Best starting crew options?

[Wachtsseu]

Hey all,

Was just wondering... just started a new campaign and have the 1500 renown. Decided for an early start so not much to spend it on other than crew.

What's the best officer layout? What type of skills should I be looking for? How best to upgrade the petty officers?

Any tips for crew management?

Thanks.

[Maceaciadh]

personally i just max out the POs and officers straight away, i like to have one officer of each skill and add the others later on(or at the end of my first patrol with commander). so 1 WO,torpedo expert, machinist, repair man and a medic. helmsman is a pretty useless skill but its nice to have along with radioman and medic for completeness. my PO layout is usually close to 10 torpedo men, 2 machinists,2 repair men and 2 radio men(Plus whatever you want to fill the last guys out with). you dont really need a flak gunner, deck gunner or medic PO as higher officers fill those bars very well.

i do find that commander is a cheat sometimes because i can train the best crew in the entire german navy in just one patrol although crew transfers do help drop your crew to a normal level. also i hate fatigue so i turn it off but if you play normal then i would advise maxing out all your men. i tried having just enough men to fill quarters so they would always be rested(excluding maintenance crew like watchmen,engines etc ) however it can leave you short at times when you take damage with an inexperienced crew or wish to reload aft and fore of tubes

hope this helps you out

edit: oh yea and save the renown for a nice IXB when it comes out or a VIIC

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Maceaciadh

i do find that commander is a cheat sometimes because i can train the best crew in the entire german navy in just one patrol

In real life there is no such thing as an unqualified petty officer. That's what makes them POs, training in their field. Commander is not a cheat in that respect.

[The Dean]

As far as petty officers go, make sure you have a sonar guy asap. Two is better. If there's a higher ranking petty officer, he's your guy. After that, I usually have a one dedicated to the bridge crew, and from there I either make them machinists or torpedomen (in that order), you can't have too many of those guys.

[RConch]

For me it is:
2-Watch officers who are also machinists and flak
2-Helm officers who are also torpedomen and damage.

POs are watch(2), radio(2), torps(3), machinists(2), damage(2), medic(1).

Each person has their own-this works best for me. I drive a VIIC.

[Mau Fox]

Hi guys,

I like to have my starting crew composition as close as possibile to reality as we can read and learn here http://uboat.net/men/crew/.

Hence in my U-48 VIIB career I will always have:

4 officers:
LI: usually an Obrltn.s.z. with Repair and Machinist qualifications
IWO: usually an Obrltn.s.z. or a Ltnt.s.z. with Watch, Torpedo and Helm qualifications.
2WO: usually a Ltnt.s.z. or a Fanrich s.z. with Watch, Flak and deck gun qualifications.
NAV: usually a Fanrich s.z. ,even if it would be great that SH3 Commander would allow to "demote" this officer to a Chief Warrant PO as the Obersteuermann was usually a Chief PO, with Watch, usually he was the 3rd watch leader, and Helm qualifications.

Then, starting from the 3rd patrol, I use to take on board a junior officer on his first post training deployment. This one can be a IWO, a 2WO or a LI (I change to my desire his qualifications using SH3 Commander) with one or two qualifications according to his training duty.
I then dismiss this one after a couple of patrols or, if my feel "sparks" for him, I might decide to keep him on board for active duty.

14-16 POs.
Chief POs.
1 CPO acting as leader of the torpedo rooms with Torpedo and Repair qualifications (yes, I know that only one qualification works for POs but I am a hardcore realism seeker).
2 CPOs acting as leaders of the engines compartiment (Diesel Obermaschinist and Electro Obermaschinist) with Machine and Repair qualifications.
1 CPO acting as crew discipline leader and lookout leader (when I run surfaced w/out a watch officer on the bridge) with Watch and Helm qualifications.
1 CPO acting as Oberfunkmeister/Sanitätsmaat with Radio/Sonar and Medic qualifications (no medic officer on VII class boats, only on larger IX class). This comes straight from Das Boot movie

Other POs.
1 PO acting as Steuermann with Helm qualification.
1 PO acting as Funkmaat with Radio/Sonar qualification.
2 POs acting as Obermaschinist with Machine qualification.
3 POs acting as Torpedo Mecanikaermaat with Torpedo qualification.
1 PO acting as Repair team leader with Repair qualification.
1 PO acting as Flak gunner team leader.
1 PO acting as Deck gun team leader

Other ratings.
I usually start the Campaign with 4 Matr.haupt.gfrt. with the following qualifications:
1 Funkgast with Radio/Sonar qualification.
1 Artilleriemechaniker with deck gun qualification.
1 Torpedo Technisches with Torpedo qualification
1 Machine Technisches with Machine qualification.
Of course these won't works in the sim engine but are a nice eye-candy.
During the course of the career, these ones could be promoted to PO ranks.

