My 2nd Patrol and Advice for promotions and upgrades..

[NeonSamurai]

Hmm well the VII is a very effective ship as it is, ive managed over 100k ton patrols (with out excessive deck gun use) with RUb and other mods. Main thing is to pick your targets and dont waste your torpedoes on low tonage ships. Most cargo and tanker ships can be sunk with a single torpedo if you know where to shoot. Also do your patrol to the patrol location, sit there (Sink any good targets of oppertunity) then go hang out in one of the major shipping lanes. With patience you will get many juicy targets and probably a convoy or 2.

As for crew promotions, qualifications, etc well for sinking ships crew efficency only realy counts for hydrophones (if you dont want to do it yourself), engines, watch, and torpedo reloads, also damage control is very helpfull. I would start with giving your main officers all the qualifications and promotions they can take first (they typicaly have the largest effect on efficency). I would plan out your officer's 3 qualifications carefully so they can handle everything (dont give them radio/hydrophone though) and there is some overlap (particularly helm, watch, torpedo, engines). After them i would give at least 2 of your lower officers radio/hydrophone certs. Then start passing out ones for the other compartments (i would worry about deck/flak gun last) starting with engines and damage control, then torpedo, and a watch officer or 2.

As for upgrades, go with what you think will help most. Oh and stick with t1 steam torps, they are far superior to the electric t2's