VIIC Boat Question

[PapaG39]

I thought I would try a career out of Bergan, Norway starting in June 1942.
It is the VIIC boat & I have to choose some things for the boat.
the options are:
1) Engine upgrades.. two choices 500 & 1500 renown.
2) batteries...Improved charge time or Longer distance options. 500 & 1500 renown
3) Hydrophone improvement outside the top of the boat.
4) sonar
5) Radar
6) sonar decoys Bold 1.

Which of these would be the most benificial for the North sea?

Well I hope it is the North Sea...I thought I would be going after the Mermansk run targets, but they sent me to some damn place clear out in the bloody atlantic half way to New York. I do not even see any squares above the AF squares which are along the coast of Norway.
No squares by Iceland either. ???

[Chock]

Anything that enables you to engage at longer ranges, run away quicker or hide better. The North Sea is very shallow in a lot of places, which is asking for it against escorts. So personally I'd go for the improved underwater capability the batteries give you, and the decoys so you could make use of that capability.

Chock

[PavelKirilovich]

Decoys, sonar, and I've always been a fan of the MAN Buchigeblase for the diesels.
If you're running GWX, you really don't want to stay on the surface. I just completed my first career in stock SH3 and spent a lot of time on the surface; I'm told it won't happen that way in GWX.

Therefore I would recommend sonar and hydrophone improvements and the decoys; the enhanced charge-rate batteries are a good idea for you until you get a schnorchel, when it becomes a bit safer to recharge your batteries.

[dmlavan]

I usually go with the bold (as soon as I can get it), engine upgrades, improved batteries, and hydrophone improvements. Sonar (the active kind) I haven't found very useful, and radar seems to give you away before you can actually find something yourself.

[Paajtor]

3) Hydrophone improvement outside the top of the boat.

Forget that one...it gets much easier damaged than the old hydrophone.

[Lzs von swe]

Get the best batteries you can get, you will need them.
The KDB hydrophone is well worth the price.
The decoys, get them but don´t trust them to save you.
As soon as the first radar warner gets available, get it.
And get the anti sonar coating too, not sure how effective it is but it helps.

[Brag]

The anti sonar coating reduces the odds of detection by 10%. Every little bit helps

[sasquatch]

I would improved the hydrophone first, then the engines and battery. Hydrophones help pick up long range targets (over 20km), engine upgrades will give you an extra edge in flanking convoys, and the batteries will keep you submerged longer, which helps a lot if under DC attack haven't gotten radar, or anti-sonar coating yet...

[3Jane]

As I understand it, the engine upgrade is a bit of a cheat, the existing engine already giving the realistic performance. The rest, hydrophone/coatings/batteries etc, get them as soon as you can.

[Fusek]

anti sonar coating, bold and radar warning is what i would get first.

[Mikey_Wolf]

No the engine upgrade is not really a cheat, though, I suppose that depends entirely on what mod you are playing. If you are playing GWX my sister basically explained to me that the upgrades only provide a slight performance increase, as compared to stock where a MAN VIIC could do 20 knots on a calm sea which is very unrealistic.

The anti-sonar and radar coatings, I don't actually use them. They were not widely available and were only used on a few boats, so I "slum it" like all the other U-boat captains and don't use it. Of course, I dare say life would be easier for me if I did use it, but, heh - I is a glutten for punishment!

As for GWX depriving you of your surface cruising, not true. You can run on the surface but in late war you are going to get caught by planes a lot. Also one tip, don't bother getting a snorkel on your sub until the snorkel sensors are available.

[Sailor Steve]

Actually yes the upgrade is a cheat, because it didn't exist. Type II through VIIA did not have superchargers. Type VIIB on came with them from the shipyard. The standard speed in the game is the actual speed the subs made, WITH the superchargers. Anything faster is unrealistic.

VIIA: 17 knots
http://www.uboat.net/types/viib.htm

VIIB: 17.9 knots
http://www.uboat.net/types/viib.htm

VIIC: 17.7 knots
http://www.uboat.net/types/viic.htm

IX: 18.2 knots
http://www.uboat.net/types/viic.htm

IXB: 18.2 knots
http://www.uboat.net/types/ixb.htm

IXC: 18.3 knots
http://www.uboat.net/types/ixc.htm

IXC-40: Listed as 19 knots, but with the same 4400 horsepower and the same displacement, one of the speeds listed has to be wrong.
http://www.uboat.net/types/ixc40.htm

Still, no official source lists ANY u-boat as making 20 knots, even downhill.

[Penelope_Grey]

LOL Cheat :rotfl:

No... its not really a cheat, because... well, at least in the Grey Wolves eXpansion... the power of the upgrades has been toned down to keep in line with more realisitc performances.

sooo.... that said... if you upgrade the engines on your IID to a man... then, you're pretty much wasting your renown because..... it won't go any quicker than 13 knots. Though it may accelerate just a tad quicker.

In stock game you could consider them a cheat though. Because no way do U-boats go as fast as they did. It wholly depends what mod you are using.

[PavelKirilovich]

I completed my stock career a couple of weeks ago. U-568 had the MAN engine upgrade and on my last patrol of the war, made 21 knots coming back into Bergen for the last time.

Just to add emphasis to everyone else here: GET THE RADAR WARNING RECIEVER. If you see that available, screw all other upgrades, get the RWR first. It is the single most useful piece of kit you will add onto your U-Boat.