX + SHIII Commander patrols at 94% realism under my belt, and I've got a question about how we skippers should treat the patrol orders from BdU.

Basically, me an my IIA coastal boat are constantly being ordered from Kiel to the Shetlands etc, while I guess the VII and IXs are patrolling the Katergat etc

And I also read on these forums about other skippers seemingly prioritising target hunting over orders from BdU.

So, in an RP kind of way, should we as boat skippers pay careful attention to BdU's orders, or take them under advisement and head for the richest hunting grounds, I mean shipping lanes?

Jimbuna · 05-19-10, 07:31 AM

The renown for arriving at and patrolling your assigned grid (that for returning has never worked in any version of the game) has been stopped in GWX, so you may as well treat the instruction (like that of the radio messages) as being for immersion purposes only.

Personally, I choose where I want to patrol (dependant on U-boat type).

frau kaleun · 05-19-10, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemchenk

So, in an RP kind of way, should we as boat skippers pay careful attention to BdU's orders, or take them under advisement and head for the richest hunting grounds, I mean shipping lanes?

Every skipper is free to to do whichever he/she pleases. The game doesn't care. You won't be penalized for not going to your assigned patrol grid, unless you've edited back in the renown award for doing so, and even then you're not losing renown, just forfeiting some you might've gotten if you followed orders.

It's really all a matter of how you enjoy playing the game. If following orders to the letter enhances the realism factor for you and you find that appealing, you can play that way. But if you'd rather ignore orders and head for the richest hunting grounds, you can play that way. Whatever floats yer boat.

I do a little of both. I go to my assigned grid and complete the patrol as ordered. After that, I wing it.

nemchenk · 05-19-10, 07:56 AM

Thanks guys

I appreciate the game-related aspects, for example that GWX has removed the patrol reward, and that there are no penalties

I sort of meant more roleplay-wise -- what did the Kaelun's do back then?

I presume that if BdU tells us to patrol a certain grid, they really do mean "go there as fast as you can, remain as long as you can, and attack at your discretion", don't they? They must be trying to arrange a good coverage of important grids with the boats they have, and if one boat goes "sod that, I've been here for 24 hours and there's nothing up here! I'm off to [insert name of preferred target]!" that will really screw up BdU's plans!

Also, does anyone have any ideas what 1st Flotilla did in WWII? Being based in Kiel and with Type II boats, I am surprised that they keep ordering me into outer reaches of the North Sea, especially since there is a war going on just "down the road" in Poland!

Sailor Steve · 05-19-10, 08:33 AM

"Nein! Do not listen to zem. If you disobey orders you vill be shot!"

I always go to my assigned grid and stay for at least two weeks. On the other hand if you use SH3 Commander you can assign yourself to a grid of your choosing. I've gone to Poland that way more than once. And as both Jim and Frau K pointed out, with GWX there is no real gain from following those orders.

And 1st flotilla will receive VIIs soon enough. Like right about the time they move to France.

frau kaleun · 05-19-10, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemchenk

Thanks guys

I appreciate the game-related aspects, for example that GWX has removed the patrol reward, and that there are no penalties

I sort of meant more roleplay-wise -- what did the Kaelun's do back then?

I presume that if BdU tells us to patrol a certain grid, they really do mean "go there as fast as you can, remain as long as you can, and attack at your discretion", don't they? They must be trying to arrange a good coverage of important grids with the boats they have, and if one boat goes "sod that, I've been here for 24 hours and there's nothing up here! I'm off to [insert name of preferred target]!" that will really screw up BdU's plans!

Also, does anyone have any ideas what 1st Flotilla did in WWII? Being based in Kiel and with Type II boats, I am surprised that they keep ordering me into outer reaches of the North Sea, especially since there is a war going on just "down the road" in Poland!

Real Kaleuns obeyed orders, cuz that's how the real military works.

Since Germany's primary goal in the BoA was to blockade Britain and cut off as much of her shipping as possible, there had to be an effort to keep the available u-boats on patrol in strategically important areas. If commanders had been free to go anywhere that suited them in order to beef up their own tonnage scores, it would have been impossible to maintain any semblance of an effective blockade. As it was, BdU rarely had enough boats available to cover the area that needed to be covered, and maintained regular radio contact with the boats they did have in order to know exactly where they were and to send them exactly where they wanted them to go.

