Changing my play style for survival

[HW3]

A patrol technique that works for me is to run submerged for 6 hours at slow speed (2-3kts), surface and charge batteries, which takes about 1 hour, run submerged for another 6 hours and repeat. By doing this I rarely run into a airplane or surface ship while surfaced, and my batteries are always over 50%.

[Zedwardson]

Originally Posted by HW3

A patrol technique that works for me is to run submerged for 6 hours at slow speed (2-3kts), surface and charge batteries, which takes about 1 hour, run submerged for another 6 hours and repeat. By doing this I rarely run into a airplane or surface ship while surfaced, and my batteries are always over 50%.

Thanks, I will have to try that when it gets a little more risky to be on the surface my my guy(s).

[K-61]

I remain surfaced as much as possible, until air cover becomes a real pain. If weather is bad and visibility low, I submerge and run slow, using hydrophones to hear farther than I can see. Why stay up top and risk being run over? I've had a couple of collisions that way and it is a nasty surprise.

My most recent convoy must have a radar equipped escort. It's spring of 41, off the coast of Spain, weather bad and very low range visibility. I was using hydrophones to track the convoy and when I was close enough decided to surface and try to spot it visually. Suddenly I began to take damage but could not see where it was coming from. As I crash dived a corvette came into view. I evaded and several hours later was running somewhere to the east of the convoy when again that corvette suddenly looms out of the murk firing everything it has at me. Again, crash dive and evade. This time I chose to break off. I have no advantage over that convoy and would likely get killed if I persisted. Discretion is the better part of valour. I'm in the first patrol of my new IXC; she's not an agile VII and I can't risk getting caught on the surface, wallowing like a whale.

[Badger Finn]

Originally Posted by HW3

A patrol technique that works for me is to run submerged for 6 hours at slow speed (2-3kts), surface and charge batteries, which takes about 1 hour, run submerged for another 6 hours and repeat. By doing this I rarely run into a airplane or surface ship while surfaced, and my batteries are always over 50%.

This will keep you out of trouble - you can also expand on that general theme for all sorts variables but I also run a 6 hour system very similiar I some times will chug on the surface dependant on weather, position etc

[sharkbit]

Originally Posted by HW3

A patrol technique that works for me is to run submerged for 6 hours at slow speed (2-3kts), surface and charge batteries, which takes about 1 hour, run submerged for another 6 hours and repeat.

If you do that before mid 1943, you are just giving up way too much flexibility in patrolling. Just think of the area you can cover on the surface compared to the area that you would cover when submerged and the potential targets that may be spotted. I rather rely on my watchcrew to see targets than the hydrophone pick up targets.

I might submerge during the day and run on the surface at night in areas that are heavily patrolled by aircraft early/mid war but I think running submerged when you do not need to is giving up the huge advantage that patrolling on the surface gives you.
Most of the time though, I patrol on the surface and rely on my watch crew to spot airplanes. "Aircraft Spotted!"= crash dive.

Having said all that, I'm starting to get into late 1943 and aircraft are making things a wee bit more difficult so patrolling submerged in certain areas may be a wise thing to do.
Come 1944, I may be singing the praises of your technique.

[the.terrabyte.pirate]

I'm currently using a slightly different patrolling technique.

Ahead 1/3, half an hour submerged, half an hour on the surface.

I know that it's unlikely that within 30 minutes a sound contact would pass into and then out of my hydrophone range, but surfacing every half hour keeps the batteries charged between 75% and 100% at any time.

Not only does this mean I patrol at a faster speed, but I also have enough battery charge left to turn off recharge mode if I need those extra few knots to catch a contact.

I stay on the surface as much as possible.
Early war = Almost always.
Late war = Much less than I'd like.