As the career goes on I promote the other ratings up to Matr.Hpt.Gfrt. giving qualifications at my own taste.
For example I like to have another Funkgast, so that I always have a PO and a qualifitied rating in my Sonar/Radio rooms, some other Flak gunners when other AAMGs are implemented on the sub, another deck gunner in order to have a dedicated deck gun team, other torpedo, machine, repair and helm qualifications.

Greetings and good hunting!

Mau Fox

[Sailor Steve]

Very nice list! To my mind that's the way it should be done.

Also, WELCOME ABOARD!

[troopie]

Originally Posted by Mau Fox

Hi guys,

I like to have my starting crew composition as close as possibile to reality as we can read and learn here http://uboat.net/men/crew/.

Hence in my U-48 VIIB career I will always have:

4 officers:
LI: usually an Obrltn.s.z. with Repair and Machinist qualifications
IWO: usually an Obrltn.s.z. or a Ltnt.s.z. with Watch, Torpedo and Helm qualifications.
2WO: usually a Ltnt.s.z. or a Fanrich s.z. with Watch, Flak and deck gun qualifications.
NAV: usually a Fanrich s.z. ,even if it would be great that SH3 Commander would allow to "demote" this officer to a Chief Warrant PO as the Obersteuermann was usually a Chief PO, with Watch, usually he was the 3rd watch leader, and Helm qualifications.

Then, starting from the 3rd patrol, I use to take on board a junior officer on his first post training deployment. This one can be a IWO, a 2WO or a LI (I change to my desire his qualifications using SH3 Commander) with one or two qualifications according to his training duty.
I then dismiss this one after a couple of patrols or, if my feel "sparks" for him, I might decide to keep him on board for active duty.

14-16 POs.
Chief POs.
1 CPO acting as leader of the torpedo rooms with Torpedo and Repair qualifications (yes, I know that only one qualification works for POs but I am a hardcore realism seeker).
2 CPOs acting as leaders of the engines compartiment (Diesel Obermaschinist and Electro Obermaschinist) with Machine and Repair qualifications.
1 CPO acting as crew discipline leader and lookout leader (when I run surfaced w/out a watch officer on the bridge) with Watch and Helm qualifications.
1 CPO acting as Oberfunkmeister/Sanitätsmaat with Radio/Sonar and Medic qualifications (no medic officer on VII class boats, only on larger IX class). This comes straight from Das Boot movie

Other POs.
1 PO acting as Steuermann with Helm qualification.
1 PO acting as Funkmaat with Radio/Sonar qualification.
2 POs acting as Obermaschinist with Machine qualification.
3 POs acting as Torpedo Mecanikaermaat with Torpedo qualification.
1 PO acting as Repair team leader with Repair qualification.
1 PO acting as Flak gunner team leader.
1 PO acting as Deck gun team leader

Other ratings.
I usually start the Campaign with 4 Matr.haupt.gfrt. with the following qualifications:
1 Funkgast with Radio/Sonar qualification.
1 Artilleriemechaniker with deck gun qualification.
1 Torpedo Technisches with Torpedo qualification
1 Machine Technisches with Machine qualification.
Of course these won't works in the sim engine but are a nice eye-candy.
During the course of the career, these ones could be promoted to PO ranks.

As the career goes on I promote the other ratings up to Matr.Hpt.Gfrt. giving qualifications at my own taste.
For example I like to have another Funkgast, so that I always have a PO and a qualifitied rating in my Sonar/Radio rooms, some other Flak gunners when other AAMGs are implemented on the sub, another deck gunner in order to have a dedicated deck gun team, other torpedo, machine, repair and helm qualifications.

Greetings and good hunting!

Mau Fox

Hey Mau Fox, you impressed Steve!

Nine work!

[Woolfman]

Originally Posted by Wachtsseu

Hey all,

Was just wondering... just started a new campaign and have the 1500 renown. Decided for an early start so not much to spend it on other than crew.

What's the best officer layout? What type of skills should I be looking for? How best to upgrade the petty officers?

Any tips for crew management?

Thanks.

Here's another option:

After you start your career and leave port on your first patrol press the escape key and Dock right away!

Then go to the file cabinet and give your favorite officer a nice juicy qualification

Repeat as long as you want until you have what i call; a shake'n bake
crew!

good hunting

woolfman

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Woolfman

Here's another option:

After you start your career and leave port on your first patrol press the escape key and Dock right away!

Then go to the file cabinet and give your favorite officer a nice juicy qualification

Repeat as long as you want until you have what i call; a shake'n bake
crew!

good hunting

woolfman

That wastes a lot of time. With Commander you can do it once and then qualify everyone at once without spending any renown.

[Woolfman]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

That wastes a lot of time. With Commander you can do it once and then qualify everyone at once without spending any renown.

hehe!

I was only trying to be a wise guy!


woolfman