For basic info about 1 U-Flotilla, you can start here:

http://www.uboat.net/flotillas/1flo.htm

If you click on the links to the individual boats of the flotilla you'll get patrol records and have some idea of what the flotilla was up to over the years.

Sailor Steve · 05-19-10, 08:43 AM

Thanks for pointing that out, ma'am. The very first boat listed spent most of her patrols on the east side of the North Sea, ranging all the way up to the north end.

nemchenk · 05-19-10, 08:51 AM

heh

@ Sailor Steve

Thanks, Frau Kaelun. I too had stumbled upon uboat.net shortly after posting, in my own search for more historical info. U-9 seems to have had an interesting career...

1st Flotilla did seem to range in the North Sea as well as the Kategat, so perhaps my assignments aren't too weird... But I've cheated and set myself to patrol off Danzig with SHIII Commander, so we shall see how that goes!

Kapt Z · 05-19-10, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

I go to my assigned grid and complete the patrol as ordered. After that, I wing it.

Me too. Only had two torpedoes left by the time I reached my assigned grid. Sank a tanker and a small cargo ship and after 24 hours we left for home.

05-19-10, 07:12 AM	#1
nemchenk Bosun Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 69 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	BdU "ettiquette"? Ok, I've got a couple of GWX + SHIII Commander patrols at 94% realism under my belt, and I've got a question about how we skippers should treat the patrol orders from BdU. Basically, me an my IIA coastal boat are constantly being ordered from Kiel to the Shetlands etc, while I guess the VII and IXs are patrolling the Katergat etc And I also read on these forums about other skippers seemingly prioritising target hunting over orders from BdU. So, in an RP kind of way, should we as boat skippers pay careful attention to BdU's orders, or take them under advisement and head for the richest hunting grounds, I mean shipping lanes?

05-19-10, 07:31 AM	#2
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,645 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	The renown for arriving at and patrolling your assigned grid (that for returning has never worked in any version of the game) has been stopped in GWX, so you may as well treat the instruction (like that of the radio messages) as being for immersion purposes only. Personally, I choose where I want to patrol (dependant on U-boat type). __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

05-19-10, 08:33 AM	#5
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	"Nein! Do not listen to zem. If you disobey orders you vill be shot!" I always go to my assigned grid and stay for at least two weeks. On the other hand if you use SH3 Commander you can assign yourself to a grid of your choosing. I've gone to Poland that way more than once. And as both Jim and Frau K pointed out, with GWX there is no real gain from following those orders. And 1st flotilla will receive VIIs soon enough. Like right about the time they move to France. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

05-19-10, 08:43 AM	#7
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Thanks for pointing that out, ma'am. The very first boat listed spent most of her patrols on the east side of the North Sea, ranging all the way up to the north end. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

05-19-10, 07:56 AM	#4
nemchenk Bosun Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 69 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Thanks guys I appreciate the game-related aspects, for example that GWX has removed the patrol reward, and that there are no penalties I sort of meant more roleplay-wise -- what did the Kaelun's do back then? I presume that if BdU tells us to patrol a certain grid, they really do mean "go there as fast as you can, remain as long as you can, and attack at your discretion", don't they? They must be trying to arrange a good coverage of important grids with the boats they have, and if one boat goes "sod that, I've been here for 24 hours and there's nothing up here! I'm off to [insert name of preferred target]!" that will really screw up BdU's plans! Also, does anyone have any ideas what 1st Flotilla did in WWII? Being based in Kiel and with Type II boats, I am surprised that they keep ordering me into outer reaches of the North Sea, especially since there is a war going on just "down the road" in Poland!

05-19-10, 08:51 AM	#8
nemchenk Bosun Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 69 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	heh @ Sailor Steve Thanks, Frau Kaelun. I too had stumbled upon uboat.net shortly after posting, in my own search for more historical info. U-9 seems to have had an interesting career... 1st Flotilla did seem to range in the North Sea as well as the Kategat, so perhaps my assignments aren't too weird... But I've cheated and set myself to patrol off Danzig with SHIII Commander, so we shall see how that goes!