I can start with a IX(A) in september 39, but I chose to start with a VII(A) this time, then get one of the last IXBs commissioned to ride til wars end, or my demise.

How is this possible? I would love to start in 1939 in a IX type.

Restarted carrer - Back to the basics now commanding a Type II from Wilhelmshaven.After an uneventful patrol i decided to try my luck in Portsmouth Harbor. Still 1939 so I thought I could make a try for it - and i was right. Running submerged during the day while crossing the channel, I "moored" 5 Kms away from the mouth of the harbour, submerged and all stopped at 30m depth (shallow waters made all of the crew quite edgy). At 22:00, surfaced the boat, recharged batteries and got some fresh O2. 01:30 made my way, surfaced, to the "mouth" checking depth under keel every 10 mins to get a feeling of the "legspace" i might need. Suprisingly, no destroyers around! The moment i passed the "mouth" of the harbour, day is breaking i again submerge (17m with harbour depth at 20m) and wait the day out. At 23:00 we make the surface , replenish oxygen and head towards the docks. Nothing spectacular. 1 tanker + 1 Merchant. 3 torpedoes later, they are down in flames and i make my way ahead full towards the "mouth". An armed trawler is shooting at me, but i have no deck gun not the will to engage in the harbor. Luckily i make it to the mouth without serious damage (hull integrity 98%). I keep my boat on the surface ahead full. Its after midnight and now a destroyer is after me. Depth under keel 35m - no point in submerging and i have no aft torpedo tubes:x. Well not many options here, as the destroyer is now close enough and starts shelling. I try to zig zag as much as possible - depth under keel now at 50 so i crash dive at 45m full rudder right. 1 torpedo has been reloaded so im not completely naked. I order silent running. Destroyer is almost above me so full ahead and rudder full left - i hear the charges splashing but at 45m it wont take much time. Bang Bang Bang... No damage, but very close. Full ahead, i have a some mins until the destroyer's sonar man recalibrates after the explosion - turning my boat towards the destroyer - at 45m she wont ram me. I dont want to shoot as the angle is tight and if i miss she will spot me in a moment. I make a pass beneath her and order silent running again.Now she is bearing 170 making circles - distance 750m. I keep my running silent and try to put more distance. I get pinged again. I decide to engage as if i hold the hide and seek , another destroyer will appear and in 50m depth i will have no chance. When I surface she is at 600m and the angle is acceptable. I fire tube 1 (slow speed, depth 7m, magnetic) - make or break. Thank God its make and the destroyer gets it. Periscope down, depth 45 full ahead. Im lucky enough to hit probably the engines. She's not down but moving very slow (slower than me which is a feat!). Putting distance now, i've been very lucky. Surfacing, its 02.30 full ahead to deeper waters. Job done with a great amount of luck... The crew probably thinks I am the "iron coffin guru" but we were very lucky that its 1939, there was only one destroyer and that it was night. Back to port...:arrgh!:

The simplest way to do it, without altering "a million" files is to do one patrol in whatever boat SH3 gives you.

After returning to port reboot your computer.
Go into the "patrols_0" file in your Documents.
Find your next patrol (It's there).
Change the uboat type to 2.
Change the uboat version to 0.
Change the Uboat number to whatever you like.
That's a IXB.

It is a bit more historical to start with a IX(A).
((Just use a IXB without stern reloads. And G7A torpedoes in the stern tubes because, they were external tubes with no way to reload at sea. Same for the VII(A).)

Reboot again before playing.

U28 VII(A). Patrol 2 completed.
 

Underway from Willy on 1.nov.39.
Patrol Grid is AN13 (Just west of the shortcut above Scapa Flow).
U28 went the long way, north of The Shetlands.
2 merchants and 1 auxilary (Ocean Going Tug) were sunk for 9.923 GRT.

The Ocean Going Tug was sunk with stern shot, during a pre-sunrise submerged attack 10 miles outside the western entrance to Scapa Flow for 1.141 GRT in AN15.
Prior to that the RN had been keeping a low profile.
We remained undetected and crawled towards the deeper water of our assigned grid.

U28 returned to Willy on 23.nov.39
Her track record thus far is:
2 patrols. 9 vessels sunk for 31.526 GRT.

Thank you Snestorm.
I will do this in my next career.

I use Wreford-Brown's Type VIIa mod, which not only removes the stern reload but also the forward externals, and changes the engine speeds and range.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=1872

You're very welcome.
Enjoy.

...where is Paul Riley?

Hmmm. "Ain't" we thinking alike?
That's neat.
I usualy work the whole crew on our way out of port getting rid of the excess torpedoes.

