On my previous patrol I was fortunate to do an end around and get in front of a British Task Force. I guess the destroyers were chasing me elsewhere as I was rewarded with a straight headon unobstructed shot at a KGV Battleship. 3 T-III's under the keel and a followup shot with a T-V augmented that patrols tonnage very nicely.
So much so, that when I got back to Singapore 4/1944, I was given command of one of the new Walther boats. Nice! Promptly set out on my first patrol, to intercept some Sidney bound convoy.
I noticed they don't have the fuel range of the IX-D2 I previously had. Not a major downside - I just noticed fuel seemed to decrease faster, signifying less capacity. I topped off at Batavia on route to N Austrailian waters, noting I would have to be a little more careful about fuel consumption for long range cruising.
Not a big deal - I noticed better speeds anyways from standard propulsion at "Ahead Slow" (likely a good fuel conservation speed) both surface and submerged.
Anyways attacked my first convoyshortly after leaving Batavia in a driving rainstorm. 5 ships , escorted by two destroyers. Too bad - no more soft tonnage I guess this late in the game.
It sure was nice having 6 tubes up front now - AND - the reload times are way less. Guess they have the XXI's auto-reloader on the Walther as well.
But the big bonus was using the Walther drive to zoom away suddenly at 25 knots (Ahead Flank speed setting) from the destoyers. Particularly when I noticed from the surface external view they fired hedgehogs at me on their attack runs to my position.
NASTY! I would have been screwed if I had been in my old boat. As it was by then I was going deep under the thermal layer and probably 1500 m ahead of what they guessed my position was, so the HH fell harmlessy astern of me. But it was an eyeopener and I'll have to adjust my tactics accordingly, never letting the destroyers get remotely close.
Then once well below the thermal layer, shut the Walther turbine off and crept away at moderate speeds without them even remotely getting another shot at me.
Nice!
This boat will be alot of fun for the next year of game time (I presume the German ensign gets hauled down in May '45 - I doubt the IJC will allow any freelancing after that
). It seems like if you use the Walther drive sparingly to just get out of tight spots or to gain a tactical advantage, you'll have more than enough fuel for a lengthy cruise. In my use of it on the attack on the convoy, the fuel level didn't even budge, so I think the capacity is pretty good.
Its going to be kinda tough to go back to the Fleet Boat side without having all these toys to play with, once I'm done with the U-Boat side. Or maybe I'll just start all over
