Changing my play style for survival

[sharkbit]

All of that becomes more important as the war progresses. Wait 'til you get to '43 and later when sinking one or two ships and bringing your boat and crew home is a major victory. Survival is the victory then.

[RConch]

Originally Posted by sharkbit

All of that becomes more important as the war progresses. Wait 'til you get to '43 and later when sinking one or two ships and bringing your boat and crew home is a major victory. Survival is the victory then.

Amen to that!

[K-61]

I just barely made it back from my fifth career patrol. In an earlier attack I got caught on the surface by guns from merchantmen in a convoy. As the weather was murky I was hoping to make a surface attack, fire my torpedoes and then skedaddle the same way. Didn't work out and I got my hull knocked down to about 70%. With my last two torpedoes I again attacked a second convoy that I had earlier attacked without damage. Just two torpedoes left and I was crazy enough to risk it. Got knocked to about 50% and had to dive to over 100 metres to avoid the DC's of the angry escorts after I bagged one more ship from their convoy. Eventually we got down to 111 metres and I was terrified that the hull would give way. We made it back to Lorient and I expect we'll be having an extended shore leave as U-32 is rehabilitated. I think now would be a good time to apply for that IX that I have been coveting.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by sharkbit

All of that becomes more important as the war progresses. Wait 'til you get to '43 and later when sinking one or two ships and bringing your boat and crew home is a major victory. Survival is the victory then.

Precisely

My first career is still in mid '41, but I am noticing the increased effectiveness of the allies. This career I am loading my game, and playing to learn. I play with 90% or so realism and sometimes get 100k or more in tonnage sunk in a patrol, but it's partly because I can load. Prior to this thread I had made up my mind to play in a more realistic fashion for my next campaign. No loading, except when I take a break or it crashes. This will definitely result in this sort of thinking. I look forward to it once I've honed my skills in this campaign!

[timmy41]

what? be more aggressive! *rams a destroyer*

nah im doing the same thing as you now that im playing an actual serious DiD campaign instead of messing around. good luck!

[Zedwardson]

Followed my rules, and had a very successful patrol!

At AN14 and AN13 I followed my rule no five, and came across a lot of East west runners, on a smooth sea (thus, I could use the deck cannon to full effect!

3.11.39. 1417 Patrol 4
U-27, U-Flotilla Saltzwedel
Left at: November 3, 1939, 14:17
From: Wilhelmshaven
Mission Orders: Patrol grid BF15 5.11.39. 0053 Grid AN 46 Ship sunk! SS Ability (Coastal Freighter), 1869 tons. Cargo: Coal. Crew: 34. Crew lost: 20 6.11.39. 0523 Grid AN 14 Ship sunk! SS Crest of the Wave (Medium Cargo), 5081 tons. Cargo: Coal. Crew: 44. Crew lost: 21 0628 Grid AN 14 Ship sunk! SS Garoufalia (Granville-type Freighter), 4707 tons. Cargo: Wine/Spirits. Crew: 100. Crew lost: 81 1738 Grid AN 13 Ship sunk! SS Clan MacArthur (Large Merchant), 10615 tons. Cargo: Iron Ore. Crew: 59. Crew lost: 55 1807 Grid AN 13 Ship sunk! MV Corheath (Coastal Tanker), 1240 tons. Cargo: Gasoline. Crew: 19. Crew lost: 6 2253 Grid AN 14 Ship sunk! SS Kooyong (Passenger/Cargo), 2253 tons. Cargo: General Cargo. Crew: 175. Crew lost: 84 7.11.39. 0730 Grid AN 13 Ship sunk! SS Napier (Medium Cargo), 5082 tons. Cargo: Steel. Crew: 48. Crew lost: 1 1251 Grid AN 13 Ship sunk! MV Vinemoor (Granville-type Freighter), 4708 tons. Cargo: Foodstuffs. Crew: 107. Crew lost: 16 1531 Grid AN 13 Ship sunk! MV Harrier (Motor Vessel), 114 tons. Cargo: Foodstuffs. Crew: 13. Crew lost: 3 11.11.39. 1827 Patrol results
Crew losses: 0
Ships sunk: 9
Aircraft destroyed: 0
Patrol tonnage: 35669 tons

Came across a gorgeous convoy, even had a Ax. Cruiser in it. I turned stern (Which is the only place that had a eel left) fired a slow steam eel at the largest mass of freighters, crashed dived while turning 90 degrees, and once i got to 100 meters, went silent and let the convoy go past, sadly, no hit.

Also had some first ship sightings

First Polish warship (It depth charged me, well aimed, but I was nice and deep)
First Neutral USA ship.
first Aux. Cruiser.

still, I will take 9 ships and 35k tons any day, and earned myself a Iron Cross.

[Badger Finn]

Medals
20NOV39 IRON CROSS, SECOND CLASS

19JAN40 IRON CROSS, FIRST CLASS

Badges
12SEP39 U-BOAT BADGE

U-Bootwaffe Postings
18MAY38 U-Boat Flotilla Weddigen (Commander training)
01AUG39 1st Flotilla (6 patrols)

U-Boat Commands
01AUG39 U-20, Type IIA (6 patrols)



101AUG39 - 15AUG39 (15 days)0 (0/0)0 (0/0)
231AUG39 - 12SEP39 (13 days)1 (1/0)2239 (2239/0)
321SEP39 - 08OCT39 (18 days)2 (2/0)10911 (10911/0)
403NOV39 - 20NOV39 (18 days)2 (2/0)4471 (4471/0)
502DEC39 - 22DEC39 (21 days)2 (2/0)11563 (11563/0)
604JAN40 - 19JAN40 (16 days)1 (1/0)9385 (9385/0)

Transferred to u-boat school...



To game out is to have fun! To sub*sim* is to have skill alot of bloody patience and have fun!

[raymond6751]

We need more of these 'tactics that work' threads. Well done.

Here's another tip, never let your battery charge go below half except in combat. I sometimes mix surface and submerged travel to conserve fuel and extend range. I watch that battery gauge. It isn't nice to go into combat with no under-water range.

[Alpha Von Burg]

When I reach my patrol area I would try and stay submerged for as long as I can and suface when CO2 levels hit 50%. I usually set a schedual to when I surface, being some time after sun set and sometime before sun set.

Being submerged as its advantage, such as hydrophone scan which has better "visual" range, most of the time and reduces any chance of being spotted first.

And to conserve battery life I just stay at slow speed.

Hope this help...

[Jimbuna]

some time after sun set and sometime before sun set.

Do you mean some time before sunrise?

[Alpha Von Burg]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Do you mean some time before sunrise?

Ah yes, thanks for pointing that out...