Patrol techniques and conventions

Gustav Schiebert · 12-06-13, 03:59 AM

- How far would a u-boat be from shore when navigating towards its patrol sector?
That depends entirely on where the patrol is. It's usually advisable to stay at least 100km from an enemy shore to avoid mines - although by aiming to stay in deep water (which you should do as standard), that will normally keep you far from the enemy shore. At this stage in the war it is less of an issue but air cover needs to be avoided. The stock SHIII map shows how air cover changes throughout the war. Short answer - as far as you can, while still heading efficiently towards your target.

- Once in the patrol sector, what speed would the u-boat keep?
Cruising speed depends on a lot of factors. LF (2/5) speed is (in game and IRL) the most economical and will give you a speed of about 10kts.

- What makes a good patrolling pattern? (AO98 is special because less than half the sector is water.)
No convention here - as has been mentioned, a random zigzag will do just as well unless there is a definite route, ie you are close to a port and can guess where the enemy will be. West coast of Africa is a good example.

- I'm assuming one should switch between sonar (periscope depth) and visual (surface) during the the patrol. At what frequency should these legs change?
Visual - particularly at this stage of the war - was standard, even at night. Only in poor weather would a hydrophone check be carried out.

- Are there depths that are NOT safe to submerge in? (For example, a depth of 12 meters could quickly become less than that. How would a captain know?)
Periscope depth is safe in almost all situations. If you are worried about hitting the bottom at 12m you are too close to the shore. A good check - if the TC will not go any higher than 4x that means you are too close to land to submerge. Real captains would have years of experience at sea to judge that, as well as more accurate charts.

- If a contact is made, does one immediately surface to report it, or wait? (I assume one waits, unless it's a special circumstance.)
Single contact - surface, report, attack.
Convoy - surface, report, wait for orders (game will always tell you to attack, although IRL commanders were often ordered to shadow), attack.
At this stage in the war almost everything was done on the surface.

- SH3-specific question: do the crew automatically rotate shifts, or is that the player's responsibility?
Depends on your mod. In the stock version the crew do not rotate and will get tired; GWX and SH3 commander allows you to manually select fatigue levels, ranging from disabling the whole aspect to several 'halfway' solutions.

- Anything else I should know?
Attack! Always attack! 1939 is the safest time to be a U-Boat. Make the most of it!

12-06-13, 03:59 AM	#7
Gustav Schiebert Sparky Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: AM52 Posts: 151 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	- How far would a u-boat be from shore when navigating towards its patrol sector? That depends entirely on where the patrol is. It's usually advisable to stay at least 100km from an enemy shore to avoid mines - although by aiming to stay in deep water (which you should do as standard), that will normally keep you far from the enemy shore. At this stage in the war it is less of an issue but air cover needs to be avoided. The stock SHIII map shows how air cover changes throughout the war. Short answer - as far as you can, while still heading efficiently towards your target. - Once in the patrol sector, what speed would the u-boat keep? Cruising speed depends on a lot of factors. LF (2/5) speed is (in game and IRL) the most economical and will give you a speed of about 10kts. - What makes a good patrolling pattern? (AO98 is special because less than half the sector is water.) No convention here - as has been mentioned, a random zigzag will do just as well unless there is a definite route, ie you are close to a port and can guess where the enemy will be. West coast of Africa is a good example. - I'm assuming one should switch between sonar (periscope depth) and visual (surface) during the the patrol. At what frequency should these legs change? Visual - particularly at this stage of the war - was standard, even at night. Only in poor weather would a hydrophone check be carried out. - Are there depths that are NOT safe to submerge in? (For example, a depth of 12 meters could quickly become less than that. How would a captain know?) Periscope depth is safe in almost all situations. If you are worried about hitting the bottom at 12m you are too close to the shore. A good check - if the TC will not go any higher than 4x that means you are too close to land to submerge. Real captains would have years of experience at sea to judge that, as well as more accurate charts. - If a contact is made, does one immediately surface to report it, or wait? (I assume one waits, unless it's a special circumstance.) Single contact - surface, report, attack. Convoy - surface, report, wait for orders (game will always tell you to attack, although IRL commanders were often ordered to shadow), attack. At this stage in the war almost everything was done on the surface. - SH3-specific question: do the crew automatically rotate shifts, or is that the player's responsibility? Depends on your mod. In the stock version the crew do not rotate and will get tired; GWX and SH3 commander allows you to manually select fatigue levels, ranging from disabling the whole aspect to several 'halfway' solutions. - Anything else I should know? Attack! Always attack! 1939 is the safest time to be a U-Boat. Make the most of it! __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] GWX 3 + OLC Gold + 100% Realism + Commander "Attack! Always attack!"