In need of early war hunting grounds

[Sigurd]

U-32 is departing soon on her sixth patrol, and the crew is all asking, where are the enemy ships? Enemy contact is minimal, and we frequently are forced to return to Wilhemshaven with low fuel, and all of our torpedoes, or perhaps one or two short. Morale is low, and we took to sneaking around neutral ports to see if the English were hiding anywhere. Operation Sinnennetz provided us with a little info, but the coverage on the waters east of England is not avaliabe.

Where do people usually patrol around this time (currently November 1939).

[papa_smurf]

Try the straights in between Orkney and the Shetlands, alwaysa good spot to find lone ships. Just watch out for the odd aircraft or 2.

[FIREWALL]

I use simular mods and also SH GEN. I find it works and always get at around 8,000tns per patrol at 100% realism.

[GoldenRivet]

an unchallenged U-boat could shut down the English east coast almost single- handedly in 39-40. When starting a 1939 career, I patrol up and down the coast from 25-75km off the coastline. No large convoys, but a fair number of lone merchants. Just watch out for neutral Norwegian shipping running east west.

[bigboywooly]

6th patrol in Nov 39

ON\HN convoys are around now in the North Sea also

[Blacklight]

Three places are my favorite: Between Orkney and the Shetlands and also BF17 and BE39.

Also sticking yourself in CG 94 and moving through the squares to the west to around CG86 will net you LOTS of targets if you happen to be down near Gibraltar.

[Avatar]

Use the shipping lane map in the upper left-hand corner of the charts view, that should give you a rough idea as to where shipping lanes are located. But early in the war, you'll be lucky to come across a convoy. Just operate in those patrol areas and go to Kleine Fahrt Voraus and cruise around at 5 knots. Not very exicting, but you should get a contact report of a convoy nearby.
Oddly enough, convoy contacts are better when close to Ireland, Scotland, or England, early in the war.
My last patrol, I cruised the area between Ireland and Scotland and was down to 50% fuel when I actually encountered a convoy.

[Gezoes]

Check the area off Hartlepool, many lone merchants aboout 100 km out of the coast

[von hally]

lo mate

as ive said before ...i find the small area west of scapa flow to the northwest tip of scotland is quite busy

there has been a similar thread to this mate...hope ive done this right!!
click below

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=128765

[harzfeld]

Usually after I reached my patrol area and patrol for 24 hours to get extra renown, I headed off to AM64, sitting at periscope depth camping for any juicy ships or convoys going thru bottleneck. I stopped doing that sometimes in 1941 after increasing enemy warships and planes were getting too much for me to handle. Then I moved to BE39, plenty of tankers, cargo ships, convoy, going thru or by there, and u can go as deep as you like.

[vodkavera]

Early in the war before the invasion of France I hunt
along the Portugese coast. Usualy I come across Large Merch. that steam
in threes or pairs. No escorts or aircover.
It´s like being the fox in the henhouse.

/VV

[Tobus]

AM53 is always a place where I can lose 14 torpedoes.

[Canovaro]

Originally Posted by Tobus

AM53 is always a place where I can lose 14 torpedoes.

You just dump them in the ocean, now that's a shame :rotfl:

[Gezoes]

Originally Posted by Canovaro

You just dump them in the ocean, now that's a shame :rotfl:

Oh I wish, I wish...

"Hey Nakamura, look! This stupid whale is swimming right at us. He's really pissed too, look at the airbubbles!"

[vedrand]

Originally Posted by Tobus

AM53 is always a place where I can lose 14 torpedoes.

do not look any further. this is great fun, especially in 39! Lonely merchants mostly.