I've got all the Engine Telegraph settings reset on all my boats.
Same top speed and range, just more realistic and functional settings on the telegraph.
VIIB
Slow: 4,128 / 1,92 Knots (For silent speed submerged).
One Third: 6,88 / 3,2 Knots (Most economical surface speed).
Standard: 11,532 / 5,28 Knots (Perfect).
Full: 16,656 / 7,84 Knots
Flank: 17,2 / 8 Knots

IXB
Slow: 4,914 / 1,971 Knots
One Third: 7,28 / 2,92 Knots
Standard: 10,012 / 4,818 Knots
Full: 17,836 / 7,154 Knots
Flank: 18,2 / 7,3

Slow, One Third, and Standard are all slower than stock.
Full is a-little faster, and less economical, than stock.
Flank is unchanged

No more having to man the CE's station to get my submerged speed right. Slow.
And One Third is now, as it should be, the most commonly used surface speed.

What thinks Steve?

U28 VII(A). Patrol 3 complete.
 

Departed Willy on 21.dec.39.

24.dec.39 AN28 (100 miles WSW of Bergen).
0843 Ship sighted in the predawn light. Periscope depth.
0900 C2 Cargo sunk for 6446 GRT.
Course 050. Speed 9 knots.
Submerged attack. 3 T2 torpedoes. 2 hits.

26.dec.39 AF78 (25 miles N of The Shetlands).
2100 Ship sighted. Medium range. - Dive!
2102 Sound reports a merchant moving slow. - Periscope depth.
2140 Coastal Merchant sunk for 2042 GRT.
Course 076. Speed 6 knots.
Surface attack. 3 T2 torpedoes. 2 hits.

27.dec.39 AN12
1559 Fishing Boat sighted in storm. - Dive, and await his passing.

28.dec.39 AM34
2100 U28 is on station. (7 days in transit).

1.jan.40 AM51
2348 Radio Report.
Enemy task force. AM51. SSW. 27 knots. - Dive, listen, and wait. Nothing.

2.jan40 AM01
1800 Radio Report.
Convoy. AM29. E. 6 knots. - Full Ahead!
We found nothing and laid a course through AM53 for AM64.
Plan: East on the surface by night. West submerged by day.

4.jan.40 AM53 (Depth under Keel 64 meters).
0223 Armed Trawler sighted astern at medium range.
We dived to 25 meters hoping we were not seen.
Sound reported "no contact" as he was in our baffles.
0303 U-turn and listen.
0724 Sound reports slow merchant closing. 304T.
0820 Coastal Merchant sunk for 1987 GRT.
Course 110. Speed 5 knots.
Surface attack. 3 T1 torpedoes. 1 hit
1650 Single torpedo attack on Trawler.
Course 060. Speed 8 knots. Wrong! Miss.
1748 Sound reports medium speed merchant closing at 260T.
1845 Last torpedo. Stern shot fired at a C2 Cargo.
1846 Torpedo impact. In the nose.
Course 090. Speed 9 knots.
Target slowed to under 8 knots. No sinking.

16.jan.40 AN98
1130 Docked at Willy.

Patrol Results: 3 merchants sunk for 10.465 GRT

U28's record to date:
3 patrols. 12 vessels sunk for 42.091 GRT.

He was on my mind too.
Hope he's OK.

u93 - walter suhr. Patrol 5
 

Well Patrol five is under-way.

Left Brest on July 24th after one month in port for repairs etc following my last patrol.

DT24 is my alloted grid right down near africa I think....so a long slog ahead. Just abrest western coast of spain on 26/27th July I change my plan slighly and am going to meander around near casablanca for a bit as I know large convoys often frequent the area.

CG28 July 28th
"Ship Spotted" was reported by the crew in the early hours. Skipper W Suhr had only been :yawn: an hr or so but crew decides to wake him, with a mug of tea...

"Well what we got, what you woke me for this time?" I ask my crew....(yes me the skipper as W Suhr)

1XO: We got a large merchant sir, was thinking u might want to see....

"well yeh I suppose....Ahead FLANK! Open tubes two & three for salvo firing"

in my slumber I had forgotten to ask my weps to set the spread angle to minimum given the distances involved.

LOS was ordered and no detonation is heard. Five mins later I give up and order the crew to "MAN DECK GUN!"

We put around 15 shells into her and I then ordered us to periscope depth as she is returning fire in some way with a small cannon of some description :o

Up the scope, properly set the tubes this time....

"Open Tube one please"
Tube 1 duly is opened and fired....without further ado & before long....detonation!!!!

A hit is scored.

The process is repeated by using the now re-loaded tube two and she is now sliding below....:arrgh!:

That's where we are upto ATM

R/L: food & Bedtime calls.

Ok I followed the above procedure and I now have a IXB hull with the normal torpedo layout with a type VIIB conning tower and a 8,8 cm deck gun.
This is it:
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/7...iibconning.jpg

Is it normal?

No.
Can you live with it?

What about buying the tower & 105 mm with renown when available?
Not a perfect solution, but hopefuly a simple one.