Patrol techniques

[dc1962]

Fellow skippers, I'm just wondering about your procedures for patroling once you get to your designated area. Do you use the search patterns from the navigator or your own method? Ive been going at slow speed back and forth along a 60-100 km patrol line but have not had great luck.

[robj250]

I usually enter from the mostly the SE corner so far in all my patrols and I set up anywhere from 7 to 10 legs running WEW and then the last leg returning to the point I entered the patrol area. It usually works for me and In time compression I travel at least 128 or one time compression higher with my sub speed ahead standard.

[squigian]

I patrol my grid in a spiral that winds into the centre, then I wind out again (in truth, I use straight lines, of course).

[Ducimus]

Usually ill go in a diagnal zig zag. Lessens the likelyhood something crawls up my baffels.

If i feel the patrol area is unproductive, ill squat on it for the alloted 24 hours, save my fuel, and shove off elsewhere where i feel there shipping.

[CybrSlydr]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

If i feel the patrol area is unproductive, ill squat on it for the alloted 24 hours, save my fuel, and shove off elsewhere where i feel there shipping.

Exactly what I do.

Normally I just squat in my patrol zone at PD with my engines off so I can atleast hear if something sails past, but I normally don't use my assigned area as my patrol zone.

[robj250]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

If i feel the patrol area is unproductive, ill squat on it for the alloted 24 hours, save my fuel, and shove off elsewhere where i feel there shipping.

Never thought of that, good thinking guys.

I crisscross the zone once, then cross from the middle of the outside line to the middle of the next line, and finally go around the outside; then start over again.

[Rosencrantz]

Well, usually when on a new oparea for me, I just try to do some analyze where should I found the traffic. If no idea or on the open sea (not close to the coast) I usually set up straight lines 10 nm between them. And finally, after I have found something, I took the coordinates and store them at "Intelligency" fiels + info about targets course and type.

Greetings,

-RC-

[gdogghenrikson]

I do North to South zig zags

[Keelbuster]

I like to run at 70m, ahead slow, for as much as possible - it saves fuel, promotes target detection, and is safe from all kinds of attack. When recharging I also run at ahead slow. I find that the assigned patrol grid is rarely a good place to hunt so I get my 24hrs over with and head on to business. Though, I must say that when I do encounter a convoy or TF in my patrol grid I attack it with special enthusiasm.



Kb

[deadactionman]

For the most part, my designated patrol grids are a complete waste of time... I get there, set ahead slow and zig-zag about until it's time to go hunting.

However, last night for the first time ever, a loan T3 went sailing right through the middle of my patrol grid! Perhaps BdU aren't idiots after all :hmm:

[robj250]

Out of a total of 34 patrols, there were only three times that I did not encounter an Allied ship of some sort. I guess I have been pretty lucky. However, usually I run into a convoy before getting to my patrol grid and most of the time all I have left in armament is 1 tube in the bow and my aft the same. Sometimes I have a stern external left as well, so encountering an enemy in my assigned grid could spell disaster, so when I have that situation, I get the 24 hrs over ASAP, and a couple of times I didn't even bother going to my patrol grid.

[andy_311]

I just go to around 50m let the boat hit "last way poiint reached" and hit the highest tc possible 905 of the time sod all happens then go to pd then go somewhere were this some traffic.

[tbarak]

Yeah renown is about the only reason I even bother with the patrol area. The patrol patterns burn too much fuel. Like the other guys I note the time when I enter it, submerge, turn everything off, and TA to 1024x for 24 hours. I then bee-line it to the convoy lanes. I try to plot a course that will take me along productive hunting ground on my way to the patrol area too.

[snyperAL]

same here not much point sitting in an empty square for too long