Sailing the Type II

[siber]

Hi all! Perhaps this is a newbie question, as I've only recently picked up SHIII, but I've tried searching the forum for an answer but 'type II' isn't a broad enough search term or something. I've got SHIII, then patched to 1.4b and installed GWX over that. Thinking it best to start realistic but small, I've started taking type II boats out of Kiel in 1939. But BdU continuously assigns me patrol grids near Shetland, the Orkneys or Norway. The only way I can get to these places is to chug all the way round Denmark at (painfully) slow speed - 4kts. I've tried boosting my range after reading that battery power is recharged with less power than it provides, but I still can only just make it to my partrol grid before hearing that half my fuel is gone already - even if I go directly! Especially when I'm diverting to investigate contacts that turn out to be neutral! Surely the best way to train the crew and get a better boat is complete patrols and get renown. But if I can't make it to the assigned grid, how should I do this? Should I disobey BdU and just go hunting or what? Any advice appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[Henri II]

In my experience the most econimc speed for the type IIA is 5 kts, at least in calm weather. I never have a problem to reach the Orkneys, even went to Trondheim once. On my last patrol (grid close to Lerwick) I was out for 18 days, cruising at 5 kts and only going faster to intercept ships, came back with 39 km of fuel left.

[danlisa]

Welcome to Susbim matey.

The Type 2 is a fun little boat but as you have found very limited.

If you are starting from Kiel then use the canal. This will cut your distance to travel to the North Sea. Before leaving your mooring, look at the Nav Officers orders and under Plot Course you will find an option for Kiel Outbound, click on it and the course will be plotted for you. Then set speed and choose Follow Plotted Course.

When you are under way, play with your speed settings while asking the Nav Officer for 'Max Range at Current Speed'. By doing this you will be able to find the optimum speed for the Type 2. For the Type 2 it is probably somewhere between 4-6kts.

As for completing your assigned patrol orders (Patrol Grid XXXX for 24hrs) that is entirely up to you. You will loose a renown bonus if you don't complete your 24hr Patrol and then return to base (without warping) but if you know of a Ship Rich area where you think you can get better results then the decision is yours Captain.

Enjoy your first trip through the Kiel Canal and enjoy the GWX Experience.

Please come again, thank you!:rotfl:

[Umfuld]

If you haven't yet, look into SH3 Commander. It's a must have for this game. It lets you customize a lot of the in game stuff, including your patrol grid for each patrol.

That should solve your problem until you upgrade to a sub with longer range.

Welcome by the way. Happy hunting.

[Mooncatt]

and welcome to subsim

[siber]

Is it possible to tweak the speed then, other than using the preset slow/one-third/half/etc. settings on the control bar? How do I do this?

I tried using the Kiel canal before, but I gave up because the time compression wouldn't work. I presume this is because I plotted the passage myself and probably wasn't dead centre and was in the shallows most of the time. But I'll see if my navigator can plot the course for me... I haven't tried that yet - I wasn't aware it was an option, or is it a SHCommander thing that I don't have yet?

Thanks for all your helpful advice and friendly welcome!

Siber

[Henri II]

You can acces the course plotting through the navigator menu, I think you have to be at full stop and at a certain point for it to work, it's explained in the GWX manual in more detail. The TC actually won't work with automated plotting either. You'll have to raise the TC value for Land Proximity in SH3 Commander.

As for speed setting, below and to the left of the machine telegraph dial is a little button, click on it and you'll have the speed dial where you can accurately adjust the speed in kts.

[danlisa]

Originally Posted by siber

I tried using the Kiel canal before, but I gave up because the time compression wouldn't work. I presume this is because I plotted the passage myself and probably wasn't dead centre and was in the shallows most of the time. But I'll see if my navigator can plot the course for me... I haven't tried that yet - I wasn't aware it was an option, or is it a SHCommander thing that I don't have yet?

Thanks for all your helpful advice and friendly welcome!

Siber

That is right, if you use the auto plotter then you should be able to traverse the canal at 64-128 TC.

As for SH3Commander, it is a standalone program which adds alot of options/immersion/settigs that are not normally available.

You can d/l SH3Cmdr from here - http://www.users.on.net/~jscones/software/products.html

Also, as you are using SH3Cmdr with GWX you need a special set of cfg files, they are available by clicking on my sig, you'll find them about half way down the page.

BUT

You must read the inclosed documentation for SH3Cmdr first.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by siber

Is it possible to tweak the speed then, other than using the preset slow/one-third/half/etc. settings on the control bar? How do I do this?

I tried using the Kiel canal before, but I gave up because the time compression wouldn't work. I presume this is because I plotted the passage myself and probably wasn't dead centre and was in the shallows most of the time. But I'll see if my navigator can plot the course for me... I haven't tried that yet - I wasn't aware it was an option, or is it a SHCommander thing that I don't have yet?

Thanks for all your helpful advice and friendly welcome!

Siber

That's the funny thing about the canal: in real (and game) life it makes the passage much shorter, but for the gamer it takes longer because it's harder to use the artificial time compression. That's where GWX comes in; they put in a button that takes you through the canal automatically. To be fair I must also mention that NYGM did it first, but if you're using GWX stick with it, and get SH3 Commander.

SH3 Commander sits on your desktop. It lets you have more than a billion possible crew names. It lets you award many more medals and promotions. It lets you adjust wave height and gun reload speeds. It lets you adjust time compression for every situation. It gives every ship you sink a name. It gives your captain a past history and a post-war life. It does so many things I can never remember them all. If you have it you'll know it's there.

[siber]

Thank you all very much for your help. I was under the impression that Commander and GWX were incompatable. I'm downloading Commander now...

I'd best get back to those threads about using torpedoes... I figured it's best to learn to use them straight away using high realism, but in anything other than calm seas, daytime on a broadside I'm only hitting about one in four!

Cheers once again! Perhaps I'll graduate type II soon and move up to a VII?

[siber]

Just one more thing... Where's this button to go through the Kiel canal? On the map, there's just 3 green labels, for the inbound point and two bridges. When I ask the navigator to 'plot course', it just brings up the map and the course plot tool. Am I missing something, or does the button appear under certain conditions.

Sorry to be a pain with all the questions...

[danlisa]

Originally Posted by siber

Just one more thing... Where's this button to go through the Kiel canal? On the map, there's just 3 green labels, for the inbound point and two bridges. When I ask the navigator to 'plot course', it just brings up the map and the course plot tool. Am I missing something, or does the button appear under certain conditions.

Sorry to be a pain with all the questions...

Under the Nav Officer orders (IIRC) there is an option to plot a search pattern, you'll find it there. You want Kiel Outbound, make sure you do this before even moving from your mooring.

Don't worry about asking questions mate, that's why we're here.

[siber]

[light dawns] Oooooohhhh! I Seeeee! [/light dawning] Cheers matee!

I'd seen those buttons while out on patrol and wondered what on earth a 'Kiel search pattern' was...

[Sailor Steve]

I don't have GWX, so I haven't made that particular boo-boo, but if I had to make a list of the ones I HAVE made...:rotfl:

[Jay Carlson]

If I remember correctly from Wiki or this site, your patrol grid is worth 300 renown while docking is worth 100 renown. Given the choice, I'd do the patrol grid first, try to keep it honest but if you run out of fuel 200km from home, the warp home feature is there.