Newbie question: How to patrol?

[kevarms]

Hi guys, Just started to play SH4 and finding it quite enjoyable. I haven't played a sub sim for a looooong time (Hunt for Red October anybody?) but very impressed so far.
I'm not having much trouble with combat tactics. I still remember a lot of stuff, as well as finding a lot of things in the forum useful. What I'd like some help on is how to go about the campaign missions realistically. Probably obvious things to you guys, but not to me I'm afraid. Things I'm interested to know:
- should I be sailing on the surface or submerged?
- what speed?
- when should I submerge? when should I surface?
- why/when should I send my position to base?
- should I attack enemy ships on the way to a patrol area?
- is it worth responding to fox reports (eg, Japanese invading Phillipines) if I'm far away and assigned another mission?
- sonar and radar.... when and why?

I've searched the forums to no avail so I hope somebody can lend a guiding hand here. In the meanwhile I'm going back to the quick missions. Never can get enough shooting practice.

TIA

EDIT: Actually I was thinking of Red Storm Rising, not Red October